Create inspired spaces

Garden Railways

In the Spring 2019 issue, Nancy Norris shares photographs of nine public spaces designed to inspire you. We’ve assembled all of the related links here for you to access quickly. Gabis Arboretum at Purdue University: tinyurl.com/gabisarboretum A “The sedum spectrum,” June 2013. B “Using red in the railway,” June 2014. C “Massing plants to frame […]

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Winter running on the CPR Joy Division

trains running in winter on a garden railroad

Name: Kent Johnson Railroad Name: Canadian Pacific Joy Division Location: Milwaukee, Wisc. Scale: 1:29 Theme: Modern-era branch line in Western Canada Description: The sun was making a weak effort to shine over the CPR Joy Division garden railroad on a cold January afternoon. Even so, I still wanted to capture the inaugural run of my […]

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Model the desert

model_desert1

The skeleton of a desert in progress at Scott Kennedy’s East Bay Union Railroad at one end of his dogbone trackplan. A flagstone plateau supports the track and retains soil while a dry creek provides drainage and a footpath. Nancy Norris In the fleshed-out desert, a dwarf, blue-green olive tree (Olea ‘Little Ollie’) flanks the […]

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Building an outdoor garden caboose

she_sheds

Photo 1 Sun has set but modeling continues in paradise—a building for building railway gear, rain or shine. In this caboose, the author keeps kits under construction, trains ready to run, parts drawers, a tiny fridge, and an electric kettle. A train runs through it. Garden tools hang just inside the end door. Rungs lead […]

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Japanese spurge

japanese_spurge

Nancy Norris Common name: Japanese spurge, Pachysandra Latin name: Pachysandra terminalis Plant type: Groundcover USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8 Cultural needs: Moist, well-drained soil; full shade to full sun Plant size: 6-8″ high, spreading aggressively Close up of leaves Nancy Norris Sometimes we need a groundcover to simply cover the ground in hardy greenness to prevent […]

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Display at the San Diego County Fair

garden railroad on display at the san diego county fair

Name: Mark Lovelace Railroad Name: SDGRS San Diego County Fair 2018 Location: Del Mar, California Scale: 1:24 Theme: How Sweet it Is Description: This is a cab ride on the largest line of a 6-line railroad the San Diego Garden Railroad Society built for the 2018 San Diego County Fair. The video of the train […]

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Debuting the Emma Nevada

Train on a garden railroad

Name: Mark Kimball Railroad Name: M&P RR Location: Midwest Scale: 1:29 standard gauge Theme: Short Line Description: M&P RR, a standard gauge short line in the Black Hills, has a replica of Disney Animator Ward Kimball’s Emma Nevada (a Bachmann Mogul). Just got battery power, and AirWire control, out for its first spin. […]

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