HI THERE! I'M BRIANNE TURCZYNSKI, FREELANCE WRITER, HISTORICAL RESEARCHER, & PERPETUAL SEEKER OF THE HUMAN CONDITION. WELCOME TO MY SPACE WHERE I SHARE THE BOOKS I'M READING, MY SPIRITUAL FINDINGS, FLOWERS IN MY GARDEN, AND LOST STORIES. ALL ARE WELCOME HERE.
Small pleasures must correct great tragedies, Therefore of gardens in the midst of war I boldly tell... -Vita Sackville-West The Garden; 1946 In this little beloved town of mine some take pleasure in knocking down the very old homes and building instead new homes of fiberglass and vinyl. One of these very old homes, which was a … Continue reading History’s Peony: A Search & Rescue
This remedy she rejected, saying that she would rather die than do anything that she believed to be a crime or contrary to God's will. -Vita Sackville-West Saint Joan of Arc: 1936 In one of my favorite books (I mean, if I was stranded on a deserted island (touch wood), this would be one of the books … Continue reading Deadly Nightshade
There are few more repaying plants. Rabbits dislike them; their flowering season extends through May and June; they last for a week or more as picked flowers for the house; they will flourish in sun or semi-shade; they will tolerate almost any kind of soil, lime-free or otherwise; they will even put up with clay; … Continue reading The Object Of My Disenchantment
He kept them sitting for hours over the dinner table, he who was usually so impatient to move away; he kept them entertained by anecdote after anecdote, reminiscence after reminiscence, observation after observation... -V. Sackville-West Easter Parade: A Novel Copyright: 1953 Allow me, if you will, to ramble a bit? Ramble like a climbing, … Continue reading Ramble On…
...it is not generally realized by the amateur gardener how many shrubs and climbers will lend themselves happily to layering. It is possible to obtain quite a nursery of young, rooted stock in a short time, at no cost and for very little trouble. Honeysuckles sometimes layer themselves of their own accord, so avail yourselves … Continue reading Honeysuckle Fireworks
Indeed, I think you should approach them as though they were textiles rather than flowers. The velvet vermilion of petals, the stamens of quivering gold... -Vita Sackville-West In Your Garden May 28, 1950 I have been waiting all year for this. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to purchase my roses. They will be the … Continue reading Garden Of Roses…
...as you grow more ambitious, the blue poppy Meconopsis baileyi, which is the dream of every gardener, will all take happily to a shaded home, especially if some moisture keeps them fresh. -Vita Sackville-West A Joy of Gardening; 1958 The other day, my Grandmother told me one of her favorite memories... When paying her one … Continue reading Paved Paradise…
Their beauty is beyond dispute. No velvet can rival the richness of their falls; or, let us say, it is to velvet only that we may compare them. -Vita Sackville-West In Your Garden June 26, 1949 I have thought of planting Iris for a long time, but they are rather expensive. Out my kitchen window … Continue reading Snatching Velvet in the Night
And now, at last, she was seeing daylight; the obstacles were clearing away; things were really beginning to move. -Vita Sackville-West Saint Joan of Arc, 1936 Thank God we made it through another winter and an unpredictable spring. I realize spring is not officially over until June 20th, but the swimming pools are open this … Continue reading Garden Tour: Memorial Day Weekend
They may roughly be described as roses which should be grown as shrubs; that is, allowed to ramp away into big bushes, and allowed also to travel about underground if they are on their own roots and come up in fine carelessness some yards from the parent plant. -Vita Sackville-West May 28th, 1950 In Your … Continue reading A Rose That Spoke
BRIANNE TURCZYNSKI 