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The carving is finally finished. Gathered together, my fiendish, friendly pumpkins are lit with noses of carrots and parsnips.
Happy Halloween friends and family!!
I also want to thank all that came to my show in Occoquan. Tomorrow the winner is chosen for this Dracula Pez dispenser.
Each month, the featured artists donates a piece of art to give away. Dracula was the perfect choice for October. Bwahahaha!
The grandchildren are growing. It's a wondrous thing. Felicity is 4 and copies what ever you say. She's fierce and fearless. Maybe her favorite thing is riding with her dad on the 4 wheeler. Faster is her chant.
She's gonna be an outlaw, or a motorcycle racer. When she's calmer and sweet, the outlook is more veterinarian or farmer.
Quinn is happy to be held, entertained by his sister and doted on by his mom. When his schedule is kept, he's a dream baby. It will be interesting when he reaches the age when he wants to go fast on the 4 wheeler. I hope they won't be into competing, at least not on wheels. I've already had to live through that with my son, and it wasn't fun.
Love these darlings!
Once cold weather settles in, choices for containers and seasonal displays are not overwhelming. Pansies and violas come to mind, a few choice perennials like euphorbia, heucheras and carex are also popular. One cold season vegetable seems to get no respect, yet give amazing color and cold tolerance, I'm referring to the ornamental kale and cabbage. Technically known as Brassica oleracae var. acephala, or simply brassica, which is the classical Latin name for cabbage. Members of the family produce flowers, although we refer to them as flowering kale and cabbage, in reference to the pretty foliage. In the mustard family, brassicaceae contain almost 4,000 species of plants, with a few ornamental members, actually grown for their flowers, like iberis or candytuft and honesty or the money plant (Lunaria annua).
The cabbage family originated in the Mediterranean region. Travelers and explorers carried seed to other parts of the world and records show that varieties of kale have been grown for thousands of years. The word kale is Scottish, adapted from the Roman name "cole". Popular in Scotland and China, a staple in their diet.
It is the Japanese that hybridized solely for ornament. Howard Dorsett, an astute employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered the ornamental kales in Japan in 1929. Plants first appeared in catalogs in 1936, their initial introduction into this country and first opportunity for garden testing. Not intended to be used as vegetables, if they do make it to the plate, it is simply as a garnish. Out of doors, in pot or garden, they do best when temperatures fall below 50 degrees. The foliage becomes more colorful with centers of white, pink, or purple. In protected areas, where temperatures do not fall below 15 degrees, they can remain all winter, particularly the kale.
Certainly not perfect, before a killing frost or freeze they can be eaten by the cabbage looper, a small green worm that can skeletonize the leaves. I generally pick them off, it's the simplest way. Warm temperatures will cause the stems to elongate, another reason to buy them when cool temperatures are the norm. Growers spray them with a growth retardant, not something the home owner can or will do.
The arrival of 'Redbor' kale elevated the whole group to new heights. Purple foliage gets darker as temperatures drop and it's highly likely that it will over winter, even putting up a nice display of yellow flowers in spring. I love to plant them with peonies since they flower together. The ornamental cabbage can be stunning as the centers turn bright colors while more tender plants go dormant or fade away. Matching them with pansies really is the perfect solution when you want just a bit more for fall and early winter.
Is the gardener ever ready when it comes to the first fall frost? I mean, we know it's coming, yet it always seems like we're caught in a panic. The forecast for Sunday night is potential frost, at least to the west of Washington D.C., like in my backyard. So today I started digging. All tuberose came out. Cannas are chopped up to save. Tender potted plants come in and brugmansia are dug and potted. This is where the emotional gardener meets the practical one. I'm muttering all day "I love that plant". But how much window space does one have? Decisions have to be made, realistic ones.
Back in spring I decided to buy Salvia mexicana 'Limelight' in a soft moment. I was banking on a long fall, only because the last 2 haven't been. We're due. Salvia 'Limelight' is tender and late to flower. Blue flowers come out of green calyxes, just glorious. Sadly it's just begun, so I'm hoping we dodge the frost. Give me 2 more weeks.
Other salvias are splendid for fall, as they tend to be. I do love them (emotional), but I'll let them go (practical). And that's final!
The "Rockabilly Hot Rod Rumble" was held this past weekend in Fredricksburg, Virginia. A show that brings in many hot rods and rat rods. My main reason to go was to see as many rat rods as I could and I was so excited to see them in full, crazy, jalopy style. Built of many components, car and truck parts, creative, artistic interpretations of late -'40's/'50's era hot rods, made to drive without fear of dirt, mud or wear. If there was a mascot for the group it would be Frankenstein, also made of many components. And he was well represented.
The creativity was so incredible. From welding to use of vintage items, even an old doll baby was repurposed.
The most fancy part in many of the rat rods was the simple addition of pinstriping.
These photographs might also show some of the ingenious ways these cars are put together.
The after party was held in Occoquan, at Art A La Carte, where my Featured Artist of the Month reception was held. Lots of kind, generous folks showed up. Even Beetlejuice!
With a little help from my friends, I hung the show today. Not a big show, just lots of pieces, over 20, all new, and all assemblage. Something I've dreamed of for many years. The "Saints and Sinners" show will hang until Halloween at Art A La Carte gallery in Occoquan, which is open from 11 to 5, every day. The reception is next Saturday, the 10th, from 4 to 6. I hope to see many of you there. I will bring Octoberish snacks and answer questions as to how things were made, or where to grab dinner and a drink in the quaint town of Occoquan. This little Pez dispenser is titled "Office Politics".
The biggest piece is titled "Saint Catherine", the Saint for schoolchildren and spinsters. Always shown with a wheel. Note the smalle child at the top.
Saint George is for soldiers, he captured a dragon to save a damsel.
The communion piece comes with a rosary.
It took five months of work to complete this show, and I'm very proud of the results. Huge thanks to all that contributed bits and pieces!
