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.

Green Thumbing

Now that spring is in full swing, it was time to get around, visit some gardens, meet some gardeners. As luck would have it, there are friends and acquaintances that also live in the Charlottsville area, and some magnificent gardens! A private tour at the University of Virginia was led by Jim Murphy, the former supervisor of the grounds, husband of Margo Reed, and daylily hybridizer at Woodhenge. I was first introduced to Margo at least 35 years ago when I offered her some land to plant seedling daylilies. That relationship lasted for many years and the extra daylilies were sold at the plant farm ($2.50 per clump), we called them Cabbage Patch daylilies. 

With Jim in the lead we learned a lot about the management of the gorgeous mature trees. Smaller gardens are scattered all over campus, all of which also need managed around the occasional weekend party. Oh the tales Jim could tell.  The architectural components were incredible, large column tops were installed here and there, and one of the first roof top gardens is also at UVA. 

An invitation to see Cole Burrell Gardens - Bird Hill was happily accepted, I have heard about this garden for many, many years. Cole's incredible space is filled with large drifts of native wildflowers and specialty perennials.  To use a popular word, I was gobsmacked!

The Historic Garden Tour for Charlottsville was held in an area very close to home, so it was also necessary to attend. The houses were incredible, primarily old estates with lots of land. The flower arrangements in and out of the homes were fabulous, the day was gorgeous!

Between and after these day trips, I have been busily planting at home: plugs in the mini meadow, a shade garden that is shaping up nicely, and the beginnings of a sun plot. The rain today was a welcome sight, it's been way too dry! Yesterday I found a clump of Iris cristata growing wild among the Pinxter azaleas along the periphery, life is good! 

Happy Earth Day

 

 

 

 

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!

 

Reunions and New

This weekend I leave for New Orleans, the art workshop that has been cancelled for 3 years is finally going to happen again. There will be sweet reunions of fellow artists, flying in from all over the country and Canada, to spend a week creating a themed piece of art. Activities have been restricted to some degree as Covid is still alive and well. But there are still costumes to create, and a sense of the theatrical, something I hope to embrace. 

My first garden has been created, already planted with snowdrops, winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), native azaleas, and Speirantha gardenii or false lily of the valley. The winter aconite was already flowering by January 15th, so I was able to move a few, in a last minute grab before my move. Seed was collected last spring, and they have been dispersed for flowers in 2 or 3 years. First flowers generally appear in February, so it was an exceptionally early bloom this year, and the same could be said for some snowdrops, which I also grabbed in big handfuls to transplant. The cold and rain make for a muddy mess, but we were able to get a tandem dump truck to bring us a gigantic load of compost, so creating beds will be much easier. 

I have discovered Monty Don on my limited access to TV. I tried a few other garden programs, only to be hugely disappointed. Monty or Mr. Don is someone I could watch all day and night. He and his associates use the botanical name for each plant, dig in the dirt together, and truly have a broad knowledge of horticulture. The scope of gardens they cover, everything from estates that have been maintained for a hundred years or more, down to small backyard gardens, all speak to me. If there is anything to be said on the downside, this is a British show, you need a decoder ring to sort out the differences in climate and culture. 

The art reception at the new gallery was very successful and lots of fun. Those that bought my work all took the time to introduce themselves, and I love meeting my buyers, which sadly doesn't happen that often. If I learned anything from seeing my pieces hung in such a grand place, it's to work bigger. In the new studio, it has taken time to find things, although I thought I organized it well. But once the easel gets its own place, I will begin the "big" process. In the meantime, I have been reworking older pieces and creating new ones that are not large, but still multidimensional. These are 2, the first is a reworked piece, the second is something that is not quite finished, but very close.

The second piece was prompted by the purchase of some perfect German, porcelain doll heads. These have the open mouth with the little row of white teeth behind and a cross between cherub and small child expressions. Other parts are antique finials, a drawer pull, the bottom of an eyeglass holder (the bottom part of her body), and some old thermometer/barometer parts. The painting is done, the finished piece will have fabric bits, which have taken a few days to resolve what and where, plus I still have to come up with a name - some come fast and easy, others not. 

Lastly I will add a few photographs from the big reception. Dancers would enter the building at timed intervals to dance alongside the art. There was no choreography, just spontaneous and fun. 

This was just one wall, I had another space and a piece on the upper level. My plans are to share a show with some of the other artists, whose work is amazing. If you come to Charlottsville, you must stop in at the McGuffey Art Center.  

Stay awhile, go to the downtown mall, drink some wine, call me. 

 

 

Ever Hopeful

While driving today, in this new location, I felt a sense of exhilaration. After living in the same house for almost 50 years, the thought gave me pause. As a much younger person, moving was an event that happened regularly, or at least every 2 to 4 years. The same exhilaration came from that, new faces, new roads, and a different home.  December was very difficult and there are more boxes to unpack, but in the end - I did it! Damn it, I did it! 

On more positive notes, we were without electric for about 20 hours during the severe dip in temperatures (5 degrees here). The house has a "full house" generator which also includes the cabin, so for a crazy cold period everything was fine. 

We have signed up for a CSA share of vegetables from an organic farm, which is a first. This farm is only a couple miles down the road and we tested their products this past fall. With them and the giant garden I plan on growing, we will be veggied up!

I am one of the new members of the McGuffy Art Center. Only 7 were juried in for 2022, and January is the month that we get to show off. There will be a reception on their first Friday, January 6th. Starting over at an art gallery is a very humbling experience, but I am game. 

For my other gardens, I ordered native perennial plant plugs today. Since I have been able to study the spot since spring, I'm pretty certain my plant choices are good and this mini meadow will thrive. 

Only 2 weeks ago, as fall bulbs were reduced by most suppliers, I ordered over 3,000 minor bulbs and got them in before the freeze. My mix is a combination of Crocus tommasinianus (2 colors), galanthus, ipheons, and muscari. In a perfect world, they will naturalize in the lawn.

Lastly I booked a flight to New Orleans for the art workshop that has been cancelled for 3 years. My first class flight cost me $11.00 because I used my miles, which have piled up since Covid. So this serves as a warning, you will get sick and tired of my (too many) photographs and Yee Ha!

Happy New Year!

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.

 

 

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. 

Summer

I have spent much of this late spring and summer moving bulbs. In an attempt to move the Cyclamen hederifolium (one of the hardy types) out of my garden path, I waited for the foliage to shrivel to the point that I knew the tubers would be dormant. A week later and it would have been a real guessing game as to where they live, which is just below the surface. To my amazement, the tubers were much larger than I ever expected, the largest ones were all sliced with the shovel, who knew they would grow that large in gravel after just a few years?!

Here you see one of the large tubers in comparison to a quarter. There are multiple smaller bulbs on the bottom left, I'm guessing they are seedlings from the mother bulb. The hardy cyclamen spend the summer dormant, the flowers arrive as early as late August and persist well into fall. A native of Mediterranean climates, our hot and dry summers bode well for summer dormancy, so this hardy tuber does surprisingly well here. The winter foliage is extraordinary, mottled and veined, to imitate an ivy leaf, hence the nod in its botanical name - hederifolium - in reference to hedera or ivy. 

The cycle of growth and nongrowth also coincides with a deciduous tree canopy, cyclamen is completely leafed out as the trees lose their summer foliage and persists all winter. Mine grown in high shade and are particularly fond of seeding in the pathway. Ants are notorious for carrying off the seed, which is coated in elaiosome, a sweet shell that I imagine tastes like a gummy fruit candy. Once the sweet outside is eaten away, the seed is dropped, most often near an ant hill.

In other spots in the garden, I am waiting for the lilies to start blooming. Some are seven feet tall, loaded with gorgeous buds! My favorite foxglove is in flower, a smaller flowering species with intricate flowers. I might have twenty that are in flower, again in high shade with just enough sun to stand up tall. 

The mini-meadow is a garden that has given me tremendous joy. Rudbeckia maxima and its powder blue foliage is sending up flowers on tall stems. It often takes a ladder to photograph them. 

We have been blessed with enough rain to keep the gardens and surrounds looking good and summer is well on its way. Sadly lacking are butterflies, my dill and fennel are completely void of baby black swallowtails which is a first. Today I noticed a swallowtail passing by, which gives me hope. It's a smorgasbord out here, so please stop and stay awhile.

 

 

Timely Matters

The weather is beautiful and the gardener wants to be outside, recharged and recharging. Today I took cuttings of my native azaleas, hoping that it's not too early. The key to knowing when to propagate cuttings of most flowering shrubs is when the stem, when bent, will snap instead of bending. Not woody but supple and green. It generally falls in early June for azaleas. I use a mix of grit (fine turkey or chicken), sand, and a fine potting soil to mix an amendment that will drain well. 

The idea is to give the stems support but drain well so the stem won't rot. In the bottom of rather shallow pots I add regular potting soil and this gritty mix on top, about 2" deep.

Since the cuttings will not have a way to pull moisture into the leaves, it's essential that the leaf surface is reduced. What ever moisture is in the plant, will have to last until roots sprout. Cut leaves by half and leave a joint in the grit, that is where roots will emerge.

I also leave room at the top of the pot so stems are not subject to wind (which dries them up), but sunken to just below the rim. 

In a few weeks I will test the stems, hoping for some resistance which will let me know that they have managed to sprout roots. Leave them in the shade for now, water enough to keep the medium moist, and cross your fingers. I have left more stems on the mother plants in case this fails and I have to try again. 

Now that we are in June, I have been reviewing May in the garden. I am still working in the lovely garden in Warrenton. As lovely as it was with numerous flowering shrubs, I felt that the peonies suffered from early heat and there was a certain lack of gusto for May. 

In my own garden I loved this combination and think it's worth repeating in any sunny location. Amsonia (my aggresive cross with tabernaemontana) and Allium 'Gladiator'. The amsonia is chocking out my peonies, but a few put up a good fight.

Of the peonies that have proven superior is 'Scarlet O'Hara'. She is tall enough to rise above the amsonia and has been a real champ!

Clematis 'Good Samaritan Joe' has also been tough and beautiful. Not overly tall, perfect on a four foot support.

As far as timely chores, consider splitting up any bulbs that are going dormant. In a week they will be dormant and invisible. Jack-in-the-pulpit, trillium, and Virginia bluebells are just a few examples. Guessing where they are is not fun.