Studiology

Excellent

Sometimes, after a lot of preparation, things come together. While I am in the thick of reorganizing and moving, the overwhelm is a constant, so any progress in that direction is excellent. Today was one of those days that was just that and more. A meeting with the Aldie Horticultural Society at Oak Hill was a real highlight, not just seeing the gardens, but meeting old friends. We talked horticulture, something I hadn't missed until I was in the thick of it again. 

There was also the matter of giving away furniture, lovely teak pieces that needed a loving home. Also accomplished today, something that has been many days, possibly months, in the making. How do we manage to gather so many things in our lives? 

And last week, in an emergency situation, I had a tooth pulled. A big one, a molar, which did not make for an excellent day. While I'm in the doctor's chair, I notice that he likes photography. Knowing that one of my next chores was to give away some large, framed prints, I asked if he might like them for his office. He is opening a new office and was excited at the prospect, so those were also dropped off today to a very grateful tooth puller. Now a person may not think highly of a visit to get a tooth pulled, but the pain involved in keeping that tooth is far worse, so I was happy to make him happy.

There has also been the making of art to jury into a gallery in Charlottsville. Since it's been many, many years since I've had to jury into a gallery, I was a bit undecided as to how this was going to go. The good news; I'm in! So the beginning of another adventure, something you will hear a lot about. I submitted these as new works and took a few things to Art A La Carte in Occoquan, where I will be keeping a space. 

When fall arrives I always think of masks, so I have 3 finished, and I may keep going. More to come on that topic. 

And lastly, the thing that makes me super happy was just a little thing. As many of you know, I am usually driving my little Volkswagon GTI, a hatchback that works perfectly for loading lots of stuff - plants, tools, framed prints, etc..... I passed another, almost identical to mine on Route 15 and the driver flashed me a peace sign. Without hesitation, I flashed him one back, all in a split second. I know this is of little to no consequence to most of you, but ever since I've been driving this car, I've wanted to reach out to other GTI drivers. I see 1 or 2 in my travels on a regular basis (really not that many). As it turns out, it is expected (google GTI drivers and peace sign), so I will delightfully be peace signing away, just another reason I love my car!

So an excellent day indeed. Next week is party week for me and sisters at the house in Charlottsville. Just a little sista time before the final thrust to really get stuff done. There are enough beds and places to sit, I just have to bring more forks.

 

The Hokey Pokey

I have some news to share, information that has been waiting for a long time, waiting for things to fall into place before the big reveal. In April I purchased a house in the Charlottsville, Virginia area, specifically Scottsville. A downsizing of property but an upgrade on a house. There will be photographs, stages of interior and exterior improvements, with nothing moving fast, but a steady uphill climb. 

This small house in Aldie has been my home for 44 years, which gives a person plenty of time to clutter up their space. Of my 400 garden books, I might be down to 200. There have been months of self-denial about most personal items, but that will have to change.

A big part of this equation was the connection (acting manager) at the art gallery in Occoquan, but the good news is simply a reduction in my space and a step down from management. There are numerous art galleries in Charlottsville, so the process has begun to jury into one of these.

The property is wide open for garden plans and time has been spent botanizing the area to see what grows naturally.  The pH is 5 to 6.5 and we have been taking dump truck loads of compost to help build vegetable gardens. And a hint to those of you that need compost - now is the time to let me know, we have lots!

I cry and laugh at the sign above the door to the equipment shed which simply reads "Rock Hell". Part of me is fine with the concept of acid loving natives that require very little top soil, but I'm sure the reality will be another story. The good news, there are naturally occurring natives like kalmia (mountain laurel), Rhexia virginica (Virginia Meadow Beauty), and Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly). In addition, the local bird calls have been amazing and the stars at night are mind blowing. 

It's a step back to how things used to be in this part of Loudoun County. We used to live in the "Boonies", and so it is again in this southern end of Charlottsville. 

In preparation for the move, I am also finishing up some medical stuff; there isn't an option to keep my current insurance. Three days ago I had cataract surgery and can now see for miles and miles. The experience was amazing, maybe more like a miracle actually!

The grandkids will be an hour away, close enough to visit during school activities. I will also be closer to some friends and a sister, which is all good for growing old.

My hopes are to post lots of photographs as I enter a phase with lots of challenges. Down the road a mile are 2 gardeners. I suspect they might be close to my age, (some may say old lady) and it's funny how a garden can date you, but I have every intention of knocking on their doors and introducing myself. If they are cantankerous women of the same age (ish), we will be the best of friends. 

Top Five

In a recent Fox 5, zip trip to Occoquan, five "must stops" were highlighted, places that warrant a visit to the little town of Occoquan which sits next to the Occoquan river. Some crazy, peculiar luck found me watching the segment live on TV, only to find out that our little gallery, Art A La Carte, was in the top five and the only shop featured, as the others were restaurants and a regional park. A complete surprise which has put me on cloud 9 ever since. And as luck would have it, we had already planned a big reception to celebrate 12 years in business and to honor the town's name - Occoquan, which means "end of water". To team up with events already planned, the town of Occoquan is holding a weeklong series of celebrations and we are holding an artist's reception on Saturday, August 14th (from 2-4), the same day as the towns "Duck Splash" where hundreds of rubber ducks are dropped from the bridge, all numbered, to race down the river and see who the winners are for cash prizes.  

Our event is called "The Water Show" and our artists have been creating water themed art to honor the towns meaning and come together with a single purpose. There will be wine tastings and small bites for the reception, as well as many forms of watery art. I have completed 3, working on a larger 4th, along with our 25 artists, so we can be fully stocked with new work for the month of August. There will be daily Facebook and Instagram postings to highlight each day, so consider following us on this amazing celebration and endorsement of our little art gallery that has earned the title of a "must stop"!

Here are my 3 finished pieces, with a few extra photographs of progress and/or details. 

And just a reminder, we are open 7 days a week from 11-5 with a different artist every day. Swim, paddle, or float on over.

 

This Chick Turns 11

Hard to believe, Felicity is growing up so fast, she just turned 11 and had one thing on her mind - chickens. Yep, the theme was chickens, the presents were for a chicken coop, and that's how the party went. Of course there was an egg race, but also a sack race and a beach ball relay. Her small coop will only hold 4 chickens, so decisions will have to be made, given that there are 7 up for contention.

As far as competition went, this granddaughter was in the groove. She totally won the egg race, the sack race (in her age bracket), but was still the sweet, considerate girl who appreciated every gift.

Is that a foot over the line?

She also received a new bike, thanks to a couple of aunts and uncles, all she needs now is a basket to carry a chicken or 2.

The cake was delicious, the weather was perfect. All to honor a very special granddaughter. 

More to come.... 

Summer

I have spent much of this late spring and summer moving bulbs. In an attempt to move the Cyclamen hederifolium (one of the hardy types) out of my garden path, I waited for the foliage to shrivel to the point that I knew the tubers would be dormant. A week later and it would have been a real guessing game as to where they live, which is just below the surface. To my amazement, the tubers were much larger than I ever expected, the largest ones were all sliced with the shovel, who knew they would grow that large in gravel after just a few years?!

Here you see one of the large tubers in comparison to a quarter. There are multiple smaller bulbs on the bottom left, I'm guessing they are seedlings from the mother bulb. The hardy cyclamen spend the summer dormant, the flowers arrive as early as late August and persist well into fall. A native of Mediterranean climates, our hot and dry summers bode well for summer dormancy, so this hardy tuber does surprisingly well here. The winter foliage is extraordinary, mottled and veined, to imitate an ivy leaf, hence the nod in its botanical name - hederifolium - in reference to hedera or ivy. 

The cycle of growth and nongrowth also coincides with a deciduous tree canopy, cyclamen is completely leafed out as the trees lose their summer foliage and persists all winter. Mine grown in high shade and are particularly fond of seeding in the pathway. Ants are notorious for carrying off the seed, which is coated in elaiosome, a sweet shell that I imagine tastes like a gummy fruit candy. Once the sweet outside is eaten away, the seed is dropped, most often near an ant hill.

In other spots in the garden, I am waiting for the lilies to start blooming. Some are seven feet tall, loaded with gorgeous buds! My favorite foxglove is in flower, a smaller flowering species with intricate flowers. I might have twenty that are in flower, again in high shade with just enough sun to stand up tall. 

The mini-meadow is a garden that has given me tremendous joy. Rudbeckia maxima and its powder blue foliage is sending up flowers on tall stems. It often takes a ladder to photograph them. 

We have been blessed with enough rain to keep the gardens and surrounds looking good and summer is well on its way. Sadly lacking are butterflies, my dill and fennel are completely void of baby black swallowtails which is a first. Today I noticed a swallowtail passing by, which gives me hope. It's a smorgasbord out here, so please stop and stay awhile.

 

 

Timely Matters

The weather is beautiful and the gardener wants to be outside, recharged and recharging. Today I took cuttings of my native azaleas, hoping that it's not too early. The key to knowing when to propagate cuttings of most flowering shrubs is when the stem, when bent, will snap instead of bending. Not woody but supple and green. It generally falls in early June for azaleas. I use a mix of grit (fine turkey or chicken), sand, and a fine potting soil to mix an amendment that will drain well. 

The idea is to give the stems support but drain well so the stem won't rot. In the bottom of rather shallow pots I add regular potting soil and this gritty mix on top, about 2" deep.

Since the cuttings will not have a way to pull moisture into the leaves, it's essential that the leaf surface is reduced. What ever moisture is in the plant, will have to last until roots sprout. Cut leaves by half and leave a joint in the grit, that is where roots will emerge.

I also leave room at the top of the pot so stems are not subject to wind (which dries them up), but sunken to just below the rim. 

In a few weeks I will test the stems, hoping for some resistance which will let me know that they have managed to sprout roots. Leave them in the shade for now, water enough to keep the medium moist, and cross your fingers. I have left more stems on the mother plants in case this fails and I have to try again. 

Now that we are in June, I have been reviewing May in the garden. I am still working in the lovely garden in Warrenton. As lovely as it was with numerous flowering shrubs, I felt that the peonies suffered from early heat and there was a certain lack of gusto for May. 

In my own garden I loved this combination and think it's worth repeating in any sunny location. Amsonia (my aggresive cross with tabernaemontana) and Allium 'Gladiator'. The amsonia is chocking out my peonies, but a few put up a good fight.

Of the peonies that have proven superior is 'Scarlet O'Hara'. She is tall enough to rise above the amsonia and has been a real champ!

Clematis 'Good Samaritan Joe' has also been tough and beautiful. Not overly tall, perfect on a four foot support.

As far as timely chores, consider splitting up any bulbs that are going dormant. In a week they will be dormant and invisible. Jack-in-the-pulpit, trillium, and Virginia bluebells are just a few examples. Guessing where they are is not fun. 

A Breeze is Blowing

In May of 2020 I was urged to start drawing with my daughter and granddaughter on Thursday nights. Initiated by a group of teachers, exemplary illustrators, all to join together while Covid was raging. This small weekly effort has continued and only grown stronger. As a family, the 3 of us try our best to capture what is presented, a series of 4 photographs with a 20 minute limit for each one. Of course the time limit is up to each artist, if they desire to concentrate on only 1 for the full hour and a half, then so be it. My daughter, a graduate of VCU, felt rusty. I felt completely out of my league, and Felicity the granddaughter took to it like a seasoned pro with no worries. We are now called "The Legacy Family" when it comes to review and critique on Instagram through the tag "Illustration Isolation". 

After a bit of indecision, I settled on watercolor because I'm insane! Most artist will agree that it is one of the hardest, if not THE hardest of mediums. I studied on my own, took an online class and just plodded along. Slowly I've felt like it might be coming together, some nights are really bad, others are wonderful.  It's clear that I am improving, and you can't ask for more. Since the majority are portraits, the challenge is getting something that kind of looks like the person you are drawing. These are 2 of my latest, both of which I'm kind of happy with;

Since I am an artist, more the 3D kind, and a horticulturist, it's been interesting to see how my life is changing.  In a retirement that is almost complete from estate gardening and lecturing, the garden is something that sits outside and paces itself with little intervention. Lovely groundcovers like Smilacina stellata, yellowroot, and epimedium do a good job at keeping weeds at bay, the seasons are complete with early bulbs and long lived perennials. 

Recently I came across my college art binder, one of those large, zippered portfolios. From the mid 70's, it was a joy to look at these old drawings. I attended Northern Virginia Community College at night, worked at Roy Rogers during the day. Classes ended at 10:00 PM, I was at work at 7:00 AM. It was grueling. At the time, as freshman, we were not allowed nude models. This drove my drawing teacher crazy so he often posed for us without a shirt or brought in props that were essentially body parts (a leg, an arm, etc...).The sad part is that I never tagged him by name on my drawings and don't remember his name, but he was very inspirational. 

In time we were allowed nude models, and I remember well the long studies with sweat dribbling down as they were required to sit perfectly still for up to an hour (with breaks of course). I also remember that they were paid $4.00 an hour! 

My art supplies were purchased at the Hecht Company, a trip to Tyson's Mall.

Occasionally one of our fellow students would pose for us, it would be nice if someone might recognize themselves. 

Of course there were single light source studies, draped fabric studies, and gesture drawing by the hundreds.

Evenually I landed a job at Kenny Roberts Garden Center and everything changed. I left college, fell in love with plants and began my dream of owning a nursery. Now 46 years later, I understand why I'm enjoying these drawing sessions so much. When the winds blow, you need to follow them. And if you are on Instagram, check out "Illustration Isolation" @visualartspassage. Such incredible talent on Thursday nights! Hopefully I will share a trio from all three of us. Three generations!

And for the moral of the story, write down the name of the person you are drawing. You might want to reconnect one day. 

 

Five Years Old

The youngest grandchild just turned 5. A May birthday, which almost coincided with mother's day, a day that I can't help but reflect on spring, the garden, and how this would have been the craziest weekend of the year at the plant farm. It's hard to shake those memories. But it was a drizzly day, so inside we were, and a good time was had. The mob scene included 11 other children, so it was deafening at times, in a good way. 

Sweet Juniper was in her element with a new car to drive and a dress-up station complete with hats, masks, swords, beads - you get the picture. 

This spunky granddaughter is not one to shy away from adventure, so she was chauffer for a few friends in her new car, she smiled, they held on tight.

The cake and decorations, party hats and tiara's were just what you want at a sweet 5 year old's party.

I know that growth spurts are often a surprise for grandparents and I'm glad to live not too far to see them grow. And my goodness, are they ever!

Miss Birdie was the center of attention at times and she did not freak out. Even when the tiara's came out. 

All Hail!!

 

 

 

No Persuasion

Stand back, it's spring! The rush of growth, flower to seed, emergence of good and bad, it's all happening at warp speed. I always remember this week, it's the week my son was born and coming home from the hospital - a 3 day stay at the time, was like entering another world. Azaleas were in full bloom and the trees had developed leaves large enough to cast shade. Literally 3 days had made a gigantic change. To record this, I have spent some time taking photographs of what's flowering, or even passing over. The few days when the temperatures hit 80 degrees plus, can make for a fleeting show, especially with flowering bulbs, so you must pay attention.

This is one of my favorite epimediums, simply known as Epimedium versicolor, which is better known with the selection or hybrid - 'Sulphureum' and its all yellow flowers. Both have short spurs, but are strong growers. Lovely for dry shade with clean foliage and a strong stamina.

Epimedium pinnatum ssp. colchicum is a much more saturated yellow with tiny spurs that are reddish. 

Rhododendron 'Colonel Mosby' is part of the Dodd confederate series. Originally developed to take the place of Exbury azaleas, a decidious group that is not fond of our southern heat. Using Rhododendron austrinum, a native species, this group of about 11 hybrids thrives (mine is in full sun) and puts on a stunning show. Since I live on John Mosby Hwy., it became a required purchase.

This sweet native rhododendron is best known as the pinxterbloom azalea. The flowers are usually shades of pink, but can be variable. Depending on the sun, it can be very dense or much looser and open.

Any gardener that likes fragrance must have Abelia mosanensis, it's exquisite!

Adding to the fragrant garden is Phlox divaricata, a native that can also be variable in color, going from this milky blue to deep purple. The lighter shades are best for the shade garden, popping color as the trees fully leaf out.

As the foliage opens completely you can see why Syneilesis aconitifolia is also known as the shredded umbrella plant. A native of Korea, it will grow in dry shade, and I can vouch for that.

This is also the time when the winter aconite or eranthis goes to seed. The small yellow flowers open mid-February, so I like to collect a few and spread them to the south side of rocks so they bloom even earlier. A minor bulb that disappears quickly once heat arrives.

My Thalictrum dioicum or early meadow rue is seeding around and actually becoming a groundcover. The foliage is very dainty and resembles columbine (in the same family). Despite the appearance, this native is as tough as they come and thrives in dry shade. These are the female flowers and you can use this link to read more about this amazing native wildflower. In the Ranunculaceae family, most members are poisonous, so deer resistant. 

And tomorrow will promise to bring more, so don't let a day pass without looking and absorbing. No other time of year offers so many daily changes.

Finishing Things

Time in the studio has been good, many things have been completed and more are underway. Literally finished last night and delivered to the gallery today is a piece titled "Swan Ride".  This one was difficult to assemble, it made little sense to me, and it included a doll, which I hate doing because they always look like a doll. Some bits of "stuff" altered her appearance some, but I knew that this piece meant being brave with the paint because bottom line, it's quite weird. In the end I was delighted with the paint and felt that it owned up to the build, another growth spurt for me (and that's how it feels).

Today was a workday in the gallery so I was able to gauge people's opinion of "Swan Ride", sorry for the lack of creativity in the name, but she was a big hit, despite her weirdness.

Others that have been completed are all up and I have to say that today in the gallery was a blast with fun people all day long.

Tomorrow, Thursday, April 7th, is another workday for me and I encourage you to visit this most awesome little gallery that makes my heart go pitter pat.

The address is 310 Mill Street, the main drag through Occoquan, VA. Come for food, come for art.