Studiology

Greenhouse Love

If there is anything I miss most about my old business, it's the greenhouses in winter. Fortunately I am able to water and work in the Oak Hill greenhouse, a small, state of the art structure. 

Some of my own, super special plants spend their winters there. Lucky me! Lucky them! Orchids, begonias, and the like can take all worries away as they are cared for, watered, and cleaned. A big part of the experience is the smell of soil. For me, it's like sensory overload. 

This morning I watered the seedlings, checked for bugs, and just generally took care of business. A task that gives a sense of excitement, a genuine high, something a non-gardener may never, ever understand. Things could not be better!

 

New Works

I will deliver these new assemblage pieces to Art A La Carte Gallery tomorrow, Saturday the 20th of February. As the artist, I have a story to tell about each piece, but these are never exchanged, or rarely so, with the customer. So I will begin with these two altered Pez pieces, titled "The Honeymoon's Over".

As I'm making these, the process is far from exact. Stuff comes together, results vary, as is the case here. The couple, Frankenstein and his bride have aged, or so it seems. Certainly not intended but hilarious in its own way. He's put on some weight and seems a little less excited with his "now wife".  Her hair has thinned and grown a little gray. My intent was to dress them up a little, like they're going out for the night. He's wearing a tie, a blue dress jacket, and his shoes are polished. His eyes look a bit glazed over, like they do this a lot, or hardly ever? She's wearing a matching blue dress, not her usual white, loose fitting gown. Maybe sporting a new shade of lipstick, trying to look happy. At least that's how I see it (and so it must be, says the artist, wink, wink, smile, smile). 

And there are others, their stories may not be as bland.

Toodles!

 

The Nun's Orchid

The trigger for plants to flower is day length, orchids are no different. Some flower as days get shorter, a good example is the cymbidium orchid, flowering in early winter. Others bloom as days lengthen and here we find the nun's orchid in bloom in late February and early March. If you visit your local retail greenhouse, there's a good chance you will find these lovely orchids in flower, easy to grow, I'd like to give a little history and care advice.

Botanically knows as Phaius tankervilleae, the phaius means dusky, the latter after Lady Emma Tankerville, her married name derived from a town in Normandy, France -Tancarville. With many common names, the nun's orchid is used most often and that in reference to the hooded flower, like a nun's veil. 

Originally collected in China by John Fothergill in 1778, a plant was grown in Lady Tankerville's large hothouse, she was known for her extensive collection of exotic plants in London, England. Both her and husband had their own collections, she also enjoyed botanical drawings, seashells and maps. The orchid was named in her honor by Joseph Banks at a time when Linnaeus "Species Plantarum" was still relatively new, first published in 1753. This was the union of Greek and Latin which gave us the identifying language of plants, animals, and shells. 

In the wild the nun's orchid grows in swampy areas in slightly acidic soil. Hardy to zone 8 (Florida), if temperatures drop to 40 degrees, it must come inside for the winter. Large plants, the flower stalks may rise to 5' and flowers are arranged in single file along the scape. The fragrant flowers may number in the hundreds, in bloom for 6 weeks. Easily grown, keep moist in a partial sun exposure. Not difficult to divide, which is good as each plant can become sizable. Best accomplished after the flowering period, simply split the bulbous rhizomes apart and repot. Feeding is once a month with a balanced fertilizer like 20-20-20. 

When it comes to orchids, this is among the easiest, considered one of the best for beginners. So, in the realm of temptations, especially when it comes to orchids, this is a winner.

Spring Classes

Even though it's going to be sooooo cold this weekend, spring classes begin. Here's the schedule for the upcoming months:

Saturday, February 13th at Merrifield Gardens, the Merrifield or Gallows Road location - 10:00 AM

"Great Plant Combinations"

I consider this one of the biggest challenges when it comes to planning a garden. Especially if you like to work with perennials. They can supply lots of color, both in foliage and flower, BUT... In this lecture I will introduce some new plants and show some combinations that I have enjoyed in old and new gardens. I will talk about the "good neighbor" rule and highlight some super plants that carry the garden, especially when things seem to be falling apart. Free and no registration required.

Saturday, March 5th at Merrifield Gardens, the Fair Oaks locations - 10:00 AM

"Night Gardens"

The night garden is my summer and fall. I work all day, so coming home to a garden designed just for the evening and night makes me very happy. A garden for the latter part of the day originally came about when my children were just infants. Once they were asleep, it was "me time". I've tried to keep a night garden ever since, with a particularly extravagant one in the last few years. So chock full of night fragrant plants that the bubble of fragrance extends far beyond my backyard.  I will share my favorite plants and how to grow them well. Free and no registration required.

Saturday, March 19th at Merrifield Gardens, the Merrifield or Gallows Road location - 10:00 AM

"The Fragrant Garden"

Fragrance has always been a big part of why I choose the plants I do. Everything from bulbs, to perennials, roses, and shrubs. If you feel the same way, then you might want to join us and find out about the latest and greatest in fragrant plants. This example (photograph below) is a little known grape hyacinth (actually not a hyacinth at all), Muscari fragrans. And oh yes, the name says it all.

Saturday April 2nd and 9th, The Center for the Arts in Manassas, Va - 9:30 - 12:30

"Photography, a Beginners Class for Nikon DSLR Owners"

This 2 week class is for people that have upgraded to a DSLR camera or own one but are intimidated by the controls. The first class concentrates on the way your camera works, how to use the settings or controls, and looking through your camera's menu. In the second class we cover how to manage your files, go over accessories, and how to care for your camera.  Use the link above to register.

  

 

The Wizard of Odds in New Orleans

The assemblage workshop really came down to the art work, something everyone worked on each day, some day and night. There were 4 tin men, 2 cowardly lions, a few flying monkeys and numerous other oz characters. Not as many wicked witches as you might imagine. I came prepared, or at least pre-built the foundation for my Cowardly Lion, which was perfect because I was able to complete him and almost finish a tin man. I have never been this satisfied with my own work, and this was my 5th year of traveling to New Orleans for this experience.

As it goes with a Michael DeMeng workshop, once the song "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" plays (he always has a playlist), all paintbrushes have to be put down, time is up! The group then puts their art work on display and Michael gives us a critique. So here are some shots from the workshop and my (now) completed pieces.

Some pieces have moving parts and/or a back story to go along with them. As you can see, the range of work is incredibly varied.

My final pieces after a little touch up work at home:

As art work goes, we travel with some odd things. Old catalytic converters, oil cans, baby doll parts, clock cases and the occasional plastic monkey.... eek, eek!

 

Extracurricular Activities

Immersion, that's what happened in New Orleans. A taste of everything the city had to offer, at least the things that a group of artists would appreciate. We had our own second line parade with a jazz band and a police escort. Saw Mardi Gras World, where the floats for the big parade are made, but also the cows on the billboards for Chick Fil A and assorted creatures for Disney World. The Krewe Du Vieux Parade, which starts the line-up of parades (pre Mardi Gras) and is considered X rated, this year titled "XXX" because they're celebrating their 30th year. And just so you know, these photographs are rated PG. 

It's a place of color, excitement, and all of the silliness you can handle. Here's proof, photographs from parades and Mardi Gras World.

Katherine Engen organized the event for our Michael DeMeng workshop; brilliantly handled, Kudos!