February Plant Cuttings

"But now 'tis winter, child, and bitter north winds blow.  The ways are wet and wild.  The land is laid with snow," writes the early 20th Century British poet laureate, Robert Bridges, in his lament about February.  And, so it goes for this 21st Century February, as well. Even with the sun shining and temperatures warming, slowly, I might add, there is too much snow still on the ground or it's just way too soggy, to get much done outside but it's a good time to start cuttings for the coming spring season.

No matter the condition of the winter day outside, bright or dreary, the greenhouse offers a tropical forest Northern Virginia style--warm, moist, pungent and peaceful.  And, the geraniums, oh the geraniums--be they scented or your typical garden variety, are raring to go.  The rosemary, myrtle and bay cuttings I made in the early fall are looking good and healthy as well.

After making cuttings from the scented geraniums, my hands smell like a summer bouquet of rose and lemon with mint and a hint of coconut.  I carry them into the kitchen to plant in small pots and the green aroma sprinkles out of the big farm sink mixing with the morning scents of cinnamon and sugar, coffee and cream.

Finally, the annual lavenders bloom out, "Don't forget us!"  Don't worry I won't!  I collect a couple dozen cuttings or so to start with from Spanish lavenders, wild French and fringed lavenders and Canary Island lavenders. These are much easier and very rewarding lavenders to propagate as they bloom freely starting in spring and lasting throughout the summer months all of the way up until the autumn frosts really gain strength.  That's if you keep dead-heading them. Their sharp and piney aroma opens up my sinuses and travels past the boundaries of the kitchen and far enough to peak the dog's interest, sitting at the front door waiting for his morning walk.

While getting  set up to plant lavender cuttings, I ate the last of the lavender-chocolate truffles my friend Kay, owner of Little Apple Pastry Shop in Aldie, VA made for me.  She used Blooming Hill lavender, of course and they were absolutely delicious--as you can tell from the empty container.  She sells them in her shop so be sure to stop by Little Apple Pastry Shop and try one--or a few--of these little lovelies.  We will also be selling them here in April for Easter.  What a nice gift the Easter Bunny can leave in someone's Easter basket.

For the time being, I can forget the icebergs floating in the slushy grass all over the backyard and take comfort in yet another ancient gardener's tale, "Much February snow, a fine summer doth sow."  Let's hope that the wisdom stowed away here is true, as the cuttings and I are counting on it.

Radiant Orchid = Lavender, Really

Freshly picked and radiant in the soft summer light of last year.

Well, it's official.  Those in the know--oh, you know--the fashionistas, the style experts, those who tell us "what's trending today" have proclaimed Radiant Orchid to be the color of 2014 and "a modern twist to the traditional" and "exudes confidence and beauty." Of course, as opulent as this color appears to be, in all of its "orchidness," it looks suspiciously like a luxurious shade of good old-fashioned lavender, doesn't it?  But, that is okay.  Because whatever you want to call it, this lustrous, lovely shade will prevail in all of her classic grandness leaving the trendy glory to the name of the day.

Gathered flowers from our gardens, last summer.

Rosemary, zinnia and lavender in the background.

To take it even further, floral patterns are everywhere for spring from the runway to the showroom and, surprise surprise, even to the garden or, should I say from all of our gardens.  And, why not? what is prettier than the hue of Radiant Lavender--er--I mean Orchid splashed over petals and blossoms. Whether woven by Mother Nature or Oscar De La Renta, it's a color that compliments leafy green, rosy pink and sunshine yellow, to name a few.  No wonder the Red Hat Society claimed this shade of "purpley-vibrant and violety" lavender as it's unnamed but ever present compliment to their ruby facade.

I love lavender and I love flowers and I love, love, love lavender flowers especially lavender, lavandula, if you want to talk technically, lavande, if you want to appear French.  Good heavens--I'm actually "en vogue" as I'm sure many of you can make this claim, too.  That's if you love, wear, display and live the color of 2014--Radiant Lavender--er--I mean, Radiant Orchid!

Kudzu, In Disguise?

This past weekend, I attended a seed exchange along with about 150 other people.  I was there as a vendor, selling statuary while most of the attendees came, bringing seeds from their gardens as well as beautiful and well read old gardening magazines and books they could swap for something else to take home to read and pass the wintertime away until the seeds they collected and traded can be planted.

Looks innocent enough until you find out just exactly what Pueraria lobata stands for!

Throughout the day, there was quite a large variety of seeds, spread out in orderly fashion among the tables, in little plastic bags and petite paper envelopes for anyone to choose from.  My friend, Kim, picked up a nicely packaged seed labeled "Thomas Jefferson Vine" Pueraria Lobata, and handed me one as well.  It certainly sounded intriguing as I know there are several vines and flowers here in Virginia and throughout the country that can be credited to Thomas Jefferson and his travels to Europe, bringing them home to plant in his gardens at Monticello.

  Once I got home, I looked up what this particular vine, Pueraria lobata, really is, and oh brother, am I glad I did before I ever had the chance to scatter this invasive weed known as Kudzu!   That's right--KUDZU!!  What in heaven's name would possess a person to bring such an invasive, noxious weed to a seed exchange???  I have a feeling that even Jefferson, himself would not want this particular plant traced back to him, which I'm pretty sure, is not.

Actually, Kudzu, Pueraria montana var. lobata, is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae) and it does have a pretty and fragrant little purple blossom, when it blooms, which is not as often as you might think.  It is native to Asia and is a deciduous twining vine that can grow up to 100 feet capable of choking out surrounding vegetation and girdling large trees, just to mention two things. Even worse, these vines have been known to collapse buildings and bring down utility poles.  Just the word, Kudzu, can strike fear in the hearts of almost everyone, gardener or not, who has heard of it.

Map of the U.S. showing the states combating the very real problem of invasive Kudzu!

   Introduced in the USA in 1876 as an ornamental landscaping plant at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, (FYI to that person who labeled this envelope as Thomas Jefferson Vine--he died 50 years before that!) Kudzu was widely planted, especially in the Southeastern U.S. as a forage crop and for erosion control.  By 1997, it was classified as a noxious weed under the Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974.

While there are beautiful vines that truly are attributed to Thomas Jefferson and freely reseed themselves, such as Purple Hyacinth Bean, Lablab purpureus, Scarlet-runner bean Phaseolus coccineus, Trailing Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus and one of Jefferson's favorite twining climbers, Snail Flower Vigna Caracalla, none of them are destructive to our environment like the beastly Kudzu.

So, if you go to a seed exchange, be wary of what you may pick up and most certainly do a little research on your choices before you plant those "magic seeds," if for no other reason than to make sure you are putting it in the right spot of your garden or yard.

And, to the person who brought the pretty little envelopes marked as "Thomas Jefferson Vine" Puerarea lobata to the seed exchange--fool me once--and probably a lot of people that day--shame on you.  Full me twice, I think not!

Note to the reader:  The photos of Kudzu were taken from general photos listed on Google.  I Googled "the invasive vine called Kudzu" and was amazed at the amount of pictures out there!

I'm Going To be Published!

Okay, Okay. Let's not put the cart before the horse just yet, however, Blooming Hill is going to make it into a magazine--in the Netherlands, no less and I am most certainly thrilled!  The name of the magazine is Tuinieren, which means Gardening in Dutch and, if ever there is a country who knows about gardening, loves to garden and is filled with splendid gardens, it is the Netherlands.

Looking at these pictures makes me very homesick for a warm and sunny summer day, since it is only
0 degrees outside today!

How did I get there, you ask?? Well, they contacted me, last fall, after finding my blog on the internet and seeing a picture of the plate garden.  Then, they recontacted me just a few weeks ago and asked for a few more pictures of the garden and an explanation of how it came to be.  You can read about that in my blog entry, "For Love of Blue and White."  

So, if you are interested, stay tuned.  Blooming Hill will have a tiny, little mention in Tuinieren on May 5, 2014.  Cool!

(P.S.  Tuinieren and "For the love of Blue and White" are both linked to their specific websites so  you can click on them.)

Amaryllis, Sparkling Bloomer of Winter

They say that good things come to those who wait.  Consider the amaryllis, (Hippeastrum, spp.) a bulbous beauty of a blossom that seems always to arrive too early for the debutante parties of spring, continually misses the summer regalia's and tends to sleep straight through all of the fall gatherings and holiday cotillions only to wake up barely in time for New Year's. Then, finally this fabulous bloom, with her little sister petals in tow, unfolds her skirts and brightens up the dark days of January and even into February.

Claiming the Andes Mountains of Chile and Peru, and even parts of South Africa, as her native homelands, this flower maiden that comes in brilliant red, soft pink, sparkling white and even variegated color combinations, brings us a breath of fresh air and sunshine just when we might need it most. Outside, the gardens and lavender beds are either under 6 inches of snow or swimming in rain water with plant roots holding on for dear life, thanks to the prevailing weather fronts passing through and something called a polar vortex blowing by.  Inside, the amaryllis, oblivious to all of that, poses dreamily on her platform of soft, supple green and lets her petals drink in the warmth of a cozy home as they slowly open and greet the day.

In the language of flowers, amaryllis conveys splendid beauty wrapped up in an air of timidness--an aura that could be mistaken for pride and haughtiness. I imagine that poor--well, wealthy really-- Mr. Darcy might have given one to Lizzy in "Pride and Prejudice" before they got everything straightened out. The amaryllis is also associated with the zodiac sign of Aries and it's characteristics of passion, enthusiasm and adventure. Perhaps this is why Lizzy and Mr. Darcy seem to have a bit of a tempestuous relationship, of sorts, in the beginning.

Of course, you can't blame the flirtatious amaryllis for sleeping most of the year through.  She is the star of her own show at this time of the year, relishing all of the attention afforded her.  Envision Marilyn Monroe in her pretty white dress standing over a heating grate playfully smiling as her skirt floats and flies all around her. All is right with the world in the mind of this sleeping beauty who daydreams the year away in the cocoon of a brown shell becoming the colorful muse of the winter months.

So, consider the amaryllis. Better still, invite one into your home and watch it come to life before your eyes. This winter bloomer is certainly worth it!

December has marched along in its usual frenetic style with Christmas and holiday parties combined with shopping and working all dressed up in twinkling lights, sparkling ornaments, ribbons and bows and before we know it, Christmas, with a chaser of New Year's, is over and the dark days of winter settle in.  Well, not really-- not if you count the twelve days of Christmas meticulously itemized in the grand old Christmas Carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas."   This lovely, old, and very recognizable song was first published in 1780 in England but is thought to be of French origin and sprang out of the Catholic tradition.

When I was little, and really until only a few years ago, I thought it was a charming old nursery rhyme that perhaps children of centuries ago used to sing and dream about at Christmas time.  After all, there was no Walmart or Target, but I have come to find out that all of the gifts that seem to get bigger and grander as the song progresses, is packed with hidden meanings that describe the bones of the Christian faith.

This year, just before Christmas, my sister Chris had me running all over Northern Virginia collecting and sending to her the "Twelve Days of Christmas" ornaments she had started buying when she was here visiting back in October, making my Christmas rush all the more rushed.   Of course, I, the more rational one of the two of us, bought a complete set for me, to begin with, in order to save myself from running around.

In the midst of all of this, my friend Judy sent through this reminder of what the Christmas season is really about through an email message that had been circulating.  It explains this lovely old French/English/Catholic based Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" which begins on Christmas Day--the first day of Christmas-and it goes like this...

1. The partridge in a pear tree represents the Baby Jesus.

2. Two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.

Have you ever noticed that deer are NOT mentioned in this song?

3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.

4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

5. Five golden rings recall the Torah or law which are the first five books of the Old Testament.

6. Six geese a-laying stands for the six days it took God to create heaven and earth.

7. Seven swans a-swimming represent the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit; Prophesy, Serving,Teaching, Exhortation,Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.

8. The eight maids a a-milking are the eight Beatitudes.

9. Nine ladies dancing represents the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit; love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

10. Ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.

11. Eleven pipers stand for the eleven faithful disciples.

12. And finally--The twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of Christian belief in the apostles Creed.

And, of course, "my true love" is our Gracious and Loving God!

So, on this second day of Christmas, as we all rush back to the stores to return and exchange gifts (although I'm pretty sure two turtle doves will not be among those items) then come home to clean up from yesterdays festivities and resume our busy lives, perhaps we can appreciate some of these greatest of gifts that define the Christian faith!  Now, I have to go and find yet another "Twelve Days of Christmas" ornament that Chris did not get while she was here, sighhhhhh.  I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and maybe a couple of golden rings, too!

It's Christmas Tree Time

Welcome to the Blooming Hill Christmas Tree preview!

'Tis the season to decorate a tree with tinsel and garland and pretty glass balls that sparkle among flickering lights, reminding us of how beautiful, not bleak, this winter season is, in so many ways.

How he gets that ribbon to cascade and twirl at the same time is beyond me!

For me, one of the best things about decorating a Christmas tree, be it small and quaint or large and refined, is to not only watch, but also feel the magical transformation, of sorts, taking place in our seldom-used living room, from quiet and reserved to glowing brilliantly and beckoning me to spend time gazing at the different ornaments and trimmings that embellish, of all things, the artificial tree temporarily placed there.

This year, our main Christmas tree (I say MAIN because we put up six trees of different sizes throughout the house--Completely over the top, I know) had simply blown out the very last of its pre-strung lights and since we searched and searched for a replacement tree but could never find one that came close to our dear old tree, Peter decided he would take off all of its lights and start over again.

So about two weeks ago, off came over 1000 tiny useless lights, each one painstakingly clipped and fastened to the tree by the manufacturer and on went over 1000 brand new tiny LED lights, each one painstakingly wrapped tightly around each branch by Peter who wore heavy work gloves to save from cutting his fingers, as anyone who has strung lights on a Christmas tree, real or artificial, can tell you. In between, the tree was placed in the shower and given a proper spritzing off that gave it a shiny new appearance and "spruced" it up (pardon the pun) even more.

Still trying to get that topper just right.

A lot of work, I know, but it is a tree that we have come to love, lightly flocked giving the appearance of a dusting of snow that settled on it while still growing in the assembly line meadow, all those years ago, and the tips of the branches appear to have tiny crystal water droplets that add to its shimmering effect. When Kevin was seven years old, we decided to try a real tree for Christmas and told him we would all go out and cut one down at a Christmas tree farm.  Thinking he would be excited to do this, his only reply back was, "But our Christmas tree is up in the attic."  While it took a a bit of coaxing, he finally relented and we found a fresh tree that year, only to return to "our Christmas tree up in the attic" the following year, along with adding a few more artificial trees to the mix, as the years went by.

Finished tree, glowing peacefully, in the Family room decorated with birds.

A work in progress with natural feather trimmings and the  infamous Auburn-Alabama game trundling on in the background.  For once, it was not the Big 10 channel...Go figure!

A corner in the kitchen getting its fair share of attention from the tree master.

The dining room feather tree receiving its last minute touch-up.

So, each year,  Peter, or P. Lorenz as we like to refer to him when he gets in his artsy decorating mode, gets to work creating visual masterpieces with hand-blown glass globes and figurines dipped in the colors of a rainbow and creamy, satin ribbons twirling over the tree branches that are draped in silver and white strings of pearls.  Yes, I do help but P. Lorenz becomes a Christmas tree decorating machine on a mission and its often best to just get out of the way and enjoy the whole process as it unfolds.

Suddenly, the whole house is brimming with holiday joy as the auras of each tree spill out into the night through the windows lighting up welcoming doorways and pathways. We move from move from room to room.  First, the living room, then onto the foyer, dining room, kitchen and family room taking in and experiencing the serendipity of each tree and its unique and burgeoning personality using ornaments we have collected together, through the years.

Tabletop tree in the foyer festooned in red poinsettias, shining hearts and teardrop ornaments.

Just so you know, I decorated one of the trees myself!

Apparently, this is the Tucker's favorite tree.

I never get tired of seeing these trees come to life each and every year.  They look different yet the same, which is comforting to me, as we usher in this joyous season, full of hopes, dreams and promises.  I wish you a holiday season filled with celebration and love and, if you think of it, send me a picture of your Christmas tree.  I'd love to share in your delight as well. (bloominghillva@gmail.com or post it here in the comments section or on my Facebook page.)