I visited my parents’ home today to pick daffodils (the daffodil window is only about a week long but definitely my favorite seasonal tradition). Much to my surprise, there are some incredible things happening in these 200-year-old daffodil beds. After tens of decades of cross-pollination and just a few years of bee-keeping (by my father), I am seeing species I’ve never seen in all my years of meticulous (and admittedly obsessive) harvesting.
I don’t know if it’s the pathetic excuse of a winter that we’ve had, but I am aching for Spring… just dying to tear into the cold, dormant soil to start beautifying our dead, gray backyard again. With the blank canvas we’re presented with every year, there are so many things to consider. One of my absolute favorite garden statements—real or (in my case) regularly dreamed about—is the RILL. They are so chic and simple.
Rills, or narrow canals, are water features that add dimension, ambiance and soul-pleasing sounds to any outdoor space. Formal rills are made of concrete or masonry and sometimes house beautiful water plants and flowers. In nature, rills—similar to natural brooks—are typically a narrow and shallow incision in topsoil, caused by surface water runoff. Historical origins of rills—seen in the designs of ancient Persian, Moorish, and Islamic gardens—were used as water transportation (from a spring or aqueduct) for irrigation of other daily uses.
Enjoy the gorgeous rills below!
For directions on how to build your own rill, click here.
