Parenting Plants

Parenting Plants

October 22, 2019

Every gardener understands the drive to hover over plants through all kinds of weather. Learning to care for succulents has been challenging. They don’t want you hovering! Last week, the shower gift that made my day was a Haworthia Maughanii Hybrid. A succulent. What a cute plant! In searching it out to make sure it wasn’t toxic to animals, I discovered plant expert George, aka Prickly Pete.  In 2017, George joined up with some other kindred spirits at Artisan Plants, “Where Picasso meets Mendel.” A whole new world. Fascinating. Here’s a link on general pet care and plants. Artisan Plants
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Getting a Head Start on Fall 2019 Scarves

Getting a Head Start on Fall 2019 Scarves

September 14, 2019

#1. Pay No Attention to the Head Inside the Scarf  Introducing the new Paola infinity scarf. Some of you were asking last year for a scarf more suited to colder weather. I’m addressing both fabric and styling changes. Infinity scarves aren’t new of course.. The Infinity scarf is a different creature. Natural fibers and printing are also more costly as the goods are less wide. Monday, I should get back some color swatches. I ordered a bunch to see what the colors will do on three different fabric options.  Considerations For You Today.. What do you think? As with the chiffon
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Patience is a Virtue

Patience is a Virtue

September 10, 2019

We’re told from childhood that patience is a virtue. I’m pretty sure that many activities, including the art of gardening, and the creation of art in general, are about learning that lesson. Creating a new scarf design has been a bit grueling. We’re introducing different fabric, potentially a different printing method because cottons take color differently than polyester chiffon and the size will be new. This one has been fun though. My husband told me he thought it looked modern. Interesting thought. I’m going with it.  When to fertilize the Alberta Spruce? The two front spruce are of similar height. Replanting the
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Transplanting Has Begun

Transplanting Has Begun

September 3, 2019

I finally dug out two leggy pale yellow foxgloves that have been a lot of work for not great blossoms. I replaced one with a new peony- longing for sun. It will be MUCH happier in its new bed. I removed all the peony stakes and ties, trimming back some leaves already browning. Which also allows for better visibility of the sedum that are just coming to bloom. All the lilies are finished by the road, so that garden was ripe for weeding. I took great pleasure ripping out a recurring slew of old morning glory vines wrapped around captive primroses.
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Deadheading in the Garden

Deadheading in the Garden

August 27, 2019

The temperatures are growing slowly cooler as Connecticut begins to prepare for autumn. This year, we’ve had alternate wild rainfall interspersed with hot/humid days. The garden has welcomed the rain but because of the heat, the soil dries out dramatically quick, requiring more watering then usual.  Earthworms are on the rise, I’m told that’s because of the additional moisture. I have so many earthworms that the soil is eroding in many places to the point where groundcover on a hill just slides down. At first in disbelief about the veracity of my tale, the local nursery finally suggested trying buckwheat
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Clothes From the Garden

Clothes From the Garden

August 6, 2019

You grow the plants. Photograph them at high resolution with your Nikon of choice and design new creations in Photoshop. Apply those to a finish product and SELL said item. A tall order. Even though I’ve bought printing for marketing purposes, experimenting with printing to fabric was a whole other story. It would be exhausting to think about doing even part of the job, if I hadn’t fallen head over heels about the potential for creating beauty. The love of transferring nature to fabric has had its way with me relentlessly. Blogging about it is my confession. Pretty or handsome?
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Maine Travelogue

Maine Travelogue

July 30, 2019

Our summer vacation this year began in Somerville MA, a comfortable driving pause enroute to Newburyport and Maine. The bonus was lunch with my son and his fiancée. Caught up in a whirlwind of late fall wedding plans as they are, we figured the best way to get their attention was over a meal.  It worked really well! After lunch, we drove to Newburyport for an overnight at a bed and breakfast called the Essex Street Inn, close to downtown. Great location. Lovely people. The following day we drove to Harrison ME to catch up with old friends. Harrison is
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It’s Summer- We’re Headed to Maine

It’s Summer- We’re Headed to Maine

July 16, 2019

Can’t wait! We’re headed north to visit old friends in Harrison Village. Never been, but the allure of Maine is intoxicating to this CT resident. I can’t WAIT to get out of Dodge. ( Sorry, Dodge) The hot sun has required watering the garden twice daily to keep the newly replanted Golden Carpet shoots hydrated. The hanging baskets get soaked every afternoon. It’s summer- and it’s just that time of year. Besides. As long as the IMAC remains unusable, no way can I pick up where I left off with my new Morning Glory scarf- Midnight will be its name.  What
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Welcome to the Tropics of Connecticut

Welcome to the Tropics of Connecticut

June 26, 2019

Have you noticed? It’s hotter and wetter in warm weather, and less cold in winter. Still, every gardener welcomes rain as an alternative to being eaten by mosquitoes when you’re trying to water thirsty plants. And it’s wonderful to look out at the lush greens, especially as the lilies haven’t quite burst into bloom yet. It’s an almost-water feature! I adore my new water hyacinths that live in a small metal pot embedded in one of the flower beds. And you don’t have to water. What a concept. Water plants are new to me and I find the leaves with
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Mother Nature Rules

Mother Nature Rules

June 18, 2019

Is that deck finished? You can see the red stain somewhat. The beauty shot of a newly refinished mahogany deck will have to wait until the next day the sun shines- this weekend? It sure may look tranquil but the before and after shots of ten hours playing nursemaid to a deck tell another story. This has been the year of repair. The lovely metal railing on the front deck had started to rust. Sanding, primer and spraying. I learned the hard way that shaking a can of paint VERY WELL is obligatory. And once you’ve checked the brand and
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