Each Little World

Road work update

Woke up at 7am this morning to the beeping sound of large equipment backing up. So I went out to see if anything exciting was happening. If Mark had not gone out to photograph the work and gotten acquainted with all these workmen, I think we both would be finding the chaos disheartening. Instead we're both fascinated. 

Yesterday when he was out he mentioned to one of the guys that the sun was bothering his "new" eye, post-surgery. Immediately he was handed a pair of OSHA-compliant sunglasses that the crew members all wear. These workmen are so friendly.

Since the project includes a new gas line to our house, I've been caging emerging plants and marking anything I want the workmen to to be sure to see, like these oak seedlings sporting pink ribbons. Gardeners are aware of every new bit of green, but these guys are concentrating on their job.

Lots of new yellow paint and flag markers showing the path of the gas line. 

The city owns the first 16 feet of our property as we have no sidewalks. That's why I only planted Geranium macrorrhizum and bulbs in that area in prep for a city project someday in the future. This new gas line goes all the way up to the house but luckily there will only be a hole in the street and one by the house. The line is drilled underground between the two and piping inserted. So the pipe will (hopefully) be able to go under the witch hazel without harming the plant. 

Mark has talked to the city crew and the utility crew about keeping any digging as far from our ancient oak as possible. They've all agreed to try their best to protect that tree, including clearly marking it. 

Last week's big excitement was pulverizing the concrete street surface. We're now back to a mixed dirt and gravel road. We can no longer enter our street at the end closest to our house. We have to come the long way around on multiple back streets and then drive almost the length of the gravel road to get to our house. But the temperature is rising and the garden is getting ready for another growth spurt. 

Mark's Ten Year Retrospective Exhibit

For the past ten years Mark has tried to answer the question: “What is a good photograph?” 

Through the exploration of various subject matter, photographic media, equipment, technique and, most importantly, photographic theory his images have evolved over time.

This exhibit at the PhotoMidwest Gallery consists of 77 framed prints, 27 self-published photo books, 100s of unmounted work prints as well as relevant quotes from artists and scholars who influenced my practice.

If you are unable to attend the opening (details below), PhotoMidwest is open on Saturdays from Noon to 4PM. We live only a short distance from the gallery and Mark would also be willing to provide access at almost any time. Just let him know. 

If all else fails you can view the images at PhotoMidwest. The books can be viewed at Blurb.com by searching in the "bookstore" under "Mark Golbach." 

TO

PHOTOGRAPH

IS TO

LEARN HOW

TO 

DIE

 

A TEN YEAR RETROSPECTIVE OF IMAGES 

BY MARK GOLBACH

OPENING RECEPTION

MARCH 9, 2023

4PM – 8PM

SATURDAYS FROM NOON TO 4PM

MARCH 4, 2023 – APRIL 22, 2023

 

PHOTOMIDWEST

700 RAY-VAC DRIVE

MADISON, WISCONSIN

CONTACT  MARK GOLBACH

TO ARRANGE FOR ACCESS AT OTHER TIMES

[email protected]

An almost perfect weekend

I bought this great market basket (note the wooden wheels) in the 1970s when the legendary Dane County Farmers Market began. I lived close enough to the market to walk to it, but far enough that I needed some kind of carryall. It's critical for August produce that weighs more than I can easily carry. These days there are so many excellent farm markets all over town that I haven't been downtown to the big market in years. 

You can see what I mean: cantaloupe and 9 ears of corn were the first things I bought. They went on the bottom and I built on that solid base. The bag holds pastries from Madison Sourdough. The thought of those treats gets me up early on Saturday morning.

Yesterday I got to the market when it opened knowing how hot and humid the weather was already. Last night at 7 p.m. the temperature was still 89°F. (31.66°C.) Weather Bug said it felt like 99°F. (37.22°C.) and I wouldn't argue with that. But I can't really complain given the extreme heat so many others are experiencing. 

Rain was forecast to begin overnight. Lately it seems like we are often in a gap in storm systems and get little or no rain. Not this time. When I went out around 8 a.m., my rain gauge measured 1.94" (4.92 cm.). We're supposed to get a little more rain today and possibly tomorrow. I was stunned at that number and thrilled. 

The temps look cooler for the coming week. So I will be able to weed in prep for our last garden tour on Thursday, even if it's too wet to plant the things that have been waiting for the temps to drop.

The kids are alright

Welcome garden bloggers

to the Madison, Wisconsin

Fling!

New kids in the garden

I planted my first Auricula-type Primula last year in the rock garden. P. auricula 'Argus' is a delicate bit of drama in the front garden that thrilled me when it sent out flowers this spring. I planted four different ones and nothing has touched them in a year. Fingers crossed.

At the far end of the garden — almost to the back lot line — is the polar opposite flower and plant. I have one Itoh intersectional hybrid Peony and I've always wanted another. This year I found it at K and A Greenhouse in Madison.

I was lucky to find a three year old plant with one bud on it. P. 'Creme a la Orange' is already a winner in my book. A pricey plant and worth every penny.

Change is inevitable

“You wonder after many years if any of it was worth the bother. The answer is, I think, more or less yes .... Entire sections of the garden have to be rethought and old friends given up. All seems to be nothing but change and irregular advances and collapse, as if paying little attention to the gardener, who is seen to be far less consequential than we supposed.”

 "The Essential Earthman"

Henry Mitchell 1923-1993

. . .

Our street is scheduled for a major rehab this summer. The original 1950s sanitary and storm sewers will be replaced, a shared pedestrian/bike lane will be added, most on street parking eliminated and the street resurfaced. This means the traffic islands will be removed, some curbs will be replaced and my front garden will be dug up to put in the water lines and update the fire hydrant on our property.

Over the years, I've spent a lot of time and money gardening on this little island. It's the sunniest spot I have and has rocky soil perfect for bulbs. 

Currently it has Tulips, Allium 'Summer Beauty', the famed Geranium 'Rozanne' and four big Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta. As soon as the plants come up this spring I will dig them out and move them to new homes elsewhere in the garden. Construction is slated to start in June and go all summer, seven days a week. 

The city owns the first 14' of our property as we have no sidewalks or "hell strips." So I intentionally filled this area with plants I could afford to lose or that could be easily moved.  Geranium macrorrhizum is a forgiving plant and should cover the construction quickly once I can replant. 

The most important point is the city will not have to remove the Oak tree that abuts the street at the end of our driveway. If they have to replace the gutter, they will hand-form it to protect the tree. This tree was here when the house was built in 1954 and for many years before that. (Don Smith, the original owner, with one of his daugthers and the oak tree.)

When we moved here in 1994, arborist and local tree historian Bruce Allison estimated the tree's age as at least 125 years old. It's our treasure and we are thrilled that we finally have a group of seedlings that will eventually create an oak grove that will be long after the road project is history.

September splendor

It rained!

The lightning was so constant that I got up around 1:30 a.m. Friday morning to be sure there wasn't a police car parked on the street out front. The thunder was so far off the two things didn't seem to be related. I was afraid yet another storm was about to pass us by.

But this one hit us with wind dashing rain again the house so fast and furiously that I got up to look out to the back garden to make sure the gutters were OK and then I checked the basement. Lots of noise but no problems as three or four storms seemed to move through during the rest of the "night."

We got 2.28" which was less than I anticipated but enough to make a big difference in the garden. It's raining again as I write this late on Sunday afternoon. Not having to water the garden means I can actually get some planting done. I feel as if I've been holding my breath waiting for a break in the the weather. It is lovely having clouds and gray skies instead of incessant sun. 

We drove out to the Flower Factory Sunday afternoon to pick up my last order from them. We had a chance to briefly chat with owners Nancy and David Nedveck which was a treat. I didn't get any new and different plants, just a few old favorites: A cinnamon fern to add to a pair to make it a threesome, an Apple Blossom primrose to add to all my red flowered ones and Bird's Foot violets to make a nice patch when I add them to the couple I'm already growing. 

I also got another Parsley fern. I'm growing two and really like them. They are neater and more compact than a number of my other ferns. You can never have two many ferns for my taste. They are a great way to cover ground and reduce maintenance in my garden. Rain and more plants. What a perfect way to start the week.

A quiet evening in the garden

I splurged on this Peony a few years ago more for its emerging foliage than the flowers. This photo was taken on April 23rd.

Now that I have more than one flower I admit they are rather nice looking as well. The buds come out pale yellow, fade to cream and then white. Picture taken on May 23rd. Hmmm, I will have to pay attention next year and see if it always takes a month for the flowers to bloom.

I have been babying an Iris germanica in the garden for a couple of years waiting for it to bloom. This year it did so and turned out to be the plant I was hoping it was: an old fashioned pale yellow Iris that was growing in Tim and Mary's garden next door, right at the base of the clothes pole. 

I asked if I could have a piece and Tim said to come and dig it out. So I did. Since then, Tim died and Mary sold the house and moved closer to one of her children. I am so happy to know that I have a memento of our long time neighbors and their garden. 

The definitive deck

When I last posted about replacing our deck, the very old deck had been ripped out, along with a lot of buried concrete, the substructure was is place and the wood for the deck surface had just been delivered. The top edge of the substructure boards were all covered with tape (below) to help keep them dry. If this edge gets wet and is covered with the deck surface wood, they would stay wet and lead to rot. 

Rabbit proof wire was put all around the deck and down into the ground. 

Tim Quigley, who owns the deck company, created a curved framework to join the two squared off sections of the deck where they circle the big tree at the edge. 

Adding this curve was the only real change we made in the design of the deck, other than getting rid of the step down from the back door to the deck surface.

Bringing the boards into the back garden to begin work on the deck surface. This is Ipe, a sustainable Brazilian hardwood. 

There are three boards that run parallel against the house. The yellow gizmos keep the space between the boards even.

The surface boards are all screwed rather than nailed in place. Screws are inserted from both sides, which makes them almost invisible when looking at the deck. 

Tim cuts the boards to length along the front edge of the deck.

Along the front and back edge of the deck, there is a row of boards that run perpendicular to the rest of the deck boards, creating this beautiful finished corner and edge. I have to say that this elegant touch is typical of Tim Quigley's work. He put the kind of time and thought into every aspect of the design and construction of the deck that is common on the best indoor projects. 

 

When I saw Tim arranging short pieces of wood along the edge of the deck it took me a while to figure out what he was doing. Rather than leave the substructure edge board visible, he covered it with deck boards matched to the thick and thin top boards. They are screwed in, rather than nailed, as well. 

The straight edge of the deck meets the curve around the tree. 

At Mark's request they finished the curved edge with matching short pieces the same as the long straight edge. This was not easy as I watched Travis almost flat on the deck, trying to get each piece in place and then screwed in. The new deck is a bit higher than the old one, so the first stepping stone down will need to be raised. That's on next summer's project list. 

While Mark got out a bottle of bubbly to celebrate the completion of the deck, Travis took a small piece of the Ipe wood to try a science experiment. 

Ipe wood is so dense it sinks and does not float — which is just what happened when Travis let go of the board. 

The last day Tim and Travis did all the finishing work was sunny and beautiful, perfect for an impromptu celebration. 

Mark opening a bottle of Proseco while I do my Vanna White imitation. Can you tell which of us is the person who is always cold?

Travis (left) and Tim ready to relax a moment. I was surprised to see Tim, who owns the company, here working most days. He has certain rules for his business, including no smoking on the job and no music. We also discovered that everyone we dealt with, in addition to Tim, were all pleasant and willing to answer all our questions. And Mark was out there constantly asking questions and watching them work.

The deck all done and ready for a party; hopefully next summer that will be possible again. When I stand out there, I feel like I am on the porch of a garden pavilion in Japan. Travis said he thought the simplicity of the deck suited our garden. 

Mark and I could not be more pleased with the look and the quality of the new deck; it's worthy of being part of our garden. Thanks Tim and everyone on your team.