Horticultural and botanical musings from the Rockies, Great Plains and beyond. In humble tribute to Goddess Flora.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
"Naked Poetry, mine forever"
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Ima Sumac lover
Monday, November 22, 2010
Incredible luck!
But what I am REALLY getting to is the picture at the top of this blog. I spotted it across the length of the ARC and thought "If that's a real painting, I want it!". It was. I pulled it down off the wall and couldn't believe my eyes: it was marvellous. I called Jan over, and for once she didn't scoff at my choice of treasures (she has awfully good taste). Instead she said "That must be by Nathan Solano!" And it was. Nathan is one of Colorado's best known and highly regarded artists. If you don't believe me, check out http://www.nathansolano.com/. This may be an early piece, or a study. Certainly not one of his elaborate, labored pieces shown on the website...but it looks to be his signature, and it certainly suits me just fine. I love it. It has pride of place in my guest room right now.
It's one of those magic things that we dream about happening in our quest of Thrifts (and I have to confess, aside from my brass Oriental platters, this is likely to be as good as it gets for me and Thrifts!)...Like winning the lottery or gambling, you should quit while you're ahead.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Grass whispers
Of course, I am pleased with the backlighting in this picture. I also love the obtrusive, bronzy leaf on the right hand side: this is a withered remnant of a dryland rhubarb of Central Asia: Rheum maximowiczii. Ninety nine people out of a hundred would gloss right past this picture. You, obviously are not one of these! You are obviously discerning...My brother! Or sister (as the case may be)...long may your grasses whisper in the wind and in your garden!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Colorado means red in Spanish, you know...
I am saddened that they will be silenced for many months (seven at least, although one year we had Salvia greggii 'Furman's Red' open its first flower the last day of April!)...Seven months of red fury is enough I suppose.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Indian summer....aaaaah!
Ordinarily by the 5th of November we would have had some pretty chilly nights in the lower 20's and at least two dustings of snow. We did get a frost last week--although I have noticed begonias and even impatiens around town that made it through relatively unscathed, and the pelargoniums and petunias are still looking pretty full in many gardens.
Despite a few gusty days that blew off the Autumn Purple Ash leaves, the fall color has been the best I remember in years: many oaks around town are at their peak right now (red oaks and pin oaks) and even some burr oaks are surprisingly coloful in old gold tones. Old gold is the theme in my garden, above, seen from my front room window...although my shumard oak (just off to the left of the picture) is showing lots of red highlights and will probably be glorious in a week or so, and the chestnut oak north of my house is a glorious purple red. As are the azaleas nearby it.
The autumn sages (Salvia greggii and kin) are just about in peak bloom everywhere in my garden, as are lots of california poppies, horn poppies and more. But as a bona fide rock gardener, the little things make my day: the last cyclamen of the year is this pale form of Cyclamen cilicium, and the Colchicum praecurrens nearby has been in bloom for a month!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Serendipitous Salvia
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A garden near lake Tekapo
The crevice garden of Michael Midgley Just a few years old, this crevice garden was designed and built by Michael Midgley, a delightful ...