Reflections Archives - Page 4 of 48

Time’s a Wasting

October 15, 2019

Before very long, the snow will fly in the garden. In the meantime, lots of work still to be done. Most of the garden is covered with leaves. I’m not yet ready to clean up. I’ve been transplanting hosta to fill some bare spots and tomorrow will be moving the large phlox into its own space. The three new Japanese willow bushes are in the ground, and I’m trying to keep them watered. The fall garden can seduce one to itself to the exclusion of much else. It’s fun! Speaking of crazy busy, the somewhat frantic pace of Jenny and the
Read More

Call Me A Mid-Century Modern Woman

October 5, 2019

I still haven’t figured out why I love the mid-century look so much. This year is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus (a German art school active between 1919 and 1933 and associated with the style) so I’ll just go with it. Each year, we wind up doing something related to mid–century. Last year we attended a Bauhaus lecture at the Clark Museum. This year we took a cool house tour! More about the mid-century aesthetic, an overarching movement spanning architecture, interior design, product design, graphics and urban development from roughly 1933-1965. More Mad Men Modern Tour in Norwalk Last
Read More

Talking Textiles in New York

September 25, 2019

Every person has a unique approach to getting a project done from start to finish. Some would call it “creative process.” Recognizing what our own personal style is can be useful in getting better results the next time. Like many others, I can be a slow learner applying new info consistently overtime. This week, I trained into NYC for the 2019 “Talking Textiles” conference- part of New York Textiles Month. The event was again hosted by Lidewij Edelkoort, a world -renowned trend forecaster, and the Associate Provost and Dean – Parsons School of Design. Living in Northwest Connecticut is tremendous in so many ways.
Read More

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
Read More

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.
Read More

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
Read More

The New Britain Museum of American Art

August 24, 2019

“Sleeping Children” by William Henry Rinehart (1825-1874) at The New Britain Museum of American Art. The original sculpture was a memorial for the children of benefactor Hugh Sisson. Another summer is coming to a close and I think it important to appreciate a local museum that offers one a spirit of contemplation. End of summer is always a thoughtful time as the garden, still full of life, is also poised to wind down to cold once again. The New Britain Museum is the first museum in the country dedicated to American Art. We visit when the spirit moves and are NEVER disappointed.
Read More

Curious Bedfellows- Deck Refinishing and Scarf Design

August 13, 2019

The weather gave us a short series of sunny days to clean and stain the front deck. It’s taken roughly 500 days to get here. (We missed last year entirely) Happily, I was able to take short breaks to visit our little cactus- boasting four flowers this year- three in a row! Deck Refinishing Friday, we taped, wet down and applied cleaner and brightener to the mahogany deck. The process is challenging- you wet the wood, apply the product, let it sit for 15 minutes, scrub the surface with a bristle brush, and rinse it off. Sunday, we stained and rubbed
Read More

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
Read More

Teak, Citrus and Tung Oil

July 20, 2019

Wood finishing ingredients with a seductive ring to them. For some foolish reason in updating our house, we surrounded ourselves with outdoor materials that demand protection from the elements. Mahogany decks and bamboo fencing require sun/mold protection almost every year. A wooden statue and Asian door made for tropical weather were not created for Zone 5- Connecticut. What were we thinking? Last year we added two more items- teak deck chairs in need of re-finishing. Sheer insanity. I know it, you know it. What could make it more complicated? Sealing with natural products of course. Last year, I used a combination of Tung
Read More