Studiology

May and Memorial Day

The busiest time of year for the gardener may be May! And so it went here with marathon plantings and the beginnings of my first harvest in a new garden. Seeds sown on March 2nd were of various cool crops, now almost 3 months to the day, the harvest is tremendous. Only 2 are still growing and may or may not work; cabbage and broccoli aren't ready yet, and so goes my experiment with what might need a low tunnel and earlier sowing next year. 

Salads rule the day and I especially like the nasturtium petals in the mix with just a little bite, but not as strong as the foliage with its strong and spicy mustard taste. The sweet peas rarely make it into the house, note to self - sow more. Collard greens are also something I want to add to my garden for next year, after making collard greens and loving them. 

The meadow planting is filled with about 250 plugs of native plants, the last were planted this past week. All seem to be taking a hold well and there will be plenty of photographs. The bed is on the moist side, so some of my choices were filipendula (Queen of the Prairie), veronicastrum (Culver's Root), monarda (Bee Balm), asclepias (Butterfly Weed), Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), and eutochrium (Joe Pye Weed). 

Other small beds are full of perennials that were moved from Aldie, plus a few new ones that will function as pollinator gardens with a mix for cut flowers. I was quick to add Scabiosa 'Fama' for cutting, maybe the most beautiful flower in the world! Even the buds are gorgeous!

Here's just a smattering of others, a real mix of ornament, vegetable, and wildflower;

This was also the month for my granddaughters 6th birthday. As one of her grandmothers, also known as "light haired grandma", it is such a joy to see her more often, we live only an hour away now. My brilliant daughter held another perfect party, I was just lazy with the photographs. To record the day I offer this single photograph as she blew out her candles, and you can see that she is growing into a beautiful little girl with lots of poise (although some days we say "spunk").

Lastly I held another "Sista's Weekend" which was a blast! The house is perfect for these gatherings as I now have enough bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone to have their own. Of course we stayed up late and laughed like crazy. The husband spent the nights in the cabin, the perfect man cave, so all went very well. The youngest sister took the photograph, so she isn't in it, but indeed she was here. 

So May was the month of family, gardens, and fun. There was still time for some art and that will be covered very soon since I have to deliver the new pieces shortly. 

Lastly, I want to remember those that have died, loved ones we knew this Memorial Day Weekend in serving the country. I lost a cousin in Vietnam and my son just found out that another Marine who served with him just committed suicide (the second that he served with). Embrace your family, enjoy your weekend, but take a moment to remember those we have lost.

Spring Anticipation

On March the second I sowed row after row of cool season vegetable seeds. Cabbage, lettuce, carrots, kohlrabi, turnips, lettuce, parsley and beets went directly in the ground, with sugar snap peas and nasturtium inside. There were nights that dipped into the mid-20's, so I fretted. I made it a habit of checking 3 times a day, a number that I felt wasn't too watchful, like the expression "a watched pot never boils". I managed to drift that way more often as seeds began to emerge, 5 became my limit (and that's far from the truth). It took a full 3 weeks for the carrots to sprout, lettuce was up in 3 days, the parsley is still nowhere to be seen, but aside from that tiny green rows are evident from close proximity. The sweet peas have joined them with nasturtiums going in next week. My seed inventory is pretty large, some also very old, but I shuffle through them to remember what I have. It's amazing how much can be grown from seed at such little expense. 

If only that could also be said for the plant orders that have started to trickle in. I've gone mad! Even tho I dug and moved things from my old garden before last year's move, I was worried about moving the dreaded mulberry weed with me. A very keen eye is on the lookout for that nasty weed, which won't be tolerated. The beginnings of a shade garden are underway, and scattered, perimeter spots are dedicated to naturalizing bulbs. Eight fruit trees and shrubs are in the ground with some more fruiting trees on their way. The meadow is waiting for the perennial plugs to arrive, and the sunny flower garden (for cutting and pollinators) hasn't been sited yet, decisions, decisions! Plans are to bring in a 12 x 12 greenhouse, and everything hinges on that.

 

A trip to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens with my daughter and grandchildren was for the daffodil show. We had fun picking favorites and the most fragrant varieties. Since there is nary a daffodil to be had on this property, and I literally had thousands that had naturalized on the farm at home, I am missing them. My favorite was a variety named "Tom Terrific', and I'm still a big fan of orange perianths. 

Some others of note follow:

The grandchildren know the gardens well, and it's always fun to join them there, especially since I am so much closer now.

I prattle on and on about the plants, and hopefully some of it is sinking in. I want them to be gardeners. 

I have also inherited the hand collection, it's a third-generation hand me down (ha, ha!) Eighteen boxes of hands are here to unpack. Some are exquisite! This small vase was pulled out and filled with small, early flowers:

Aside from the spring anticipation is also the art shows and themes that accompany that. Updates are coming, all for the month of April. Between plant shipments, and planting, April will be a marathon!

 

The Deep Dive

Final arrangements have been made to sell the house and the last 15 acres. The deadline is Thanksgiving, which is 15 days away. Out of necessity I have become an obsessive duster, box seeker, and semi-long-distance driver. We are doing all of the moving ourselves, and I'm not sure why. I think we are 40% in, which means a whole lot is about to happen to finalize this daily insanity. 

In order to move on I have to make a decision about every piece of paper, every photograph, any old packed boxes, whatever is in the attic, under the bed, in the garden, and lastly in my husband's garage (which is like overload paralysis). The emotional part is something that anyone that has moved is familiar with, there are many heart string tugs. A very large part of the "letting go" is from Windy Hill Plant Farm. Knowing how difficult that would be has meant ignoring the entire process as long as possible. There were 2 large "love" boxes, filled with letters from customers, garden club members, Master Gardeners, and happy clients from small design projects. Then there are the catalogs that I refused to let go, and all of the plant farm journals letting me know when to sow what seed, take which cuttings, dates for plugs to arrive, etc... and etc....

In the end I made a bonfire of catalogs, read every letter in the 2 boxes, and became invigorated again on how wonderful but over taxing it was to create and run a nursery. There were some delightful photographs in a few cards. I could see myself age over the years, in the company of thousands and thousands of plants. This photograph was taken at a rock garden society meeting at Green Spring Gardens. I think it's 1987, and I'm standing next to Bill Glowa and Harold Epstein (far right). Mr. Epstein was the preeminent expert on epimediums and a highly respected horticulturalist. Mr. Glowa is a mystery to me, and maybe some of you can help me with his background? Dr. Albert Paulson, the dwarf conifer man, took the photograph and sent me many handwritten letters of encouragement.

Ten years later I have his photograph, taken prior to a lecture with only a date stamp on the back. 

The plant farm was a very small endeavor in the beginning. Spread out around this little house, at its high point there were 2 small greenhouses, one unheated. Perennials were still a priority.

Not too long after our move to Route 50, the nursery was photographed from a plane. The first cold frame was up after clearing of trees and the back field was ready to receive chrysanthemum plugs, and pumpkin seed. There was no heated place to work, although I did use a propane tank to help with winter snow loads. Eventually we added 1 growing house, 1 retail greenhouse and a large shade growing area.

The smaller rows beyond the cold frame were seedling daylilies from Margo Reed's first hybrid crosses. We put hundreds of her hybrids in the ground and I learned a great deal about daylily pluses and minuses in a very short time.

Moving forward I have started on my mini meadow in Scottsville, which will contain native plants. A layer of paper is covered with a small layer of compost. Plugs, bareroot, and small plants will go in but I've been waiting for rain (it's unbelievably dry). 

The paper acts as a weed barrier, blocking out light from any seeds I don't want. If I could burn the whole area, much of the invasives would be killed and the paper barrier might not be needed. I have big intentions for this new space and it's a lot to get excited about. But first there's the final move and forgive me if there is silence for awhile, there are some car parts to deal with.

 

 

The Adventure

With intention and persistence, a plan can come together and so it came and went, almost a week with my sisters at my new house. The plan; before the clutter becomes too much, before the husband is moved in, before the dust settles too thick, before a garden is planted and needs watered, organize time to meet. We ate out, slept in, and spent quality time together. My daughter brought the grandchildren, a couple of which one sister had never met. 

The rustic cabin is our guest house, game room, and bar. There will be a mini meadow out front, which I will start planting next week. A natural slope makes it wet to moist, so it will be a mix of natives that thrive on that. 

The house is near Monticello, so a visit to the house and gardens was required. I knew that Thomas Jefferson loved to garden, but it was still amazing to see so many annuals and tender perennials. 

My favorite section was the sweeping vegetable garden. Plots of chicory, cotton, broom corn, and alternate crops made it super interesting. I was surprised at how much ricinus or castor bean I saw. Even when I sold the plant at the nursery, it scared me to think that people may not know how highly toxic every part of the plant is. Granted it's beautiful, especially this selection known as Ricinus 'Carmencita', but there were no warning signs. A friend was harvesting seed from this selection and held onto the seed pods for longer than she should have (not wearing gloves) and ended up salivating for two days. 

Maybe I should have mentioned it to Thomas, who made a guest appearance. 

The house I'm moving from is very, very small. There is only one bathroom and no living room. To move into this new house is exciting because I have a nice living room, basement, front porch, and back deck and three bathrooms. The living room is almost finished, just missing the art work on the walls, which will probably be last. But it feels good, and Birdie loves it.

On the south side of Charlottsville, the address is Scottsville, a town known for its location at the big bend in the James River. A bridge spans the river and is as popular as the many small shops in town. Kayaks regularly launch into the river here, home of the James River Reeling and Rafting. Naturally we had to make a day of it, although the kayak season was over. 

And so ended a few days of exploration and relaxation. Now back to the monumental task of moving. One day it will be done.

Excellent

Sometimes, after a lot of preparation, things come together. While I am in the thick of reorganizing and moving, the overwhelm is a constant, so any progress in that direction is excellent. Today was one of those days that was just that and more. A meeting with the Aldie Horticultural Society at Oak Hill was a real highlight, not just seeing the gardens, but meeting old friends. We talked horticulture, something I hadn't missed until I was in the thick of it again. 

There was also the matter of giving away furniture, lovely teak pieces that needed a loving home. Also accomplished today, something that has been many days, possibly months, in the making. How do we manage to gather so many things in our lives? 

And last week, in an emergency situation, I had a tooth pulled. A big one, a molar, which did not make for an excellent day. While I'm in the doctor's chair, I notice that he likes photography. Knowing that one of my next chores was to give away some large, framed prints, I asked if he might like them for his office. He is opening a new office and was excited at the prospect, so those were also dropped off today to a very grateful tooth puller. Now a person may not think highly of a visit to get a tooth pulled, but the pain involved in keeping that tooth is far worse, so I was happy to make him happy.

There has also been the making of art to jury into a gallery in Charlottsville. Since it's been many, many years since I've had to jury into a gallery, I was a bit undecided as to how this was going to go. The good news; I'm in! So the beginning of another adventure, something you will hear a lot about. I submitted these as new works and took a few things to Art A La Carte in Occoquan, where I will be keeping a space. 

When fall arrives I always think of masks, so I have 3 finished, and I may keep going. More to come on that topic. 

And lastly, the thing that makes me super happy was just a little thing. As many of you know, I am usually driving my little Volkswagon GTI, a hatchback that works perfectly for loading lots of stuff - plants, tools, framed prints, etc..... I passed another, almost identical to mine on Route 15 and the driver flashed me a peace sign. Without hesitation, I flashed him one back, all in a split second. I know this is of little to no consequence to most of you, but ever since I've been driving this car, I've wanted to reach out to other GTI drivers. I see 1 or 2 in my travels on a regular basis (really not that many). As it turns out, it is expected (google GTI drivers and peace sign), so I will delightfully be peace signing away, just another reason I love my car!

So an excellent day indeed. Next week is party week for me and sisters at the house in Charlottsville. Just a little sista time before the final thrust to really get stuff done. There are enough beds and places to sit, I just have to bring more forks.

 

The Hokey Pokey

I have some news to share, information that has been waiting for a long time, waiting for things to fall into place before the big reveal. In April I purchased a house in the Charlottsville, Virginia area, specifically Scottsville. A downsizing of property but an upgrade on a house. There will be photographs, stages of interior and exterior improvements, with nothing moving fast, but a steady uphill climb. 

This small house in Aldie has been my home for 44 years, which gives a person plenty of time to clutter up their space. Of my 400 garden books, I might be down to 200. There have been months of self-denial about most personal items, but that will have to change.

A big part of this equation was the connection (acting manager) at the art gallery in Occoquan, but the good news is simply a reduction in my space and a step down from management. There are numerous art galleries in Charlottsville, so the process has begun to jury into one of these.

The property is wide open for garden plans and time has been spent botanizing the area to see what grows naturally.  The pH is 5 to 6.5 and we have been taking dump truck loads of compost to help build vegetable gardens. And a hint to those of you that need compost - now is the time to let me know, we have lots!

I cry and laugh at the sign above the door to the equipment shed which simply reads "Rock Hell". Part of me is fine with the concept of acid loving natives that require very little top soil, but I'm sure the reality will be another story. The good news, there are naturally occurring natives like kalmia (mountain laurel), Rhexia virginica (Virginia Meadow Beauty), and Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly). In addition, the local bird calls have been amazing and the stars at night are mind blowing. 

It's a step back to how things used to be in this part of Loudoun County. We used to live in the "Boonies", and so it is again in this southern end of Charlottsville. 

In preparation for the move, I am also finishing up some medical stuff; there isn't an option to keep my current insurance. Three days ago I had cataract surgery and can now see for miles and miles. The experience was amazing, maybe more like a miracle actually!

The grandkids will be an hour away, close enough to visit during school activities. I will also be closer to some friends and a sister, which is all good for growing old.

My hopes are to post lots of photographs as I enter a phase with lots of challenges. Down the road a mile are 2 gardeners. I suspect they might be close to my age, (some may say old lady) and it's funny how a garden can date you, but I have every intention of knocking on their doors and introducing myself. If they are cantankerous women of the same age (ish), we will be the best of friends. 

This Chick Turns 11

Hard to believe, Felicity is growing up so fast, she just turned 11 and had one thing on her mind - chickens. Yep, the theme was chickens, the presents were for a chicken coop, and that's how the party went. Of course there was an egg race, but also a sack race and a beach ball relay. Her small coop will only hold 4 chickens, so decisions will have to be made, given that there are 7 up for contention.

As far as competition went, this granddaughter was in the groove. She totally won the egg race, the sack race (in her age bracket), but was still the sweet, considerate girl who appreciated every gift.

Is that a foot over the line?

She also received a new bike, thanks to a couple of aunts and uncles, all she needs now is a basket to carry a chicken or 2.

The cake was delicious, the weather was perfect. All to honor a very special granddaughter. 

More to come.... 

Five Years Old

The youngest grandchild just turned 5. A May birthday, which almost coincided with mother's day, a day that I can't help but reflect on spring, the garden, and how this would have been the craziest weekend of the year at the plant farm. It's hard to shake those memories. But it was a drizzly day, so inside we were, and a good time was had. The mob scene included 11 other children, so it was deafening at times, in a good way. 

Sweet Juniper was in her element with a new car to drive and a dress-up station complete with hats, masks, swords, beads - you get the picture. 

This spunky granddaughter is not one to shy away from adventure, so she was chauffer for a few friends in her new car, she smiled, they held on tight.

The cake and decorations, party hats and tiara's were just what you want at a sweet 5 year old's party.

I know that growth spurts are often a surprise for grandparents and I'm glad to live not too far to see them grow. And my goodness, are they ever!

Miss Birdie was the center of attention at times and she did not freak out. Even when the tiara's came out. 

All Hail!!

 

 

 

The 9 Year Old

This last week was the anniversary of the adoption of Birdie. Now a 9 year old, or so we believe with a birthday set at January 29th. She has calmed a bit with fewer signs of stress from whatever her life was before. Occasionally she will suddenly cower or need to escape for reasons that we cannot figure out, some with an uncontrollable tremble which breaks my heart. Since I am new to the rescue of an abused animal, I can clearly say that it has been harder than I thought it would be. But I stand by my decision and would make it many times over because sometimes she is so happy that she spins in place and jumps for joy. Her calmness and love for everyone is amazing, especially with a questionable past that was NOT good. We could all take a lesson from that. 

So Happy Birthday little girl and may the rest of your life be full of fluffy beds, wonderful wild scents, and lots of head kisses and love.

 

Quinn Turns 7

As requested, another dynamite Nerf battle! Fun for kids and adults, the only thing stopping them is night fall, although there are "glow in the dark" Nerf bullets. Mr. Quinn, turned 7 today and it was a rowdy event with some serious battles. Calling them in for cake took several attempts and I suspect that sleep will come easily tonight. Here are some photographs that capture the day.

With a tuckered out Birdie to end the party, it was a grand day! Happy Birthday Quinny!