Each Little World

Staying on message in Wisconsin 2

This house on Tokay Blvd. in Madison has kept me energized for months with their clever handmade signs.

Staying on message in Wisconsin

As we enter these last days before the election to attempt to recall Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, signs all over town repeat the message:

Similar bouquet, different dates

May 27, 2012: With temps slated to hit the 90 degree mark over the holiday weekend, I decided to bring some of the beautiful bounty of the garden indoors where we could enjoy it. I remembered creating a bouquet a few years ago in this same chartreuse vase that had peonies and the little stems of pink flowers from coral bells (Heuchera). When I went looking to see what I had done in that bouquet that I so fondly remembered, I discovered that I used a much more limited color palette. This time I added a 'Border Charm' yellow intersectional peony, some catmint, old German irises, bronze fennel and a bit of sprirea whose flowers haven't opened yet.

In addition to the color differences, I discovered that the flowers I used in my 2012 bouquet were blooming almost three weeks earlier than when I created the display below on June 15, 2009. Just one more sign of our accelerated spring! The pink peony is the same one in each picture but picked early below and near the end of the bloom sequence when the color is much paler above. And the Heuchera bells are from a different variety as well. The  daylily above is 'Cricket' while the species or lemon lily is on the left and Dumort's in the center below. The limey green flowers are Lady's Mantle and a few flowers of Geranium cantabrigiense 'Biokovo' are peeking out here and there.

Apple scruffs — in bloom

Mark usually tackles the job of pruning our two old apple trees in late February or early March, when there is still snow on the ground but it's warm enough to spend an afternoon working outdoors. This year there wasn't the usual late winter kind of day to do that job, so it got done as the garden was actually springing to life. 

Over the years we've made a habit of saving those apple tree prunings to use as an edging for garden paths. This year was no different and I put them in a number of locations as I cleaned up and mulched the beds in April.

For whatever reason — the warm winter, late pruning, unseasonably hot spring — a number of the apple hoops that I stuck in the ground have sent out new leaves. Just another sign of a year in which none of us know what kind of weather to expect next — or how it will affect the garden!

Unexpected effects

I planted Thalictrum 'Black Stockings' late last summer to fill a hole where I had removed a plant that could not take the burst of late afternoon sun that typcially hits a few locations in my shade garden. It's performing beautifully already this first season. Even though I planted the meadow rue because it could take sun, I was unprepared for the effect of its flowers up at eye level catching that late light. I was equally surprised with the color repetition with the dame's rocket in my neighbor's garden which is just visible through our fence. Always a great feeling when planting ideas turn out so much nicer than anticipated!

What's happening in Wisconsin

For the first time since protests against Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker, began on Valentine's Day in 2011, the New York Times newspaper has written about the events here and got the story right. It is worth reading since it provides the backstory as well as current information. It is also worth reading for those of you who live elsewhere, because if everyday Wisconsinites can't beat the vast sums of corporate money that are being spent to influence this recall election, then democracy is doomed. And they will be coming for you next. Read the full NYT story — "How Did Wisconsin Become the Most Politically Divisive Place in America?" — here.

Illustration: Jens Mortensen for The New York Times