We've Been Busy

Watching the rain, the mist and the autumn colors; cleaning up the herb garden; sorting garlic for planting; and making applesauce and apple butter (even more sorting for Willa - a task she takes very seriously).

Tonight - date night with Corey - to see Elvis Perkins (again!) and eat at Bang. To celebrate the last year in my 30's. How did that happen?

I'm talking about bulb planting tips and garlic over at Virginia Living!

Our weekend was just the right pace of resting, visits with friends and getting outdoors. How about you?

Juniper snippings in an enamel pitcher worked as our centerpiece for Thanksgiving (top photo). I have a new appreciation for the delicate blue berries that dot the trees around our land. It will be fun to bring in more greenery over the next week or so.

Willa and I got out for a hike and came home with a few goodies (second photo from top). Several nut varieties and some unusual moss and lichens. Saved in a mason jar for future identifications.

Bulbs found their respective spots around our land during an afternoon planting of tulips and daffodils for our new outdoor room. I will be forcing a few for indoor scents and color in the dead of winter . . . (second photo from bottom).

I also had a garden coaching session with a new mom - who is discovering the grounding effects of working with the soil and simply being outside. Her excitement injected me with energy, too. Funny how that works every time!

And finally, I finished two hats for the Knit One, Save One campaign. Willa is modeling one for me - she was so busy crawling this weekend it is hard to capture her sitting still. But you get the idea.

A Sweet Window For Bulb Shopping

Those of us living in zone 6/7 have a sweet spot in the bulb planting season. Two variables converge to make it the loveliest of planting times.

Element #1 - Bulbs are on-sale. E-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. I just made my pilgrimage to a favorite greenhouse, Eltzroth and Thompson. Bulbs are 50% off. I picked up 20 jonquil bulbs and 25 tulip bulbs, along with two bulbs for indoor forcing. I also bought an exquisitely simple blue glass forcing jar. All for $25.

E & T said that the sale is running until everything is gone. Also - they have this terrific set up - where you can just buy your bulbs-per-bulb. Little bags are supplied and you fill them up with a mix of whatever you are craving.

Element #2 - We can still plant bulbs down here for the next few weeks. Last year, I planted my bulbs over Thanksgiving.

So, what are you doing still reading this? Go on now. Get shopping.

Fall Garden Chores: Steph of New Branch Farm

I asked several of my gardening friends to tell me about their favorite fall garden tasks.

Stephanie owns and operates New Branch Farm - an organic farm just outside of Charlottesville. She is also a new mom to Ryan. How she does both befuddles me. Make sure to visit Steph at the C'ville City Market on Saturday mornings. She will be selling arugula, basil, eggplant, green beans, greens mixes, garlic, lettuce mixes, radishes, tomatoes and tomatillos.

From Steph:

My favorite fall activity is planting garlic. It's a welcome break from all the fall field "clean-up" - tilling in earlier plantings, bringing in tomato stakes and row covers for winter storage, etc. You can plant garlic late in the fall so it usually one of the last outdoor farm activities I do (I usually plant between late October to mid November).

Good catalog resources for garlic are Johnny's Selected Seeds and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Slowing Down and Savoring April

We have a true bumper crop of rhubarb this year - with leaves that are close to two-feet wide. I made my first rhubarb crisp of the season. Promptly topped with whipped cream.

The last of our Rembrandt Tulips.

The blue sign reads:
"Today is the day of Salvation."

We drove by this log cabin as Willa and I went for a visit to Shady Lane Greenhouses yesterday. We found salvation in a flat of 'maters, herbs, a heliotrope, marigolds, lobelia, coleus and a pot of black-eyed susan vine. Hallelujah!

Snippets of New Momma Gardening Endeavors

My new life hit me literally overnight. I went from being a pod and a vessel to a food source. A master laundress. A mama.

So, my gardening these days comes by piece meal. Which, I thought would frustrate me. Instead, the slower pace has been an eye-opener. Splicing up my gardening time and projects into little moments that I find intriguing - with the time to look at more of the details. Close up. Before they disappear and I am called away from them.

My commitment to growing easy cutting flowers has not faultered. My inability to say no and limit seed purchasing has no end, however. As of today, I have seven varieties of zinnia seed packets. More probably to follow. I'm planting - Apricot Blush, All Summer Cutting Mix, Giant Flowered Mix, Exquisite, State Fair Mixed Colors, Fruit Smoothie and Granny's Bouquet.

Flower and fern pressings from this past fall. Watching one too many Victorian-set BBC programs has me framing my ferns! An obsession with tea and crumpets to follow.

Bulbs in containers. It was my first year trying this and I am thrilled to pieces ('Thrilled to pieces?!' When did I start saying things like that?! Egads. Must be another side effect of the BBC addiction.) My absolute favorite tulip color totally does my blue pottery justice. I keep peeking out our back door to gaze and gander at them.

Big-Bellied Gardening - Tip #1 - Addendum

Lest you be fooled by the seamlessness of my recent bulb planting, I feel a responsibility to reveal how I (need to) spend the rest of the day - after this type of activity.

Watching a Netflix DVD (or two or three).
Napping.
Sitting on the couch - eating chocolate and crying at the same time.
Napping.
Knitting - with my feet up and a dog (or two or three) snuggled against me.
And/or . . . napping.

So you see, I am *not* one of those women who is barreling through her pregnancy - blissfully unaware of her condition. I love my garden, but I am extremely aware of my limitations. Low-impact gardening is the way of my world these days.

BTW - I was also pretty good at embracing this weekend afternoon routine on an as-needed-basis before the belly. Except the chocolate/crying bit. That one sneaks up on me.

Big-Bellied Gardening - Tip #1

So, I have mentioned my penchant for amassing and collecting fall-planted spring bulbs. Ad nauseaum. I keep focusing on how magical it will be to have flowers sprouting hither and yon during the baby's first few months in Sugar Hollow.

Plan implementation, however, got away from me. If you were to graph the increasing size of my belly with the frantic purchasing of bulbs - there would be a direct correlation. A graph with two lines - swinging, side-by-side, up and up and up!

Then, I came across this no-nonsense post from the ladies over at Garden Rant. On quick and easy bulb planting. Saved! Instead of hunched over with a bulb planter, I worked with a spade - while standing - just 'sticking it in the ground and wiggling it back and forth'. Throwing the bulbs in the 'resulting hole.' And, I really took the advice to heart regarding planting in masses. 'Tis true that those delicate blue flowers I adore will be lost if I just planted a bulb here and a bulb there.

Before I knew it, I had planted about 60 bulbs. I'll tackle the remaining 60 or so this holiday weekend. Sha-zaaaam!

And Even More Bulbs - Milmont Greenhouses

While running errands Saturday morning, I did a fly by of the beloved Milmont Greenhouses (in Stuarts Draft). To see this posted on their sign.

"As many bulbs as one hand can hold - $5."

Quite a deal, especially when you think about how expensive certain bulbs such as alliums and tulips can get.

Hmmmmm. If I bring Corey back (i.e. bigger hands) - I can really score.

Then, I thought the better of it. Something about taking advantage of the Mennonites doesn't sit well with me.

Plus, I already have close to 100 bulbs in my own stash. I need to remain focused. More planting, less buying. To the garden!

I've Got A Fever . . . And The Only Prescription Is More Bulbs

Lunch plans cancelled. A little left-over cash from the last paycheck burning a hole in my pocket.

What better than a trip to a nursery on a splendid fall day?

No hesitation on this one.

Bulbs!

They don't look like much. But the above pile will become these in March and April . . .

And, and, and . . . these!And, yoo-hoo, these too!

I mean, isn't there something a little magical about poking a dried-up looking bulb into the ground one month and then, after a long winter's nap, seeing something colorful coming up out of the ground in March or April?!? Is it just me that gets in a dither over this? Anyone? Anyone?

{Silence}

That's cool. Leave me to my garden nerdiness. I can hack it.

Field Trip: Eltzroth and Thompson Greenhouses

Eltzroth and Thompson Greenhouses

1686 Monacan Trail Road, Route 29 South

Charlottesville, VA 22903

434.295.2488

Nothing makes me happier than a trip to a nursery or greenhouse during lunchtime. Actually, as of late, Philly cheese steaks make me pretty happy. So does a decaf vanilla latte - all fancy schmancy from a local coffee place. And chocolate! Hmmm. Chocolate.

Anyway . . .

Ahem, Eltzroth and Thompson Greenhouses. Located down 29 South aways. My favorite spot for bulbs and houseplants. So, I am particularly drawn to their wares during autumn.

They have a head-spinning selection of bulbs - including alliums, crocuses, ephemerals, irises, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths. You can just buy a few bulbs at a time, too. They supply small paper bags and the bulbs are offered - bulk-style - for the picking. So none of that 50-bulb commitment madness. Try out just a few this autumn. Sprinkle a few in an appealing spot.

I also dig their houseplant selection. They offer a lot of the hard-to-kill varieties. Which is what I need in my house and in my office. I have a wee bit of a black thumb with the indoor gardening ventures - but love having green stuff everywhere.

My victories: Snake plant, pothos, philodendron, spider plant. And - they offer these houseplants in several sizes. So, you can pick up a small pot of heart-leafed philodendron for $2 - to give it a whirl.

They were also selling beautiful Sago Palms - which are supposed to be very adaptable. That might be my birthday gift to myself. Weeeeee! Who says I don't live large? Large.

Off to find that Philly cheese steak. (Yeah. That's right. One more time. Large.)

Hunkering Down For Winter - Hyacinth Vases

Getting up and driving to work in the dark sucks. Getting home from work in the dark sucks. Why does The Man and my job get all of my daylight hours?!

The Shorter Days are ahead of us, so my thoughts turn to indoor gardens and little bits of lightness that can bring life to your home - even during January and February. Forced hyacinth bulbs are easy. Fragrant. Satisfying. Kids love watching them, too.

No heavy lifting. No digging. No need for vast amounts of gardening real estate. Just a cool, dark place, a windowsill and some water. Here are directions. Now is the time to start them.

I found this Dutch Delft forcing vase (pictured above with the last of my morning glories) at Ivy Corner Nursery. I've also seen cool colored ones at Lowe's. I got a little crazy and thought about getting a few more and scoped these out on eBay.

Oh, yes. And these, from Old House Gardens. Totally out of my price range - 36 clams each?! Sheesh. But . . . fun to look at.

More Bulbs - Blue Stars . . .

White Flower Farm is another great place for stunning bulbs and bulb collections. These Blue Stars are favorite of mine - they are especially sweet sprinkled under trees or at the edge of a lawn or woodland. These can also be planted in the fall for spring blooms.

Some Spring Gardens Start in the Fall

With bulbs!

The Rembrandt Tulip Mix. A favorite of mine from last season.

Alliums. Just coming up on my radar. A blue variety, of course, makes the grade.

And . . . grape hyacinths. They seamlessly cut through a grey March day.

It's a little early to plant these bulbs. I have waited as late as November. But it is never too early to envision, drool and plan. I order my bulbs from Johnny's Selected Seeds - these varieties (and photos) are from their catalog.