Studiology

Time in the Garden

March has arrived and with that I spent an entire day and much of an evening mulching and planting. Cool crop seeds are in and this year I'm growing shelling peas as well as snap. Two more fruiting trees (both pears) were also planted, although they were inexpensive and from the grocery store, a huge disappointment once I got them out of their grow bags and found that the roots were almost nonexistent.  I will be surprised if they survive. 

With my assortment of little terra cotta pots, I potted up some bulbs and gave them moss companions. The one thing that does amaze me are the many mosses and lichens that thrive here. Commonly found is deer moss or lichen (which it actually is) and British Soldiers or matchsticks, which are strange little stilts with red tips. Not technically a lichen but an algae/fungus union. One of my favorite little daffodils is the species romieuxii which is similar to the petticoat narcissus but very yellow. Unlike the petticoats, which I have always grown on the wetter side, these want dry (or drier).

Other plants that have cheered me on are the little tommy crocus, snowdrops, and helleborus. My snowdrop collection was largely left behind, digging and timing were not on my side. But I have largish clumps of Galanthus nivalis, which are as cheery as any.

You can see the red tips of the British Soldiers with Crocus tommasinianus (farthest pot to the right). The clay pot on the left, in front of Narcissus romieuxii are little bluets or Houstonia caerulea, which grows everywhere here in central Virginia. They have yet to flower but will be adorable in a tiny clay pot.

Lots of daffodils were planted last fall and newly planted bulbs take a bit longer to flower their first year. I'm not a patient person (FLOWER ALREADY!!!). It's also clear that I lost a few things which I will chalk up to soil pH. We are acidic, more so than my old garden. I used a lime around plants that I thought would require sweeter soil, but alas a few are gone. 

The wet meadow has been way too wet to work in but it does look like everyone is fine and slowly waking up. It should be spectacular this year, even though it's only its second year. 

The helleborus are few, I left many behind when I moved. Of those I was certain to dig Helleborus 'Quilty' from Graham Birkin. He was hybridizing for upright flowers some 25 years ago, at least. 

Another favorite is H. 'Penny's Pink' with the tinge of pink in the foliage.

These are lenten roses from the old days, as new ones are often sterile with upfacing flowers which rise above the leaves. There really are very few that I dislike and chances are there will be more. My garden is young.

Over the Hump

Now that we have reached the winter solstice or most northern zenith for the sun, we can count on another minute of sunlight a day. It will be 182 days before we reach the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and a lovely day at that. For now, and today the sun will shine a bit longer, despite the fact that it is officially winter, and there will be a couple of months before we feel like spring is coming. It's hard to believe but I have moved to this new house and location nearly a year ago. Some days it feels like much less, and vice versa. The location of my move has proven beneficial as I've landed within a few blocks in every direction of some lovely woman my age and we have come together for walks and books (we started our own book club only 5 months ago). Everyone should have such a lovely group of people to hang with, I feel truly blessed.

I miss many things from my old home, a few of which have surprised me more than I expected. The winter flower arranging at Merrifield Garden Center and my companions there are one. It's taken me a long time to find a decent substitute for quality fresh flowers, but that changed last week with this lovely selection of cut flowers from Hedge Fine Blooms .

My farm walks are another thing I miss more than I can describe. Birdie the rescue dog came along before the move and at 8 years of age was full of energy and loved our long, long walks. She is10 now, a bit slower and happy to sleep for long periods.

I considered the first year at this new location a trial of sorts for my vegetable garden. With the help of compost, literally tons of compost moved from the farm, the vegetable garden was excellent. We just finished with the tomato crop of 2023 with huevos rancheros for breakfast only 2 weeks ago. The Christmas pie will be sweet potato pie from the garden and spinach and lettuce are under protective cover, some ready to harvest.

There were also daffodils to plant this fall, including some of those adorable little miniatures. The front meadow will be native plants and this last fall I spread liatris bulbs and lots of seed. That will take a few years to come together which doesn't stop me from checking every day!

As I look back on 2023 and the crazy upheaval that it brought, I can only think positively. I would like to wish you all Happy Holidays, Happy Solstice, and warm family gatherings. 

 

Fall

The season is upon us, more so every day as cooler nights have hit the upper 30's. My lawn that is now mostly meadow is the canvas I am using to dabble native wildflower seed into. It has a few welcome volunteers that are in flower, namely the latest asters, goldenrods, and native grasses. My favorite two are the late flowering Solidago puberula or downy goldenrod, and the white frost aster or Symphyotrichum pilosum. 

We ceased mowing in late spring, and I have spread seed throughout the seasons (with more to go in spring), so next year should be full of surprises. While in Tennessee for the Pigeon Forge Rod Run, we visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As a park it is highly diverse with ample old growth forest, but my interest was in the wildflowers of the open meadows. There were a few native plants there that were unfamiliar to me, September was full of wonderful surprises, and it was beautiful!

In my flower beds that are more manicured and open to non-natives I have really enjoyed the tropical salvia, Salvia cacaliifolia or Guatemalan Leaf Sage. The blue flowers are really striking and it's flowered nonstop all summer.

This actea or cimicifuga is a hybrid of A. simplex and racemosa. Incredibly fragrant and still in full bloom, I do want more.

There was some fretting over all of the little cyclamen tubers I moved from my old garden and I did loose many, but the few survivors are here and putting on a display. It's good to see them still flowering and unfurling little winter leaves.

With this young garden, not even a year old, it's good to see old friends and new arrivals. I miss my night garden, enough so that I might try one here. The two brugmansias I brought with me as cuttings, and only a foot tall, grew to at least five feet with an equal spread. They are dug and spending the winter in a garage with minimal heat, beside the tuberose tubers; it certainly sounds like I am going the way of a new night garden! And who am I kidding!? There will be moths!!

August

I'm having a brave and full summer, a lot of which I will share here. A mix of gardens and art, all good stuff. 

My wet meadow has been spectacular and only planted this spring. Hummingbirds seem to be there 24/7 and there have been numerous monarch caterpillars, as well as lots of other pollinators. The seed will be used to fuel my front yard which we have stopped mowing and has numerous wet spots.

With only a few months of not mowing part of the lawn, I was excited to find a Spiranthes cernua or Nodding Lady Tresses in the mix, a tiny orchid. There are also numerous asters popping up, and I will be adding seed of other native asters this fall.

On Fridays we visit a local farm to pick-up our weekly produce. Part of the package deal is access to their cut flower fields which are incredible, so on a weekly basis I get to put a couple of flower arrangements together.

And today, yes TODAY, I bought a greenhouse. The size is 11 x 16', and to tell you I'm excited is an understatement! Small in comparison to the numerous greenhouses of Windy Hill days, but certainly sufficient for anything I need here. 

Delivery is a few weeks away, giving us time to pour cement and get some things setup.

As if that wasn't enough, the big art gallery had a snafu of sorts with scheduling and offered me space for a show. That was determined the first week of August and the show opens September 1! I will share the space with another wonderful artist - Mike Firkaly and the title is "Whimsy".  We are a perfect pairing, and I can't wait to see this come together. Details and snippets of finished pieces will be forthcoming. 

In the walking mall gallery I have added new Pez dispensers, something I had backed off of and am happy to be making again. There is a bit of an obsession with Sasquatch and similar creatures, all after the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference and a history of conversations with believers (or are they?). 

More to come, lots more!

 

 

 

Food and Ornament

The vegetable garden has provided, enough so that I feel that I've reached my vegetable quota and then some. And just as I feel that I can't eat any more vegetables, the zucchini is ready! A gardener has to remember all of this when it's winter, when the seed catalogs arrive, when we wish we had more fresh vegetables. 

With more time to process these delicious vegies, I have discovered pickled beets. Definitely not the same as what my mother served up, and I would proceed to sneak to the dog under the table (not sure if she actually ate them), but perfectly delicious slices of beets with a texture that is not mushy or crunchy but very satisfactory. At this point I have made 8 batches of pickled beets, more than anyone should actually make without overdosing. 

Other plans on this 3 plus acres is expansion of a meadow, this time smack dap in our front yard. The wet meadow is coming along very nicely, and with 6 inches of rain in a week, most of the perennials are very happy in their space behind our house. So the expansion has begun in front, we stopped mowing and today dragged a York rake through the existing turf to rough up the ground. I spread seed of native perennials and grasses, knowing it's not the best time; many will wait till next spring to sprout, but it's a start. A few islands of sumac or Rhus typhina run along the edge. 

During spare evenings and mornings I have had the privilege of helping over at Woodhenge Gardens, the home of Margo Reed and Jim Murphy. They are daylily hybridizers with more daylilies than I dare guess. The seedling bed alone is 800 feet long and very wide! When I can help, it's in the display bed, the daily removal of spent flowers so visitors have a better view of what's open today. That alone takes hours with 2 or 3 people, but it's something I used to do at my own nursery - on a much smaller scale! I find it very satisfying. 

Daylilies with patterns in the petal are something they are working on. These are 2 that I am fond of:

Aside from that, I drove 2 hours to pick sour cherries, the orchards in this area only have sweet cherries. I make Cherry Bounce with only 3 ingredients; sour cherries (whole), fill a quart jar almost to the top, add 1/3 or 1/4 cup of sugar, fill the rest of the jar with Brandy (I prefer Christian Brothers) and wait. So the cherry bounce is processed and will be ready to taste come Thanksgiving. 

Life is good! 

 

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!