Studiology

Grateful

I am blessed in so many ways, on this day I embrace them all. I have no complaints!

Blessings to all.

Krampus

This half goat, half demon, character has its roots in Germany. The name krampus, comes from the German word krampen which means claw. Its origins are a bit obscure, but the theory is that Krampus punishes children who have misbehaved, in contrast to our favored Santa Claus. Some think he scares children into being nice, as was the case in the movie "Krampus". Although in the movie, the basis for his arrival was a young girls lack of faith in the Christmas season, brought on by some crazy family antics.

This is the first of my assemblage pieces of Krampus (I'm working on another). Basically created from a raw, wooden, nutcracker. Complete with horns, creepy hands, a leather jacket and big fangs. This along with my altered, light bulb ornaments will be at Art A La Carte, in Occoquan, Virginia.  

Reconsidering your Fall Cleanup

It's always been said that the gardener should get a physical in summer or fall when they are at the peak of their health. All of that dead heading, cutting back of perennials and weeding gives us stamina and mobility.

Soon the garden will slumber, Mother Nature drops a blanket of leaves and the gardener hums "Rock-A-Bye Baby" as the beds are cleaned and weeded. I feel myself decompressing as the garden is tidied, leaves raked, stems cut down. But wait, are we doing something wrong? Is there another way? Many would argue that a tidy garden may not be the answer. There's a shift in the age-old practice of fall cleanup. 

Under the leaves, bedded down as well, are various insects. It's a habitat for wildlife, small wildlife, and beneficial wildlife. Two butterflies winter over as adults. They lodge themselves in cracks and crevices of rocks and trees. Their blood contains glycogen's, effectively an antifreeze that allows them to survive freezing. The mourning cloak and Eastern commas are the first butterflies of spring, emerging from their winter lodging as full fledged adults.

Solitary bees live in the pith of stems. Some will also excavate a hole in rotten logs or twigs. These are good, non-stinging bees. We need them.

A single queen bee also finds a safe and insulated lair. She will wake up in spring, lay eggs and actually sit on them to keep them warm. In the course of a summer, other queen bees will be raised to take her place. The connecting cycle or season is important.

Seed heads that are left in fall become sustenance for various birds and small mammals. In our world that is becoming more and more sterile, a little haven is the very least we can do. If there is a part of your garden that can be left and ignored till spring, I would advise you to leave it so. If stems are cut, lay them in a place where beneficial insects may still survive.

Spring is a fine time for leaf removal. Clear the vegetable garden, rake under the roses, and remove last years peony stalks. They will be softer, easier to pull. There will be a different kind of urgency, the expectation of wonderful things to come. A reminder, once again, that muscle memory does exist, it just takes a little longer to catch-up each year. 

 

Putting Gardens to Bed

My back, my hands, are tired. Gardening is exhausting. Today I finished digging my tender plants, they are in their winter homes. Whew! A hot tub soak would be ideal right now. 

The "putting the gardens to bed" is still ongoing. It's been many weeks but I see results, the light at the end of this day to day labor is coming to an end. The right tools make it easier. For gathering debris, I use a Fiskars Hardshell Bottom Kangaroo Garden Bag. It's light, can be thrown and lands upright. It also fits into garden spaces, unlike a tarp. Available at many locations, I use the 30 gallon size. 

For clippers I love the ARS #130's. Made of aluminum, they don't rust, are super light, and keep a good edge. Don't know what I would do without them. 

To cut back lots of perennials quickly, the best tool is the Barnel stainless steel, serrated harvest knife. It's a small sickle cutter that makes quick work of hostas, Solomon's Seal, peonies, and daylilies. Just a swipe, rather than cut after cut. Use the link above to order this inexpensive tool. I'm hoping that they really have painted the handle red, because I loose it all of the time. 

To say goodbye to the garden is sad. The brugmansias were in full bloom, and I had to cut them to stubs for wintering over. So here is a little show of fall beauties, before they were decapitated.