Studiology

Brutal

I think of this day and all those years at the nursery with a similar weather slap down. The high winds from the north and west accompanied with a drop in temperatures can be fretful. In a positive way I'm happy that the Callery (Bradford) pears will freeze in full bloom and not produce fruit, the invasive beast that it is. But sadly, it probably means a similar end to peach and cherry blossoms. 

Long ago at the nursery, perennial frames with potted plants were covered in overwintering fabric, depending on the thickness or grade, there were often 2 layers to protect them in winter. By this time they would be uncovered, all 73 frames that were 16 x 4' in size. The uncovering meant rolling the fabric up to rest on the west side of each frame so when all had to be recovered, there was a little assistance from west winds. On a day like today the task would seem monumental, especially when it came to weighing down the edges with cinderblocks. Between the wind and physical activity, it was exhausting. 

There were also greenhouses and cold frames. The wind slaps the plastic all day, a sound that takes some getting used to. As April is approaching, it would mean that all pansy/violas, maybe petunias, ranunculus, and possibly some salvias, would already have been moved outside. I used to call it "greenhouse constipation" because you can't stop the growing machine, shipments can't be stopped, seedlings have to be sown, cuttings taken. One particularly good year there was a forecast of 18" of snow. We moved all of the pansies out so the snow would cover them. As the days passed and the snow slowly melted away, the pansies appeared and they were perfect! They loved the constant 32 degrees. 

This shift in weather may not be the last, there can be nights of frost into May, but it's a pretty brutal turn. I don't have to worry about losing plants, affording the heating oil, or keeping the plastic on the houses now. Although there is still that unease which is hard to turn off. 

I imagine that many of you have covered some tender things, I prefer fabric over plastic (which has no insulating ability). When it's really bad I use a layer of plastic between 2 layers of fabric (like bed sheets). The hardest thing is keeping it secure, hence my cinderblocks. 

Gardening is definitely not for wimps. It's sometimes hard emotionally and physically, if not for some triumphs, we would quit! Hold on to your hat and wait for better days.

New Art Work

There's been a lull in my art work. I attribute it to a few things, one of which is the ongoing war in Ukraine, which put me in a major funk! Which ever part of the brain was in a bad mood was directly affecting my creative side. There were some pieces that came together with time and determination, but I sensed a shift in my artistic flow. And then came a break-through, an embrace of sorts with the really ugly narrative; create art that incorporates the state of affairs. So a few have come together and others are in the works. Much like artists embracing the pandemic with pandemic art, so it goes now. This piece is titled "Scheming", sort of like a David and Goliath story. The little man holds a tiny sledge hammer for a weapon.

I also finished this "Defender of the Woods", a deer as an action figure (hero) who is here to defend the trees. 

The piece on the easel now is built of broken porcelain doll faces. It will be interesting to see where it goes and how much I paint on the faces. Sometimes the painting takes as long as the building, it's never an exact science and can sway from day to day, minute to minute. 

Lots left to do and undoubtedly some moments of angst to preserve the emotion in this one. Updates to follow. Peace Out!

 

March

Two weeks ago I found a place where the wood frogs sound their mating calls and have gone back almost every day to hear them again. Apparently, there are no wood frogs on the farm, so it was a real shock when I first heard the sound, suspecting it might be some distant grackles. The peeps won't be far behind and the garden is waking up, a little something new to see almost every day. Minor bulbs, the little ones, are so worth planting and should always go in when the gardener is young (or yesterday). My drifts of snowdrops are amazing, as are the winter aconites. It's taken some 30 years to see them spread so far, the impact is what makes February and March seem a little less winter-like. I have often recommended the planting of minor bulbs to people, only to have them say that in the scale of their garden, the affect is too little. Nonsense!

The hellebores or Lenten rose are definitely surging. I have a particularly good blackish one from Pine Knot. There was a time that I sold good black flowering hybrids, but failed to keep any, so it's nice to have this one.

 Sweet box or Sarcococca hookeriana humilis is in full bloom, the flowers are not showy but amazingly fragrant. As I was sitting on the ground to photograph the snowdrops, the fragrance was truly sweet, and I'm sure it's part of the reason for the common name.

Inspecting the seed pods on witch hazel or Hamamelis virginiana, I noticed small drill holes on each seed pod. Knowing that the exploding seeds make much larger holes, I suspected a weevil and sure enough it's one that relies on this particular witch hazel to survive. Better known as Psuedoanthonomous hamamelids, the adults feed on leaves and flowers with fertile females laying eggs in the seed pod in fall and young feeding on the seed before emerging in spring. 

It will be many days before I begin the real clean-up of perennial beds to allow dormant insects to thaw and wakeup. For now, the epimedium, helleborus, and shade grasses have been cut down. Garden shears can be used on the epimediums if it's done soon, way before flowering stems begin to uncurl. On helleborus I remove last years leaves, the first task of the year. When I energetically use my garden shears, my fitbit thinks I'm walking or running and gives me shooting stars for my accomplishments. The gardener may not need a fitbit to track their exercise, getting the work done is enough. And you should see the numbers when I'm flinging weeds; good grief, she must be jumping hurdles! And in a way, I am.