Relaxing over New YearsI will be taking a blog break over New Years and would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe, relaxing and joyous New Year.
Bentley is also taking a break!Blessings and Happy New Year, Erin
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sit Long- Talk Much - Laugh A Lot
Relaxing over New YearsBentley is also taking a break!Blessings and Happy New Year, Erin
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Working for the council ..... again
Another big planting scheme for Bristol City Council. This time at Brandon Hill, an early C20 park around a monument commemorating the fact that a Bristolian was the first European to land in the Americas (since the Vikings). So roll over Columbus. The existing planting is all very much overgrown dwarf conifers and once-fashionable shrubs. Nice atmosphere though, and a very much loved public open space. A whole bank of shrubs has been cleared away and the idea was for me to create a big perennial planting - slightly odd site though as there is little direct public path access to the site, but it is visible from a variety of angles - but with quite a distance.
So, I thought it needed something very visible and graphic, colourful obviously, but also strongly structural. And given that this is Bristol with a very balmy climate, I thought I'd go for lots of South African thingk like kniphofias, which will have the all-important graphic quality for months, crocosmias, agapanthus, plus lots other things but with a visual matrix of lowish grasses like Stipa arundinacea, deschampsia and the shorter molinias. So something that might look like a southern hemisphere montane grassland.
The general idea is for me to turn up before the planting crew, who arrive at 8am, set out as much as possible, and then hope we get it all planted in time. Setting out is very intuitive, I try to do all the larger and or very structual stuff first, filling in with less strongly structural. It is blended intermingled planting, virtually no groups of things, so quite difficult to get a large area done and then let the guys on to plant - you don't dare let anybody plant stuff before you have finished an area as otherwise you can't see what you have done and you cause a lot of confusion to the planting team. So you have to work real fast, and make instant and irrevocable aesthetic decisions.
very stony, had to use a pick axe in places but we managed to get 1365 plants done in 20 man hours.
We are all looking forward to what its going to be like in the summer.
So, I thought it needed something very visible and graphic, colourful obviously, but also strongly structural. And given that this is Bristol with a very balmy climate, I thought I'd go for lots of South African thingk like kniphofias, which will have the all-important graphic quality for months, crocosmias, agapanthus, plus lots other things but with a visual matrix of lowish grasses like Stipa arundinacea, deschampsia and the shorter molinias. So something that might look like a southern hemisphere montane grassland.
The general idea is for me to turn up before the planting crew, who arrive at 8am, set out as much as possible, and then hope we get it all planted in time. Setting out is very intuitive, I try to do all the larger and or very structual stuff first, filling in with less strongly structural. It is blended intermingled planting, virtually no groups of things, so quite difficult to get a large area done and then let the guys on to plant - you don't dare let anybody plant stuff before you have finished an area as otherwise you can't see what you have done and you cause a lot of confusion to the planting team. So you have to work real fast, and make instant and irrevocable aesthetic decisions.
very stony, had to use a pick axe in places but we managed to get 1365 plants done in 20 man hours.
We are all looking forward to what its going to be like in the summer.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas Seeds
Merry Christmas everyone! I wracked my brain again this year for a gift that would be personal, home-made, easy to mail, and have as little negative impact on the environment as possible. For a while I thought, “no, not my seeds”, because I wanted to hoard them all for my own garden. But then I realized that my desire to keep them made them a more meaningful gift. May they grace your yard with many beautiful flowers!
As for the planting instructions. . . I still don’t have all that much experience with plants, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.
These plants are all native to North America. In the wild, they produce seeds in the Autumn. Those seeds drop on the ground, and the ones that aren’t eaten by the wildlife wait until conditions are favorable, which is usually in the Spring after some good soaking rainfalls.
If you prefer, you can plant your seeds simply by scattering them on the ground and waiting for those favorable conditions. However, the wildlife may eat some of the seeds, and favorable conditions may not occur for a few years. Also, young plants may be killed off by drought or out-competed by established plants.
To get more reliable germination, start with a patch of ground about three feet by three feet in a sunny location that has been cleared of weeds, preferably during an above-freezing day the winter, so that the seeds will have a chance to freeze and thaw a few times. Sprinkle the seeds and then stir up the top layer of soil to mix them in a bit. When warm weather arrives, keep the patch watered so that it stays at least as wet as a wrung-out sponge.
Most of these flowers are native as far south as Texas, so they should do all right without the freeze-thaw cycle. But they might do best in a partially shaded location.
Once established, these plants shouldn’t require any watering or other maintenance from you. And if you leave the spent flowers in place, the plants will reseed themselves for you.
So, what’s in this seed mix?
Evening Primrose:
This biennial will form ground-hugging rosettes of leaves the first year, and bloom the second year after it is planted – though one of mine broke with tradition and gave me flowers on its first year. The flowers form on a stalk that is up to six feet high. Every evening it will open a few yellow flowers, which are spent by the following evening. As the flowers die, tough seed-pods take their place. The seeds in those pods are a favorite of goldfinches during the winter. I collected these seeds from a nearby vacant lot.
Blue Toadflax:
This isn’t flower that you would typically see in a garden, because the blooms are teeny tiny. The plant is an annual or biennial that grows close to the ground, and puts up a thin stalk topped with little purple blossoms. Where colonies of these grow, the effect looks like a purple haze over the grass. These seeds were collected from our front yard. I’ll have to post some photos of this one when I get home from Virginia.
Blackeyed Susan:
These are the standard yellow and black cone-flower seen in many gardens. Sorry, I don’t yet have a photo of these!
Common Milkweed:
This plant has an undeserved bad reputation, probably because some nitwit decided to give it the name of “weed”. When this annual flowers, it has a fascinating sphere of pink blooms. But even better is when monarch butterfly caterpillars make a home on it. I couldn’t collect seeds from the milkweed in our yard because the monarch caterpillars ate too much of the plants, so these seeds came from milkweed growing down the street.
By the way, if you have monarch caterpillars, you can feed them milkweed in a terrarium and watch them turn into butterflies.
Lupine:
These are a standard garden perennial with umbrella-shaped groups of leaves and spikes of purple flowers standing two feet high. When left to go to seed, they form colonies. The young plants that sprout around the feet of the established plants are easy to transplant. You probably won’t see any flowers until the second year, but once established they are showy and reliable.
Obedient Plant:
This flower is called “obedient” because when the flower stalk is bent, it will retain the bent shape. The plant itself is actually a bit unruly, but it’s worth it for the three-foot tall spikes of white flowers.
If you wish to collect seeds from your flowers, simply wait until the seed-pods are mostly brown and dry. Then cut off the entire stalk and place it in a paper bag. When the pods have dried completely, give the bag a shake to dislodge as many seeds as possible, and then collect the seeds from the bottom of the bag.
As for the planting instructions. . . I still don’t have all that much experience with plants, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.
These plants are all native to North America. In the wild, they produce seeds in the Autumn. Those seeds drop on the ground, and the ones that aren’t eaten by the wildlife wait until conditions are favorable, which is usually in the Spring after some good soaking rainfalls.
If you prefer, you can plant your seeds simply by scattering them on the ground and waiting for those favorable conditions. However, the wildlife may eat some of the seeds, and favorable conditions may not occur for a few years. Also, young plants may be killed off by drought or out-competed by established plants.
To get more reliable germination, start with a patch of ground about three feet by three feet in a sunny location that has been cleared of weeds, preferably during an above-freezing day the winter, so that the seeds will have a chance to freeze and thaw a few times. Sprinkle the seeds and then stir up the top layer of soil to mix them in a bit. When warm weather arrives, keep the patch watered so that it stays at least as wet as a wrung-out sponge.
Most of these flowers are native as far south as Texas, so they should do all right without the freeze-thaw cycle. But they might do best in a partially shaded location.
Once established, these plants shouldn’t require any watering or other maintenance from you. And if you leave the spent flowers in place, the plants will reseed themselves for you.
So, what’s in this seed mix?
Evening Primrose:
This biennial will form ground-hugging rosettes of leaves the first year, and bloom the second year after it is planted – though one of mine broke with tradition and gave me flowers on its first year. The flowers form on a stalk that is up to six feet high. Every evening it will open a few yellow flowers, which are spent by the following evening. As the flowers die, tough seed-pods take their place. The seeds in those pods are a favorite of goldfinches during the winter. I collected these seeds from a nearby vacant lot.
Blue Toadflax:
This isn’t flower that you would typically see in a garden, because the blooms are teeny tiny. The plant is an annual or biennial that grows close to the ground, and puts up a thin stalk topped with little purple blossoms. Where colonies of these grow, the effect looks like a purple haze over the grass. These seeds were collected from our front yard. I’ll have to post some photos of this one when I get home from Virginia.
Blackeyed Susan:
These are the standard yellow and black cone-flower seen in many gardens. Sorry, I don’t yet have a photo of these!
Common Milkweed:
This plant has an undeserved bad reputation, probably because some nitwit decided to give it the name of “weed”. When this annual flowers, it has a fascinating sphere of pink blooms. But even better is when monarch butterfly caterpillars make a home on it. I couldn’t collect seeds from the milkweed in our yard because the monarch caterpillars ate too much of the plants, so these seeds came from milkweed growing down the street.
By the way, if you have monarch caterpillars, you can feed them milkweed in a terrarium and watch them turn into butterflies.
Lupine:
These are a standard garden perennial with umbrella-shaped groups of leaves and spikes of purple flowers standing two feet high. When left to go to seed, they form colonies. The young plants that sprout around the feet of the established plants are easy to transplant. You probably won’t see any flowers until the second year, but once established they are showy and reliable.
Obedient Plant:
This flower is called “obedient” because when the flower stalk is bent, it will retain the bent shape. The plant itself is actually a bit unruly, but it’s worth it for the three-foot tall spikes of white flowers.
If you wish to collect seeds from your flowers, simply wait until the seed-pods are mostly brown and dry. Then cut off the entire stalk and place it in a paper bag. When the pods have dried completely, give the bag a shake to dislodge as many seeds as possible, and then collect the seeds from the bottom of the bag.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Home for Christmas
Chris, Gabe, and I are visiting my parents in Virginia for Christmas. This is my parents' beautiful house and yard.
It's a treat for me to be here, because I grew up in this house, and this is where I did some of my first gardening.
I planted this wisteria about fifteen years ago. Knowing nothing about the growth habits of Japanese wisteria at the time, I am surprised that it hasn't eaten the house. My mother has to do battle with it every year, and the dratted thing has never bloomed.
When we planted these evergreens, they were as tall as me.
This butterfly bush used to be short enough for me to jump over.
I planted this creeping mint in the front walkway hoping that it would spread to fill in all the cracks. It took ten years to do so.
I hope I can come back during the summer sometime to see this beautiful yard in bloom.
I'll have to rotate these photos later. Oops!
It's a treat for me to be here, because I grew up in this house, and this is where I did some of my first gardening.
I planted this wisteria about fifteen years ago. Knowing nothing about the growth habits of Japanese wisteria at the time, I am surprised that it hasn't eaten the house. My mother has to do battle with it every year, and the dratted thing has never bloomed.
When we planted these evergreens, they were as tall as me.
This butterfly bush used to be short enough for me to jump over.
I planted this creeping mint in the front walkway hoping that it would spread to fill in all the cracks. It took ten years to do so.
I hope I can come back during the summer sometime to see this beautiful yard in bloom.
I'll have to rotate these photos later. Oops!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Gifts from the Garden
A recent trip to my friend Kathy's garden at The Vintage Lady (see previous blog for address )inspired me to put together some last minute gifts from my own garden.
A small flowering plant placed inside a bird cage makes an adorable and simple gift from her garden.
Kathy designs these adorable signs and commissions an artist to paint them.
A little spruce tree tied with a big red bow makes a lovely gift from the garden.
Last Minute Gifts from my garden.
The addition of a red check bow and little red berries add a festive touch to the ivory topiary.
A little red chair with a tin container for planting makes the perfect container for an ivy topiary decorated with bow and little red bird.
A little rosemary plant trimmed in the shape of a Christmas tree makes a great little gift for a friend who likes to cook.
.
Bentley waiting to go inside after helping with last minute gifts from our garden.
A small flowering plant placed inside a bird cage makes an adorable and simple gift from her garden.
Kathy designs these adorable signs and commissions an artist to paint them.
A little spruce tree tied with a big red bow makes a lovely gift from the garden.Last Minute Gifts from my garden. If you are not a gardener, or if your garden is snowed in for the winter, you can still give a last minute garden gift. Beautiful and inexpensive plants can be purchased from your local nursery or grocery store. Pots of ivy or topary, rosemary trees, paper whites , pots of herbs or other green plants make great gifts that will be enjoyed throughout the year.
The addition of a red check bow and little red berries add a festive touch to the ivory topiary.
A little red chair with a tin container for planting makes the perfect container for an ivy topiary decorated with bow and little red bird.A little rosemary plant trimmed in the shape of a Christmas tree makes a great little gift for a friend who likes to cook. A little hand painted sign and red berries placed in a pot of ivy dress the pot up for Christmas.
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Bentley waiting to go inside after helping with last minute gifts from our garden.Thank you to my new blog friends for your comments and words of encouragement to me in starting my blog. Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas filled with blessings and may all the joys of Season be yours.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Organic Farming on Reuters
This reuters article is a bit old and a bit short, but interesting. The title is "Organic farming yields as good or better: study."
Sunday, December 7, 2008
More Snow!
This morning I awoke to falling snow. Here is the view from the front door:
The back yard:
Here is my tiny pond.
Really, it’s just a puddle, but it’s next to a nice rock.
There is no ice on the water today. It is just cold enough for the snow to linger a while before it melts.
The back yard:
Here is my tiny pond.
Really, it’s just a puddle, but it’s next to a nice rock.
There is no ice on the water today. It is just cold enough for the snow to linger a while before it melts.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Looking for Vintage Pink Christmas Inspiration
Vintage Lady
Let's take a little tour of Old Town Tustin looking for pink vintage Christmas inspiration for a pink "Snow lady Greeter" . This will be a special tour for Sandra who is going through the final phase of treatment for breast cancer. Sandra loves pink roses and romantic and shabby chic style. My sister, Leslie, and I met her almost a year ago as a result of a comment she made on a blog , that touched our hearts, about her love for roses and all things beautiful and romantic. I am a seven year breast cancer survivor and we knew that we wanted to get in touch with her by e-mail to be there for her throughout her entire journey. During the past year we have gotten to know and love Sandra as our own sister.
Let's take a little tour of Old Town Tustin looking for pink vintage Christmas inspiration for a pink "Snow lady Greeter" . This will be a special tour for Sandra who is going through the final phase of treatment for breast cancer. Sandra loves pink roses and romantic and shabby chic style. My sister, Leslie, and I met her almost a year ago as a result of a comment she made on a blog , that touched our hearts, about her love for roses and all things beautiful and romantic. I am a seven year breast cancer survivor and we knew that we wanted to get in touch with her by e-mail to be there for her throughout her entire journey. During the past year we have gotten to know and love Sandra as our own sister.
Old Tustin, California is a very charming and historical town located about ten miles from the Southern California coast where I live. One of my favorite vintage shops is located there - The Vintage Lady where one shops in a real home and garden setting in a historical building located in the heart of the town.
Kathy, owner of The Vintage Lady is a talented Gardner and teaches "Make It and Take" it classes in her charming garden located behind her store. Even though her garden is not in full bloom this time of year, there were lots of delightful pink garden inspirations to be found, including some climbing pink roses.
Finding Inspiration
Here . . . . . . . .
There . . . . . .
Everywhere . . . . . 
434 El Camino Real, Old Town Tustin, CA
714 731-0422
Kathy's shop is located inside a charming little cottage and is equally as delightful as her garden. We will tour her shop on a later post.
Now let's stop by Debra's Cottage to look for more pink and inspirational snow ladies.
With all of our inspiration it's time to paint a shabby pink snow lady greeter for Sandra and one for you.
The snow lady door greeters are so easy to make and will take you about one hour to complete. I like to use a square canvas - 5X5 is the best size for a door greeter, however, you can use any size you want, and can also make them out of wood. Michael's Craft store is a great place to buy art supplies. They also have wood boards in all sizes.
Pick a color for your background. I paint with acrylic paints as they are non toxic and easy to clean up. I used two coats of Folk Art #438 Ballet Pink. After your canvas is dry, draw a circle for the head and add a top hat - or any kind of hat you want. Then draw a carrot for the nose and a mouth and eyes.
Now you can start painting - you will need several coats for the white snow face and body- note I used a little lavender on the side of the face for some shading since snow is not pure white, however, yours will look just as cute with pure white. Paint the top hat crimson - you can use red for the first coat and then mix in some white for the second coat in order to get a nice pink hat. Paint your scarf any color you like - I think it looks nice to paint the hat and scarf the same color.
Now for the fun part - putting on the finishing touches of your snow lady. Highlight the top of her hat by mixing white with your red or crimson. Paint the two black circles for her eyes (I put eyelashes on my lady) and a dot of white in the center of her eye. Paint a happy mouth and mix a little red and white to paint circles for her cheeks.
The final step is to paint some shabby roses on her hat and scarf. After your paint is dry -add snow flakes. This is the tricky part - thoroughly wet your brush and dip it into your white paint - make sure your brush is really wet with water- then splatter the paint onto your canvas by hitting the handle of the brush (my sister suggested using a tooth brush for this) - this will fling the paint all over the canvas to create the look of snow. CAUTION - this is very messy - I put the painting in the bottom of my kitchen sink to do this -better yet - take it outside. The last step is to add screw eyes on the back of the canvas and tie with a bow.
Finished Snow Lady greeterHere is another idea for a Snow Lady Greeter wearing a different hat.
If you have any questions about painting your Snow Lady Greeter, please leave me a comment and I will be happy to answer your questions. Have a lovely week
Please keep Sandra in your thoughts and prayers during this joyous holiday season. We are looking forward to Sandra starting her own blog next year.
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