Studiology

The Carrot Family

The highly diverse carrot family offers many plants that are aromatic and useful as herbs or spices. When flowering they are described as umbelliferous, the stems (usually hollow) produce spoked floral stems that break into a smaller spoke which carry the tiny flowers. The term for this arrangement is compound umbels and a sure way to recognize family members. Coriander, Queen Anne's Lace, parsley and parsnips all reside here, a few of the 3,000 species in the carrot family.
Not all are suitable for consumption, poison hemlock or Conium maculatum is highly poisonous, a biennial that is native to Europe and North Africa but has naturalized in the northeast, including Maryland and Virginia. Not only are all parts of the plant poisonous, but skin contact with its sap and direct sun will cause blisters, a phototoxic reaction that can leave the affected area looking like a burn. Cow parsnip or Heracleum maximum, a native perennial and hogweed or Heracleum mantegazzianum, a nonnative and not escaped, can also cause a phototoxic reaction. Mild to severe blisters occur, depending on the combination of sunlight on the skin and sap, which triggers the agitation. All gardeners should learn to recognize these dangerous plants, and avoid handling them. These are the few carrot family members that are the exception to the rule for a largely beneficial family.

I have a patch of dill that seeded itself in an orderly fashion, almost square in its placement, that blockish patch contains hundreds of plants. The feathery leaves are beautiful, the green flowering umbels even more so. All manner of pollinators gather there, as I often say "small flower for small mouths", everything from ladybugs to flies and wasps come for the nectar. Another common visitor is the black swallowtail larvae which grasps the small leaves or flowers and lifts them up to its mouth, preferring a slightly raised position to eat.

As the dill reached the point of flowering I was scrambling to find ways to utilize the herb, garnishing deviled eggs, making braised red cabbage with apple and dill, and potato salad.
It turns out that dill is beneficial in many ways, named from the Norse word dilla, which means "to lull", it was given to colicky infants to sooth their stomach. Also an antiflatulent, one of its most powerful benefits, supposedly recommended as a dietary supplement for Russian cosmonauts living in close quarters.
I love the fact that it works in the pollinator garden or the herb garden, returns without coaxing, and may calm the tummy. A term often used to describe a good person might also be used here; dill is a good citizen.

Creative Ways to Put Sticks Together

I ventured up to Chanticleer Gardens last week, the beautiful gardens that blend art and horticulture. What used to take two and a half hours to drive now takes all of three and a half, located very near Philadelphia, I wish it was closer because it never fails to inspire me. My greatest takeaway was the artistic staking of plants or even just the art of weaving branches to decorate a wall. 

In the gardens there were bamboo slices, very thick and sturdy, artfully tied together with string. Sometimes they supported a vine, other times they became the definition between walkway and garden. 

Wall space became the place to gather large branches in artistic ways.

Willow and cotinus appear to be the main options, probably freshly cut to bend easily.

A simple weave and maybe a bit of string is all that's needed to create these lovely structures.

My reason to travel there was a single photograph on their Instagram account, which looked much like this:

Twelve hours later I was there, sometimes you have to be spontaneous. 

Lacecaps and Mopheads

If you have a partial sun garden and no deer, or a well secured deer fence, you might be tempted to fill it with hydrangea. The big leaf hydrangea or Hydrangea macrophylla can be magnificent in June, maybe even better in July, when they age and soften. The petals, technically sepals, are simple but when collectively arranged in large ovals or puff balls each flower becomes something much more than simple.  These are the mophead types. 

The woody stems look horrible in winter, one of a few downsides; they must be left uncut and/or undamaged since flowers arrive from these as growth begins in spring. If winter has been too cold for that variety and stems freeze to the ground, it will not flower. There are many that don't, no matter how you place them. If we have a ridiculously mild winter, these tender types can produce a few flowers but this happens rarely, too infrequently to provide them space in your garden. The biggest culprits of all foliage and no flowers are the seasonal hydrangeas, sold at Easter or Mother's Day, forced into bloom and looking too good to be true. Just a bit tender for zone 7A.

 Fortunately there are some glorious varieties that are more dependable. Hydrangea 'Endless Summer' will occasionally flower even if stems freeze to the ground. Hybridized to (also) flower on new growth, it's still hesitant to do that reliably but a much better variety for hardiness and stamina. 

There are also hydrangeas that have floral heads that have both male and female flower. The flower center holds the small fertile flowers with larger, infertile flowers on the perimeter. These are the lacecap hydrangeas, an appropriate name and the variety I prefer. The care is no different, winter die back can result in nothing more than a leafy shrub. There have been some real advancements in hybridization, the variety H. 'Twist-N-Shout' is another option for potential flowers on new growth, albeit I think more reliable than H. 'Endless Summer'. A large plant of 'Twist-N-Shout' will invariably have all who see it asking its name.

 Breaking it down even further is Hydrangea macrophylla ssp. serrata. Commonly known as the mountain hydrangea, almost all look like lacecaps, slightly smaller in foliage and flower, but much hardier. I can recommend H. 'Blue Billow' and H. 'Tokyo Delight', having grown them for 15 years or more. Outstanding in their hardiness and bloom. 

Soil chemistry will make a difference in bloom color; very acidic soil will render them blue, sweeter soil - pink. I have seen some so blue that it seemed unnatural, at least to my eyes. But it's something you can experiment with; I much prefer the softer, natural shades and have never altered the pH to change their color.

In truth the big leaf hydrangea are worthy of an entire backyard. They are a bit (very) ugly in winter so may not deserve a place of pride in the front yard, but they flower for months, don't need staked, and rarely have insect or fungal problems. Just don't waste space and time on those that don't flower year after year

It's all Good, or is it?

Two weeks ago I mentioned that I was in a battle to weaken a very large wisteria plant. My goal is to cut all new growth every week. After a span of 9 days, I measured the new growth today. 

That's a yard stick! So wisteria grows about 5 inches per day. Per day! I have always joked about job security if you buy a wisteria you need a gardener, my way of telling you not to. And this is not my plant, I tore mine out years ago. It takes so much effort to control them. We will see how the rest of the summer goes, I shall be persistent in my duties as an estate gardener.

It also seems like the jungle arrived this weekend. I felt so good about my maintaining the weeds and the vines, and the vegetable garden. Then it hit and I feel totally out of control. We'll call it biodiversity, food for all. 

Turtles have been on the move and I saved a female box turtle on Route 50 in Chantilly. She suffered a fractured jaw (hit by car) and is healing at the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Boyce, Virginia. I understand they have to go back where they came from which is bad news. I believe she survived the giant construction of storage facilities for Dulles Airport and there is little for her to go home to.  The instructions are no further than a quarter mile from where you find them when taking them back. So the location is the Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church, 43987 John Mosby Hwy, Chantilly, Va and I'm hoping someone might live near there and can give her a good home. The call to take her home may come at any time or it might not, the last one took 3 months, but I sure would like to have a plan. Spread the word please. A nice home with a good supply of water. 

Twice there have been snapping turtles traveling through the yard. 

They may have been females looking for a place to lay eggs, or moving to another pond. I noticed the little protuberances on their head, almost like small worms. 

When the kids were small and we had the plant farm, swimming was a daily occurance, especially on hot days. There were so many snappers in the pond that I worried about little toes. One day I called Loudoun County hospital to ask if I had any reason to worry. A nice nurse told me to make a lot of splashing of water  as the kids went in and the turtles would leave. As I researched the bumps on their heads, the topic came up and the advice was the same. It seems they are only aggressive when out of water, which is understandable. Otherwise they are docile and can live to be 100 years old. 

I hope they make it safely to wherever they are going. 

An Idea for May

All is good in the garden, the heat hasn't been too bad, the bugs are okay and lots of things are in flower. So I had this brilliant idea 3 weeks ago, the one that may not make it past June, but to me, it's sheer genius. I am going to torture the wisteria. Edward Scissorhands style! 

This particular wisteria is about 30' wide and 15' high. It may have started as 1 plant, but long, long ago it snaked its way along the ground and has become its own jungle. I have learned that over time, you can torture a wisteria enough to weaken it. We can call it age, but I like to think that I can outlive it as well. I have also noticed that once they feel the age, the ground runners ramp up and any and every old root will produce a vining sprout. They are capable of getting away from you in just a week (buyer beware!). 

So here is the plan, every week, let's say every Wednesday, I will cut all new shoots. Of course this makes the plant reconnoiter, take a step back and fill the cut branch end with more new growth tips. I am actually increasing my work by forcing the wisteria to develop more growing tips. But I have a plan. New growth on a plant uses auxins, as do root tips. One forces growth up, the other down. In fact certain herbicides use this as a way to weaken and kill plants, messing with their auxins. In a dicot plant, the concentration of auxin hormones are in the tips of new growth. If I can thwart this upward growth, each and every week, I might be able to make the wisteria auxin deficient, or at least slower to recover. You may be laughing right now, and you may have the right to laugh. This may be a very silly exercise. And I know that as it gets hotter, the plant will grow faster. What you also may know or realize is that I am hard headed, let's just say the battle is on. Check back in July.

P.S. let me know if you've already tried this and lived to tell the tale

 

But Why?

Three new pieces of art are finished and delivered, not part of a themed show, just some gathered items that become something. During the intermediate times, when there is spare time to create something that just rises from nothingness, I question why I go where I go. My mother can be thanked for some of it, without her field trips to museums or her determination to be somewhere when something big was happening, well those have clearly shaped me. Travel also contributed, the trip to France and the Sistine Chapel, the museums of Mexico City, going to Washington DC to see the Mona Lisa (1963), I was 8.  Oh and I told her I wanted to be an artist, I doodled for her, and she made sure I saw art. It seems like I have just realized this, the little seed she nurtured and all brought about with some powerful stimulus. 

She was a powerful strong person that ever so quietly guided me. Thank-you mom, how sad that I just figured it out. 

Here are the new pieces, shaped by and from many things. 

For a sense of scale, the middle part, the raised part, is the top of a glasses case. Once you take off the material, it's all metal. 

Happy Mother's Day to all of those strong woman that gently guide your children to do what you know they want. 

Juniper Turns Two

Flamingos were the theme, wear them on your head, on your shirt and eat them on your cake. So it goes when Juniper turns 2 and it's  time to party. 

Her older brother was sick and in quarantine, which he handled admirably, because there was a lot of noise and party downstairs. How sweet of him to understand, and despite his condition, there were many visitors to his place of isolation. 

Juniper or Junebug, or Junie was a little put off by the 2 candles and needed help blowing them out. 

And then it was off to party with bubbles, cousins, and dogs.

Scout likes to chase bubbles as much as Junebug does.

Happy Birthday sweet little granddaughter!

 

Still April

On the last day of a busy month, there is much to share. In a wide space in a trickle of a creek on the farm I found some interesting squiggly things in early April. They turned out to be American toad embryos, strung out in a long flesh-like tube that looked like intestines. They have since  turned into tadpoles and I have banned all 4wheelers from crossing the creek. The toads will populate the woods, oh joy, oh joy!

They can camouflage themselves so well, just this morning I almost stepped on an adult as she huddled, maybe waking up from a winter slumber.

The stealth cams are still recording the comings and goings of wildlife. A coyote sat in front of one for a full hour one night, maybe watching a tree directly ahead that houses something, I think racoon or possum. 

The turkeys were still traveling in groups but are probably separated into mating pairs now. 

My garden maintenance is in full swing and has been for over a month. Last year's rains boosted many plants and we are seeing incredible bloom in the gardens. It has been a heavenly spring!

A trip to my daughters house for Easter revealed a forest of pawpaw trees, all in flower, they had no idea there were so many and the grandkids had their first pawpaw tasting last summer as they gathered them creekside. The pawpaw tree has also been aided by the unusually wet year of 2018, so it may be a record year for fruit.

Little Junebug will turn 2 next week and she is such a precious little granddaughter. With our last visit she dressed as a veterinarian and tried to put a cloth mask on Duke's face. 

He's patient, kind and gentle, but not so sure about the practicality of a mask for the dog.

There have been frantic times in the studio creating pieces to put in the gallery in Occoquan. There are a few reveals but I will save that for May, which I hope is calmer. 

 

The Land of Oz

Today was green. Right now the green is rich, luscious and soft, take it in and breath it deep, because it's lovely and fleeting. 

In a week it might be a different, not the green of Oz, but the green of olives and pesto. 

Tomato Time

Back in the days of the plant farm, there was a field in the back that was home to tomato plants. Leftover plants from spring sales ended up here; we picked and sold all summer. There was little in the way of urgency in our field patch, it was another stream of income and a source for tomatoes for us as well, although we had a large garden with special varieties at home too.

In summer there would be a tomato tasting party. Fruit from home, our employee’s garden patches, and our own field grown plants became the reason to gather and rank the best of the best we had to offer. A necessary practice in the scheme of things, this would decide what tomatoes to drop from our ever growing seed list to make room for others.

For our tasting parties, sliced tomatoes would be placed on plates, the names hidden underneath; this was a non-biased way to find the best red, yellow, cherry, etc. Among our favorites were 'Brandywine', 'Kellogg's Breakfast', Cherokee Purple', 'Black Krim', and 'Sun Gold'. Most of these are labeled heirlooms, passed down from family to family or open pollinated varieties introduced before 1940, which pre-dates the modern hybrid era. Often thin skinned, easily bruised, but delicious in varied ways, one of my employees confessed that she didn't even like tomatoes before our tasting parties.

Fast forward to 2019, I was intrigued by podcast coverage of a new book titled "Epic Tomatoes" by Craig LeHoullier last summer and began following him on various social media platforms. He is the current "Tomato Man", with his own breeding program and a desire to introduce dwarf heirloom varieties. Both 'Black Krim' and 'Cherokee Purple' were named by Craig, the seed sent to him, the man that wants to prove that heirloom tomatoes are not difficult to grow or less productive.

His garden or driveway of containerized plants is located in Raleigh, NC. He uses straw bales and two to five gallon containers for all of his plants. Hundreds of plants are evaluated each year; he keeps a running spreadsheet on growth, color, taste, yields and weight of fruit. His book grades the flavor of 73 varieties with grades of A to B-.

As his spring list of available plants was sent, my plotting began. This tomato venture had to include a drive to Raleigh, NC since he doesn't ship. My choices were based on my desire for sweetness in tomato taste, but it was hard to ignore his ten favorites. I was also keen on trying dwarf plants, especially if they were heirlooms. And so the great tomato caper went, up early to beat traffic (the Saturday before Easter), I made great time and had a delightful time talking tomatoes with Craig. Six plants were added to my purchase as I am now part of his testing of new hybrids, unnamed plants to report on and send seed of.

Twenty-five plants later and a very long drive home, I am now planning on how to stake them and keep them labeled, which is not as easy as it sounds. I am already regretting a few that I didn’t pick up, but there’s always next year, and the year after, and...