Each Little World

I break for plant sales!

Plant Sale madness kicks off this week with the Hosta Garden Companions fabulous Hosta sale at Tom and May Riddle's garden at 1809 Waunona Way, Madison. This event runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, beginning this Friday and running each weekend through May. I bought four Hostas from them last year at reasonable prices, but what was really great was being able to see each Hosta in a bed at its mature size and shape in a home garden setting. 

Then comes the West Side Garden Club's Sale. This group has been beautifying our community for 90 years as well as contributing to numerous civic projects, outreach programs, and scholarships (as do many of our local garden groups) via the proceeds of their annual plant sales. The gorgeous Japanese primrose (below) is one of many plant purchases I've made over the years at the West Side Garden Club's annual sale. It was grown in a member's garden as is the case with many of the items sold at local plant sales. As a result, this primrose has bloomed and increased for me to the point that soon I will be able to offer seedlings back to the sale! West Side Garden Club Sale: Friday, May 11 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 12 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3918 Nakoma Rd. just west of Thoreau School and opposite Seminole Hwy.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens Plant Sale with the Pros is on Friday, May 11 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Note the name of this sale: it is staffed with pros so no question will go unanswered. I could go on and on about this sale because it is always superb. Check out the link because they offer so many extras at this annual event in addition to wonderful plants. We've bought many of our best trees and shrubs at Olbrich over the years. I often donate garden books to the sale and usually take home a couple as well.  Not to be missed.

UW-Madison Arboretum Native Plant Sale is on Saturday, May 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the tent next to the Visitor Center. This is the premier event for native plant folks whether you have a woodland or prairie. 

The Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society is holding their annual sale on Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to noon. at the West Madison Agricultural Research Station, 8502 Mineral Point Road, just past the stoplight on Hwy. M. The sale is held rain or shine and this is a covered localion so you don't have to worry about weather. Just before this sale last spring, I toured a WHPS member's garden where I saw more wonderful primroses (above). And then, there they were at the sale where I was able to buy some in each color pictured. I've also bought a number of Korean maples (below) at this sale. Again, these are plants grown in local gardens so you know they should also grow for you. Though this sale is held later than many, there's always something unusual and unexpected at this event so don't miss it.

Full disclosure: I am a member of WHPS and on their board. I am also a member of Olbrich and the UW-Arboretum, as well as being friends with many gardeners associated with these and other garden groups. But in no instance am I receiving any remuneration, financial or otherwise, for my comments and support of these groups posted on this blog.

Click the links for details of each sale. You can also find a long list of other local plant sales in the on-line version of the WHPS April 2012 newsletter, beginning on Page 3. Most of these are open to the public but check the details to be sure that is the case, as some are member-only events. Most sales are also held rain or shine so come prepared for the weather.

Keep your eyes on the prize

Know the only thing we did right

was the day we started to fight

Keep your eyes on the prize

Hold on, hold on.

The only chain that we can stand

is the chain of hand in hand

Keep your eyes on the prize

Hold on, hold on.

I just got home from celebrating the 350th sing along of Wisconsin's Solidarity Singers at the Majestic Theatre in Madison. It was a a night of music, dancing, shouting (er, singing) and solidarity. This spring the Solidarity Sing Along  received the William Gorham Rice Civil Libertarian of the Year Award “for the expression of the First Amendment rights of free speech and freedom of assembly” from the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin. The ability to combine fun with action is one of the hallmarks of the Wisconsin Uprising and one of the reasons events have been so peaceful. And no one does it better than the Solidarity Singers.

Technically we were celebrating the release of the Solidarity Sing Along CD —“This Is What Democracy Sounds Like” — but they haven't arrived. So we sang along with musical guide R. Chris Reeder (below in blue shirt on the stage last night), The Learning Curve Band and lots of other musicians whose music and lyrics have become part of the Wisconsin Uprising! I am hoarse from participating in unforgettable 70s punk/gospel versions of "People Get Ready" and "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" led by the VO5 Band all dressed in gold, glitter, wigs and whatnot and lots of Badger Red. A consumate Wisconsin moment.

The evening brought home to me once again how life in Wisconsin has changed. Here it is Thursday night and I'm downtown with a politcal/gardening friend. We're hanging out in a historic Madison theater-turned-music club actually paying money to sing along with a crowd of unknown-to-us fellow citizens. For two hours we joined in on dozens of labor songs and classic tunes that have been re-fashioned to comment on our state's current crisis in democracy. The joint was packed and still jumpin' when my friend Cindy and I left, our voices and ears barely intact. (You can watch livestreaming of the event here).

Further east, another historic Madison theater was hosting a film that is deeply relevant to what's happening in our state and probably yours. The film — "Koch Brothers Exposed" — will be repeated Friday night, along with great local speakers. I am buying a copy of the Koch Brothers DVD and plan to have a house party where friends can gather to watch the movie (and drink Wisconsin craft beer) and have our own discussion. And then I can pass the DVD around to other friends so they can have their own Koch parties. 

This Saturday, April 28, the local version of the protest against the GOP war on women takes place from 1-3 p.m. on the South Hamilton side of the Capitol. (You can find details here). In Wisconsin, this is really just one more step in the process to recall Gov. Scott Walker, and just one more reason that Walker has to go.

Thursday night, Saturday afternoon. Whatever the day, whatever the time, whatever the weather, life in Wisconsin continues as it has for the past 14 months: Protesting, politicking, learning, going to the movies, singing, celebrating — all the while keeping our eyes on the prize. 

 

Flowers in interiors

I splurged on Ngoc Mihn Ngo's new book, "Bringing Nature Home," as a treat for my birthday earlier this month. Though I have been pouring over its pictures, I've yet to actually use any images or techniques to create my own bouquets. Instead her lush little volume sent me to my garden bookshelves to see how my long-time favorite titles in this genre hold up. The answer is surprisingly well; or maybe it's just that they are such old friends they still look good to me and still have lots to say. 

"Flower Arranging," 1979: This book, published by Conran Octopus, features the work of six designers who are from the U.K. Of particular note are the bouquets of the late great British interior designer, David Hicks. I've always been a big fan of HIcks and these images focus on his "tablescapes," little arrangements of art, interesting objects and something from the garden. 

"Madderlake Flowers Rediscovered," 1985: Madderlake was the florist in the 1980s. Their designs featured lots of garden flowers but they also used lots of orchids and other exotics. Like Ngoc Mihn Ngo's book, the interiors where these bouquets appear are as captivating as the floral designs. Madderlake does fall and funk particularly well. The pictures are all as captivating as the flowers with many different photographers credited, including Shelia Metzner whose deco interiors jump off the page. Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang whose art books in the 1980s were all noteworthy.

Alan Boehmer, one of the three talents behind Madderlake, worked at Chris Kerwin Antiques and Interiors in Madison for a time — giving us a link to Madderlake's big city glamour.

"Decorating with Flowers," 1990: This is the only book that concentrates on the work of one floral artist — Ronaldo Maia — with text by Denise Otis who was the editor of House and Garden at the time, and photos by Ernst Beadle. A big format book, even more extravagant than the previous two titles. This is the one book where I can point to floral creations that I copied right down to the containers. (And looking at these pictures makes me regret getting rid of some of those containers). Maia even inspired me enough that I planted specific flowers in my garden so I could replicate his arrangments with them. He is the first person I remember showing how to make a splash with carnations or gladioli. And the book has twenty-one pages of tips and how-to instructions, complete with step-by-step photos, making it a still valuable resource.

All three books are still available through on-line used book resources and I often see them in brick and mortar secondhand book shops as well.

Shades and shoes of red

Just a week ago, the focus was on yellow flowers and foliage for GBBD and Foliage Follow-up. Today it's all about pinks and reds and cerise and maroon and wine and more shades of red in the garden than I can name. Even though the yellows and reds are all blooming at the same time, most of them are not growing cheek by jowl. Where they do meet, I'm helping them to merge more harmoniously by adding plants that combine both colors — and then hoping that everybody is on the same bloom schedule. 

Here's a sampling of recent reds: Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' (Forest Pansy Redbud), Malus sargentii 'Tina' (Tina crabapple), Paeonia obvata var. willmottiae (Asian woodland peony), Trillium sessile, Fritillaria meleagris (three variations on checkered lily), Epimedium rubrum (red barrenwort), Epimedium grandiflorum 'Red Queen' (Red Queen barrewort), Pulmonaria longifolia 'Majestic' (Majestic lungwort), and fallen petals of an ancient unknown crabapple variety.

The last flowers

I am always amazed — and somewhat amused — at the ways in which different flowers fade and die. The two specimens pictured below are growing near each other in the garden and yet their partings could not be further apart. The hyacinths simply flop over as their flowers fade, but are still too heavy to hold their aging heads up. This unsightly habit should be enough to convince me that their true glory is inside the house in a vase. Meanwhile the peony's petals float to the ground, leaving the beautiful beginnings of its next stage — which will be a stunning seedhead. 

Bringing Nature Home

I wrote about the flower arrangements of Nicolette Owen last spring when I first saw her work in Veranda magazine. Owen stands out from the crowd of floral designers because she uses garden flowers that are in bloom at the same time to create her displays. If you pay attention to the arrangements created by most professionals they use flowers from around the world in their work — which is not the approach that most of us gardeners prefer.

Luckily for us, photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo's new book, "Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature," presents Owen's floral displays in evocative interior settings all captured by Ngo's poetic lens. The book depicts arrangements of every size and style using a wide variety of materials. Seeing them in home settings helps you to see what flowers might work in your interior as well as presenting a wide variety of container concepts for displaying your own creations.

One of my favorite displays, the image above has me hunting for similar vases to use to showcase my bleeding hearts. I am particularly taken with the photo below, from the wall color to the container to the fact that I actually grow both of these foxgloves.

Ngo has always been interested in flowers and gardens and it shows not only in her photos but in her text and the seasonal configuration of the chapters. It is also evident in the fact that the book has images of flowers growing in natural landscapes and gardens. And Owen divulges her secrets in the later parts of the book which cover how to care for cut flowers as well as her technique for creating wonderful arrangements in three easy steps — including how-to photos for each season. 

Ngo and Owen, as true garden lovers, also present calendar lists of plants for each season, along with a double page spread of small pictures of flowers, foliage and fruit that work especially well in displays. And should you have no interest in creating your own bouquets, you can enjoy the beautiful rooms in "Bringing Nature Home" as an armchair voyeuer!

Nicolette Owen's new website is here, while you can find Ngoc Minh Ngo here and you can order their book via Amazon here. 

More zonkers: Foliage Follow-up 4.16.2012

Here are some yellow-themed foliage plants in honor of Foliage Follow-up hosted on the 16th of each month by Austin blogger, gardener and designer Pam Penick at Digging. 

SHRUB: Buxus sempervirens 'Latifolia maculata.' This yellow-variegated boxwood from the old Heronswood nursery was grown from prunings from Sir Winston Churchill's garden at Chartwell.

SHRUB: Taxus cuspidata 'Aurescens'

GROUNDGOVER: Euonymous 'Emerald and Gold'

PERENNIAL: Tricyrtis hirta 'Golden Gleam'

PERENNIAL: Hosta 'Lemon Lime'

PERENNIAL: Hosta 'Spritzer'

GRASS: Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' 

TREE: Cornus alternifolia 'Golden Shadows'

TREE: Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Ogon'

PERENNIAL: Dicentra spectabilis 'Gold Heart' 

Screaming yellow zonkers: GBBD 4.15.2012

If you are of a certain age you may remember Screaming Yellow Zonkers, a kind of sugary carmel corn packaged in a black box. I am always reminded of the name at this season of blooms of brightest yellow.

Here are some yellows for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  To see more visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts GBBD on the 15th of each month.

Shrub: Kerria japonica (detail and full view in the first two photos)

Bog plant: Detail and full view of Caltha palustris / Marsh marigold 

The last flowers of a huge shrub of Forsythia 'Beatrix Farrand'

Erythronium 'Pagoda' / Dog tooth violet or Trout lily

Shrub: Kerria japonica 'Pale Moon' is a more subtle version of the first plant pictured.

An Epimedium with large flowers that self-seeds: Epimedium grandiflorum ssp. koreana 'La Rocaille'

Another floriforous Epimedium: E. perralchicum 'Frohnleiten'

No description needed. This sunny little flower is blooming everywhere in the garden.

Paeonia japonica

I posted a photo of the buds of one of my woodland peonies, Paeonia japonica, just pushing up in time for Foliage Follow-up on March 16. By the same time the following week the plant was almost fully up and covered with big fat flower buds — 24 at a quick glance. 

Then the temperatures dropped and we had a bunch of cool, cloudy days and an inch of rain the last week of the month. I am not unhappy with this more traditional spring-like weather since there's nothing more enjoyable than watching a big clump of peonies slowly unfurl in the early spring garden. 

Even though April temperatures have dipped down below freezing a number of times, the buds were not harmed and the flowers began to open on April 9 — a good month earlier than in 2011. Looking back to 2007, this particular peony typically opens around Mother's Day, but bloomed on April 23 in 2010. I am guessing that this year's early bloom date will be a record that stands for a number of years. 

More WWI fiction

The following two books are both titles I found in Sarah L. Johnson's guide to historical fiction.

"The Fox’s Walk" by Annabel Davis-Goff is the tale of a young girl living in the south of Ireland with her Anglo-Irish grandmother and elderly aunt in the months leading up to the 1916 Easter Rising. Everything is seen and told from her viewpoint as she tries to make sense of events inside and outside of her restricted social circle. Her knowledge — and her growing recognition of her privledged life — is based on snatches of overheard conversations, unexplained adult actions and all the unspoken superstitions and rituals of Anglo-Irish behavior. Reminds me a bit of Mary McCarthy’s “Memories of a Catholic Girlhood” in the sense of Davis-Goff commenting as an adult on her childhood experiences. 

The author creates an almost mesmerizing sense of time and place in her slow unfolding of the story amidst the slow unraveling of the familiar world brought on by Irish politics and WWI. An unexpectedly shocking and violent ending that I should perhaps have seen coming; but one that still fits the story. My only criticism would be that some of the interwoven stories of the historical players in the revolutionary events made for confusion at times. And Davis-Goff often structures her sentences in what I found to be a convoluted manner. But those are minor quibbles about a book that manages to take a dispassionate look at Irish history and yet one whose haunting memory will remain with me.

The following quote from "The Fox’s Walk" particularly resonated with me in light of the events in Wisconsin for the last year:

“My nursery diaries and these books show me something that is always true but almost impossible to keep in mind, that our everyday lives — in the main part dull and lacking in important event — are lived in an historical context.”

I read "Hanging on the Wire" by Gillian Linscott in an evening and it was the lone miss after a string of hit titles I found in Johnson's guide. Too many characters and none caught my interest, including the protagonist. It's the middle of WWI and half the population of England wants an end to the slaughter. The other half views the former group as traitors and redoubles their support for the war to counter the protesters. Among the potential victims of this clash are the hospitals and staff treating soldiers who have had mental breakdowns as a result of their experiences; to say nothing of the soldiers themselves.

The ending was a surprise to me — not unusual in a mystery — but seemed to at odds with the whole premise of the story. And Linscott (in my opinion) negated the value of psychoanalysis in general and as an aid to victims of shell shock in WWI by her cavalier treatment of it. An altogether unsatisfactory read, so I won't bother with any of her other titles in this series.

Anne Perry's WWI novels were so superb, as was "The Fox’s Walk," that I plan to continue to use Sarah Johnson's book as a guide to my reading. All of the books that I've referenced, including Johson's guide are all available through the Wisconsin South Central Library System.