Studiology

Shoe Sanctum

I've begun a journey into shoe art, specifically shoe assemblage art. Part of an online class, another trip into obscure art but definitely a fun one. My first shoe is finished and I'm on to more. Finding the right shoe is a big part of the undertaking, the funkier the shoe, the more entertaining the venture. So I present "Shoe Sanctum", and the initial paint step with the rusting technique. I wanted the finished shoe to look like it was made of metal. 

And may this serve as a request for your funky, (I'm done with it) shoes.  

Changes in Horticulture

Recently I pulled out some old books, gardening books by some of my favorite authors. Going as far back as Louise Beebe Wilder and her brilliant prose in the 1930's, to Pamela Harper's book "Designing with Perennials", published in 1991, Henry Mitchell in 1992, or "Elements of Garden Design" by Joe Eck in 1995. These are brilliant publications which grounded me. Even as I revisit the pages, I find the sources for references that built my knowledge. Some of Henry Mitchell's Washington Post articles bookmark a page and I laugh at his masterly use of personal stories and wordsmithing.

The trends were clear, gardening was for beauty. The model for much of this were the large garden borders of Great Britain, layered sweeps of color. It was also the source of most of our gardening books; American garden writers took a while to come into their own. Keeping with the trends I started my nursery. The public wanted colorful flowers, anything new, and long blooming.

That story began more than forty years ago, my nursery closed more than fifteen years ago, and things have changed. The book collection I have now is different. Titles like "A New Garden Ethic" (Benjamin Vogt), "Planting in a Post-Wild-World" (Thomas Rainer and Claudia West), or Doug Tallamy's smart books like "Nature's Best Hope" squeeze next to "Color for your Garden".

Full circle, my profession is still horticulture or grounds maintenance. There is the continuing aspect of beauty and surely the higher learning courses are still formulated around ornament. But something else is happening. Science is infiltrating every aspect of our horticultural world. From the relationship with mycorrhizal fungi, the need for erosion remediation, and research on the decline of birds and animals, one needs only watch the news to see how our climate has changed and believe these changes will and are affecting us.

To follow horticulture in today's world involves understanding how to improve sediment oxidation, or better filter water using plants. The new science is finding that the tiniest connectors are linked to the health of plants from a moss to a giant oak. Soil science is exploding with new research on how to use plants to clean soil of contaminants and understand the relationship between fungi and the insects that inhabit the ground.

The old questions "What will bloom all summer?" are slowly replaced with "how to feed the monarchs", "Which tree provides the most food for migrating birds?", and "How do I increase the health of my soil?". The geeky nerd in me is excited and we need this. The gardeners need to do more than plant pretty flowers because we are the closest link to nature's connections. We see and understand more than most and we can help.

Some simple ways to start;
only use organic fertilizers
look for "peat free" potting soils
plant native plants
let caterpillars eat your plants - they feed the birds
teach your grandchildren

Grandkids

A full 2 weekends in a row were spent with the grandchildren, which was a blast. They are of various ages that are fun to watch and interact with. Still rambunctious and sometimes in disagreement about things,  but inquisitive and responsive to ideas. During the fourth of July we learned about the great Harry Houdini, so there were some exercises involving tie-up and escape. Quinn excelled at the tie-up game as he figured out that if you bent your legs and spread them apart, the rope was never tight. 

Fireworks were simple but fun, just a few on the farm and a late bedtime. We all have dogs that panic over the noise, although you can't avoid the new houses that surround the farm and their fireworks. It's become very noisy!

Felicity was also able to target shoot with her Cricket rifle that was bought for her before she was born, it was decided that she is finally old enough to give it a try. Like so many other things, she excelled.

Her birthday was the next weekend and her mother staged it as a garden party. Perfect! We made another dish garden, since the 3 of them were so successful with one built a year ago, we created another.

You can see the training of a small branch tied with a string and pebble to force it to grow down (on the left). 

Fairy Gardens are ideal for children, they should all have at least 1. 

I ordered a flower arrangement for the occasion, built by the ever so talented Wilson. It was a huge hit, glorious in every way.

And so ended the birthday party for a special granddaughter that is growing up so fast. I'm a very grateful grandmother!

Hot

The days have been challenging with the blasting heat. In defense I head out early to take advantage of cooler temperatures. Sunrise is currently at 5:48 and I arrive at work at 6:30. The first rays of sun send a single ray into the lower garden by 7 AM and I love to watch it move into that space. One of the first kisses of light hit a large, antique birdbath.

As a sunken garden this space can function as a hot spot in summer and a frost pocket in winter. It's good to finish my work there and head to high ground before the temperatures rise. This year will mark my 15th year at Oak Hill and I have come to know the garden well. My first early walk is quiet so I can find where our deer culprit is, maybe eating a lily, or the buds on our ancient crinum. Today he was busted, and my banshee screams may keep him away for awhile (not likely). 

In personal news, I bought a little car. The truck I drive is great but the mileage was slipping up on me, so I decided to stop using it as much and take my spiffy car for most trips. A big savings on gas since my last fill-up on the truck was $70. compared to $30. in the car. It has been a very long time since I've driven a car, much longer since I've had a small car, so this is fun and exciting. The research involved something that could fit a bucket of tools and some flats of plants plus my new favorite 6 foot collinear hoe. A hatchback was my goal with good mileage and decent value after many miles. Luckily my son works at Adesa, the huge wholesale auto auction house and he has his hands on all sorts of cars and trucks and he was a big help in narrowing down the choice (sadly they are very strict on who can buy there, so no, that was not my source). My new ride is a VW Golf GTI, sweet as can be, with a few nice frills. 

She should have a name, but I've never named my vehicles. Suggestions are welcome.

Vines, the Good and Bad

With summer's arrival the garden bulks up. It may seem like new growth has surpassed the gardener's ability to maintain. This is especially so with vines, some good, some bad, and some even ugly.

A particularly thuggish vine seems to be taking over, seizing garden space, tree lines, anything that sits long enough. The oriental bittersweet or Celastrus orbiculatus has become abundant in recent years, a weedy vine of enormous proportions. As seedlings I find them carpeting the ground, easy to pull and simple to identify with orange roots. If left another year, it's an entirely different struggle, one met with resistance to tugging and a vigor that rivals most weeds you encounter. Spread by birds, as most vines are, the red berry clusters of fall and winter disappear quickly as the pulp is eaten and seed dispersed. In terms of damage to surrounding trees, oriental bittersweet rivals wisteria and kudzu, the ultimate bullies that steal sunlight and form a hulking framework of branches which weigh down all beneath. Their Achilles heel is the singular source of each vine, a woody stem that is best cut as close to the ground as possible, followed by frequent re-cuts. All of this before they fruit (of course), to prevent new arrivals. 

There are native options, all three prior vines are not. Even so, vines climb and often need a heavy pruning hand to conform to limited spaces. The non-Japanese, native honeysuckle or Lonicera sempervirens will grow fifteen to twenty-five feet tall. Flowering on old or new growth, they are easily tamed to form a handsome trunk and frame with time. Flowers are orange, red, or yellow and non-fragrant. One of the first to leaf out in spring and last to loose their leaves in fall, well suited to screening or training up a wall. 

Crossvine or Bignonia capreolata can reach fifty feet with orangish flowers in heavy clusters. In the same family as trumpet vine, the two are aggressive. I generally let trumpet vine or Campsis radicans flower (late June into July), and then cut the vine back severely. Best done every year and repeatedly to discourage size. Left to their own devices, the spread seems limitless. All three of these natives are favored by hummingbirds with brightly colored, tubular flowers, and high nectar.

A challenge is finding small vines, the ones used to cover adorable tuteurs or ornate trellis's. There has been a lot of breeding in clematis to do just that. Two breeders, Raymond Evison and Poulsen Roser have been working to fill the void with compact hybrids which are tagged "Evipo". My clematis 'Diamantina' is on a four foot support, which it fits perfectly; a double purple from the same breeding line. 

 

Bottom line, when it comes to planting trailing plants, it's best to do your homework. Far too many invasive vines are sold and the ensuing job of keeping them in check can rapidly disintegrate.  In most cases, that cute trellis will not hold that monster up.

Cherries!

There was a late frost which hit most of the pick-your-own farms and the cherry blossoms in our area. With numerous calls and emails I have been trying to find a farm that may have escaped the damage. Happily I was able to get in on the first weekend of availability on a limited crop, which means I was able to make Cherry Bounce this weekend. I use the original recipe which simply calls for tart cherries, some sugar, and brandy. This was a new farm for me and it's an ordeal to climb the hills to reach the cherry trees. Located in Delaplane, Virginia, the family run business is Hollin Farm. Gladly I left with 6 baskets and it only took 2 high hill hikes and 2 hours. I was advised to bring a stepping stool, which was very helpful. In the past I have tried to find Montmorency or Balaton varieties, known for their tartness and bounce perfection. Today's choice was a variety called Danube, a cross between tart and sweet, and decidedly delicious. The real trick will be the first taste, which doesn't happen until Thanksgiving (although I couldn't wait last year and christened Halloween good enough). 

Now nineteen quarts later, I am finished with my yearly cherry day and can move on to more important things. 

So How are You?

It's June and it happened so fast. I was just admiring daffodils, but the veronicastrum is already blooming! Somewhere between wear a mask or don't, time sped up. The bug bites, and tropical heat just swaggered in joined by hose dragging and trying to work in the shade. I like summer, have big plans for my summer, but it does take some getting used to. 

In random news, I just finished a small class at Green Spring and couldn't help but notice the larkspur. It has clearly flung itself hither and yon and is spectacular right now.

A winter annual that has reached its peak, next it will produce seed and dribble them around, slowly dying as the task is done. For cutting, they are glorious in arrangements, also beautiful when paired with feverfew and clary sage (Salvia sclarea), both winter annuals or biennials that are more than happy to volunteer. 

I have not driven far from home and was happy to finally see the Brood X cicada swarms. In this corner of Loudoun County there are only a few, nothing like the numbers or noise of the full impact of Brood X. Like everyone else, I couldn't help but take a few photographs of these charismatic creatures. 

I'm happy for the supplementary help in the food supply chain for birds, squirrels, turtles, etc...  Maybe, not unlike the Covid weight gain for a different reason, we have the cicada bulge, the plump of Brood X, the periodical (17 year) swagger. Oh it's awesome!

Lettuce and more

The long cool spring was ideal for growing lettuce, the harvest has been tasty and overwhelming. Our recent blast of heat may signal an end, but I am busily stocking bags full in my fridge to chill for myself and visitors. I grow lettuce every spring and resolve to critique my choices and make decisions for fall or the following spring. Since we are sometimes short on spring and long on summer, I've started growing miniature heads which come in numerous forms and seem perfect for us. 

Choices are many but it boils down to colorful leaves, good taste, and an early harvest. The mini romaine heads are excellent, harvested early or late, the leaves are tender unlike what we often buy at the grocery store. The variety 'Truchas' has gorgeous bronzy, red leaves which I place with 'Dragoon' and 'Breen', which are green and then speckled on the latter. 

If you are a fan of big leaves and green leaves I recommend 'Nevada' and the Salanova varieites such as 'Green Butter'. The Salinova lettuce is a small, loose head that can be easily harvested and turned into the perfect salad with very little effort. A favorite for hydroponic farmers, I suspect that it's often the variety found in the grocery store in those perfect small heads in a plastic flip lid container. Nevada has larger leaves and is the brightest green of any I grow, which is good for a mix of leafy greens. 

The photo below shows 'Nevada' on the top left and Salanova 'Green Butter' on the top right. Below, from left to right are 'Truchas', 'Dragoon', and then Oakleaf 'Oscarde'. 

I revisited orach, which is sometimes referred to as French spinach. The purple color is intense and the flavor is very similar to spinach. Pretty enough to grow in the flower garden, but quick to bolt when it warms up.

Kohlrabi is also a favorite, sometimes called the German turnip. The flavor is not all turnip, the plant is related to cabbage and broccoli, so the taste is more like a crispy mix of broccoli stems and turnip with a sweet flavor.  The round bulb is above ground, easy to harvest and the leaves can be eaten like kale. This year I'm trying kohlrabi coles-slaw, which will surly be delicious based on how tasty they are just plain.

My seeds were purchased from Johnny's Seed, and all planted directly in the ground in very early March. Of course it helps to have my husband's fresh compost to start things, but bottom line, these are incredibly easy to grow and far superior to what you usually find at your local grocery store. 

Robots

There has been little time to build assemblage pieces, between my estate jobs and walking Ms. Birdie, but I squeezed in time to make some robots. Triggered by an online class and a desire to leave the "rabbit hole" of the fall show, this was a very refreshing change. The idea is to build robots, droids, or cyborgs. They may have jobs, be part human, or superhuman. The act of putting sundry parts together might be the most fun, if not outright hilarious. So far I have finished 3. 

This was my first and still my favorite. I loved working with metallic paints with a hint of rust. The arms go up and down and the little eye is from a taxidermy shop, it's an alligator eye. 

The parts here are a mix of microscope bits and toy cars. The head swivels up and down, I think of her as a security assistant. 

This one was the most fun to build. The base is part of a battery operated massager, I chopped the round helmet head off, added my own and this helmet-like top. Bits of mosaic glass and metal objects are also there. 

All are available at the gallery in the quaint little town of  Occoquan.  And by the way, there's a new set of "Star Wars" droid stamps, in keeping with my theme of artificial intelligence.

Pin the Horn on the Junicorn

It was nice to share a birthday with little Juniper, having missed it last year due to the pandemic. Her theme was unicorns and rainbows, and the weather was perfect! 

Her mother provided the face paintings, as well as creative ways to celebrate unicorn things.

Felicity struggled with the direction but won with the best placement of pin the horn on the unicorn.

Four candles, shaped like unicorns - of course.

Some mature assistance was there to lend a hand on opening gifts. 

And there's the sweet and smart mom that pulled it all together. 

Happy Birthday Little Junie and Happy Mother's Day Rebecca (the great).