The Daily Dig

October 25, 2010

I have known Timmy McAleece and Valentina Raugi for a while now...our friend Jackie introduced us many years ago. Whenever we get together we always talk about our love for all things beautiful...art, architecture, fashion, and nature. I knew they had a garden, but it wasn't until recently that I was invited over to spend the afternoon with Timmy, Valentina, Otto the dog, the Sulcatta Tortoises, and oh yeah...their Rhinoceros Iguana. Their garden was amazing! It surpassed all my expectations. Whenever I was admiring a plant, Timmy was right behind me with some clippers and a bag to collect cuttings for me to take home. Whenever I see the plants that he gave me, I will remember what a great afternoon I had with my friends!

I asked Timmy and Valentina some gardening questions as we walked through the garden and tortoise sanctuary.

Describe your gardening style:
Low maintenance! I like plants that are easy to grow and don't need too much attention.

What's your favorite garden element:
Found objects. I am a collector and you can find my Tonka Truck and doll head collection displayed throughout my garden.

What's your biggest gardening challenge:
Keeping our iguana from eating up the garden and running out of space to plant

What's your favorite part of your garden:
The plants along the pond perimeter. It's a great place to cozy up by the fire

Give us a cleaning and organizing tip:
With all the spiky things that grow in the garden, I always wear gloves and use tongs to remove unwanted debris from the plants

What's your proudest DIY:
The pond is one of my proudest DIY moments

Tell us about your biggest indulgence:
The aloe tree in my front yard. It seemed like a lot of money for a plant at the time

Give us your best gardening advice:
Drink a beer while you water the plants and time will fly by. It's amazing how much more you will water