Marsha's Garden Blog

Hydrangea in Winter

2012-01-31T14:02:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things about hydrangea in winter:

Winter Texture and Growth

2012-01-25T14:39:00.001-05:00

Here are some images I snapped on my way back inside today from running errands. First day in a long while I wanted to even look at my garden mess...

Lots of weeds are there - overwintering just fine...

(little do they know what is in their future - the compost pile!)

Iris remains like garden hair and Hellebore as always...

Daffodils peeking through with this mild winter...

New Iris growth peeking through...

Lenten Rose Hellebore. Will need dividing this spring.

Like a wave cascading down the slope...

Another stinking butterfly bush baby popping up - must pull them all this year!

New plant from last year. Will have to ID because it seems to like my garden & hope it stays...

Winter Garden...

2012-01-03T20:16:00.000-05:00

This year my garden doesn't seem quite as spectacular as it did in the last couple of years...

I feel for the first time since I've lived here - disconnected from my garden.

That needs to be corrected. Something needs to be done.

A plan and action need to be put into place.

Designs need to be laid out so creativity & inspiration can find their way back.

So here are some garden images from last year - just about this same time of year...

American Robin Silhouettes in the trees were a pleasant site.

Cone Flowers in Decay.

Oh, how I miss having these to go look upon in the middle of winter...

I miss them as much now as I do in early spring when their pink and green new growth peeks out of the soil...

As much as their beautiful colors and cones through summer...

And their long lasting beauty through the fall...

Darn that Aster Yellows...

I hope to never see you again you plant destroyer!

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New York Ironweed is always a winter beauty...

Even these vines that get cut down are beautiful...

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Last winter I discovered these old metal gears in the back woods.

This summer we met our new neighbors behind us & discovered that in fact, our property goes to the edge of the woodbine (I thought it didn't go quite so far). Which means that there are tons of sticker bushes to be cleared from back there & it's up to us. Small bobcat rental anyone?

This old wooden structure from my grandmother's farm is one of my favorite items.

I would love to create other small areas where I can have nooks and crannies for discovering things like this...

I think all the snow last year also spoiled us in the way that the winter garden always looks best with a light coating of snow dusted over everything. We have yet to see any snow this winter...

I know that in March into April things will start to appear again.

Like the above Hellebore (Lenten Rose).

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And the Bloodroot will appear for a short amount of time (curious to see if the bloodroot I transplanted will make it - moved it from an area that might be cleared out to a safe garden area).

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And I think I'm going to be ordering some Witch Hazel for my garden.

This lovely specimen was photographed in Longwood Gardens in March of 2011.

I guess I need to start to figure out a budget & how I can come up with some cash flow for projects I want to work on this year & layout for years to come...

Should be interesting...

The End Comes. Something New Begins...

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

If you are lucky enough to capture photos of your plants on the first good fall frost,

You might just end up with a great new shot for your blog header...

And I was lucky enough to have this morning happen on a day my husband was able to drop our little ones off to school…

Because a frost like this is strong enough to kill the upper parts of plants for the season and then be gone within moments once the sun comes up over the hill…

And if you miss it - you will have to wait until next year to try to catch it again…

These two images above are the main side hill garden before this beautiful frosty morning…

And here it is after…

This would be the perfect Halloween Spooky Garden!

Pop a few headstones in there and wha-la…

Photographs of bees on blooms will have to wait until spring…

Little critters are fiercely gathering seed…

This little mouse was eating corn left over from our kids fall pumpkin display.

And even though I will remember my 2011 garden as

"the aster yellows depressing year"…

There are little sparks of hope for what the future holds for my garden...

Because little pathways that I've been creating here and there with plants…

Are starting to be explored!

And that delights me to no end and makes me want to get back out there and make a wonderful exploration garden for my little ones…

Wonder what this winter will hold for dreaming and designing out a new garden?

Cone Flower Removal - For How Long?

2011-11-09T17:46:00.000-05:00

Well - Today was the day.

Cone Flower Extraction Day.

As I pulled all of my cone flowers and black eyed susans from my garden beds I started thinking:

How long should I wait for replanting?

We normally get a nice wet cold winter here in Delaware.

And I can just hope that I can pull every infected or potentially infected plant out now so nothing survives to pass on the disease in my garden (that is a bit of a far fetched idea seeing as how it infects over 300 different species of plants though). But at least I'm trying right?

Every nook and cranny checked…

Finding the roots - looking for those pink buds that are ready for overwintering and blooming next spring. And out with them - into the heap of dying growth from this year.

And in my mood of pulling things out - out with a lot of the Russian Sage.

It grows so well in my garden - to the point of being too much.

There are more cone flowers in this bed that I didn't get to.

Maybe tomorrow I'll pull some more - and get to the mint and butterfly bush babies that are threatening to take over too.

And my mom's little bird hanging out with the Hellebores that seem to have a bit of pep right now from a bit of the cold we had in the last month.

Cone Flowers 2009 to 2011...

2011-10-21T02:12:00.003-04:00

I've got a bunch of samples into the Diagnostics Lab at the University of Delaware in the hopes of having a positive confirmation about the status of the cone flowers that are in my garden, and if they have Aster Yellows (which visually, I'm certain they do).

2011 Cone Flower Third Known Year Symptomatic

I first looked at my most recent photos from 2011 - above.

2010 Cone Flower Second Known Year Symptomatic.

Then 2010 when I remembered seeing odd growths on some of the cones - above.

2009 Cone Flowers

Then by chance I looked back at some 2009 photos - and sure enough - it was there too…

Back then I didn't really know that plants got "diseases".

Never really put much thought into it.

I though it was some kind of genetic variation.

Pretty cool looking actually - although something felt "off" about it...

Here are a bunch of other photos from 2010:

2010 Purchased Cone Flower Varieties for Front Bed.

2010 Cone Flower Second Known Year Symptomatic.

2010 September Cone Flowers with petal curl & odd cone.

View of 2010 Main Side Hill Garden Deer is in Upper Bed.

And some 2011 photos before I took most all of the Cone Flowers out in June 2011:

A thing of beauty up close - 2010 new plants in front bed.

May 2011 Main Side Hill Garden. 2009 divided cone flowers growing.

May 2011 Front Side Hill Garden. 2010 transplanted from Main Side Hill Garden

Main Side Hill Lower Tier Cone Flowers

Main Side Hill Lower Tier Cone Flower Symptomatic Second Year Growth.

Main Side Hill Lower Tier Cone Flowers Second Known Year.

Main Side Hill Garden upper Tier Second or Third Year (sample submitted).

Detail of "not normal" cone flower from upper tier.

Abnormal growth of the upper tier smaller variety cone flower.

Front Cone Flower Bed. Back Right = Front Side Hill Garden.

Detail of cone flower from Front Side Hill Garden.

Second year growth Front Side Hill Garden (transplants from Main Side Hill Garden).

Removal of Cone flowers from Front Side Hill Garden.

Heavy downpour in July. Opposite view of Front Cone Flower Bed.

October view of Front Cone Flower Bed.

2010 purchased plants showing symptoms at end of second year in bed.

2010 Purchased plants showing irregular growth and leaf curl.

Final view of Cone Flower Front Bed from where I took a lot of samples to be confirmed.

I can visually see the symptoms of Aster yellows.

I've heard that it might not be Aster Yellows but rather damage from GoldFinches or possibly from a mite.

I wanted to see if the UD lab could diagnose this for me.

And if a positive result comes back for Aster Yellows - then what.

I guess all of the cone flowers will be dug up.

But what about the suppliers selling them - and the suppliers supplying them?

I've been to both places and have seen the symptoms on their stock.

And then what?

Do I find a list of the 300 species of plants it affects and pull them out too?

But what about my neighbors that have plants that might get this?

What about the insect that transmits it?

Did it die? Did it migrate? Is it overwintering?

Realistically what are the measures to be taken about this?

And to think - all those potentially great seed sources for birds overwintering - now gone.

That really stinks.

Looks like I'm going to have to stock up on extra bird seed for this winter.

UPDATE: UD says that the symptoms that they see indicate Aster Yellows or possibly a genetic mutation. Their lab cannot test for Aster Yellows.

I went online and googled to find some extra help.
I know I have to pull them all out.
Should I then pull out any other plant that might be infected - what plants are on the list of over 300 species?

Diseases of Echinacea (canada - 1999)

IPM Strategies from MOBOT:

Integrated Pest Management Strategies

1. Remove diseased plants. Once a plant is infected with aster yellows, it is a lost cause since the disease is incurable. Early diagnosis and prompt removal of infected plants may help reduce the spread of the disease. Although the disease itself is not fatal to the plant, its presence makes it impossible for a plant to fulfill its intended role in the garden.

2. Plant less susceptible plant species. Controlling aster yellows is difficult. As long as infected leafhoppers are around, they can infect plants. A practical way to avoid having problems with this disease is to grow plants that are not as susceptible to aster yellows. Verbena, salvia, nicotiana, geranium, cockscomb, and impatiens are among the least susceptible plants.

3. Control insects. Vegetable growers may protect susceptible crops by using the mesh fabrics that keep leafhoppers and other insects away from the plants. Some growers put strips of aluminum foil between rows because bright reflections of sunlight confuse the leafhoppers.

4. Control weeds. Remove weeds in your lawn, garden, and surrounding areas, including plantain and dandelion that may harbor the disease.

Milwaukee JSOnline:

Q.I'm rebuilding a perennial garden that was infested with aster yellows. Do you have any advice?

A. Aster yellows disease causes distorted growth and sometimes death of susceptible plants. The phytoplasm (bacterium-like disease organism) infests more than 300 species of plants with members of the aster family such as coneflowers, Rudbeckias being some of the most susceptible. The disease lives in the infested plants and is spread by aster leafhoppers from sick to healthy plants.

Remove all infested plants and weeds from the garden. Controlling leafhoppers will help reduce the spread. I have not found an up-to-date comprehensive list of resistant plants, so I would suggest you check out each one of the plants you plan to add. If they are not listed as susceptible or resistant, you might want to start slowly and limit the number of aster family members you include.

And finally - Kansas State University Cooperative Extension (1993):

Aster Yellows - with a partial list of plants that are susceptible.

Some other questions I've got that I would like to find out answers to is:

1. If a plant that becomes infected with Aster Yellows, that was already forming seeds - are those seeds infected too? It is know that infected plants may not produce viable seeds, but should seeds from these infected plants be grown for the following year or disposed of.

2. What is the best way to deal with the soil that the plants were in? Is there something environmentally friendly (friendly to other plants, insects, animals, etc) that will kill off anything that remains in the soil? Or is this pointless because the insect does not pass on the disease to future generations. What about treating the soil in general for other fungus and disease? Maybe there is a product that will help "clean" the soil a bit since we have hot & humid as well as cool & humid seasons all year here in Delaware.

Would love some feedback...

I Heart Macro - Cone Flower

2011-10-16T20:41:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my post for I Heart Macro.

I have every intention on creating a follow up Cone Flower post that has more in depth information about the current conditions in my garden where I'm having issues with my cone flowers.

I believe I have Aster Yellows Phytoplasma on my Cone Flowers.

It affects over 300 species of plants - and I'm admittedly a bit concerned that this is just the beginning.

I've got a bunch of samples into the lab at the University of Delaware to see if they can confirm what it is that my plants have and what they recommend that I do about it.

I love my garden not just for the beauty and inspiraiton that it provides to me personally,

but also because it supports so much wildlife all year round.

And because it gives me a place to go with my little ones to let them experience nature first hand…

Stop by and check out some other macro shots over on Studio Waterstone's Blog:

Florida Version of I Heart Macro...

2011-09-25T20:53:00.001-04:00

This week I'm in FL visiting with my family on a last minute trip…

My little three year old has kept me busy in the pool from the moment we wake up.

Today I stole a few moments to go check out some of the local sights on the front porch...

This snail was very curious about what I was doing with my camera and hand lens so close to it...

We've had rain for most of the day today, and I loved the color variation on the palm leafs.

Crazy to see the cells (stomates) in those droplets...

Here an old piece of palm leaf on the outside…

I enjoy the color & textures of decaying plants.

And a quick last minute shot of a dead weevil.

I've never seen one so pale white/green before, and this large.

The ones up home in Delaware are gray brown and about 1/4 of an inch.

This one was at least 1/2" to 3/4".

Swing by and check out the rest of the posts for

I Heart Macro Sunday over on Studio Waterstone Blog.

Sunday Garden Day...

2011-09-13T07:49:00.001-04:00

Sunday was very humid, but cool.

And we had nothing planned going on…

So it was family out in the garden day.

Riley is finally big enough to get around on his own!

Slow start - looking over some of the pretty blooms.

Loving these Begonias that I got from Karen A. last year!

The Main Side Hill Garden is a complete overgrown mess!

Overgrown is one thing…

Overgrown with invasive Japanese Stilt Grass, Thistle,

And Butterfly Bushes yet to be pulled is another.

There is a sort of desperation feeling with the latter.

The Stilt grass is first to go.

Little by little, the "worm finder" and I get wheelbarrows full pulled out.

She helped "pick up piles" with the little plastic shrub rake for about 5 minutes before discovering the worms. And well, having a worm hunter with you in the garden - is a must!

I think this was 3 wheelbarrows full...

Then 4 or 5 as I move to the pathway mid-way down the hill...

Standing on the cleared pathway, looking up at where I started.

I'm such an ADHD weeder - all over the place!

Especially when there is so much to do, and there are two little kids running around, leading you to clearing paths for them so they can get through without toppling over from tripping from the overgrowth.

This would be the path before clearing…

Notice the green round Cats Mint up on the left in the above photo.

And after.

Now can you see the rounded Cats Mint?

See - there really is a path there!

Which, by the time it was all cleared,

The worm hunter had given up her gloves and was happily walking the path, sitting on the garden walls, picking seeds from pods that were splitting open - and singing!

A happy almost 4 year old singing made up songs in the garden is the best thing ever…

Well, maybe a big strong husband prepared with shovel and chainsaw is better…

Hmmm - maybe it was the combination of everyone being there that made it perfect!

Worm Hunter...

Shrub Rake Master (master at getting it stuck in anything)...

Foot Stomper helping dad dig up that holly that was half dead...

Seed gatherer…

Garden path and rock wall explorers...

There is still a ton of work to do.

But just about all the butterfly bush is gone.

Stilt grass and thistle are a plenty - a lot gone, a lot left to pull...

Once the upper bed is finished, the bottom bed can be cleaned up too.

Then I can pull the remaining cone flowers and any other plant showing signs of Aster Yellows Disease. I will replant clean cone flowers next season, so they ALL have to come out this year.

I have some plants that need to go in this year - goldenrod, little joe pyeweed, etc.

And Riley will be getting his first pair of crocs next summer so he can have nice clean shoes after that can be rinsed off with the hose.

Besides - who doesn't love the happy squeals of getting feet washed off with cold water?

Chloe's bad mood from having to go inside for lunch changed pretty quick after hearing me crack up and make a big to do about the cold water from the hose.

So now, I know what I was doing on the 10 year anniversary of September 11.

Sadly, this was also the day 4 years ago that the decision that my mom would be taken off of the ventilator in ICU would be happening on Sept. 12th.

Hard to believer that 4 years ago, we lost her.

4 years ago, pregnant with Chloe.

2 years ago, pregnant with Riley.

6 years ago we were fixing drainage issues with my dad in the garden…

I hope in two more years, we will be out enjoying the garden all together.

Maybe even having a cook out with family and friends.

I sure would like to have a back yard fire pit for roasting marshmallows…

Thanks for stopping by for a bit of garden hang time.

We'll see when I can get some of my MG friends out when it not so rainy, wet and cold...

Rain Delay

2011-09-03T23:20:00.001-04:00

Well, I cancelled the first round of "weed for beads" because there was to be rain.

And with a meeting at 1pm for a lot of us, it was better to postpone.

However this Tuesday - supposed to rain again.

Lots of rain = lots of growth.

I even found a NEW Butterfly Bush in the garden taking root.

That's it - Japanese Stilt grass and Butterfly Bushes beware…

I'm coming to get you (hopefully soon ;)

But oh, how lovely the Nasturtiums foliage is right now:

Even with too much water at times...

Garden Help Please!!!

2011-08-11T04:47:00.006-04:00

Right now my main hill garden looks like this:

Very overgrown and a bit unkept.

I blame the peak summer heat and humidity…

And wanting to stay in the air conditioning.
Perfect time to refocus on my business too (I've got to have an income right?)

Things seemed to be doing great in May and June...

This is a bed I that I had planted last year with a bunch of divided cone flowers…

Some Russian Blue Sage and Hostas to fill in lower areas.

I looked closer and saw that the Purple cone flowers had Aster Yellow.

It was a hard and deflating decision,

but all my coneflowers had to come out.

Two Huge wheelbarrows full from this bed alone.

This other front bed - I need to keep an eye on.

Lots of flowers in there that can also get it.

The point is, that it has somewhat deflated me...

Cone flowers have been my favorites in my garden in the last couple of years…

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With this kind of beauty is it hard to see why?

Especially when I look back and see what our house looked like when we first moved in:

All of this was to be ripped out...

I could see bits of a stone face on the house (love stone)...

The hill in between us and the neighbors was completely overgrown and you would slip and tumble down it if you tried to go through the overgrowth (which was filled with poison ivy).

The top of the driveway...

The future main side hill garden...

Hard to believe this is what it looked like in 2005 when we moved in.

I saw potential there…

Hard to believe this is that same "main side hill garden".

The one in the very first photo up top, just after being cleared of trees.

I made Dave take a photo of me in the garden once the retaining walls were installed and I first started to put some plants in...

I cut in the walking path steps.

Eventually removed this walkway when we replaced the driveway…

Used the leftover wall pavers to create some smaller beds and installed a flagstone patio...

Saying we had water issues (the house is mid-way down a hill) just barely touches the surface.

This is my dad - up visiting us from Florida...

The very man that instilled my sense of "if you are going to do something, do it right".

We fixed the grade and drainage, replaced a basement well window with block, resealed the basement wall, and that was just over a long weekend…

Then a few years later, after removing an old nasty cracked concrete slab patio out back...

Drainage issues arose again. The contractors messed with the drainage that we worked so hard to fix, and installed a pop-up drain right at the property line in the line of the natural swale. In addition, the new neighbors had thankfully removed some huge White Pines that were planted 20+ years ago, way too close to our house causing roof mold & mildew issues in addition to costing $500 every 3-4 years to cut back. So the combination caused a small river to form and wash away soil and sediment into their driveway.

We had to route the drainage to the curb. Not my first choice, but there was nothing else to be done with the way the land works.

Now I have these river rocks and a bunch of plants as a start of a rain garden.

Slowly yet surely, we are getting there…

I hope to find peace again out in my overgrown garden.

I think it is time for me to really get the weeds pulled…

Get rid of any infected plants (with Aster Yellows)…

And layout a mostly native plant garden area that has a bit of design to it…

To this end, I wait to hear back from some new MG friends to see if they can come give me a hand with my garden. To help laugh and pull weeds and talk about plants and potential and experience.

To put more memories into this garden with people that will hopefully be around to watch my kids grow up from little kids into adults with gardens of their own.

The thought alone of having friends with me here, makes me want to be out there again for getting my hands dirty.

Darn that Aster Yellow…

You have no power over me with my friends by my side!

I Heart Macro - Beach Find...

2011-08-07T11:20:00.002-04:00

Can you guess what kind of animal this is by looking at the images?

I thought it would be fun to add a bit of a quiz to this week's

I Heart Macro post

Hosted by Studio Waterstone

Have you had the pleasure of seeing one (or maybe the displeasure because they are kind of creepy to some)...

I posted this on my personal FB page last weekend when we headed to the beach for a quick family break…

(so if you know from that, don't tell just yet)

Leave a comment and let me know your guess.

I'll post later today in the comments the answer…

Thanks for stopping by - Happy Sunday!

Click on over and visit the other bloggers with macro photos to share through this week's I Heart Macro post.

I Heart Macro Garden Pictures

2011-07-23T22:48:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my weekly post to contribute to this weeks "I Heart Macro"

Hosted by Studio Waterstone every Sunday.

Candy Lily (Iris family actually)

Chloe's gord (one of many).

Old rusty tomato stand with lone cherry tomato.

Click on over and visit the other bloggers with macro photos to share through this week's I Heart Macro post.

Thanks for stopping by!

I Heart Macro - Hipstamatic Zinnea

2011-07-09T22:53:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my weekly post to contribute to this weeks "I Heart Macro"

Hosted by Studio Waterstone every Sunday.

Zinnea through my iPhone Hipstamatic app.

Immature grasshopper (he must really like my garden).

A fly which was caught mid-rub as if saying "what's that I taste?"

From April Fools Day: Hellebore with Ice/Snow.

I wanted to throw that last image in just to remind those of us in the throws of hot, humid temperatures that it was not that long ago that we were freezing our tushes off, willing to deal with this heat and humidity. Has a more powerful effect if you go stand right next to the AC vent and think about a freezing breeze…

Make sure to swing by the weekly "I Heart Macro" blog post to check out what others are sharing for their blog post.

I Heart Macro - A Bit Of Everything...

2011-07-03T05:24:00.001-04:00

I'm a huge fan of macro pictures.

If you are too, take a peek at:

I Heart Macro, hosted by Studio Waterstone every Sunday…

Here are some pics that I've taken this week:

A Teeny Tiny Toad on 3/4" river rock pebbles.

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"Milkshake" Cone Flower blooming in my Garden.

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Caterpillar in camouflage on broken 1/2" diameter twig.

Porcelain Clay Grid Shards drying.

I am pretty excited about the quality of photos from my iPhone

(sometimes with small hand lens).

Makes it easier to take so many pictures without worrying about having another camera with me all the time. These are no digital SLR macro photos, but I'm ok with that for the time being...

Make sure to stop by next week to see what else I've been looking at up close.

And swing over to Studio Waterstone to see more entries for this I Heart Macro Event!

I Heart Macro - Insects

2011-06-25T21:59:00.001-04:00

I'm a huge fan of macro pictures.

So of course, as I see a few fellow blog friends participating in

I Heart Macro, hosted by Studio Waterstone...

Well, I just had to get my brain, computer, & pictures in one place.

So, where is this bug-girl obsessed with up-close photography to start?

A fly on columbine (love that metallic gold).

An immature grasshopper on milkweed - oh the metallic colors in sunlight!

An adult, winged aphid atop the milkweed. Immature aphids underneath.

And where there are aphid colonies, the ladybug beetle larvae is not far behind.

Love those beneficial insects!

This entomologist, gardener, conservationist just cannot get enough of these up close pictures.

Stop back again to see what else I'm going to post from the garden.

I've got a post coming up with photos of a Hymenoptera pupa and the clay pieces that I was inspired to make into earrings from it...

Crap - It's Aster Yellow Phytoplasma on My Cone Flowers...

2011-06-23T16:59:00.000-04:00

Now that I've completed my official training in the MG program here in New Castle County (DE) I get to look at my garden with a newly educated set of eyes.

And this is not what I used to think:

"Oh, wow - look at all those cool tiny little cone flowers coming out of the middle of my cone flower".

Now it has become:

"Oh crap! My Purple Cone Flower has Aster Yellow Phytoplasma"

And then the plant gets removed from the garden, and any plants that are showing early signs of the disease.

This was something that we covered in class (aka: "the dead and the dying"class which turned into a three class + disease walk experience).

This is one of those diseases that are transmitted by plant to insect when the insect is feeding on the diseased plant, then pass it onto another plant when that carrier insect feeds on the new plant. You've got to try to stop the cycle if you can.

Here just one of my plants this year.

And this one may be exhibiting symptoms too - but I'm not 100% yet. The deer keep deadheading the cone flowers, so it's hard to tell sometimes. Must look for foliage curl (which is different than wilting from dehydration).

Here is a quick photo of a Hymenoptera (bee) that is one our Native Pollinators here in DE.

I just went to a Master Gardener meeting on Tuesday with guest speaker Dr. Delaney (Entomologist & Bee Keeper) from University of DE, Entomology & Wildlife Ecology, and will pull out my notes to ID this particular bee for you.

Here are some of the new cone flowers - taken with my iPhone Hipstamatic app - that I purchased last year from a reputable garden center that are in my front garden bed, away from the infected other plants.

No sign of Aster Yellow up there yet (knock on wood please).

And while showing Hipstamatic photos, the above is of the Hydrangea now in bloom out front.

Right now this is the instar (lifecycle stage) of the introduced pest we are seeing here in the North East US:

the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug around my garden.

Luckily the spiders out in the garden are enjoying having all the extra food around.

This particular spider didn't like me getting so close and actually shot some web at me.

Pretty cool to see actually - I'm such a weirdo sometimes!

More to come…

I've been taking a TON of photos, but just not finding the time to blog right now.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and learn about something…

By the way - if you see your cone flowers doing this - you should consider pulling them out so this disease does not spread through out your garden…

Just my two cents worth.

Discovering Native Plants & Sustainability...

2011-04-23T09:34:00.000-04:00

I can understand why it is important to plant Native plants, have diversity amongst plantings in the garden, and help remove invasive species. I just want to look a little deeper into these things and get to the guts of why they are so important and help anyone reading this to also gain a better understanding.

Here are some of the resources I am looking at right now to try to figure out the big picture:

"Native Plants for Delaware Landscapes" UD Botanical Gardens

"Plants for a Livable Delaware" University of DE, DE Horticultural Society

"Delaware Native Plants for Native Bees" Delaware Department of Agriculture

"Non-Native Plants of Delaware" Delaware Fish & Wildlife

"Examples of Native Plants for the Delaware Estuary Region" US EPA

"20 Woody and Perennial Plants List" (shortened title) Doug Tallamy

"Native Plant Sale" Delaware Nature Society

Sustainable Landscapes University of Delaware

Delaware Native Plant Society

Mt. Cuba Center

Delaware Wildflowers Website by David G. Smith

Delaware Invasive Species Council

UD Cooperative Extension

New Castle County Master Gardeners

UD Botanical Gardens

With all these resources - I think I will be busy for a while (haven't even researched ecological gardening which falls right into this in a more broad sense).

As I get into it, I will keep posting tidbits and insights here on my blog. There is SO much information out there…

New Little Flower...

2011-04-11T23:10:00.000-04:00

Meet Thalictrum "Pink Pearl".

She joined our garden just recently.

I received an email that there were a few of these new double bloom (will read up on that - it is a new hybrid) available at the local garden center direct from Mt. Cuba. I just happened to be on my way to the post office and to pick up the kids, so I stopped in and picked up one.

And since it is a native plant, if it lasts this year and comes back next year, I'll be happy to see it in bloom with this blood root:

Thanks Kim for showing me what a blood root was a few years back. I will always think of you whenever I see them every spring!

Touring The Herbarium At DE State University...

2011-04-09T14:59:00.002-04:00

One of the very best things about being a Master Gardener Training for New Castle County, DE is that you meet some of the most interesting people and get to see some very cool stuff.

Do you know what an Herbarium is?

I pictured it as a greenhouse where they grew herbs…

Ha! Shows what I know (or what I knew rather).

In the photo above is Dr. Susan Yost. She taught our MG training sessions on Botany and Plant Identification. A few of us got together after the class to see if she would show us around the Herbarium one day.

She was kind enough to schedule us in for a tour of the Claude E. Phillips Herbarium, located at the Delaware State University, in Dover, DE in amongst all her other University responsibilities (Thank You Susan!) She is one of the nicest people I think I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in all of my travels and experiences. She is just so laid back and easy to talk to & was happy to be called Susan, and not the formal Dr. Yost. She expresses her knowledge in a way that makes you feel like you can understand it, and that it is not something that is over your head. If you don't quite "get it" she looks for other ways to help you understand (by visual representations - drawings, photos, books, actual plants, etc). In my opinion, that is what makes an educator a great teacher...

Here are some of the display cases in the front hallway to the Herbarium.

They showcased plant material, photos, information about the plants…

AND BEADS! Yes - a whole collection of beads and jewelry made from seeds and other natural plant materials. Can you just imagine the smile on my face when I realized they had these!

I've seen beads from seeds at bead shows, but when you sell at bead shows, you rarely get out of the booth to really "look" at other vendor's items other than a quick glance.

This two photos above and below go together. The tiny skulls were amazing!

The collection of beads & necklaces were donated by Ruth Smith.

I wonder if I have ever met her at a bead show? I believe she lives is in the mid-atlantic region somewhere as do I (and the bead shows I used to sell at). So I wonder if we have crossed paths…

I may try to find her contact information and just let her know that her donated pieces are wonderful!

Here Dr. Yost is showing our group some of the pressed plants from the collection at the Herbarium. The oldest specimen is from 1799 - the year George Washington died (amazing!).

There is also at least one plant in the collection that is believed to be extinct. It has not been seen in 40 or 60 years - I can't remember exactly.

Here she is showing us a very old book from their book collection.

It is called The Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland by Thomas Moore, and is from 1855.
You can order some prints here.

There was also this photocopied explanation of the printing process that they used to make this amazing book. These ferns could have been real (well, they are impressions of the real fern), but were prints of actual ferns.

I highly recommend going to the website to find out more information about the Herbarium. There were other MG trainees with me that had cameras, so I did not take too many photographs with my iPhone. I am happy that I do have these though…

What a wonderful place! I feel more enlightened knowing that a place like this exists!

Oh, and one thing that I loved about this building is that it the air was crisp and dry (no fungus or mold is welcome) and there are no insects welcome either. And it was like an atrium with a huge glass pyramidal roof that let in a ton of daylight. Perfect for a an artist studio space! Which - when you think about the work that they do there, and the collection that they keep - it is perfect. I wish there were spaces like that available to artists around here…

What a wonderful afternoon that was!

Thanks for stopping by and learning a bit about it...

Take A Long Walk With Me...

2011-04-03T17:15:00.000-04:00

I have every intention of explaining what I am learning through my gardening training - and how I feel it will guide me through the way I view my garden as an ecosystem.

Right now there is so much information in my brain I am having a hard time formulating a thought without going off into a million tangents because right now everything is coming together for me.

My brain is a very exciting place to be right now!

Hellebore April 1st in a bit of snow. What a great trick to start off the day!

Let's walk a bit shall we? First - the state of my garden and wooded area as it is right now, and how my training is helping me understand what is happening in more scientific terms.

Native Violets and Fern Fiddle Head peeking through.

There are little buds pushing through the soil in the garden.
The spring pruning has been done on the woody plants.

A wave of cats mint - purple and green when growing...

Just a few areas are left to clean up from last years garden.
I like to remove the large items in the spring before new plants grow so that they are not in competition for the soil nutrients (they get cut then into the compost pile).
Feed the decomposers or feed the plants - decisions need to be made on what to leave in the garden.
Mulching with wood mulch by the way takes nutrients from the soil.
Decomposers need nutrients to function.
They break down the mulch by taking nutrients from the soil & mulch, which takes away the nutrients from the soil in which your plants are growing…
If I were to mulch, I would probably choose to use my compost pile soil first to amend the soil a bit, and maybe add a bit of organic fertilizer of sorts in with any wood based mulching that I were to do.

I do not consider myself a "lazy gardener" because I leave things from the previous season in my garden all winter. In fact - quite the opposite. I am a garden helper by letting things stay and decompose in my garden and in the woods that surround it. The smaller plant particles are broken down into nutrients your plants need to grow by organisms living in your soil.
Your soil is your garden foundation.
You should have your soil tested to establish a base line, then once established, test it every three years to see how it stands.

Who doesn't love something beautiful to look at in the middle of winter anyway?

The thing about being a "garden helper" - you don't always get to have just your favorite visitors in the garden.
Chloe and I discovered vole runs from under the snow in the grassy areas and garden areas. I hope the foxes from the woods & garter snakes that live in the block wall will help us take care of that problem this spring and summer. I just learned that voles can have up to 100 young in a season - eek! They love eating on over wintering plant bulbs and trees if not enough plants are immediately available.

Speaking of pests. The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, which is an exotic "true bug" from China that was accidentally introduced into SE Pennsylvania a few years ago is a common sight in our house and garden here in Northern DE. You can tell it by the 5 white triangles. There are native stink bugs out there too - some beneficial. So please be aware of what you are doing when trying to rid your garden of these pests. Research to control their population is ongoing…

And through our woods - another house is being built.

Above is the 1st house built last year, and now the 2nd is having it's foundation being poured...

Within a few days, structure built, windows & plywood up & roof on - seriously a few days!

And now you can see it - standing there huge and all…

At least it has a lot of stone on it. It's probably quite energy efficient too.

Lots of windows facing us though, which is a good reason for us to work on that wind break and privacy evergreen area up there…

A quick note on wind breaks - staggered 3-4 rows of trees - not a monoculture!

40% of wind should actually get through.

Also consider that this area will be wildlife habitat.

How will they benefit the most from your design out of need?

Now to tie something together - the woods, the soil, and overall wildlife habitat.

One of our tall ladies. Unfortunately struck by lightening two summers ago.

She provides habitat for a lot of organisms during her healthier days, and now her dying days as well…

She will not fall alone though. This particular thunderstorm brought lightening that hit her neighbor as well, and his boughs are already breaking and falling…

Soon, I will stand in this spot, no longer looking up through their branches. I will be looking up at clear blue skies. Which means there will be areas for new growth in our mature, full shade wooded area…

Eventually she and her neighbor will join this other fallen tree.

Different kinds of insects will love her even more. The birds will enjoy those insects.

And eventually the organisms in the soil will thrive on her remains…

Then from those organisms in that soil that break the last of her down, the nutrients and minerals will become available to new plants so they can become strong and provide habitat and food for future generations of wildlife & organisms that need them.

It is a beautiful cycle…

Here is a photo of our bird feeder iron tree.
We quite enjoy giving our feathered and furry friends something to eat.
There are areas for water to puddle here as well.

A little more into the woods and you see a pile of leaves to the far left (my leaf matter pile, turned compost bin). The tall tree behind the pile is the "he" of the two lightening stricken pair. The "she is the dark brown tree in the center of the photograph. Right between them is the place where his branches are falling - right where I started a brush pile 5 years ago. I hope any larger falling boughs will avoid hitting this pile directly as many critters are using it as a place of refuge.

This is what the floor of the woods looks like in areas.
It is littered with yard waste - black fiber paper used to keep weeds down, dumped into the woods is being overtaken with Garlic Mustard which is an invasive plant and I am removing plant by plant. The twigs will serve better function for the wildlife in a brush pile. And we can then walk through with higher hopes of avoiding deer ticks that carry Lymes disease and getting stuck in sticker bushes or overgrowths of poison ivy.

This is a selection of what I have been able to pull so far…

In all of this area so far.
Talk about gaining "activity points" with weight watchers - Pshew!
I've got additional gloves and hoes & rakes for anyone that wants to help…
My plans are clean it up, then replant it to support a healthier ecosystem for our backyard and family.
These woods and garden are part of our family.
We are giving so much to one another constantly…
And Thank You for taking a long walk with me through the woods and garden…
Stop back soon to see how things are progressing and what else I've got to teach you...

Spring Is Upon Us...

2011-03-24T00:04:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures of my garden as it starts to emerge from winter into spring…

Skeleton of Hydrangea Petal on Cats Mint...

Main Hill Garden - Left Side

Main Hill Garden - Center

Main Hill Garden - Right Side

Big, Bright Fullest of Full Moons through the woods atop the main hill garden.

This year I am not only dedicating my time to learning more about gardening in general - on a higher level of understanding through Master Gardener Training. But also, as health and time allows, I will be clearing the Poison Ivy, Sticker Bushes, Garlic Mustard, Japanese Stilt Grass and all sorts of other invasive-type plants from the edge of the thin woods behind our house. I will replace them with things that will help support our local wildlife and their ecosystems. I want my children to have a place to explore without being overcome by dealings with these things. Not that I will be able to pull it all. One person cannot do it alone… But I will try.

I wonder if I could convince people to come help me - by "paying" them with beads, handmade jewelry, or some plants from my garden… If you are local and are interested, let me know…

Teeny Tiny Icy Balls...

2011-02-01T13:10:00.002-05:00

I love the noise these make when shoes come down on them...

Crunch - Crunch - Crunch.

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Garden Wisps...

2011-01-28T10:02:00.002-05:00

I like some winter garden texture…

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Birds Depend On Deer In Winter...

2011-01-27T10:45:00.002-05:00

In the last 24 hours we have had about 8-12 inches of fresh snow fall (snow, rain, freezing rain, then snow)...

I spread some Chickadee Mix (lots of nuts, sunflower seeds & such) bird seed in-between the snow in places that were less likely to get heavy accumulation (like under the tree, chiminea, patio table). But with the wind, that did little good...

But in came the night visitors - the deer...

Their keen sense of smell led them right to the seeded areas. They are but they also uncovered a lot of area for the birds to get to the seed this morning.

Thanks deer - I'll keep this in mind when I see you grazing in my garden when all is about to bloom...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Such Pretty Snow...

2011-01-26T11:29:00.002-05:00

The wet and stick to everything kind of snow...

Tonight is the Master Gardener's meet-up meeting for the applicants. With more snow, ice (freezing rain) in the immediate forecast, I am unsure if they will hold it…

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Snowflake...

2011-01-25T12:10:00.000-05:00

Birds From Inside...

2011-01-22T23:07:00.002-05:00

It is way too cold to be outside. So we put some extra birdseed out the back door and enjoyed watching them eat. Riley watches them so quietly...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Snowy Inch Worm...

2011-01-21T09:45:00.002-05:00

I feel like I have not spent even a lick of time admiring my garden this winter (well, not as much as I really want)...

Also my blogging about my garden has slacked as well. I have read a lot of things here and there that say short posts are ok (Dave always tells me short emails are okay as well but I have a hard time with that too).

So here it goes: my attempts at daily garden blog posts - for my own sanity!

Concrete Inch Worm sitting in some snow that fell overnight.
Lovely in the streaming morning sun...
-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Frozen...

2011-01-20T11:29:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post to share something cool found in a bowl that we had outside for collecting snow (& keeping it for a bit - outside).

I decided today was the day (I had my shoes on and it was not a normal chaotic morning) to dump it out and toss it in the dishwasher. And as you can see, not everything left in my feeble dump.it.out.while.going.in.the.door...
Totally fine by me - cool photo opportunity...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Instagram App Photo Layers

2011-01-06T16:58:00.002-05:00

Here are some pics I took with my SLR & my new macro lens.

I cropped them in iPhoto, put them back on my phone, then opened them up in the new Instagram phone app...

I thought they turned out pretty cool - don't you?

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Coneflowers Are Still Going...

2011-01-04T21:36:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I have participated in Garden Party Tuesday - but I thought that since Jami is talking seeds - these images of the seed heads of the cone flowers in my garden through winter was appropriate.

Their growing season is done for a few more months, but their seed heads are a food source for the birds…

And their great form and texture are inspiration for me...

I must get the digital SLR out with my new macro lens to get some better focused pictures…

Still love my Hipstamatic app for my iPhone!

To Be In Love With Colors???

2010-12-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

One of the major things that attracts me to gardening is the variety of colors & textures…

And the way that people pull the garden into art - makes my heart feel like singing…

Gazebo Ceiling at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA...

This spiral design is just so absolutely beautiful and breathtaking…

Oh the textures…

Oh the layers…

The colors…

I took this picture with my Hipstamatic iPhone app (so the colors are altered by the "film" and "lens") as Chloe was pulling me through the Evergreen display in "what was the perfume display room for 2010 at Longwood Garden". I had but a few moments to pick up my jaw and hold up the phone to get this shot…

I've made it my twitter background…

MarshaNeal

December 2010 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

2010-12-16T23:44:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I have spent much time in my garden…
My business, my little ones & family have swept me up since October.

So here is my post for May Dreams Gardens December 15 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - The current physical state of my garden. And I apologize for the lack of focus on these pictures from my iPhone… It was quite frigid and windy and hard to get the photo app to focus properly...

I am loving the colors on the St. John's Wort...

And the new growth of the Hellebores under the leafs...

The decay of Cone Flowers and the Russian Sage...

Seed heads of the Cone Flowers...

A delightful image - the remains of the flower after the bloom and seeds have gone (NY Iron Weed)

The Holly - half dead from this summer...

The Hydrangea Heads wilted and decaying...

My head has so been in my garden…

My mind keeps wandering to Ecological Gardening…

I have always been interested in garden and all the aspects that it can be thought of…

I am strongly considering applying to the New Castle Co, DE Master Gardener's program for 2011…

We'll see if I can focus enough to decide if it is something I want to pursue at this point in my life…

Thanks for stopping by!

Painted Pumpkin…

2010-11-30T00:43:00.000-05:00

Every year, a few nights before Halloween, we host our family pumpkin decorating event.

This year we decided that the younger kids would enjoy painting their pumpkins or jack o'lanterns more than the detailed extraordinary efforts of detailed carvings…

This one was my niece's pumpkin. It had to stay at our house to dry for a few days…

I love that she used so much paint and so many colors. Totally uninhibited 5 year old art!

Thought I would share since I have not been in my garden much these days.

Garden Birthday

2010-11-21T17:13:00.001-05:00

We went on an outing today...

Saw a birds nest up close...

Were very excited to hang out with Aunt Teren on her birthday today...

Chloe even started taking some pictures with my iPhone...

Not all that bad for an almost 3 year old...

I loved this one of her little boots...

Then she was done - here mom, you do it...

We found a flower on the ground that the plant was done with...

Even got quite a bit of pollen on the nose...

Saw some beautiful orchids...

And bonsai woods...

Pitcher plants were very cool...

And so was this stem...

Beautiful hibiscus flowers...

Check out those ruffles...

And crazy looking plants with bad hair days...

And these wild chrysanthemums...

Then our ears heard a sampling of the newly refurbished Longwood Pipe Organ. As we walked by, Chloe looked up at me, grabbed my hand and said in all seriousness & concern "Mom. That sounds like trouble...". I guess she watches a bit too much of Little Einsteins - because those deep, loud pipe tones sounded like something right out of a haunted mansion of old...
She is so clever!

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Lovelies In The Leafs...

2010-11-20T13:13:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post to share with you some of the things I just saw while sweeping then mulching the leafs...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Falling Leafs...

2010-11-12T20:58:00.001-05:00

Believe it or not, we still have quite a few trees almost at peak.

While others have been bare for weeks...

This picture above was taken at dusk with my iPhone and the moon is in there between the trees...

I loved how this leaf was turned over and contrasted with all the others blowing about...

The breeze had all these leafs impaled into the grass, and the sun shining behind them just made them glow...

More contrasting backsides of leafs...

Chloe and I playing with shadows before school one morning this last week...

I love this picture of Chloe holding up the strand of cranberries we strung the other night...

There are so many colors and textures around right now...

But not for long... They are starting to really turn brown and wilt...

Which of course is perfect for gathering into piles for playing...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

More Frosty Garden Goodness...

2010-11-07T23:12:00.001-05:00

These are from last week...

The Nasturtiums are just hanging in there...

And I couldn't help but snap a bunch of pictures...

They remind me of the way skirts twirl out when you spin around...

And these droplets show just how humid it can get around here...

And check out that outline above... Love seeing stuff like that!

And the frost outline on the mums - looks like someone colored those edges with silver paint...

And the leafs...

I just love these! I look forward to seeing my garden this year in frozen stages of decay...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

First Frost

2010-11-02T10:50:00.001-04:00

It has happened...
The first frost for Fall 2010 has happened this morning...

A lone pansy in amongst some frosty greens...

Wall of Nasturtiums has started to droop (and smell like rotting plants)...

Milkweed seeds were scattered, frozen into place until the sun melts the frost...

Delicate frozen edges...

And Milkweed pods that are letting go the last of their seeds...

All taken this morning on my way home from voting on this Election Day...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Open Studio On Sunday Oct 24

2010-10-23T11:53:00.001-04:00

Thanks for visiting my garden blog…

Come by to see how my garden inspires my artwork...

Come by on Sunday, October 24 from 2-5pm EST to visit my other main blog: Marsha Neal Studio to see some of my porcelain pendants, and have a chance at winning a couple of my pieces (and other artist pieces through the Beads-of-Clay blog) and purchase some of my pieces at 30% off.

See my Marsha Neal Studio blog post for details…
Hope to see you there!

October Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

2010-10-15T00:01:00.002-04:00

Happy October 2010 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

Visit all the blogs in bloom through the blog host of this event:

May Dreams Gardens Blog

Oh how I love that my garden seems to thrive upon my hands of neglect in the last month…

Because with how my life has been going, neglect is what is most plentiful in the garden (along with the rain and cooler weather)

The colors that are appearing are just amazing…

This plant above (hydrangea variety) is not in my garden, but something I happened by the other day. Lovely! I may get one of those!

The IronWeed that survived the deer grazing have gone to seed and I have been gathering seeds and spreading them in areas where I think they might do well… I love that their seed heads remind me of being little and playing with dandelion seed heads - all clustered in one spot like little twigs sticking straight up with poofs on top to carry them away…

The side hill project has been neglected. That was until we received a tremendous amount of rainfall in a short period of time and the water from our backyard swale delivered soil from the neighbors hill onto their driveway…

Here I have begun to move plants over to the area where the water tends to collect and needs to be dispersed and utilized and slowed down...

I have been pulling plants from this fern and hosta bed (which was the plan anyway)…

And Hostas removed from this bed just in time for some Hardy Mum to take their place...

Hoping that layering these in amongst and next to the river rocks will help with the water runoff. I know really, next spring is the time for planting along this area...

I am enjoying this front walkway this fall. Nothing spectacular really… Just growing in finally. Although looking at this picture makes me realize which part of the walkway is covered by tree shade…

That is not so pretty. Oh well…

And this stonecrop (I believe) is starting to really bloom. You know - the parts that actually still have blooms because the deer didn't decide to eat them yet…

I made a quick trip to Florida last week to visit my dad and family - nothing like a slight health scare to get me and Riley on an airplane… Really dad - you just had to ask… Glad you are feeling better! I may have to come visit more often if it helps ;)

My grandma, Riley and I took some walks and saw some cool plants and flowers and stopped to snap some pictures.

This is a bromeliad I believe...

A Plumeria...

And a huge seed pod from a tree next door.

I really wanted to bring this home with me because it was such a cool find.

It was at least 2 foot long and about 4 inches wide…

But I'm sure there will be more around the next time I visit and I'll make sure to bring stuff to pack it up and ship it to myself. Heck, it would even make an odd but cool christmas present if they wanted to grab a few for me (ahem - anyone in my family down there reading this blog? Just mentioning it…)

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh, and don't forget about the Beads-of-Clay Bloggers Open Studio Event happening on October 24th (next Sunday: 2-5pm EST). Lots of cool artist studios to visit, traditions to share, bead giveaways, and sales to be found through the artist shops.

Has It Really Been A Couple Of Weeks?...

2010-10-05T01:02:00.000-04:00

Oh, how the time flies when you have little ones, a house and a business to run…

And I want to keep up with the Tuesday Garden Party Blog Event,

Which is hosted by Jami of An Oregon Cottage

I think I will have time to catch up on all the pictures I have been taking this fall…

Maybe by this winter…

Seed Themed Faerie House...

We went to the local garden center: Gateway Garden Center on Sept. 25 for their Faerie House Event…

Which was pretty cool! I have so many pics...

Tinker Chloe getting ready to see the Faerie Garden Houses

Chloe got dressed up in her Tinker Bell outfit, but that lasted about 10 minutes until it started to itch her around the neck and the bottom part of the dress ripped on one of the garden carts as she tried to climb up for a ride…

So many pics, so little time right now…

Hope all is well with you and your garden!

Thanks for stopping by...

Four o'clocks…

2010-09-24T10:30:00.001-04:00

While blog cruising yesterday afternoon (while taking a quick break from long days glazing in the studio),

I happened upon a blog post over at Mr. Brownthumb on these very cool flowers…

These "four o'clocks" which I have been calling them "night bloomers":

These are all pictures of variations grown in my garden this year…
Some pictures with my digital SLR, some with the point and shoot, and many with my iPhone photo apps (hipstamatic as well as regular photo)

I just collected the seeds last year (from my all pink flowers - they were light pink - picture at the end of this post...)

And all these variations just popped up from a few scattered seeds I spread in the garden...

My mind just races back to college courses in genetics. Oh, how I would love to figure these out...

Cross pollination in a controlled environment would be so cool (I do have an Entomology BS degree - there is a scientist still in there at the core!)...

Ah, but then it is so delightful to just see what nature has in mind...

Variations, variations, variations…

Haven't noticed any yellow and white varieties…

Hmmm… what if any variations will the seeds from next year produce?

Ah-ha… A picture from my 2009 Garden Pictures File: My all light pink "night bloomer". Which I am happy to feel more confident and educated to be calling it with it's proper name: four o'clock...

Mosaic Monday: Hipstamatic iPhone App Detail Pictures

2010-09-20T05:28:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my contribution to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Little Red House…

My post is a bit of a tutorial this week.

I wanted to share with you my "test results" from using my iPhone "Hipstamatic" camera app.

I am slightly obsessed with this app and the photos it takes…

I wanted to discover the film and lens combination to get the images I am attracted to, so I sat down and took a picture with each film, and lens…

Alfred Infared Film

BlackKeys Film

Blanko Film

Float Film

Inas 1969 Film

Kodot Verichrome Film

Pistil Film

Helga Viking Lens

Jimmy Lens

John S Lens

Kaimal Mark II Lens

Robo Glitter Lens

And they just updated the app with another lens… So I'm going to add that to the mix.

I know there are programs that allow you to edit your photos and create these effects.

But I guess I'm the type that likes instant gratification…

Too much going on to sit and try to figure out another computer program (and waste time getting pissed off trying to edit it all). Forget that!

Into the garden with my camera phone I go!

Weee….

September 2010 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

2010-09-15T05:08:00.000-04:00

Welcome to September in my garden!

It's the 15th, so that means it's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day…

If you have pictures of your garden as it is right now and want to share, hop on over to May Dreams Gardens Blog to participate...

Above is a mix of Russian Blue Sage, Cone Flower and Nasturtiums that for some reason within the total chaos of their garden presence (way too close and cluttered together for growing potential in the coming years)…

Really makes me feel happy…

Maybe it is the way that the plants are seeming to want to take over the lawn…

We know which side I'm on for that…

C'mon plants (except the crab grass: you can take your seeds and nastiness somewhere else!)

Although a little lawn is nice under bare foot…

And for kid running around areas...

The "other side hill" garden is a blank canvas at this point.

I have started to divide up some grasses and planted them for some background washes of color and texture.

If time and weather participate in the next two months I will be dividing hostas and ferns as well, and transplanting some other perennials that should do well over there.

Riley was enjoying the ride on my chest in the baby Bjorn as we toured the garden in our leisure time together Sunday & Monday…

He loves to reach out and grab the plants…

And you can tell when he gets really excited because the feet start flailing...

The crab apples are starting to turn red...

The Russian Blue Sage is really growing now…

The whispy blooms are some of my favorite at this time of year...

This little yellow flower is seen randomly from spring to fall depending on if the deer eat the bloom…

I think this may be the 2nd bloom I've seen this year.

The cooler weather setting in means we will be outside a lot more after school.

Sidewalk chalk drawings is a favorite past time of Chloe's…

Riley doesn't mind just looking on (for a bit anyway)...

Which means I have some extra time to snap pictures with my camera phone like these...

I love this Hipstamatic app for my iPhone.

You have to buy a bunch of "film" and "lenses" for the camera app…

But I tell you what - it's SO worth it.

I mean, c'mon - having this at your fingertips then in your back pocket for a few bucks - awesome!

I love the vintage feel...

The possibilities seem endless...

The above set was taken with the Helga Viking Lens, Pistil Film.

And these above were taken with the John S Lens, Float Film.

Helga Viking Lens in 7 different film types.

And you know that the slightly OCD person in me (that would be the scientist background part) has to be able to document and recapture and master the look of the photographs…

So I went out during Riley's nap and took a repeat image with all 5 lenses and all 7 film types.

Which meant a lot of back and forth clicking…

Much easier than having all those cameras, lenses and films by all means…

And those results will be a topic for another post…

Probably for next week's mosaic monday post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh, one last thing…

Don't forget about the chance to win some gift certificates for Marsha Neal Studio (my porcelain bead business) by making a purchase through:

My Mom Pattie Etsy Shop

Marsha Neal Studio Etsy Shop

Marsha Neal Studio Main Website

With holiday season around the corner, you might be able to use some extra monies and handmade gifts for people on your list…

I know I love getting handmade things (and making them)!

Tuesday Garden Party: Side Hill Project

2010-09-14T21:05:00.003-04:00

Welcome to my garden blog...

It's Tuesday, so here is my post for the Tuesday Garden Party hosted by Jami of An Oregon Cottage (you can participate too - just follow the link to the instructions on her blog).

First - a picture of me in my garden today. Happy because both kids are in school and I have the whole day to work on garden & studio projects, without interruption...

Above is the street view of the "other side hill garden".

Love the utility boxes…

They are SO pretty…

I shouldn't complain: at least they are green and have decent covers.

My sister and I planted some switch grasses in front and to the side of them.

I May consider replanting them farther away from it in the spring...

The property line falls about 4" to the right of the big square utility box, so the hill is part ours, part our neighbors.

Some divided clumps of Karl Forester along the property line (more to hold up the walkway along the bottom of the wall for our oil heat delivery guy to use).

This is what they have to see looking out their house.

My goal is for them to look out and see trees, shrubs and perennials.

Something that will make them happy and relaxed...

Here is one of my clay studio windows.

I want the daylight to keep coming in, but want to see something pretty as I peer out...

And the other studio window…

All that rock is extra that I had the landscapers bring in.

So happy to have it to play with and make all kinds of garden bed areas...

I wanted one of these broad flowering hydrangeas - 50% off table - sweet!

Wish I had the cash flow to buy all kinds of plants, but we don't…

So I am making a go of dividing and transplanting plants from the main hill garden.

Have some rooting hormone too that I think I am going to give a try on some plants (my sister is a school science teacher and wants to try it too) this fall and over the winter for spring plantings.

And more rock that I am slowly moving around…

Lots of design ideas to play with!

I really like the idea of a dry riverbed with plants surrounding it and going through it.

The main "river rock bed".

This will function to disperse the water runoff from the swale in the backyard that has been adding to the erosion issues we have been dealing with.

I have ferns & hostas to transplant here.

May sprinkle some of the iris seeds I gathered last week too.

It was quite bright this morning, so I apologize for the washed out part of this picture...

I am happy that the spiderwort I planted there back in the spring took root and is now re-blooming after that bit of a dry spell this summer.

I may put some milkweed seeds in the soil over there too.

It gets nice and sunny and would be ideal for another butterfly garden.

The mix of Nasturtium, Cone Flower and Russian Blue Sage border is thriving.

I love that these plants provide so much habitat and food for out pollinators...

I think some of them will be making their way into the "other side hill" garden as well.

So far, so good... Let's keep hoping the weather stays like this (60's at night, 70's during the day).

And we may have luck with these fall plantings...

Suggestions and advise is always welcome and appreciated!

Thanks for stopping by!

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Hydrangea and Riley Mosaic Monday

2010-09-13T13:46:00.000-04:00

Today has allotted me a few moments to pull some pictures that I snapped yesterday as Riley and I wandered through the garden in the misty rain…

Here is my entry for Mosaic Monday, hosted by Little Red House Blog.

I think these camera phone applications are quite interesting.

This one was with the Hipstamatic application on my iPhone.

The vintage feel to the pictures is quite amazing, although after inspecting all the dozens of pictures taken yesterday, I am curious as to how to get a better picture with it.

Mind you, I was carrying an eight month on my chest, whom was quite eager to grab at everything in front of him including plants, my arms, my phone, sleeping bees (almost).

It was overcast and misty out…

There is no tap and focus on this particular camera app…

So today, being sunny, having a pack and play out ready to contain Riley, and then both hands available for taking pictures, I'm going to head back out there and get some more...

Will be posting more of those pictures and results on Wednesday's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post.

Tomorrow will be an update to the "other side hill" garden project for Garden Party Tuesday.

What do you have going on in your garden?

Why don't you think about participating as well?

Consider this your invitation from me - not that they are mine to do this with, but it is great fun, and you actually don't need to be invited - just jump in on it...

New Garden Books

2010-09-11T11:21:00.001-04:00

These two books spoke to me last night while paroosing the shop at LongWood Gardens...

Reading this first since it applies to the other side hill garden between us & the neighbors. And needs plantings - like now...

And this one grabbed that inner passion cord...

Passing the time while Riley is sleeping reading to relax and strengthen my brain back from "mom brain"...
-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Reluctant Posting - But Lots of Potential

2010-09-07T23:13:00.001-04:00

I really want to write a post about all the things going on in my garden right now.

And it's Tuesday - so I am going to keep up with the inspiring Tuesday Garden Party.

If you have a garden blog or just a garden that you post about on your blog sometimes…

You should consider joining the TGP too!

I can only seem to muster in a few 10 minutes here and there to go out and look, weed, water, collect seeds…

I am starting my house/studio organization fall project - Today is DAY 1.

If you want to see what I'm doing, check out my main Marsha Neal Studio Blog…

And hopes are high to have the state of my hands once again covered in brushed off dirt from my garden...

Here is what is going on in my garden…

The BlackBerry Iris seed heads are peeling open...

The Hydrangea flower heads that I left on after such a dry season are starting to turn colors…

I cut a bunch off to help the plant survive so it would not expend extra energy into blooms that were mostly dead anyway...

The front garden (where I need to weed to keep the crab grass at bay) which will hopefully be called the "Cone flower garden area"… I actually really like this area. I think we have all despised it until I planted it a month or so ago...

The toad lilies are blooming…

St. John's Wort is still putting out yellow flowers and red seeds that turn to these dark violet ones…

Milkweed seeds from bursting seed pods…

The Nasturtiums are expanding and starting to creep (finally!)

Even onto the not so often used front porch…

Oh, and how I love the Nasturtium seeds… Will start to collect them very soon!

Here is a picture of my garden at night (just after dusk… the light is from our motion sensor garage light). I captured a video of a big moth visiting at night. And just when I thought I wasn't going to collect their seeds again - changed my mind about that one…

Besides, there are some wacky flowers on these plants.

And I know that these petal variations have a scientific name to what is going on here. I just can't remember it from college. It's like a hazy memory (the idea, not college… although…;)

The following pictures were taken after Hurricane Earl (um was that the name?) passed through

And because we live an hour and a half from the beach, and are lucky enough to have family with a house there, we can make quick overnight trips… Above is sunset on Rehoboth Beach (DE).

And a wave crashes on the Rehoboth Beach/Boardwalk jetty at sunrise…

And the Rehoboth Boardwalk dunes at sunrise…

All with my little buddy along with me…

And his goof-ball silly older sister too…

Although she was off with her cousins a lot and with Dad on the rides...

And last week I decided to give the My Mom Pattie blog a new look…

Using one of the pictures I took earlier this summer of the Magnolia (the one Dave got me for my birthday in memory of my mom…) just as it was blooming…

I have been super motivated and busy for a couple of weeks now. I just hope the momentum keeps up.

Tomorrow we have a landscaper coming out to get the drainage issue fixed (fingers crossed that it does get "fixed"). Then I can start to plan and plant on that side of the house…

Garden time, studio time, studio flow - and ultimately being able to spend more time with my family (Dave, Chloe & Riley) without so much hanging over my head on the "to do" list is my motivation - my goal! Let's hope it all works out…

Thanks for stopping by!

Crazy Times In The Last Couple Of Weeks...

2010-08-31T22:58:00.005-04:00

I feel like I am being pulled in all directions…

And it's not so bad...

And it's Tuesday - So it's time to share with the Tuesday Garden Party…

Hosted by An Oregon Cottage…

Thanks Jami for hosting this event…

It helps me keep on track with keeping up blogging on this garden blog so time does not slip away...

The 50% off sale perennials are starting to make it into the garden…
And I am starting to keep track of the plant names to better educate myself to avoid spreading plant name ignorance (and so I don't feel so dumb at times - not that I ever want to be viewed as overly educated and intelligent - not like that would ever happen anyway :)

I went to a beading night with some friends and saw this fun garden hill that was a bit overgrown and unkept (I love it!)…

I was hanging outside with Chloe and we were looking at things with her kaleidoscope (sidewalk chalk above)…

I have been pondering the use of copyright free clip art images for some limited edition porcelain pendants as seen above for the My Mom Pattie Etsy shop…

September was her month, so perfect timing to get some new pieces listed…
You can check out my blog for her if you are interested…
And if you want to spread the word, grab the above picture and make a link to her blog or etsy shop…
I would appreciate the additional word of mouth for the shop (profits go to help out with my current "cause". Right now it's raising funds to designate a room in her memory to the Tri-State Bird Rescue building annex...

Sidewalk chalk out back on a morning cool enough to have to put on long sleeves…

And fun times with Riley before he starts up school next week…
In my head, I feel momentarily bad about sending him to school (shouldn't I be able to be Super Mom and give him all the education he needs)?
But then I remember how frustrating it can be…
I need some "me time" or something mean inside starts to eek out and it makes everyone not so happy…
And he will thrive in school with all his little friends and great teachers!
I can't be everything to Riley and Chloe…
And to Dave for that matter too…
We did commit to be there for one another through getting married, and I intend with all my heart to be the best person I can be to help him as he helps me constantly…
I'm carving out time to refocus on Marsha and become a better person for us all…

Here is one of the pieces I created at the beading night last week which may end up in the My Mom Pattie Etsy shop this week. I will be spending the next couple of days listing items into my Marsha Neal Studio Etsy shop - I'm SO excited to share my new work...

Oh and for "Honoring September 2010" I am running a special all month long when you buy any items through either of my Etsy shops:

Marsha Neal Studio Etsy

My Mom Pattie Etsy

or my website:

MarshaNealStudio.com

See the Marsha Neal Studio Blog for details...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

August 2010 Mosaic Monday - Porcelain Clay Halloween Preparation

2010-08-30T23:16:00.001-04:00

I have really enjoyed using the Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker…

Thanks to Mary at Little Red House for hosting Mosaic Monday and for posting a link on how to create photo mosaics easily...

Thank you Mary (really - THANK YOU!) for the addiction not only for garden pictures, Riley & Chloe pictures, but also for use for my artwork.

Here is one mosaic I created last week for some of my new Porcelain Halloween Pendants that I am getting ready to post up in my Etsy shop in the next two days...

MarshaNealStudio.Etsy 2010 Porcelain Halloween Pendants.

I also contribute a monthly post to the Beads-of-Clay Blog about testing and using commercial Cone 6 glazes. These mosaics have saved my life and blog photo space…

I think they are quite useful as a teaching visual aide as well...

MarshaNealStudio.com Mosaic for my monthly BOC Blog glaze test post.

I have been taking photos out in my garden as well, but right now my time is being spent on working in the studio - mainly pulling stuff together for the "Honoring September" event (in memory of my mom, Pattie) I am going to jump into on September 1 (her birthday)…

Some of those Halloween Pendants will be available as completed necklaces through the My Mom Pattie Etsy shop too. I just have to get them pulled together tomorrow and photos taken…

A lot easier said than done…

Makes me exhausted just thinking about taking all those photos, then cropping, editing, uploading, describing, and all that goes along with getting something listed on Etsy...

Three Garden Blogging Events In One Post...

2010-08-23T23:42:00.000-04:00

This is one of those posts to cover all three garden blogging events going on because the overlap happens to be right on with timing:

Mosaic Monday

Garden Party Tuesday

Wildflowers in Bloom

So this morning on the way to drop Chloe off at school I took the Nikon digital SLR with me and my little Cannon Point and shoot. The iPhone is always in tow, but today was a special trip…

Fondness for Queen Anne's Lace…

Every day I drive by this area here in Hockessin that is lined with random spots of natural overgrowth…

So many natural plants, and the "invasive" purple loosestrife.

Areas that are only slightly maintained - meaning mowed at the edge coming up to the road or parking…

Prickly Flowers… They may look pretty, but...

Flowers in bloom that wash the area in color…

Purple Clover all over the place - and tons of insects feeding from them!

Flowers, Grasses, and Weeds that are usually pulled from my garden…

Some insects I happened upon while walking through this unkept meadow.

And after spending some time walking around taking photographs and watching all the natural movement...

Check out these butterflies in flight… I love this camera sometimes!

Why do I weed my garden so much? Really???

Just look at all the beautiful flowers, colors, textures, insect life, birds could be heard, and seen flying…

And yes, there are quite a few invasive plants in there - but it doesn't make them less pretty through the camera.

There are areas that I would love to have the "weeds": purple clover, the goldenrod, the queen anne's lace and even the prickly ones… I went and bought myself some goldenrod from Gateway Garden Center the other day… I just had to get some for the garden!

I think that in wide open areas these plants can really create havoc. But in my garden, I keep at least one (my butterfly bush) that is listed on the "Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas". I will keep on weeding out invaders that do damage and are a nuisance - like the Garlic Mustard, Japanese Stilt Grass, the Wineberry...

Anyway - I thought it was important to get out of my garden and into some local areas to show some of the "Wildflowers" that are in abundance around here…

Thanks for stopping by!

Busy With Beads & Butterflies...

2010-08-19T00:30:00.000-04:00

I am getting ready to send a bunch of beads & pendants to my friend Darlene of D7Studio for Bead Fest Philadelphia (King of Prussia, PA actually) for this next weekend's show (she is in booth #408).

Interested in going? Click HERE for a pdf of a free admission pass…

Forward that to a friend that you may think is interested and in the area (then maybe they can get you a little something there as a thank you for saving them $$$).

As I have been working mainly in the Florida room (the sun room) on the back of the house, I can see the main hill garden and all the butterflies visiting...

And I think I ran out there at least a dozen times (then got scolded at by Dave "are you going to get work done or keep taking pictures of butterflies all day?").

Um… depends on if unusual ones like this Pipevine Swallowtail show up… hehehehe…

So I had plans to make the pictures I took into a cool mosaic for Mosaic Monday.

And include the post on Garden Party Tuesday…

But here it is (is was just Wednesday, but the clock struck 12…) Thursday and I am finally done making beads and pendants for the show. The last kiln is loaded and firing… I am about to go check to make sure they are turning off before going to bed…

Check out my other blog: MarshaNealStudio.Blogspot.com for Bead Fest live pictures on Friday if you are interested in what a bead show is like (careful… very addictive - like the plant 50% off section of the garden center…).

I also am posting pictures on my Marsha Neal Studio FaceBook Fan page as I am getting ready for the show. Once and a while I get on the ball and actually post pictures of the things I am doing in the studio…

Hope all is well! Thanks for stopping by…

Butterfly pics to come for next Mosaic Monday and Garden Party Tuesday!

August Garden Bloggers Bloom Day 2010

2010-08-15T16:53:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my August Garden…
Part of the August Garden Bloggers Bloom Day event...

Chloe and I would love to show you around…

If I can get her to slow down for a moment!

This year our garden is being called:
the butterfly garden!
Chloe will be telling you why in a bit…

Here is a shot of the main hill garden…

Up at the top, past the Karl Forester Grass there are a few trees (an oak in particular) that need to come out so a vegetable garden can be built up there... (not to worry, only a little into the wooded area - plans to help the woodland habitat are always in mind as well).

That way we can grow more than just these:

The Ironweed has done quite well with avoiding deer grazing this year.

Must have had a few survivors in the last couple of years because I have baby Ironweed plants popping up all around the garden.

Red and yellow flower grown from seed from last years plant... A humming bird favorite!

Oh wait, here is Chloe…

Look mommy, purple flowers!

Oh, I see Chloe... Is that what you have been doing over there?

And look: a bumble bee is napping…
Chloe: "Shhh, don't wake him up!
Look! He has an Umbrella Too!!!"
(well that was loud enough to wake him…)

Look at that mommy butterfly Chloe, she is tasting the plant with her special butterfly feet.
If she lands on the right one for her babies, she will lay an egg there.

Look, look, look (in my Annie voice - Little Einsteins): a butterfly egg!

Chloe: "Oh wow! Hey mommy butterfly... come over here and lay more eggs!"

Chloe, look over here on this other milkweed plant.
Caterpillars!
These came out of that tiny egg (just like in the book) and they have gotten big from eating all the leafs.

Chloe: "Do their tummies hurt from eating too much?"
Me: No, these caterpillars don't eat cake and ice cream. Only plants.

I believe that this is (above) the tussock moth caterpillar…

And a humming bird moth hanging out in the grass.
Too cold today for a lot of our insect friends…

Let's put him somewhere safe so we don't step on him and so he can have a plant umbrella too. "Just like the bee, right mom?"

Right Chloe...

Thanks for stopping by and hanging out.
We also played with seed pods, squished some almost blooming day lilly flower heads (that was quite entertaining), planted some of the plants from a few weeks ago, looked at things with a magnifying glass, pruned the hydrangeas and played with the cuttings, and enjoyed a nice lunch together outback & threw the football around a bit (more laughing & running than catching) Oh, then filled the bird feeders.

Love these days with cooler weather!

- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Critters in the Garden...

2010-08-10T00:58:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my post for the Tuesday Garden Party!

If you have a blog, and have garden pictures to share - Join in on the Tuesday Garden Party fun!!!

This has been a fun year to see critters in my garden…

There have been many more than what is pictured…

Most of which there are no pictures of…

These are a few I have captured recently...

Here is a Red Admiral on the Common Milkweed...

A garter snake by the cucumbers...

A shot farther out to give you an idea about size (there was a baby with a head the size of a pencil eraser at the top of the retaining wall - nest in there?)

The next morning this little bird (fledgling? not sure about what kind of bird) right around where the snake had been...

And this female preying mantis has been hanging out for a few days. Wonder if I will find an egg casing around... Going to keep a lookout for one...

These are just some of the recent visitors. I also saw a frog - not a toad like normal, just this afternoon while watering… Of course, I wasn't able to get close enough to get a clear picture before he hopped into the jungle of my garden plants...

What fun!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Cone Flower Mosaic for the Garden Party

2010-08-04T14:51:00.000-04:00

So it is ~~Tuesday~~ Wednesday, and I am a little late for

Mosaic Monday

and

Garden Party Tuesday…

Well, we all know how that goes sometimes…

And look, surprise: Cone Flowers…

Most of the pictures were taken on the same cone flower plant just yesterday afternoon (this is one of the plants that the deer have dead headed for me consistently for the last two summers).

I love going through my digital pictures (I tend to take a lot in rapid succession) and it looks like stop animation. Well, until I figure out how to take those pictures and make them into a video, I'll just keep making mosaics out of them…

This above mosaic is of my 7 month old (7 months already?!!!): Riley. My husband often comments "Marsh, why don't you just take a video if you are going to take that many pictures?"

A video is too boring if you ask me…

I like trying to find those glimpses of the perfect moment (they are often the "not so perfect" pose)...

Thanks for stopping by!

Wildflower Wednesday July - Natives...

2010-07-29T00:26:00.001-04:00

I just realized that I have more pictures of my kids than I do of flowers & plants on my phone camera... Must be doing extra cute stuff this week!

My focus for this Wildflower Wednesday is on my obsession flower of this summer: the Cone Flowers in my garden...

You know... I wonder which (if any) are native or considered a wildflower around here? Hmmm... Had better brush up and become a bit more educated about what I have in the garden… I'm only adding them to this post under the assumption that they are… and you know the saying about assuming - right? Oh well…

One thing is for sure - they are doing great & there are a lot of animals that depend in them for survival (this caterpillar hasn't traveled anywhere for days).

That little white rectangular speck...

A spider... Waiting to catch a meal...

Fungi growing in the mulch at the garden center from the other day... The trip before the last one with Riley...

The "leave money at home take pictures of what you think you want" trip… (ok really, I like to say it was that kind of trip, but I totally forgot my monies at home that morning, and made an impulse trip anyway - there, I admit it…)

That native dwarf joe pyeweed came home with me on the next trip (with Riley)... See it on the far right above? Next to some mountain mint…

This mountain mint must be the most heavenly mint of mints... I smelled it out from 10 feet away at the garden center and had to have it!

Along with some native Switchgrass... (Pink Muhly in the middle...).

If I could get my hands on some Dutchman's Pipe, I would plant that too… So many butterflies around this year! Counted eleven Yellow Tiger Swallowtails, 2 Monarchs, 5 Red Admirals, 4 Black Tiger Swallowtails, a number of Cabbage White butterflies, and skippers a plenty… all within a few minutes…

Did I ever mention I used to help run the local butterfly house when I was in college studying to become an Entomologist? I did… and loved it!
-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

A Little Crazy, Maybe...

2010-07-27T01:33:00.001-04:00

I always feel like I am going to lose it when I have a moment to think about all the things going on everyday in my life... (family, my business, and garden)...

Like I needed more plants to deal with (in the middle of the summer heat none the less!)...

So why is it I can't stay away from the local garden center? Cause I'm a crazy plant person that's why... I love to add color and texture to any place that will have it!

We have lots of mushy areas to our property and need to plan for something other than grass (I'll win Dave over on that one day)...

We have runoff issues on one side of the property. Long story short version: when a hill is cleared of all plant materials (weeds that were ugly, but acting as ground cover) and poor drainage of downspouts (going to run to them to the curb now) - that's just a bad situation with torrential fast rain during very dry periods...

I was just "stopping by" the garden center for plant availability and ideas, but just had to load up on the plants that were 50% off (some Iris's & Cone Flowers). I even convinced them that the Pink Muhly Grass should have been 50% off because they looked quite pathetic (like a really bad haircut). And with spending @ $100 there, they were ok with that...

They know I'll be back for more.

And having Riley in the baby Bjorne helped with his orange floppy canvas sun hat... He gets all the girls with that smile and giggle of his!

Having four arms today (two of which I had no control over) made the garden center trip that much more fun. He brought my attention to a lot of things by slowing me down as he would latch onto anything within reach.

Ah, the crazy life of mine...

Thanks for stopping by for this, my "I'm Crazy" (just overwhelmed really…) version of the Tuesday Garden Party hosted by An Oregon Cottage...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Mosaic Monday - Hipstamatic iPhone Style...

2010-07-25T23:27:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my contribution to Mosaic Monday, hosed by Little Red House…

My friend Jenny introduced me to a new camera app for my iPhone:

Hipstamatic

The link above is to the app store for the iPhone.

A direct link to the Hipstamatic would open up your iTunes and I don't know if you want to do that right now… (like maybe you are at work and shouldn't be reading blogs… trying to help out here!)

I just love all the things you can do with this app…

I adore photos that look old…

I always wanted to do it to my pictures, but just don't have the time to edit them all...

This is just one of the lenses (John S), and one of the film types (Blanko) available on the camera app!

Ahh… how I love this iPhone!!!

Here are some other pictures I took with it that I did not make into a mosaic, but are with the same lens and film that I want to share with you…

My favorite area of the garden this year…

Cone Flowers and maybe Blackberry Iris?

Was once considered a Lilly, but now in the Iris family…

I get that… On some level…

I do have a degree in Entomology - so I understand the naming and categorizing of things on the scientific level… It's just that memorizing thing I have to put more effort into...

When I transferred college interests over to Ceramics, I even named my artwork with genus and species names...

The Nasturtiums…

Considerably smaller than last year (way too hot this year!)

And the Hydrangeas hanging in there with this non-stop 90+ degree weather…

Thanks for taking your time to stop by.

If you have a chance, pop over to my Marsha Neal Studio Blog…

I have some questions that I would like some feedback on and value all kinds of input.
And you can have a chance at winning one of my cutout flower porcelain pendants on a silk ribbon...

The Other Side Hill...

2010-07-23T09:12:00.000-04:00

This is a story currently unfurling...

White Pines planted by previous owners 25+ years ago. Too big to be so close to house. Shaded roof causing wet roof and moldy situation (black mold).

Great new owners cut them down for us last fall.

See, nice open area now. Shrubs and odd things now out of place... And lots of weeds growing and taking over!

Nice color in early spring, but overgrown profusely.

Now the shrubs are gone... I did transplant the iris into my garden (as I promised the previous owner because they were from her grandmother's garden)...

This is the view from my neighbors house.

How ugly is that! Although, now mulched...

And what a pain that shady hill is going to be to have to plan out plantings...

I would hate to walk out of my garage and see this every day... Yet they do!

I just hope I can help their landscape friend with plantings...

I think they are thinking lots of clean looking plantings.

If it were up to me, I'd give them color! And lots of my plants divided up...

I do think we need to figure out where the property line is so we can keep clean for future owners and responsibility... I do have some ideas for our side!

Suggestions welcome!
Thanks for stopping by...
-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

July Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

2010-07-16T00:15:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my Garden in July (part of the July Garden Bloggers Bloom Day)

I love getting pictures with the water droplets sitting atop flower petals...

Especially in the morning when it is still cool, and the sun is just coming over the trees...

They look like little clear glass beads...

...strung in a line, hanging on by tension of little threads and hairs.

The morning glory peeks out from behind the wooden trellis, hiding from the sweltering sun...

The Cone Flowers, Russian Sage and Butterfly Bush love this sun...

And below, finally a bloom on the plant that the deer keep deadheading.

Pale in color comparison to the parent plants in the above picture...

The insects really enjoy them though... regardless of strength of color...

And the hydrangea are battered, but are still thriving...

Interesting colors in the close up...

And the few little cucumber seeds I sprinkled are really taking off, their vines curling about anything they can touch...

And look... A baby cucumber...

Wonder if it will make it to my salad bowl?

Hope your garden is in bloom wonderfully!

Thanks for stopping by mine...

A Little Help From The Rain...

2010-07-13T03:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday Garden Party!!!

This is my 50th Garden Blog Post...

And Thank The Heavens for sending us some much needed rain over the last couple of days (and a couple more to come!)

Under the umbrella I crept out into the garden (while both of my little ones were napping) to see how the plants were doing... Found this very wet bee hanging out, unable to fly anywhere at the moment...

There are finally some blooms on my Morning Glories Vines (threw some new seeds in this year for this vivid purple/blue - YUM!)

The Nasturtiums are hanging in there... It was getting pretty dry out there and the leafs started to brown and die off. New growth (if any) from my watering attempts were small in diameter. But now with the rain, they are getting larger...

Here is a picture I snapped of a Yellow Tiger Swallowtail on a mature cone flower before the rain. Doesn't that picture just feel hot to you? Sunny...very sunny...

The little ones and I went to the beach for 4 days while dad was traveling with work (went to stay with my in-laws). I have been trying to get these new cone flowers into the ground for a few weeks now, but have not had a moment to breathe. What to do when going away for 4 days in 90 to 100 degree weather and NO rain in the forecast? Chloe's water table!!! It worked perfect (this is a picture of them after we got home, I filled it up again, then got rain finally).

These are about to bloom... Wonder how much I am going to love them this year. Last year, they didn't do much for me (these are the ones that I have as my blog header picture from 2008 bloom).

This one I got seeds from them last year and have babies growing in another part of the garden. Will see how they do - so far, so good (about 5" tall babies).

I am quite enjoying these grasses at the top of the hill this year. I think it's time to divide them...

And even though the flowers are showing signs that they have been through a very unusually hot June, the foliage is looking quite healthy (compared to my previous post picture).

And of course just as I saw that this plant was finally coming back to life (I'm horrible at keeping house plants alive. Ok - I just forget to water them often... But my sister comes over and she and Chloe water them. That along with my haphazard random watering and they are all really thriving...) it got bumped by the back of the vintage Italian Grandma lounge couch when Dave sat down in a "Oh Thank God I can sit for a moment" kind of thump sitting.
It is one of my favorite plants, grown by a friend of a friend that worked at Longwood Gardens. I've had it for years...
As I heard the crash from the other room, my immediate thought was "oh, no! Chloe fell out of the hammock chair and hurt herself"... But as I ran back into the room and saw her sitting in the hammock chair staring at Dave... And Dave with a look of "oh crap, what did I knock over" on his face...
I was totally relieved that it was the planter that had broken and not her...

We can always get another planter...

Thanks for stopping by!
Hope your garden is thriving...

Hot And Dry (Very Dry) In My Garden...

2010-07-06T00:10:00.000-04:00

Honestly I am going to be very surprised to see what survives in my garden this summer...

We have seen barely any rain in weeks and the plants are showing the stress of being exposed to above 90 degree weather for days on end without a spit of moisture in the air.

Some Morning Glory Vines (and a possible cucumber in there somewhere...) get morning sun, and afternoon shade, so they may be ok...

The Hydrangea are getting hit hard. I think all those blooms are just too many for the plants to deal with, even with almost daily watering... And they are on the North East Side of the house, which means they get a bit of the late afternoon sun.

Can I just say that our nice green lawn is quite an unpleasant crispy brown...

I wonder if "drought" is being passed around yet...

Should be sometime soon I would imagine...

Happy Tuesday Garden Party Day!

Oh, and make sure to check out my Etsy shop for some of my new glaze cutout flower pendants...

I have 5 of 8 new glazes up on there (RootBeer, Twilight, Key Lime, Stormy Sea, Sedona). Still have to come up with names and actually glaze some pieces for the other 3 new translucent glazes...

If you happen to want one but as a finished necklace, I can do that too... I have lots of silks on my website and can put a bail on the pendant for you too.

I'm a dabbler - Especially when it's SO hot out...

Gotta keep busy in the studio being inspired by the garden and hope for the best for the actual plants enduring the heat...

A Visit To The Garden Center...

2010-06-29T05:01:00.001-04:00

I find it is SO much better for my wallet if I avoid anyplace that sells plants. Especially the local garden center (overpriced, but very nice selection & good specimens).

Look at this beauty: Erin Rachel Hibiscus (Monrovia).

At $40 (an annual here) it stayed there & I'll enjoy the picture...

So Chloe picked out her garden chariot led by me and we were off to find some Muhly Grass (like the ones that FaireGarden has growing in beautiful washes of purple... See her blog post here).

There had just been a thunder storm through the area so we found puddles of water on lots of plants - especially in the pond section of the garden center...

I unfortunately did not find the grass I was looking for, but did find a table of really nice cone flowers...
(I love this pink orange color...)

Which I believe to be my favorite plant in my garden this year... ahhh...Cone Flowers!
(whitish coneflower - how wonderful! It's not pink, purple and green...)

Every year something catches my heart and just makes me so happy...
(I love the dark stem on this one! Vertically nice interest...)

It may have to do with how well they are doing in the garden...
(how sweet are those little petals and huge head?)

Or the colors, textures, & shapes...
(this picture does this orangy red no justice... it's delicious!)

I have always wanted globe thistle too (but ask myself - is it a mistake... I don't know this plant well enough - is it safe to put amongst the others?...)

So until they are planted, they sit here in my overgrown hosta bed... I like the height they add to the area. Maybe I'll add some of the "from seed cone flowers" (which there are a ton of this year) here and the new ones will go into where the deer tend go avoid them... Need to make this purchase worth wild and get more plants from these from the potential seeds.

Happy Tuesday Garden Party! It's Tuesday & I'm posting on time... See miracles (and teething babies up at 3am - my little Riley) do happen...

And Dave, I promise to not go to the garden center again until they are having a really good sale and I have these plants thriving and seeds abounding... (Chloe thought they were SO pretty and we just had to have them for our garden... And I did use my birthday garden gift card & monies - Thanks Krista & Teren!)

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Mosaic Monday June 27, 2010

2010-06-27T22:39:00.000-04:00

I am going to attempt to contribute to Mosaic Mondays hosted by Little Red House...

I have always loved looking at all the contributors and their wonderful creations and themes that they focus on.

These images were all taken by me with my Cannon point & shoot camera or my iPhone over the last few growing seasons... The Iris in the middle is my favorite picture this year so far - taken in late May 2010.

Thanks for stopping by!