Each Little World

The "tourists"

The group who visited our garden on August 11 were from the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Last year a two-person scouting team came at a similar time and on almost the same date in August.

When the group came in person, they told us they scheduled our garden as the last stop of the day knowing how restful and contemplative it was. I was impressed to think that not only did they appreciate our garden enough to include it on their agenda, but they recognized the perfect time to visit.

Despite knowing the group would arrive on a bus, it is always a bit of a shock when it pulls up!

We put down a number of non-skid runners to make sure the deck was safe after the morning rain. 

As with most garden lovers, everyone was friendly and engaging. 

Whether you go on a garden tour or host one, it is non-stop discussion about plants. My straw fan with textile accents generated a lot of talk as well.

Usually most of my time is spent answering questions about our garden or identifying plants. This time I made a point of asking visitors about their gardens. It was a treat to see someone else's garden!

Julie Jenny, the Education Programs Coordinator of the Scott Arboretum (left), was our contact person for the tour. She kept us informed every step of the way and from our viewpoint, the group seemed very organized. In addition to visiting public and private gardens, they went to a number of locations in the region including a dairy farm and Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's home. 

We put out "before and after" photo albums of the garden as well as some historic images of the house from the family who built it in the mid-1950s. Since the Scott Arboretum group stopped at our house at 5 p.m. we knew their next stop was dinner. So we provided water, dried apricots and a Spanish treat that is a cross between a cookie and a cracker. 

Knowing we had a tour scheduled for August, helped us to do a number of jobs that have been on our garden "to do"' list for quite some time. Now it's nice to have those things done and to know that no more tours are coming — until the Garden Bloggers Fling in Madison next June. 

Winter reading: The Scarlet Pimpernel

A number of years ago, UK author Susan Hill wrote a book called "Howard's End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home". I loved the concept behind the volume  — taking a trip through the books that are already on our shelves — though her book itself left something to be desired from my point of view. Reading all those titles at home makes sense especially in the winter when getting to my bookstore or even the nearby library can sometimes be a challenge. Though I never finished reading Hill's book, it did remind me of all the old favorites on my shelves just waiting to be discovered again. 

I have a paperback copy of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" ready to grab when the mood strikes. Like "A Tale of Two Cities" it's a classic tale set during the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution. It's filled with despair, disguises, daring rescues and romantic reunions. It's never been out of print since Baroness Emmuska Orczy (isn't that a great name?) first published it in 1905. 

At times the book clearly reads like something published at the beginning of the 20th Century: quirky, convoluted and stilted. The movie is another story. The 1934 version with Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon is not bad — until you've seen the one with Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews (1982, above). No one can play a fop like Andrews and Seymour was made for costume dramas. They're a perfect pair until villain Ian McKellan comes between them.

The title of the book refers to a tiny flower that our mysterious hero uses as his signature (see the book cover at the top). I've always wanted to plant a Scarlet Pimpernel in my garden for the sheer fun of it. I am a sucker for plants with a history and a story behind them, let alone a series of movies.

I can just picture serving tea in Portmerion china cups decorated with Pimpernels and a single flower resting on the table — a subtle sign for those who catch it that nothing is ever quite what it seems.

 

IAVOM: Holiday transition

I am so pleased with this big arrangement that was in my red room for Christmas that I decided to bring it out into the light of day. I don't mind that the berries are fading and the Eucalyptus is drying up, turning pale and papery. The white pine branches are the ones that I clipped from a pile of curbside evergreen debris in December.

In this location, there's room for these big branches to take a visual breath. Plus my new blue and white vase nicely echoes Tom Sargeant's painting on the wall behind it.

I never did manage to get our wooden putti candleholder out for the holidays. Now that we're into the new year he can play cupid until we tire of him and want another change. 

I added two small wooden bowls to this grouping so cupid would not be the only brown item in the display. But then the blue and white vase looked lonely so I grabbed this Chinese bowl that has as much brown on it as blue.

At the other end of the table is another blue bowl with a bit of brown in the interior almost hidden by the white pine branches.

It wasn't until I bent down to get a shot of the blue swirls on the outside of the bowl that I realized the ceramic lamp base, the table and cupid were in their own little swirly world. 

To see what other gardeners have put in a vase today, stop by Rambling in the Garden. 

IVOM: Seasonal shift

All the browns and oranges and gourds and pods that were starring in this space for the last month or two are back in their hiding places until next year. I decided to go for a completely different look this year for my holiday decor that I display on this pair of Chinese wine tables. I wanted something warm, elegant and glowing without glitter. So I brought together all the myriad gold-toned items that lurk in corners and china cupboards the rest of the year. The first image below gives you an overview. The following pictures look at the items in more detail going from left to right.

I've had this gold rimmed bowl longer than I can remember. I originally bought it because I thought it would go well with my grandmother's stemware that is similarly edged. Over the years I've made orange and lemon pomanders as gifts and to spice up my own closets. 

This heavy brass vase has a different design on each side and a wooden stand that raises its stature. The greens and Hellebore leaf are from the garden.

The black lacquer tray holds a brass box from WWI that was given to UK soldiers that first Christmas of the War. There's also a needle case, a puffy pillow-shaped box, a reproduction antique Egyptian mirror and a brass tea strainer filled with stars. On the right side is a piece of hand-painted jewelry with a gold-colored frame. It's meant to be worn as a brooch but I am always worried about losing it so it never leaves home. I think of all the items on this tray as toys for grown-ups.

Moving down the table is a gold plate that my sisters and I bought for our mom on her 50th wedding anniversary as it matched a vase that was one of her wedding gifts. On the plate are tiny accordion poetry books with gold-leaf covers. The pair of British brass candlesticks were one of the last things we bought when one of our favorite local antique stores closed. The picture frame holds two photos of Mark at an early childhood Christmas. At the far right are a Japanese tea container and a bowl with gold-wrapped candies.

Baby Mark celebrates in 1948!

To see what other gardeners have put in a vase or around their homes this holiday season, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this meme.

In a vase on Monday: Roger Banks-Pye Concept No. 3

As I mentioned last Monday, Roger Banks-Pye of Colfax & Fowler believed "in making flowers an intrinsic part of the smaller decorative scene rather than a louder solo statement." In particular, he liked to chop flower stems really short so they rested "their chins on the rim of the container." I decided to give it a try with this antique china cup and saucer and Astrantia major 'Lars' (dark pink) and 'Buckland' (very pale pink and green).

I don't think I would have created an arrangement where I cut off almost the entire flower stem if I wasn't trying to emulate Banks-Pye. If you are familiar with Astrantias, they have a clump of basal foliage and tall stems with clusters of flowers at the top. This bouquet doesn't give you a clue as to what this plant looks like in the garden. But I absolutely love the way it looks in this china cup and saucer.

I used Astrantias because they were the only flower I didn't mind cutting and I thought the size would be good for the container. I wasn't thinking about how well they'd complement the china pattern. Though it doesn't fit Banks-Pye's criteria, I couldn't resist adding the fern frond whose colors are such a perfect match!

I am going to try to remember this concept of resting the chins of the flowers on the rim of the container. I think it makes a particularly successful arrangement. I will be curious to see how well it works with other flowers. But for now, I don't know when I have been so pleased with my handiwork! 

To see what other gardeners are snipping and arranging in vases this morning, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this weekly meme.

Olbrich's Spring Show: Good enough to eat!

Spring Flower Show: Banquets of Blooms

March 11-26, 2017

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Show Admission: $3 for adults (ages 13 & up), $2 for children ages 3 to 12, and children 2 and under are free.

It's also free for Olbrich Botanical Society members. 

. . .

The staff at Olbrich Botanical Gardens always pulls out all the creative stops when it comes to their annual spring floral event. Of course, it's a real boost just to walk into a room filled with the scent and color of flowers in March in Wisconsin, but this year's display goes way beyond mere floral beauty. It is a clever, creative and utterly charming spring show. (Do double click to enlarge the pictures so you can enjoy the details.)

This year's theme of "Banquet of Blooms" is exemplified in a myriad of settings. The center of the room is designed for cooking with herbs and edible flowers in a kitchen complete with a vintage stove, sink, and cupboard full of cookbooks and tools. There are multiple locations for enjoying drinks and dinner in the garden as well as beautifully detailed recreations and imaginations of food made out of natural materials. This has to be one of the most labor-intensive spring shows the garden has done with hundreds of small-scale items created for decoration, dining and "eating" everywhere you look.

The addition of this Guy Wolff terra cotta rhubarb forcing pot from 2002 says to me that this display was created by gardeners who grow their own food and cook it! Such a telling detail. 

Pool party!!!

The flowers and greenery are sometimes grouped in contrasting color arrangements and in others, the flowers flow in tones from pale peach to corals and pinks fading into lavender. This particular display of flowers took my breath away until I saw the table they encircled.

Note the silverware and the "flourless chocolate cake."

Below is the dreamy dinning table that won my heart. I think Olbrich should sell raffle tickets as a fund-raising benefit with the prize being the staff recreating this magical willow structure in the winner's garden. 

 

This coming Sunday, March 26, is the last day to see Olbrich's Spring Flower Show. This is one you won't want to miss!

In a vase on Monday

This table setting and vase are from the dinner party we had the weekend before the election. It was a great evening with old and new friends. We were all nervous but hopeful about the election.

I snapped a few photos in the afternoon after I set the table. I always think we will take more pictures when the candles are lit just before we sit down but I always forget to do so!

A few years ago I was searching for an antique blue and white flower brick with no luck. In the midst of that search my sister-in-law found this rustic version and gave it to me as a gift.

I filled it mainly with foliage from the Korean maples, annual purple Hibiscus, Epimediums and assorted Heuchera and Heucherella plants. There are a few delicate stems of Tricyrtis, semi-dried Sedum flower heads and one of the last Dahlias of the season. 

I usually put this long, low container on the window sill above the kitchen sink. Turns out it is a perfect container to add to a table setting. It takes up very little room, holds a lot of material and makes a statement without blocking anyone's view.

The rest of the setting includes dark brown placemats, neutral colored napkins printed with assorted graphic designs, beaded orange votive holders and one of my favorite pairs of candlesticks. These ceramic couplings of the hare and the tortoise came from the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis. 

To see what other gardeners have put in a vase today, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this meme.

In a vase on Monday: Early Thanksgiving

Years ago I bought this covered veggie dish and a platter in the Fruit Basket pattern by the English china manufacturer, Mason's. For a lark I went online last fall to see if one of those companies that carries old china patterns might have a piece. Indeed they had a few but they were asking more than I wanted to pay. Imagine my delight when I found this little covered jar only days later at a local antique shop at a much better price. 

I decided it would make a great vase and not take up much room on the Thanksgiving table. At the rate we're going, I may be able to almost repeat this bouquet when Thanksgiving arrives. 

The main item is an annual Hibiscus which has been living by the front door and still looks great. There are more than a few spikes of Agastache with color left on them, but that's the last bright Baneberry seedpod. Most of the Heucheras are still going strong though I doubt I will get another fat flower stalk like this one from a plant in a protected location. It was fun to think about the next big holiday coming up and what might be available to create a bouquet for the big feast. 

Gardeners around the country and the world take part in this Monday meme. Visit host Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what they've created today.

In a vase on Tuesday: A summer table setting

Mark and I were invited to a dinner party at the end of last week on an absolutely beautiful evening. The table was equally beautiful; so much so that I made him grab a few pictures on his phone. There was seating for 14 guests which meant Mark had to take more than one photo to get the entire table. There were lap blankets and throws in case it turned chilly and we needed to cover up but the temperature never fell so much that anyone needed a wrap.

I particularly liked the look of those French park chairs all in a row, looking so pristine with their white enamel paint.

Mark and I brought easy hors d'oeuvres: olives and breadsticks. Gardeners, note that I used a vase to hold the breadsticks. I needed a tall plain container and I realized nothing fit that description as well as a vase! 

In case you are curious, the entree was Cioppino with cornbread. Dessert was a fabulous lemon poppyseed layer cake served with coffee and glasses of iced Limoncello. A wonderful way to welcome September. Thank you Jane and David for including us.

Summer supper

We began June with too many days with temperatures that went up in the 80s, making it hot and humid and feeling like August. Too hot to cook, even too hot to grill. So I decided to make the Spring Antipasto Platter that was featured in the NYTImes not too long ago. Turned out to be quick, easy and tempting to a pair of hot and tired gardeners. Best of all, there were leftovers so we could do it again the next night.

To give us more options I added shrimp and a rustic country bread. My only recommendations are to cut the fennel paper thin and not to even bother to use green onions/scallions for grilling. They're too small and just give you a pile of charred sticks. If you can't find spring onions, skip this item in the recipe. As more veggies are coming to local markets, this meal will be appearing in endless variations at our house now that it's summer and hot days are the norm.