tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40533747005976190052024-02-06T20:36:17.801-06:00Blogging the HouseOur Journal of Our First HouseElgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-6137643601074858682013-04-21T20:51:00.000-05:002013-04-21T20:51:11.482-05:00Spring of Irises<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAUTjwgAQBy20TdSnicTDD3BXJHM3uyXdM6Qc5bImc3mny05E_20zTe3MDAGn5leVyFtbfqXLcmcMd_CRV29eP9x7P9cfTNbgm32aQDH3sdYABnangCThSqOLCfjhxwQLP1wH3MV2A7cS/s1600/Blue+flag+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAUTjwgAQBy20TdSnicTDD3BXJHM3uyXdM6Qc5bImc3mny05E_20zTe3MDAGn5leVyFtbfqXLcmcMd_CRV29eP9x7P9cfTNbgm32aQDH3sdYABnangCThSqOLCfjhxwQLP1wH3MV2A7cS/s320/Blue+flag+1.jpg" width="191" /></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Blue flag in the pond--Granny's Louisiana iris in the background</i></td></tr>
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Last spring was the <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2012/04/peak-rose-baby.html" target="_blank">Spring of Poppies</a>: the <i>Papaver somniferum</i> seeds that we had broadcast 2 years ago finally burst out of dormancy and shocked us with their sudden abundance of slightly louche blooms.<br />
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This seems to be the Spring of Irises: we've had 3 different cultivars blooming that have never bloomed before, plus the usual strong showing from the cemetery irises, and a couple floppy-stemmed <i>I. virginica</i> blossoms.<br />
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The new irises are:<br />
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<li>yellow Louisiana irises from my grandmother's garden (in Louisiana)</li>
<li>blue flags from the LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center</li>
<li>white grape-scented irises from I'm-not-sure-where</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG01yRqtSVZmIIQGoMhczWhONbpsa2wM2xx7Zt2QHEMO4aNXYhN5yszsS3OxNi4VIQpmBN-dHLG0FtVumU91WqZKvuP6GQHC-3bHNAfje6y-LOTseg7OueFZUpqqJt55OnLKOmBIgJq0Cr/s1600/grape-scented+iris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG01yRqtSVZmIIQGoMhczWhONbpsa2wM2xx7Zt2QHEMO4aNXYhN5yszsS3OxNi4VIQpmBN-dHLG0FtVumU91WqZKvuP6GQHC-3bHNAfje6y-LOTseg7OueFZUpqqJt55OnLKOmBIgJq0Cr/s320/grape-scented+iris.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mysterious grape-scented iris</i></td></tr>
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I've never been particularly iris-centric, which is part of what is making this such a nice surprise. Our garden has reached the degree of maturity that is contains things that we plan for and expect, and also things that have slowly, sneakily reached their prime, or things we just kind of tossed in offhand.</div>
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I really, <i>really</i> like this combination of known and unknown quantities. The known plants are<i> </i>like a holiday that you look forward to every year. Anticipated, finally arriving, much like you remembered, not quite the same, each with its own memories. The unknowns are like a gift. (And then there are rampaging monsters-- both known and unknown--like that execrable, motherliking bermudagrass, but it's much too pretty an evening to waste thinking about bermudagrass. God, I do hate that stuff, though).</div>
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Not to be too perky (because my natural habitat is the dark side--if a glass is half full, that's probably because it was left out a couple of days ago and now tastes stale and has a gnat floating in it--but who are we kidding? we all know that glass is half empty), but the garden is full of loveliness right now.</div>
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Most winter, one or both pond pumps were out. Matt got them back in order and I <i>love</i> the pond with all the water going. LOVE it. I could (and do) sit here for hours, just absorbing.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pond with functional pumps and Granny's iris</i></td></tr>
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Not only is Granny's iris blooming, it looks great where we stuck it on the spur of a moment--it fills a sort of dead corner of the pond, softens the waterfall's rock pile, and gives the illusion of order just by being so vertical and clean-lined.</div>
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Three baby cardinals hatched, grew, and flew off from a nest their parents built in the gazebo's 'Buff Beauty' rose. Not a very good location, as we have been constantly by the pond, enjoying the weather, checking on the babies, and making the parents nervous. But it worked out in the end.</div>
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A <a href="http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/daylily/msg052316536965.html" target="_blank">very pretty daylily</a> (Patricia Snyder Memorial, which I bought a couple of years ago from the man who hybridized it at <a href="http://www.paynesinthegrassdaylilyfarm.com/" target="_blank">Paynes in Grass</a> in Houston), which has always been a bit delicate, is full of its first buds.</div>
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The <i>Crinum macowannii</i> that I bought as a great fleshy green seed several years ago now has a heavy umbel of flowers that smell like perfumed soap.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcdM2czrK8hyphenhyphen3zV2ZjjLetvseyhy-rrAwmzycUvaA2eT9Ghkr526-zG2c9OXxABDj4g4S3FVvPvj6WDEvBNYwdTkubVJE5JRgka1zCwxXLk6gusajOOHyXkTqa5eqcCujlNSZsRvzaIGL/s1600/Crinum+macowannii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcdM2czrK8hyphenhyphen3zV2ZjjLetvseyhy-rrAwmzycUvaA2eT9Ghkr526-zG2c9OXxABDj4g4S3FVvPvj6WDEvBNYwdTkubVJE5JRgka1zCwxXLk6gusajOOHyXkTqa5eqcCujlNSZsRvzaIGL/s320/Crinum+macowannii.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crinum macowannii<i>--I wish it would hold its head up, because the flowers are lovely and they smell gorgeous</i></td></tr>
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Our pond is now hosting two baby turtles! Matt says we have to catch them and humanely relocate them or they'll eat all our fish, but as they are currently the size of silver dollar pancakes, I'm not too fussed just yet. Soon, though. Those fish have enough to worry about without being harried by a pair of voracious reptilian freeloaders.</div>
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A smooth green tree frog had been hanging out in our blacklocust for the past week or so, looking adorably compact and vibrant.</div>
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The Chestnut Rose is putting on its first blooms, and--though still short--it is forming an impenetrable thicket of tiny leaves, suggesting the beautiful wall of dense privacy it will someday provide. </div>
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All my herb acquisitions (including two more new ones: African blue basil, and a purple-leaved orange mint) are doing well, and<i> Lavendula</i> 'Otto Quast' looks especially happy. (All except 'Pink Lemonade' thyme--it looked feeble when we got it, and it hasn't improved since. The dittany of Crete, which I thought was so obscure and cutting edge but is now absolutely everywhere to my chagrin, is doing quite well, though.) </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorJZhlkw05SW4JQyMit1bokuT59FvJxjQA0EDsD2DHzZi7o6fh4L_TQHQ1nTYE5ojCk5_w7EuW4s_DYwTFlUQ1N0YMEPDZssJW4Yk7TqfCG_mXc4Mj_LsdusmPQ2aB_D7q50PDv44guRZ/s1600/Lav+Otto+Quast+and+herbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorJZhlkw05SW4JQyMit1bokuT59FvJxjQA0EDsD2DHzZi7o6fh4L_TQHQ1nTYE5ojCk5_w7EuW4s_DYwTFlUQ1N0YMEPDZssJW4Yk7TqfCG_mXc4Mj_LsdusmPQ2aB_D7q50PDv44guRZ/s320/Lav+Otto+Quast+and+herbs.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Otto Quast' lavender in front, 'Victoria Blue' salvia behind, and </i>Caryopteris<i> to the right. You can see a little of the baby 'Margo Koster' rose, as well.</i></td></tr>
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No bats in the bathouse yet, though. I'm hoping the baby cardinals will give positive reviews of our garden's hospitality.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRrakOhRG18PQ60x0ZCqwgZ2kdmK8c0trmInr9jHBGCewsmtkp503vK4HmhZreyW7BZqFB_cwL_5HyWNoxcWaQdyRlEZy5QPPg8mbioKje-TToFHcEmfdap-MLS4SR6fqfF-Vrd7WSaSW/s1600/blue+flag+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRrakOhRG18PQ60x0ZCqwgZ2kdmK8c0trmInr9jHBGCewsmtkp503vK4HmhZreyW7BZqFB_cwL_5HyWNoxcWaQdyRlEZy5QPPg8mbioKje-TToFHcEmfdap-MLS4SR6fqfF-Vrd7WSaSW/s320/blue+flag+2.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The pond. In spring. Gosh, it's nice.</i></td></tr>
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-16966383170435367242013-03-24T19:47:00.000-05:002013-03-24T19:47:41.534-05:00New Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2012 was a good year in terms of garden expansion. We added number of new plants, and some of our 2011 additions bloomed for the first time.</div>
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But somehow, not all of the new material made it to the blog. So, in no particular order, here are some new things from Jan 2012 and beyond. </div>
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A particularly nice ''Kronprinzessin Viktoria' blossom--her blooms have a
tendency to untidiness that I'm not wild about, but this particular
flower is nicely geometrical. </div>
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'White Cloud' Muhly on a foggy morning--also 'Black Moudry' below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATc7gp_koPvZw7-Etu36y4365yr2S47u2s_csz3XzsZKMjuiLdFAjb3Ybg46F1TGz93Jq5Jk4EN2S08H2qhqsmpbHs1ll12hctwJJVnqn9SUrPXGYyLOyHGePz18dx2oXnl27t4xZb-ho/s1600/IMAG0637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATc7gp_koPvZw7-Etu36y4365yr2S47u2s_csz3XzsZKMjuiLdFAjb3Ybg46F1TGz93Jq5Jk4EN2S08H2qhqsmpbHs1ll12hctwJJVnqn9SUrPXGYyLOyHGePz18dx2oXnl27t4xZb-ho/s320/IMAG0637.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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Our first 'Wedding Cake' bloom! The plants are less than 8" tall, so this was an especially admirable effort. These are SUCH weird roses--the petals are strangely thick, almost vinyl like.<br />
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One of the first flowers ever on our 'Fortune's Double Yellow,' a rose I've been yearning for since, oh, 1995 or so. We bought it last year and it's already a 5-foot tall toothy beast. Tiny teeth, but a zillion of them, and all sharply recurved. You can easily stick your hand <i>in</i> a FDY--but don't count on getting it back out again. It's like the world's most vicious velcro. Pretty, though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJfWGPn9tRq1Ygt-UYlLNV7DvZsEvV2mGu0M9WNlmxag6Dj4GNN4RDMgfSCehelPbl2eu7x3jqWuK670jUjsbemPzo04XXZT56QLNyNZJxxNc6319GCcUJEvpw7goR49lk212oIDhZ1r8/s1600/FDY4_better.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJfWGPn9tRq1Ygt-UYlLNV7DvZsEvV2mGu0M9WNlmxag6Dj4GNN4RDMgfSCehelPbl2eu7x3jqWuK670jUjsbemPzo04XXZT56QLNyNZJxxNc6319GCcUJEvpw7goR49lk212oIDhZ1r8/s320/FDY4_better.JPG" width="221" /></a></div>
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More FDY<br />
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'Dainty Bess'--one of Matt's favorites. A bit hard to photograph unless you catch it at just the right moment (which this isn't).<br />
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'General Gallieni'--just a tiny little newly planted band at the time, but it threw out this nice little bud nevertheless (and which, if I were a proper rose lover, I would have pinched off so the little guy could put all his energy into his roots--but I just couldn't bear to).<br />
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Our first bloom from the yellow Louisiana iris from my grandmother's yard! <br />
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A particularly nice bloom from 'Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux.' He's less than 1 foot high, only about 6 months old, and yet he's sporting 5 very nice flowers, including this nicely shaded specimen.<br />
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'Red Smith's Parish'--why "Red" when it's quite obviously pink? I do not know. Perhaps it ruddies up with age? It appears to be quite free-blooming, though, having had at least one flower on it since February, despite being a little baby of a thing. <br />
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'Mrs Dudley Cross'--a very petalliferous Tea rose. <br />
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Finally, an okay(ish) picture of 'Spice'! I find this rose hard to photograph, despite its being a very generous bloomer.<br />
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Another 'Spice.'<br />
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I love this white scabiosa. Popular with the pollinators, too. Must be nectarlicious. <br />
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-89575053433046031382013-02-03T21:22:00.001-06:002013-02-03T21:28:49.132-06:00Fall Color, New Herbs, Bathouse!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Considering that this is Texas--and not Vermont--our yard actually had some decent fall color. The only problem is that is doesn't have it till mid-January.</div>
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Here's one of our Lacey oaks turning a nice blend of golds, oranges, and browns, making a radiant backdrop for Lewie, our pop-eyed berserker chessman.</div>
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And here's our Montezuma cypress<i> (Taxodium mucronatum)</i>, finally turning russet, with another Lacey oak to the right.</div>
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The Montezuma cypress is basically green 11 months out of the year, red-brown for three weeks, bare for 1 week, and then in starts over again. At least, that seems to be its pattern so far. It's still only about half bare, but it's already sprouting tiny spikes of green all over.<br />
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It's been a pretty mild winter, as you can tell by our rampant umbrella plant. We've had, oh, 10 or a dozen nights dipping below freezing and even into the 20s, but never really with much conviction. Only quite tender plants have been knocked back, and of those, only the ones that aren't sheltered.<br />
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We have a white <i>Crinum powellii</i> (sort of visible in the top pic behind the potted plants), that is between a 'La Marne' rose and a fence with 2-inch gaps between each slat. And it doesn't have a bit of freeze damage anywhere. And roses 'Red Cascade' and 'Burgundy Iceberg' are actually still blooming (weirdly, on the north and east sides of the house--apparently, this year's cold winds came from the south/west?).<br />
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Naturally, when the weather is this balmy, one has no choice but to plant things.<br />
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For some reason, I got a bug to finally track down two of the particularly interesting plants from <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2012/04/horticultourism-festival-hill-round-top.html" target="_blank">the gardens at Festival Hill</a> in Winedale: 'Goldcrest,' the lemon-scented cypress, and dittany of Crete, a kind of fuzzy, silver-leafed oregano relative.<br />
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The company I ordered from (Mountain Valley Growers--check out the adorable 1950s typeface on their box!) has a minimum, so I rounded things out with a 'Pink Lemonade' thyme, a lemon bergamot mint (<i>Mentha piperita </i>cv<i> citrata</i>), and an Egyptian mint (<i>Mentha niliaca</i>--I don't actually remember ordering that one, but what the hell. Sounds fun and exotic.) <br />
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The cypress will be growing up the back corner of the house, in the mint/lemon balm/pink <i>C. powellii </i>bed.<br />
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But the most exciting thing we planted was the bathouse Matt gave me for Christmas. <br />
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We (loosely) used the <a href="http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/InstallingYourBatHouseWoodenPostSteel%20Pole.pdf" target="_blank">instructions put out by Bat Conservation International</a> (based here in Austin, thank you very much!) to prep the box and mount it on a pole.<br />
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Per the bat folks, we bought a 16' "schedule-40 stainless steel pole with a 2" interior diameter (which I procured from the obliging folks at American Fence & Supply in Georgetown--who with much trouble--and some misgivings--fastened it to the top of my little Insight using 2 foam kayak mounting doohickies. They tied that sucker on tight, but the 30-min drive home on 130 was nerve-wracking all the same.)<br />
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The fence guy recommended the mounting hardware you see in the pic rather than the items in the PDF, so that's what we did. We cut up a 2x6, screwed it to the bathouse using 2-inch #8 wood screws (careful to avoid penetrating the body of the house itself), and then attached it to the pole.<br />
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(As a side note, the fence guys also sold me a cap for the pole, which I think the bat folks should consider adding to their instructions).<br />
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Then Matt used post-hole diggers to dig a 3-foot deep hole--which, being Matt, took just about no time at all. We raised it (definitely a 2-person job--you could really hurt yourself trying to do it alone), filled it halfway with dirt, tamped the dirt, applied a level, and filled it the rest of the way with a bag of kiwkrete.<br />
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Handsome, no?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIEY5DYt6tRQKriPQgtq5RFmwxsbkwCj_SyHFCz_crr5rwREcjr9fwcnW2ySA0PgKfaEBinu_GF-cgJpGBPYOZilXJgrKx9wum1ldL79mI3HFNbRHivSQj4I20Qyv0zDIU1V2BpUcsS5N/s1600/2013-1-3_Bathouse_erected.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIEY5DYt6tRQKriPQgtq5RFmwxsbkwCj_SyHFCz_crr5rwREcjr9fwcnW2ySA0PgKfaEBinu_GF-cgJpGBPYOZilXJgrKx9wum1ldL79mI3HFNbRHivSQj4I20Qyv0zDIU1V2BpUcsS5N/s320/2013-1-3_Bathouse_erected.jpg" width="166" /> </a></div>
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A few notes:</div>
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<li>While the bat folks recommended a sort of medium-tan paint job for bathouses in our area, Austin bat forums all seem to agree that <b>unpainted/unstained</b> was better for hot climates. So we are leaving ours as is.</li>
<li>Some instructions recommend creating a <b>3'-diameter concrete pad</b> around the base of the bathouse. Since ours is in a bed (practically on top of 'Burgundy Iceberg'), we did not do this. It's buried 3' down, though, so I'm not too worried.</li>
<li> Bathouses should be a minimum of <b>20' away from branches</b> where birds of prey might lurk. Ours is in one of the less-tree-infested spots in the yard, but even so I'm going to have to do some trimming stat (it needs to be ready before the bats return in the spring).</li>
<li>The bat folks recommend<b> 6-8 hours of direct sun</b>, with morning sun being preferable. As it is also possible for a bathouse to be too hot, I decided to err on the cooler side and install the house on an east-facing wall. In the summer, I <i>think</i> it will get 6+ hours of sun, but I'm not perfectly confident about this--it might be more like 5-1/2. But the west side of our house is just a horrible furnace in Jul-Aug-Sept, and the south is too tree-y. </li>
<li>A little way up the street there is a <b>street light</b>. Instructions say the bathouse shouldn't be lit up at night. I'm hoping the light is far enough away not to annoy, but close enough to offer a tempting all-night buffet.</li>
<li>That window by the bat pole? That's our bedroom window. If we get bats, we'll be able to lie in bed at night with the lights off and <b>watch them flitting about!</b></li>
<li>Matt says not to be disappointed if no bats move in. He's right, of course. It's a gamble. But it would be <i>so cool </i>if they did.</li>
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Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-59725806152574643552012-11-15T22:19:00.002-06:002012-11-15T22:19:26.457-06:00Two Plant Sales<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Dawn Star' rose by Dr. Griffith Buck, plus a bonus 'Green Rose' bloom in front</i><u><br /></u></td></tr>
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I've been really, really awol. No idea why, really--somehow, I just wasn't in the mood to blog anymore. For about 5 months.<br />
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However, everything is so very nice out that failing to document feels vaguely criminal. Plus: two plant sales! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkMIC3EetrwGkriZf2klpQ-mJjqrnQYxEF_5tj3SM0h7_t6SNoSmj2-TkwzfYZ1_1Rc77gU6-JpLNf1C2GqORowIHxPkX0TCkOp7RRndeNnvFQl4OdQEcNe8F49346neawsBxUweUdRAJ/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkMIC3EetrwGkriZf2klpQ-mJjqrnQYxEF_5tj3SM0h7_t6SNoSmj2-TkwzfYZ1_1Rc77gU6-JpLNf1C2GqORowIHxPkX0TCkOp7RRndeNnvFQl4OdQEcNe8F49346neawsBxUweUdRAJ/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the nice things: a rose we got for free and never cared about, but that has been a real trooper. And those wine-colored petals with white reverse are really outstanding. 'Burgundy Iceberg.' (I still think it's a stoopid name, though.)</i></td></tr>
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The first was a series of releases by a propagator of rare and antique roses called <a href="http://www.vintagegardens.com/" target="_blank">Vintage Gardens</a> in CA. They (if memory serves) collaborate with both the <a href="http://www.huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary.aspx?id=526" target="_blank">Huntington Garden</a> and the <a href="http://www.cemeteryrose.org/" target="_blank">rose garden in Sacramento</a>. They have a huge inventory of source plants, but they rotate actual propagules in and out--it being too expensive to keep every variety in stock all the time. Anyway, they had--I think--4 big releases this year at which they sold both rare old garden roses and a bunch of nifty found roses from the west coast. My rose-growing experience has been very Texas- and <a href="https://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/" target="_blank">ARE</a>-centric, so I had never heard of many of these.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, they don't share my love of Chinas or Bourbons (too cool and moist in their area?), but they do have an extensive inventory of Teas. (And Centifolias and Gallicas, for those with the climate for it.)<br />
<br />
To Matt's dismay, I ended up with 7 "bands" (which are extra-deep 4-inch pots, a common way to sell rose propagules):<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoOadl9rbFJ7DfxMQokRRzWOhCMbMnOqXUaP5eXAqldwz2yKwIycyVAKHfSWaWtbjyfLDNqhXv78AXxE5wLvytC7TH-tICl5nOFEFYZ-1072UY2ewXKncl5dZVH-qRnBmCP5dQERdGNA/s1600/DSC02355.JPG" target="_blank">Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmmavocado/6367367961/" target="_blank">E Veyrat Hermanos</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmmavocado/6367335473/" target="_blank">Red Smith's Parish</a></li>
<li><a href="http://rosesinbermuda.com/wp-content/gallery/bermuda-mystery-roses/img_0665-smiths-parish-640x427.jpg" target="_blank">Smith's Parish</a></li>
<li><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQhFXzkCcyQ/TaukdH07SvI/AAAAAAAADnI/Ca9VkXfhm6w/s1600/beginning_030.JPG" target="_blank">Rubens</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8FlUlzWdIRfrXsdPrbpiVlCRBvqInPNEup-A7n_dXiGYuEGNHs_yqYHXo_0fWiJFzBcypkER3NpcXsjTLPcg1fArBMYMdF_46DvVsQvy4AkeznLKec5ATLKHrtcg_j_QpoXKg4m6zovS/s1600/a+bowl+of+GG.JPG" target="_blank">General Gallieni</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.100073" target="_blank">Baretta St Amber</a> (one of those new-to-me found roses)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Miraculously, I found room for 5 of them; the other two will have to wait till we finish prepping the Great Wall bed between ourselves and our neighbor's property.<br />
<br />
My next desires (but where will we put them?!?) are '<a href="http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.172233" target="_blank">Oneto Home Saffron</a>' and 'Korbel Canyon Red'. Here's hoping for an early spring release.<br />
<br />
Then it was time for the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center's fall sale. Somehow, the theme of this sale (for me) ended up being Mistflowers. We've been trying to enhance the wildlife-friendliness of our yard, and a friend of Matt's calls mistflower "butterfly crack," so it was an obvious choice. The only difficulty was that it turns out there are (at least) 3 different species of bluey-periwinklish mistflowers: <i>Conoclinium greggii,</i> <i>C. betonicifolium</i>, and <i>C. coelestinum</i>. I hate making decisions of this kind, so I bought them all.<br />
<br />
The greggii was the only one I knew beforehand, but I think it is actually going to be my least favorite--it's a bit gangly, and the blue is comparatively washy. Meh. The betony-leaf mistflower and the "blue" mistflower (coelestinum) appear much more satisfactory. So far (after about 2 weeks in the ground!) they are very similar in color and habit--pleasantly moundy compared to the greggii. And a lovely, deep glowy blue that really stands out toward dusk. I haven't actually seen any butterflies around, but then the plants are just babies and it isn't really peak butterfly season anymore. Am very much looking forward to next summer, though.<br />
<br />
I also got:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Whiteleaf mountainmint (<i>Pycnanthemum albescens</i>)</li>
<li>Southern wood fern (<i>Thelypteris kunthii</i>)</li>
<li>Fall aster (<i>Symphotrichum oblongifolium</i>)</li>
<li><i>Agave havardiana</i></li>
</ul>
<br />
Other than unchecked plant greed on my part, the principle news from the garden is that a number of this year's earlier plantings are doing quite well.<br />
<br />
'White Cloud' is finally in bloom, and it is even more luminous than I remembered. The traditional pink Gulf Coast Muhly is all very well and good, but to my mind, 'White Cloud' is on a whole other level of numinous beauty. The picture below sucks, but it's all I have on hand.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb8AeLpJdC2YiEX9ETYs6dBcbAGNA619Tl3yNz_o5kHMBcfzfRBOFUoWA9uIqxmM8xBYwc-dPg7SRRHw5Ifhf7fEcJL5UleQK_E6FlO6C1mZNdDdy4O0rWirevbnEngQewbz335Jf5x9V/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb8AeLpJdC2YiEX9ETYs6dBcbAGNA619Tl3yNz_o5kHMBcfzfRBOFUoWA9uIqxmM8xBYwc-dPg7SRRHw5Ifhf7fEcJL5UleQK_E6FlO6C1mZNdDdy4O0rWirevbnEngQewbz335Jf5x9V/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pennisetum<i> 'Black Moudry' in front; </i>Muhlenbergia capillaris<i> 'White Cloud' in back; </i>Bouteloua<i> 'Blonde Ambition' on right</i> <i>- colors a bit muted by dew</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
'Black Moudry' Pennisetum was a bit of a wild card for me--I had no idea what to expect, and it turned out to be a rather remarkable grass. The habit is low, very symmetrical, and squatty, with bright leaves, so that it looks rather like a very green pincushion. Or a doughnut. Out of this doughnut bristle long, fat, stiff spikes in the most difficult-to-describe combination of colors--sort of like black mixed with purple and brown and aluminum. Because that's the odd part--to me, the color looks curiously industrial, almost metallic (but not as shiny as the word "metallic" would suggest). We'll need to move it--like pretty much everything else in the grass bed--but it really is dramatic and eye-catching. Landscape architects must love it--that weirdly artificial and symmetrical form, those fascinatingly peculiar flower spikes. It would be perfect in one of those industrial-chic gardens with containers made out of pipes and lots of rectangles and steel and concrete. It doesn't really match the mood of the grass-n-roses bed, which is more naturalistic and nativey, but it's much too interesting to replace.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJemK-dAoFlyFqzGIFzmBekd_vpz9DIalh7JvNjUjIaegKNYnMo3VAPDuhyqrTFkeDo8CHKUNZRhHpPXsmcvXjTvAKRMH2rPMnJtYvX-N3mW2oXTVwzXGrozPCSkdCQtfqLH5CWLYCW3Hq/s1600/IMG_0074.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJemK-dAoFlyFqzGIFzmBekd_vpz9DIalh7JvNjUjIaegKNYnMo3VAPDuhyqrTFkeDo8CHKUNZRhHpPXsmcvXjTvAKRMH2rPMnJtYvX-N3mW2oXTVwzXGrozPCSkdCQtfqLH5CWLYCW3Hq/s320/IMG_0074.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This isn't a picture of 'Cream Falls," but it does grow in the same bed as 'Cream Falls' - unknown miniature yellow climber</i><u><br /></u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
'Cream Falls' Pennisetum--I really had no idea how interesting pennisetums have become these days. 'Cream Falls' is wide, fine-leaved, and amorphous, with very large, very fuzzy fat cream-colored caterpillar-shaped spikes, which it bears in heavy profusion. It's a great grass to anchor a bed or to draw attention from far away, which is how I plan to use it in the G-n-R bed 2.0. Right smack in the middle, where it can dominate and also breathe a bit.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuB_dN3vt4TBTBtRJjTs6AnhGswb0-kmf4dQk66YWn-lE_Zkq68ylEh3o-nkGw2-jkMFGIQ5mFhuqy7KxdiReInpmpxkrfdjqCmMd87Dd68y__32-95MFYmBe3UJPNTqeFcAT_dMsxlRCL/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuB_dN3vt4TBTBtRJjTs6AnhGswb0-kmf4dQk66YWn-lE_Zkq68ylEh3o-nkGw2-jkMFGIQ5mFhuqy7KxdiReInpmpxkrfdjqCmMd87Dd68y__32-95MFYmBe3UJPNTqeFcAT_dMsxlRCL/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You can sort of see </i>Pennisetum<i> 'Cream Falls' blooms in this picture--but mostly you're seeing 'Caldwell Pink' and an unknown climbing yellow miniature</i><u><br /></u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Chandler's craglily (<i>Echeandia chandleri</i>)--I bought this interesting native lily at last year's LBJ sale, and it's put on a lot of growth in one year. It has low-growing rosettes of stiff, pointed foliage and great, tall 3+-foot flower spikes of airy yellow flowers, vaguely reminiscent of gaura, only much taller, a pleasant gold color, and a slightly greater density of blooms. It's blooming away cheerfully now (its 3rd week of blooms?), so it adds some interest at the end of the season, which is nice.<br />
<br />
On the negative side, we yanked Mme Alfred Carriere. I really hated her habit, which was to grow straight up, 4 or 5 feet above the roof of the gazebo, in a collection of stiff, off-center spikes that gave the gazebo the look of a 1980s haircut.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsTyMrHM2OWm_65q1S6vEEFphylJoBN2FuX4glM0WzOxB_6jylem90E2w51lBBRP0mz23wukonK3cfDRqM2bOWbX-AIjWg4GQNezzNIZdD91nfoXp7enFUq4FXoBPrmWQBdUbvaD5pKTL/s1600/quiff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsTyMrHM2OWm_65q1S6vEEFphylJoBN2FuX4glM0WzOxB_6jylem90E2w51lBBRP0mz23wukonK3cfDRqM2bOWbX-AIjWg4GQNezzNIZdD91nfoXp7enFUq4FXoBPrmWQBdUbvaD5pKTL/s320/quiff.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I gather these things are actually back in style now. Sigh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And she was a most reluctant bloomer, and was shading the dear little Ambridge Rose. So she's gone to the great roserie in the sky.<br />
<br />
Also negative: I'm reassessing 'Hot Cocoa'--when it blooms heavily (as it's doing now), I love the color, but the shape of the shrub has become too gangly and rigid for the G-n-R bed. And Matt hates it relentlessly. So we're going to transplant it to the spot where Ferdinand Pichard bit it. If it lives, great; if not, well, I'll be sad, anyway.<br />
<br />
Last bit of news: I just learned about two rose institutions here in Texas: the Chambersville Rose Garden, 5 acres of mostly antiques north of Dallas (planning for up to 22 acres in the future). Tours are by appointment, but they also have an annual festival: <a href="http://greensourcedfw.org/articles/celebration-heritage-roses-fifth-annual-rosedango" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://greensourcedfw.org/<wbr></wbr>articles/celebration-heritage-<wbr></wbr>roses-fifth-annual-rosedango</a><br />
<br />
Also north of Dallas, the town of Farmer's Branch has an annual rose festival: <a href="http://www.farmersbranch.info/play/coming-roses" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.farmersbranch.info/<wbr></wbr>play/coming-roses</a>--they had Bill Welch, Gregg Lowry (of Vintage Gardens) and Greg Grant for speakers.<br />
<br />
This year, the two festivals were Oct 20-21; we'll have to make a weekend pilgrimage next year.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, this makes 3 centers of rose activity (that I know of) in Texas: Tyler (home to Chamblee's roses, the TX branch of David Austin, and a very large municipal rose garden), north Dallas, home to the two festivals above, and Independence/Texas A&M (home of the Antique Rose Emporium and the TAMU rose breeding program--including Ralph Moore's collection). I wonder what others I don't know about?<br />
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-xbXCLJ267iGn3omO_N0XCBXm2u2RxyGcl9uHVbLRZo-u1uhidALv_NVH0kTMvNy2Dm5A1u33qjfG-4zcTKS6yp3VJAqfUQr34TLohv0ALoivtGjyp5GyCtxFMhrM_-eejmub5hY6_4C/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-xbXCLJ267iGn3omO_N0XCBXm2u2RxyGcl9uHVbLRZo-u1uhidALv_NVH0kTMvNy2Dm5A1u33qjfG-4zcTKS6yp3VJAqfUQr34TLohv0ALoivtGjyp5GyCtxFMhrM_-eejmub5hY6_4C/s320/IMG_0063.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Dawn Star' rose in background; 'Green Rose' in front</i><u><br /></u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-43357145988379952522012-05-12T21:27:00.000-05:002012-05-12T21:27:00.219-05:00Red CascadeThis spring's rains have been phenomenal for the garden--look how fat and lush and green everything is!<br />
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In particular, 'Red Cascade' has finally come into its own. It bloomed a little bit after Peak Rose but wow, it was loaded. <br />
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Here's to you, 'Red Cascade'!<br />
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It takes a few years to establish in a semi-shady spot like this one, but in the end, it comes up beautifully.<br />
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-80074484882893271682012-04-11T22:20:00.002-05:002012-04-11T22:20:38.064-05:00Horticultourism: Festival Hill, Round TopTwo weekends ago, we visited one of my favorite gardens in Texas--Festival Hill at Round Top.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoU8tl-x5ywtvv7MVlpiFvo8LQjDrmWcrNoiVD2rGvtx4M-0XGJFAnI76iPHY0CetEtk1b3iXEmYGUuadnXpLG_b82JNWXqJXtoAdmYJp_urv09QqP6TS0a_ASDxsm6_e5j4T5rSYGzJD/s320/tower+and+nasturtium.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="191" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cloister garden at Festival Hill, Round Top</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I had been before, but years ago, before my Horticultural Awakening, and only had vague memories of strange and whimsical stonework. Then, late last year, Matt & I were in the area, and I said, "Hey, what about that Festival Hill?"<br />
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And it turned out to be wonderful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcBst2AViLxY_HHEPZZFS2PsHQ1sweH9UGPYBBjmTAblmDl5r2TVgjW5xhTaK-_XeNykcmT7cIm4AyCrh4uX7kn3Esoe5WXm3PVB3k0-S79cEQWapD-uguDH6t5sGJ1J2vdhcU0LvBaeB/s1600/IMAG0486.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcBst2AViLxY_HHEPZZFS2PsHQ1sweH9UGPYBBjmTAblmDl5r2TVgjW5xhTaK-_XeNykcmT7cIm4AyCrh4uX7kn3Esoe5WXm3PVB3k0-S79cEQWapD-uguDH6t5sGJ1J2vdhcU0LvBaeB/s320/IMAG0486.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Steps leading from the Cloister Garden to the Mediterranean Garden. This sort of lovely, idiosyncratic detail--differing levels, an arch, a column, a gratuitous curve--is totally characteristic of the structures at Festival Hill</i></td></tr>
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Festival Hill is a music camp and (classical) concert venue occupying a number of large, antique buildings surrounded by woods. The grounds are defined by local stonemason Jack Finke's stonework, which charmingly combines the refined and the rough-hewn and looks like what you might get if a poorer civilization constructed itself out of the wreckage of an older, wealthier civilization. I love it--decadent, quirky, and very well suited to its location. Mr Finke, sadly, passed away in 2010--his <a href="http://roundtoprock.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">truncated blog</a> notes that his children took over his role as groundskeeper at FH as he took on more stone work. I hope they or someone else is able to carry on in his tradition there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMnESRylkNFLsv-rvasNS2PP9mVxn5niEqyNLoMiF0MadMJjmIaICY7pteqwODnp8DmRxQ9BCV25-VHl00UpQJ9QoIMY06L27Oon6SsjNFZ4OlZCnSEKFW3Lq0HCYjoeUMnamVICKarhg/s1600/IMG_0255.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMnESRylkNFLsv-rvasNS2PP9mVxn5niEqyNLoMiF0MadMJjmIaICY7pteqwODnp8DmRxQ9BCV25-VHl00UpQJ9QoIMY06L27Oon6SsjNFZ4OlZCnSEKFW3Lq0HCYjoeUMnamVICKarhg/s320/IMG_0255.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A nifty stairwell with a funky balcony sort-of-a-thing</i></td></tr>
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And then the plants, the result of the combined efforts of Madalene Hill, the famous herb gardener, Lynn Lowrey, the eminent plant collector and promoter, and current garden director Henry Flowers, are so neat! An unusual passionflower, a rare willow, a myrtle I'd never seen before, a citrus-scented cypress, a whole panoply of named lavender cultivars...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSdBvX0OM6MhF9q2-lUbn742_ZynQK0JUxjNUpV_h80gZ5GabuihziJKiAG5u26YIzMDBKwe5lcC5Bhocl1nmWoAzIbHuEtvV3S4W04uvDfADYVs7FshlRdx8R95fGFrStLSUPVVaPEA5/s1600/IMG_0268_crop.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSdBvX0OM6MhF9q2-lUbn742_ZynQK0JUxjNUpV_h80gZ5GabuihziJKiAG5u26YIzMDBKwe5lcC5Bhocl1nmWoAzIbHuEtvV3S4W04uvDfADYVs7FshlRdx8R95fGFrStLSUPVVaPEA5/s320/IMG_0268_crop.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lemon Cypress - </i>Cupressus macrocarpa <i>'Golden Crest'</i></td></tr>
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I got more inspiration and enlightenment from the small "Cloister Garden"--about 1,000 sqft, I guess--than from the entire rainforest pyramid in Galveston the week prior to that (I had a very nice visit with friends, but horticulturally, the pyramid was a bit of a shrug).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lVfXMGnAXj7ogQh5HhGDmAGTSm0jrVqww82Jm2M7y33_85wS-cRjH9R744lQ2IuzNP6JxVrAr9NGOoBxEKBtrz537-Rmiu5TRA0lmO2hJ_2erKye27hxFF3Rad9uewIxGR__grnQfVfr/s1600/IMG_0266.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lVfXMGnAXj7ogQh5HhGDmAGTSm0jrVqww82Jm2M7y33_85wS-cRjH9R744lQ2IuzNP6JxVrAr9NGOoBxEKBtrz537-Rmiu5TRA0lmO2hJ_2erKye27hxFF3Rad9uewIxGR__grnQfVfr/s320/IMG_0266.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cloister Garden at Festival Hill - a small homage to 'Souvenir de la Malmaison', it contains S de la M as well as its sports, 'Kronprinzessin Viktoria' and 'Souvenir de St Anne'.</i></td></tr>
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Whereas look at this niftiness--you want it, don't you? Someday, <i>it shall be MINE</i>. It's a super-curly willow, possibly <i>Salix alba</i> 'Curly Locks'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8DikCCTD9Z5jbO3vUw183SXxgvmSphQfIVG8j8xY5sa22gxPPiTC7718IXKqDAYcQOQuLfPmoFe2y2RIrzl0Mv2ojP_xX7Wk2Cf5Icrh3o0DAwXwRJtZV6SIur4-CaSyav4pUygN7Pwg/s1600/IMG_0250.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8DikCCTD9Z5jbO3vUw183SXxgvmSphQfIVG8j8xY5sa22gxPPiTC7718IXKqDAYcQOQuLfPmoFe2y2RIrzl0Mv2ojP_xX7Wk2Cf5Icrh3o0DAwXwRJtZV6SIur4-CaSyav4pUygN7Pwg/s320/IMG_0250.JPG" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salix alba <i>'Curly Locks'?</i></td></tr>
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Similarly, look at this beautifully robust lavender, <i>Lavandula stoechas</i>, possibly 'Otto Quast'? I've never had much luck with lavender, but look how sturdy and attractive this is.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5s6GzdvYhYzAD3IuD0DGrPBEdzbuE4x-gcWVFDMxqMS-R500Lvo5P_xYI78tErwLLhCqgXuqCkscJye-xvm9Z3KhlCGTkpvWB_uW6RTYGLHOXotAM_thcQjGnBbgrxNCa85kdtO_GGWi/s1600/Lavandula+stoechas+myb+Otto+Quast.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5s6GzdvYhYzAD3IuD0DGrPBEdzbuE4x-gcWVFDMxqMS-R500Lvo5P_xYI78tErwLLhCqgXuqCkscJye-xvm9Z3KhlCGTkpvWB_uW6RTYGLHOXotAM_thcQjGnBbgrxNCa85kdtO_GGWi/s320/Lavandula+stoechas+myb+Otto+Quast.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lavandula stoechas, <i>possibly 'Otto Quast'</i></td></tr>
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It was growing in a whole bed dedicated to myriad cultivars of lavender, oregano and other silver-leafed herbs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrQTdDL7CEzGyEpm-YgPr4E7D7pzooFETjXoqy2PbqragzQNT8MHAD9MhMVvVUFHQL11Z3PcOVMYvC591haP7uBS5nJmuCm5AlmHMILxbZrWt8gUH3XlaKpxTUrSUfMQD3urHAOQDf73O/s1600/IMG_0294.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrQTdDL7CEzGyEpm-YgPr4E7D7pzooFETjXoqy2PbqragzQNT8MHAD9MhMVvVUFHQL11Z3PcOVMYvC591haP7uBS5nJmuCm5AlmHMILxbZrWt8gUH3XlaKpxTUrSUfMQD3urHAOQDf73O/s320/IMG_0294.JPG" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mediterranean Garden--Madalene Hill ascribed this garden's success to excellent drainage and a thick mulch of gravel.</i></td></tr>
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In addition, the grounds include a "pharmacy garden," with all kinds of obscure medicinal plants from around the world. It's fortunate that photographs don't capture temperature--our first visit was at the height of the drought last fall, and the garden was blistering, dessicated, and muggy. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFsl6mhz1z6OqxpDVVSSiOy1mhCRjM0qHrqdjJAB59uTGEZ0W5wJtM2qcs7wp1IaAZ_gy5kh9igA_g34159Y0viB6l_2yUusfSAZOAv2Gs0iFEJz_I8MmCMmrWxpH0SJ5AtsUIw_Jg85s/s320/IMG_0304.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pharmacy Garden--looks pretty good for the worst drought in living memory.</i></td></tr>
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But they still contained many blooming plants. The grounds outside of the garden were in more dire shape. Look at this lovely bridge--over empty air and crispy weeds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I bet this bridge looks really lovely when you can't see its Sac-rete foundations...</i></td></tr>
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The pond is really quite big, but as you can see, the entire thing had evaporated. And the woods were full of dead trees.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The salty crust at the bottom of what was once a pond</i></td></tr>
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The map below shows you the extent of the pond--and the grounds as a whole, for that matter. I added some purple smudges where the gardens (that I know about) are. Our most recent visit was impromptu, and I was wearing utterly inappropriate dress sandals, so we didn't get to explore much to check back in.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Festival Hill gardens map</i></td></tr>
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We need to go back soon to see how the pharmacy garden looks when it gets moisture, whether any water has collected in the pond, and how the woods are doing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another of the delightful details that characterize this place--why build just another bridge when you </i>could<i> build a spitting god's head bridge?</i></td></tr>
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<span id="goog_489583625"></span><span id="goog_489583626"></span>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-45269717312743513022012-04-03T22:39:00.000-05:002012-04-03T22:39:35.082-05:00Peak Rose, Baby!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>On trellis: 'Fourth of July'; to the right of that: 'Cramoisi Superieur'; around the corner: 'Comtesse du Cayla'</i></td></tr>
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It's officially Peak Rose! Very nearly every rose in the garden is blooming like mad. Yay!<br />
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'Fourth of July' is making a splashy showing on the big trellis, and the ox-eye daisies we planted in the middle of last summer's drought are blooming and providing filler (those that survived, that is.) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Left front: 'Kaiserin Friedrich'; at its base: 'Ferdinand Pichard'; magenta scraggly thing: 'Wild Blue Yonder'; peach in corner: 'Comtesse du Cayla'; shrub by trellis: 'Cramoisi Superiuer'; on trellis: 'Fourth of July'</i></td></tr>
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The daisies and society garlic make a nice matrix to kind of glue this bed together. It's a bit untidy, but we just call that "cottagey" and hope no one looks too closely. We haven't really been able to keep on top of the weeds lately, either--they're delirious with rain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>At corner of house: 'Duchesse de Brabant'; speck of yellow next to that: 'Graham Thomas'; first big pink rangy thing: mystery cabbagey rose; rangy pink thing in front of trellis: possible "Maggie"; white behind the daisies: 'Souvenir de la Malmaison'; pink to the right of the daisies: 'Reine des Violettes'</i></td></tr>
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The gazebo is half-smothered by roses, and the AC bed, which received many of the fruits of our trip to <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2011/09/horticultourism-tyler-tx.html" target="_blank">Tyler</a> last year, is blooming up, starting with the indefatigable 'Belinda's Dream' and a baby 'Spice' that replaces one we lost back in 2007 to the <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2007/12/season-of-mellow-mists-and-fungalness.html" target="_blank">Horrid Fungus</a>.<br />
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By the pond, little 'Clothilde Soupert' has surprised and delighted us with the lavishness of her blooms. She's had some balling, but she's got so many flowers that a little browning and balling here and there doesn't much matter. CS reminds me of a bubble bath.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>L to R: last of the 'Golden Dawn' narcissus, which had a surprisingly long bloom period, 'Clothilde Soupert', and 'Victoria Blue' salvia.</i></td></tr>
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'Cramoisi Superieur' has always been one of my favorite roses, but for some reason, I have the <i>devil</i> of a time photographing it. My camera just cannot cope with that particular shade of dark magenta-red. Still, I thought these blossoms were unusually and enjoyably prim in shape. But the color just is not right.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And this is the first bloom (that I've captured) of 'Marchesa Boccella', which I received a year ago as a rooted cutting via the exchange on Helpmefind. That pretty purple weed is clambering all over MB--I need to yank it out, but it actually looks quite attractive with the light pink of this blossom.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Marchesa Boccella' with a rampant viney purple weed--a legume of some kind, I think.</i></td></tr>
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And finally, Peak Rose coincides with Peak Poppy this year. We've got an absolute forest of them in our Grass-n-Roses bed, some double,some single, some wildly fringed, but all the exact same shade of pink.<br />
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-23752349439561909162012-04-01T10:34:00.002-05:002012-04-01T10:34:36.810-05:00Peak Rose?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think we may be approaching Peak Rose. Things are popping into bloom all over the place. The rose garden by the kitchen door is coming along nicely--the society garlic and oxeye daisies are filling in between the roses and are starting to bloom.<br />
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'Fourth of July' is starting to flower up with its summery blossoms splattered with cherry red.<br />
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'Sombreuil' is covered in buds and has interestingly peachy-greeny tones before it opens.<br />
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The 'Tinka' cluisiana tulip is showing its butter-yellow interior.<br />
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The poppy buds have started opening.<br />
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And the weather is heating up--it was in the 80s over last weekend.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu2ulo2qqJCzo6zLjAqq2EJAr67Q75UVstj3jWPwN1TptuW9xNoBnu-Loo5yRkw8BQhy09Im4YdeBvVaD0jWk33_twUeEiHhH7_C-AqsrdQEdUbBKRNigAsJZHC5rmXZY81VR6Y0k55aH/s1600/IMG_0458.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu2ulo2qqJCzo6zLjAqq2EJAr67Q75UVstj3jWPwN1TptuW9xNoBnu-Loo5yRkw8BQhy09Im4YdeBvVaD0jWk33_twUeEiHhH7_C-AqsrdQEdUbBKRNigAsJZHC5rmXZY81VR6Y0k55aH/s320/IMG_0458.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-78036227889300802682012-03-21T22:06:00.000-05:002012-03-21T22:06:25.713-05:00Spring! Spring! Spring!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's not yet Peak Rose, but all sorts of things are booming and sprouting and leafing out.</div>
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For example, 'Hot Cocoa' is putting on this season's first flowers. Believe it or not, this is actually an accurate depiction of the color. Matt hates it, but I find it strange and entrancing. Even more than most roses, HC's color varies with the weather--cooler temperatures bring out the browny-silvery-lilacy tones that lurk under the orangey-red.</div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlONkmZCTEpE8QoJYSuA5GfuUjAGxJIfHgYsms5QTTwjcHhfdeJFRmexSz5uygK1kW4k5MI0sVY6nCO88ZQB48NWPWg0waZfiHjR84yFgFksNfhEMGQVqwlHG2VZVJ7TKu0nIeG66ASBt/s320/IMAG0352.jpg" width="191" /> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A lovely 'Hot Cocoa' bloom</i></span></div>
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'Green Rose' was one of our first roses to pop into bloom, and it's kept it up admirably. Interesting, as the "flowers" fade, they turn kind of straw-colored, which is the only time they're terribly visible. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgca4uH51uVAdT0WB8HrViMG-sb4wRDTClRN0R0zcT7jUKZIgv-afi6SwTwKE4lpGxhs7HZqDikP4kqeFRVgdyTKKm3PxrzzKvkI3vB-flQbQuc0178d6oxSEyfQq93PerT36Jk85kM4KaD/s1600/IMAG0396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgca4uH51uVAdT0WB8HrViMG-sb4wRDTClRN0R0zcT7jUKZIgv-afi6SwTwKE4lpGxhs7HZqDikP4kqeFRVgdyTKKm3PxrzzKvkI3vB-flQbQuc0178d6oxSEyfQq93PerT36Jk85kM4KaD/s320/IMAG0396.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>'Green Rose'--what can I say? We like floral oddities. </i></span></div>
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Meanwhile, <i>Tulipa clusiana</i> 'Tinka' materialized almost overnight. I had no idea they had even sprouted, when suddenly, they were in full bloom. Unlike many <i>T. clusianas</i>, this cultivar has warm golden yellow accents. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJqAlWJxSCpPohnqkIw-1e6Ql9nkN5Cd93_PMdsMgLo3-N2YJ2StEpYZCPUDxDE5v-TjkMlZXn57IKEPswMpVH9lPc4QX1314Xn5AncsKvWCFmYYB1vzffTnEpADWefXA6E81G1J5ApmO/s1600/IMAG0386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJqAlWJxSCpPohnqkIw-1e6Ql9nkN5Cd93_PMdsMgLo3-N2YJ2StEpYZCPUDxDE5v-TjkMlZXn57IKEPswMpVH9lPc4QX1314Xn5AncsKvWCFmYYB1vzffTnEpADWefXA6E81G1J5ApmO/s320/IMAG0386.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">T. clusiana<i> 'Tinka' </i></span></div>
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The <i>Iris virginiana</i> slip that I bought 2-3 years ago from Madrone Nursery has finally bloomed. It's a long, leggy thing, with a bright blue bloom. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDPUVlPk3Rf8ID_3X-dJiSzzthW24xlZ_GdB5y9tgasSJWXsuHdMggrN9-WrglrhW0ax7p7L6wjiI1jCivuN6C1hhyphenhyphen7X_qf21708y5pxQql-zC_52qqOw6W26kB2eMc6HbLG6tYrzArby/s1600/IMAG0390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDPUVlPk3Rf8ID_3X-dJiSzzthW24xlZ_GdB5y9tgasSJWXsuHdMggrN9-WrglrhW0ax7p7L6wjiI1jCivuN6C1hhyphenhyphen7X_qf21708y5pxQql-zC_52qqOw6W26kB2eMc6HbLG6tYrzArby/s320/IMAG0390.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Iris virginiana</span>--<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">purportedly, an unusually salt-tolerant variety, which will come in handy when the sea levels rise, but not much before</span></i></div>
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Poppies! Last year we sowed whole heap of <i>Papaver somniferum</i> from my Aunt P. I think we <i>maybe</i> got one small, sad bloom? <i>Not</i> a good year for the wildflowers--beastly drought. But this year, all of last year's frustrated seeds went nuts, and we have an impenetrable thicket of poppies. I've been checking on them (almost) daily, but one managed to bloom without my seeing it. Nevermind--there are about 50 more buds in on the way. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7COvKZOK0dh1WqlsiWublTSojg88GyfvXo1v2nX6uFB2W3PFKp96Ms17upL9tk1TMS-29-aMkm18eh5H7u7ItMliud1IJW7VstWtcyYq6aY_KCWB9JME5ZjpoidVpLdZ7Q7wT7JMqlN9n/s1600/IMAG0409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7COvKZOK0dh1WqlsiWublTSojg88GyfvXo1v2nX6uFB2W3PFKp96Ms17upL9tk1TMS-29-aMkm18eh5H7u7ItMliud1IJW7VstWtcyYq6aY_KCWB9JME5ZjpoidVpLdZ7Q7wT7JMqlN9n/s320/IMAG0409.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A blue-green forest of poppies, heavy with buds</i></span></div>
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'Mlle Franziska Kruger'--I'm not actually nuts about the quilled, wadded look that Mlle FK specializes in, but the colors are so very pretty--she's almost as changeable as Mutabilis.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8qeb4G-6gnODrn2f-al5hNKUZI1r92vYAqjeHwneFeoPZ2fbTRKKXcUCPlIyZ4LuD-_iEMsvbQIMpTVRkhlQyH2jQu678HMbVohvnVr1T2MQ_FoNZjFrYqCvX6_uEUg8J_YvZ4OwfMYH/s1600/IMG_0407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8qeb4G-6gnODrn2f-al5hNKUZI1r92vYAqjeHwneFeoPZ2fbTRKKXcUCPlIyZ4LuD-_iEMsvbQIMpTVRkhlQyH2jQu678HMbVohvnVr1T2MQ_FoNZjFrYqCvX6_uEUg8J_YvZ4OwfMYH/s320/IMG_0407.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One of Mlle Franziska Kruger's scrunched up flowers</i></span></div>
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And I caught 'Isabella Sprunt' about 30 seconds too late. Her flowers spend a long time as slender, elegant, very Tea-ish buds, then open into quite elegant and formal blooms... for about 5 minutes. After which they turn into this rather untidy thing, and by the next day, half the petals will have dropped. Still, that pale butter color is nice. But if you have to choose between them, don't hesitate: go with 'Ducher.'<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9sZCl1E-dxvHAEBtYm1ZjXSYMhUOkSEDBQbDI2PLt9vcff1J7e-x6ag7uZJc5nKCRm8L-I3n89wALPvWGhhD-iR9CtOvQNZK-OhCCDpv72675nwVpSGYN5xv-Rc_6xS69tSAkHGucvsX/s1600/IMG_0396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9sZCl1E-dxvHAEBtYm1ZjXSYMhUOkSEDBQbDI2PLt9vcff1J7e-x6ag7uZJc5nKCRm8L-I3n89wALPvWGhhD-iR9CtOvQNZK-OhCCDpv72675nwVpSGYN5xv-Rc_6xS69tSAkHGucvsX/s320/IMG_0396.JPG" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The mayfly-like flowers of 'Isabella Sprunt'</i></span></div>
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It seems like every spring, a different rose delights and surprises me. This year, it's 'Kaiserin Friedrich.' As a climber, she goes straight up--long, straight, limbs that withstand bending and weaving better than the average rose (I hate it when you're trying to thread a rose through a trellis and you have to bend... bend... bend--and at the last minute, it snaps). But her upward tendencies mean the blooms are a bit thin around her knees--she has (so far--we're in her 2nd year) few lateral branches to break into bloom. <i>However.</i> She has a decent load of blooms at the top, and I think she's starting to do a little more branching, so hopefully the trellis will fill in. But above all, how nifty are these flowers? Check out the ruffled margins on the petals of these buds.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The precisely fluted petals of two 'Kaiserin Friedrich' rose buds</i></span></div>
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They'd be fussy if it weren't for the obvious toughness and vitality of the plant itself. And look at the lovely range of colors: cream to soft yellow to peach to pink with darker pink margins. And that complex array of petals! It brings a real touch of sophistication to our otherwise rough-and-tumble DIY sort of a garden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXM8Ss6DHS4CqM6T8r9z9HN78OI5F9pgsAnSVThpMIdpEuUZmfuF8ftG4RqTyGRMXiCnn2R6xdPL_x84vlGC1EzejPuEHw37yMalG8DMhVlFNjmllDf7wQuAM_UdvYRc9cHCu3uLH-iqh/s1600/IMG_0360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXM8Ss6DHS4CqM6T8r9z9HN78OI5F9pgsAnSVThpMIdpEuUZmfuF8ftG4RqTyGRMXiCnn2R6xdPL_x84vlGC1EzejPuEHw37yMalG8DMhVlFNjmllDf7wQuAM_UdvYRc9cHCu3uLH-iqh/s320/IMG_0360.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A fully open 'Kaiserin Friedrich' blossom</i></span></div>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-35264909946380670342012-03-15T21:45:00.001-05:002012-03-17T21:57:17.436-05:00Pre-filter, New DoorsSo our awesome new powerful pond pump has been pureeing fish and then getting clogged by their sad, lacerated corpses.<br />
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Gross.<br />
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We've lost both Thor and Jupiter, veterans whom one would have thought had the age and wisdom to... not swim into a sucking vortex of doom.<br />
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So I decided to make a crude "pre-filter," as they're called in the pond biz. I got a cheap black bucket and drilled holes in it using a small keyhole drill bit. You want to make enough holes to give the pump unimpeded water flow, but not so many that the thing loses all structural integrity.<br />
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Ultimately, I'm planning to fill it with very coarse lava rocks to keep out the little fish; but as it is, it will at least keep the big fish, who are larger than these holes, from Vita-mixing themselves.<br />
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So far, it seems to be working fine.<br />
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Meanwhile, our favorite carpenter, Javier, made us a pair of swinging doors for the living room. We needed to be able to keep the cats in the living room with us without losing air circulation. Matt and I were stumped for years--we though of turning wooden screens into doors, but that's expensive and it's hard to find a design that would harmonize with the house and have small enough holes to keep the cats in. Then one day Matt spotted some <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=100351162&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=100351162&ci_kw=%7Bkeyword%7D&kwd=%7Bkeyword%7D&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-100351162&ci_gpa=pla" target="_blank">decorative aluminum panels</a> at our local hardware store and had a brainwave.<br />
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I'll be painting the woodwork and trim, but I think we'll leave the metal as is. The paint would only flake off, anyway.<br />
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The cats are mayhem-prone, so we don't like to let them into the front of the house unsupervised. But of course, they often run off to the kitchen to counter-surf while we're watching tv, the little hellions. Hence the doors. Now they can't escape bonding with us! Yay!<br />
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Thanks to Chuck and Ladonna, whose Christmas present funded these doors.<br />
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-68788258119783970332012-02-20T16:16:00.000-06:002012-03-17T21:57:50.937-05:00Holy Cumulostratus!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVB7d_znVeWgQGIlXhR4bISm9LyuweYYfUsy2hjCUieCSvA_VzfYeYmX3xA3H_ySCrJ0hiv_NSfSclMC-r2KHr7ivMQP6rgu6wIxipxyww19FUc_TRNTlGm80u6s9NPhgJbDNbzEdjT7S/s1600/IMG_0279.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVB7d_znVeWgQGIlXhR4bISm9LyuweYYfUsy2hjCUieCSvA_VzfYeYmX3xA3H_ySCrJ0hiv_NSfSclMC-r2KHr7ivMQP6rgu6wIxipxyww19FUc_TRNTlGm80u6s9NPhgJbDNbzEdjT7S/s320/IMG_0279.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This season's first bloom on 'Hot Cocoa,' showing its funky browny-orange-red coloring quite nicely. When it heats up, the bush will keep blooming, but in a less iconoclastic camaro red.</i></td></tr>
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EIGHT POINT SEVEN!<br />
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Last year, Elgin received approximately 15.3 inches <i>the entire year. </i><br />
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Now it's only Feb 19, and we've received over half that amount already.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6y8KBiDTNUNAhsacSWJqs5P8de2FmTc34yYU7_5PIBfLNe7dlN8DL9HurNCKxK2bRzwMqFqanSrp3-sFU4OpsN-sD3_mQ_MrxBDb-FDtOMatqOt0l0hI_3kvH9INnPq-5jGWa016VJ5j/s1600/IMG_0253.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6y8KBiDTNUNAhsacSWJqs5P8de2FmTc34yYU7_5PIBfLNe7dlN8DL9HurNCKxK2bRzwMqFqanSrp3-sFU4OpsN-sD3_mQ_MrxBDb-FDtOMatqOt0l0hI_3kvH9INnPq-5jGWa016VJ5j/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Buff Beauty's' unusually pallid first bloom (trying to make a cultivar possessive is SUCH a pain. You either end up with apostrophe congestion, which is the route I've chosen, or you have to lose the cultivar's single quotes altogether. Dammit.)</i></td></tr>
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Since the climate scientists who study La Niña are still, oddly, <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119152001.htm" target="_blank">predicting a dry winter</a> (what's left of it), this is probably a good thing; though, perversely, the persistent wetness has actually begun to freak me out a little. I had buried memories of the <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2007/12/season-of-mellow-mists-and-fungalness.html" target="_blank">Horrid Fungu</a>s that carried off so many of our roses back in 2007, but now that the ground seems to be permanently soggy, I'm remembering how aggressive and lethal that strain of canker/dieback/whatever-it-was could be.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ucWrdaDEXiQiBTOfaDLUNFqmJj9cMojHRsvHGtNWOYEYEWcv-DS1DbSAmGyySfBdmYmRovQH7dgWcPXsB0YM5gKbrC-1BJLivgT248e5nRrHZ1_wTpCGdzKl2lLLL0u7PrjzH8xqYoqz/s1600/IMG_0276.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ucWrdaDEXiQiBTOfaDLUNFqmJj9cMojHRsvHGtNWOYEYEWcv-DS1DbSAmGyySfBdmYmRovQH7dgWcPXsB0YM5gKbrC-1BJLivgT248e5nRrHZ1_wTpCGdzKl2lLLL0u7PrjzH8xqYoqz/s320/IMG_0276.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My first jonquils ever </i>(Narcissus jonquilla)<i> are in bloom! Hooray for these plucky little specks of yellow! Now each bulb needs to replicate itself about 10 times, and we'll actually have a decent-sized stand.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Still, everybody looks healthy so far, and there's no rain forecast for the next several days, so hopefully what we're getting here is a nice quenching, not a drowning.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaoLR32LcXf1d-I0RAC_cQ2xuxprMWSp0pSSZfoTCQFpjd0ms_8ej4t3lTyLiZvAP5dFrM5BxgILyi0kLI85X1OPq_I4oK7UUdOmSINrj1Lt1oqKpHPdt4bAEO5P_GVGJgwAujOoOd4WE/s1600/IMG_0247.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaoLR32LcXf1d-I0RAC_cQ2xuxprMWSp0pSSZfoTCQFpjd0ms_8ej4t3lTyLiZvAP5dFrM5BxgILyi0kLI85X1OPq_I4oK7UUdOmSINrj1Lt1oqKpHPdt4bAEO5P_GVGJgwAujOoOd4WE/s320/IMG_0247.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chinese sacred lilies</i> (Narcissus tazetta v. chinensis)<i>, a cheerful and reliable bloomer for us here in Elgin.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And in the interim, we've got a lot of blooming and greening. Our "lawn" (mostly clover at present, but what the hell; I'm sure the soil could use the nitrogen fixation) is lush and bright, our little grape hyacinths are blooming, the cemetery irises and Chinese sacred lilies are just finishing up their bloom cycles, and the snowflakes and jonquils are just getting started.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRzHsaYFwOeCrGkcO1GFmiTNmdFohFwPx1KlM8OLehewC64KfdIRcAiFQvfmmnrEUfvWlhpOmRRba2E4kWmMIGMXSIjXrPYstUfmikV_WF_lik-GVlkSdn9oHT4FTYEIT7wvkOSKatszI/s1600/IMG_0266.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRzHsaYFwOeCrGkcO1GFmiTNmdFohFwPx1KlM8OLehewC64KfdIRcAiFQvfmmnrEUfvWlhpOmRRba2E4kWmMIGMXSIjXrPYstUfmikV_WF_lik-GVlkSdn9oHT4FTYEIT7wvkOSKatszI/s320/IMG_0266.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dear little grape hyacinth</i> (Muscari neglectum)<i>. These are very cute, but are also rather thin on the ground at the moment. Here's hoping they spread.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
'Georgetown Tea,' 'Ducher,' 'Climbing Old Blush,' and especially 'Archduke Charles' and 'Mutabilis' are all in flower, to varying degrees. It's bright and springy and balmy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqibzHhjohD-Up76ymDMaH_Gpb0lHT8ixoUTekxam4B_DWgZqvyZ0qfTPQM3wUFob-OI6zU1Y8Ofsj1HCeh_GTiAqWHHl4DKUs1UIZsC7rZzK4f0J43pFjARFGObHLhnBmRTavf_oXPUvW/s1600/IMG_0271.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqibzHhjohD-Up76ymDMaH_Gpb0lHT8ixoUTekxam4B_DWgZqvyZ0qfTPQM3wUFob-OI6zU1Y8Ofsj1HCeh_GTiAqWHHl4DKUs1UIZsC7rZzK4f0J43pFjARFGObHLhnBmRTavf_oXPUvW/s320/IMG_0271.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Two of "Georgetown Tea's" fat, nodding blossoms</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxDC8ihhrOCk61mac-48wpmUT8jC2PU3DKs5-jNR7eUj1Bt9BOtEuQy1Wt9DVc1_nUDpBMkIh7f-9ZEimPNwyOMF3tn8hmJnezxSCCnUPEb5yvEjvi9P3m6W9DfGwncdTRo6nApXl0kx5/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxDC8ihhrOCk61mac-48wpmUT8jC2PU3DKs5-jNR7eUj1Bt9BOtEuQy1Wt9DVc1_nUDpBMkIh7f-9ZEimPNwyOMF3tn8hmJnezxSCCnUPEb5yvEjvi9P3m6W9DfGwncdTRo6nApXl0kx5/s320/IMG_0237.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Ducher'--one of our more bloomful roses right now. 'Ducher' is such a nice intermediate between formality and casual rusticity. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dlo7JqxR7YYxB5zSE68bl9pdN780DKoXmoEAFWYtiHoB426SYWYYvfCBlXEXYcovmxFDrsTY1GfaMvOIr6_xVUmYUOObeEviPxnmXhC8W3hHKtdh8dW5Vvift_EunHDy-cK2iAY2DAKG/s1600/IMG_0298.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dlo7JqxR7YYxB5zSE68bl9pdN780DKoXmoEAFWYtiHoB426SYWYYvfCBlXEXYcovmxFDrsTY1GfaMvOIr6_xVUmYUOObeEviPxnmXhC8W3hHKtdh8dW5Vvift_EunHDy-cK2iAY2DAKG/s320/IMG_0298.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of my better pictures of 'Cramoisi Superieur.' You've no idea how much trouble I've had with that shade of red. It's still not right, but at least it's in the neighborhood.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since we're apparently committed to spring now, Matt & I bought 8 (EIGHT!) cubic yards of compost and spread it all over the place. Between that and the rain, I'm expecting to see joyous, exuberant plant growth all over the damn place. (Note that we've cut back the grasses since snapping the pic below.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyYYyJyxVQqNaUFyrHzMmCexHna_ZP_f33xL4wi7sMMqU_feZH01Y2gx111OWjkVLyG_-PNxBCnQTDzDgmMToaNZM9A-Lb6e_1H3nnbi1OtadKuAfvX3FdrWMEM-_INRnRG-OqOin66By/s1600/IMG_0224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyYYyJyxVQqNaUFyrHzMmCexHna_ZP_f33xL4wi7sMMqU_feZH01Y2gx111OWjkVLyG_-PNxBCnQTDzDgmMToaNZM9A-Lb6e_1H3nnbi1OtadKuAfvX3FdrWMEM-_INRnRG-OqOin66By/s320/IMG_0224.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>OMG--so much compost.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxDC8ihhrOCk61mac-48wpmUT8jC2PU3DKs5-jNR7eUj1Bt9BOtEuQy1Wt9DVc1_nUDpBMkIh7f-9ZEimPNwyOMF3tn8hmJnezxSCCnUPEb5yvEjvi9P3m6W9DfGwncdTRo6nApXl0kx5/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOQ8lUmJJ10irS9PzeVqYwfT4tur5pyo8kAYs7vJGjm5we65QctxPlhkfOAj0Dg5uL7m6b_8si-xTv83SsaeggIWPR54kTVPbK-rnOylNbHyMbX13tAagjbaa46nzQPlGrtIqR0V4sbH_/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
Good winter. Nice winter. More like this, please!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOQ8lUmJJ10irS9PzeVqYwfT4tur5pyo8kAYs7vJGjm5we65QctxPlhkfOAj0Dg5uL7m6b_8si-xTv83SsaeggIWPR54kTVPbK-rnOylNbHyMbX13tAagjbaa46nzQPlGrtIqR0V4sbH_/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOQ8lUmJJ10irS9PzeVqYwfT4tur5pyo8kAYs7vJGjm5we65QctxPlhkfOAj0Dg5uL7m6b_8si-xTv83SsaeggIWPR54kTVPbK-rnOylNbHyMbX13tAagjbaa46nzQPlGrtIqR0V4sbH_/s320/IMG_0299.JPG" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another not-bad pic of 'Cramoisi Superieur'--it's a little darker with stronger purply undertones, but still--it's sort of like this.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-36707775935808649662012-02-05T15:07:00.001-06:002012-12-27T20:43:39.392-06:00Catalog of Roses (II)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yWuJm0FLWZgcMojmmawh2u6FHIY0_8fy1h-3mYnviQ2KFwIdI5vTJV97uEGzpFhcyZ4wHdO9HUSvqhAtYAsVkhc8BfmzUGXAbQ3DGDY1aQNca-6zdKdFcvFAbzLGnnS36EkzTkhzeJcX/s1600/2008_04-08_green_ice_clsup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yWuJm0FLWZgcMojmmawh2u6FHIY0_8fy1h-3mYnviQ2KFwIdI5vTJV97uEGzpFhcyZ4wHdO9HUSvqhAtYAsVkhc8BfmzUGXAbQ3DGDY1aQNca-6zdKdFcvFAbzLGnnS36EkzTkhzeJcX/s320/2008_04-08_green_ice_clsup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Green Ice'</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I used to maintain a <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2008/07/catalog-of-roses.html" target="_blank">list of the roses in our garden</a>, along with whatever interesting bits of info I could find about each cultivar.<br />
<br />
But the format was clunky, and some of the info needed updating. So I'm making a new (improved!) version. The list below will (eventually) link to individual profiles containing details about each rose.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH-LwPkUlgMR0XG3cQMGmqze4E2oRJO3Y1tHobl37qWjEZ_xousFGh4aZlKyDyCwvsZ1lxlS7Kprc58LqOVnMzTSh1AjBkowIefJTv_lQvAw67U1eEMErbIFYnaIlJu-FmjOQGUZZY-Fc/s1600/IMG_2044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH-LwPkUlgMR0XG3cQMGmqze4E2oRJO3Y1tHobl37qWjEZ_xousFGh4aZlKyDyCwvsZ1lxlS7Kprc58LqOVnMzTSh1AjBkowIefJTv_lQvAw67U1eEMErbIFYnaIlJu-FmjOQGUZZY-Fc/s320/IMG_2044.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Mlle. Franziska Kruger'</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>A</b><br />Abraham
Darby (English - Chamblee's)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Al<span style="font-size: small;">fie <span style="font-size: small;">(Min<span style="font-size: small;">iature<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">- HelpMeFind trade 2012)</span></span></span></span></span> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Archduke
Charles (China - ARE 2010)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>B</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Belinda's
Dream (Shrub - ?)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Buff Beauty (Hybrid Musk - ARE 1996)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Baretta S<span style="font-size: small;">t. A<span style="font-size: small;">mber (Tea, found<span style="font-size: small;"> - </span>Vintage Gardens, 2012)</span></span> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>C</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Caldwell Pink (Found - found 2009(?))</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Charles de
Mills? (Gallica - ?)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Climbing
Cecile Brunner (Polyantha - ARE)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Climbing
Old Blush (China - ARE)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Clothilde
Soupert (Polyantha - found 2009)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Comtesse du
Cayla (China - ARE 1996)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Cramoisi
Superieur (2- China - ARE 1996)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">D </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Dawn Star (Buck 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<strike><span style="font-size: small;">Dick Koster (Polyantha - ? 2007)</span></strike></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ducher (China - ? 2007)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Duchesse de
Brabant (Tea - ? 2007)</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJ3Fw-e1Gbrx7t8sNNwgcEbgmE5jabrf_M3I5EC2VE0CqLFc0eIX1jqu3WVogd-3QXEjN5Uu4nr5cpns8YVQXpIwKEO8isFpyJu_dyZydL4NU236kowRGx-OA1HxeWih16R26Ka-8isSX/s1600/2008_04-23-FerdinandPichard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJ3Fw-e1Gbrx7t8sNNwgcEbgmE5jabrf_M3I5EC2VE0CqLFc0eIX1jqu3WVogd-3QXEjN5Uu4nr5cpns8YVQXpIwKEO8isFpyJu_dyZydL4NU236kowRGx-OA1HxeWih16R26Ka-8isSX/s320/2008_04-23-FerdinandPichard.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> 'Ferdinand Pichard'</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>E,F</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">E. Veyrat Hermanos (Tea, Vintage Gardens<span style="font-size: small;"> 2012)</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Ferdinand
Pichard (Hybrid Perpetual - ARE 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Fortune's
Double Yellow (Species - ARE 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Fourth of
July (2 - Large-Flowered Climber - It's About Thyme 2008)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Francis
Dubreuil (Tea - ?)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">G</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">General Gallieni (Tea, Vintage Gardens 2012<span style="font-size: small;">)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Georgetown Tea (Found - ?)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Graham
Thomas (English - ?)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Green Ice
(3 - Miniature - Shoal Creek 2007)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Green Rose (China - ? 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Gruss an Aachen (Hybrid Tea - Chamblee's 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">H</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Hot Cocoa (Floribunda It's a Jungle 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Isabella
Sprunt (Tea - ? 2009)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">J,K</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Kaiserin
Friedrich (Tea - mailorder 2009)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Kronprinzessin
Viktoria (Bourbon - ARE 2011)</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">L</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">La Marne (Polyantha - ?) </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lichterloh (Hybrid Musk - ARE 1996)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">M</span></b><br />
<strike><span style="font-size: small;">Madame
Alfred Carriere (Noisette - ARE 2008)</span></strike></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Maggie (2 - Found Bourbon - ?)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Marchesa
Boccella (Hybrid Perpetual - HelpMeFind trade 2011) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Margo Koster (Polyantha<span style="font-size: small;"> - HelpMeF<span style="font-size: small;">i</span>nd trade 2012)</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Martha Gonzalez (Found China - ?) </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mlle.
Franziska Kruger (Tea - ?)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mrs. Dudley
Cross (Tea - ARE 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<strike><span style="font-size: small;">Mrs. R.M.
Finch (Polyantha - ARE)</span></strike></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mutabilis
(5 - China - asst'd - 2007-2008)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">N</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">New Dawn (Large-Flowered Climber)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVMc5rgAIqcvgzje_MJEeTLYRkmRvT0biNai2_rbCGvM2sDBdPwRtMjfkPYfVc12loqFUeyORtLWf4EGmsbDVC_oVK8GqCcp9rMHT8Ns70xvt0eLXplVp4smbMX_uRh6kxs5sX1nICBir/s1600/IMG_1937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVMc5rgAIqcvgzje_MJEeTLYRkmRvT0biNai2_rbCGvM2sDBdPwRtMjfkPYfVc12loqFUeyORtLWf4EGmsbDVC_oVK8GqCcp9rMHT8Ns70xvt0eLXplVp4smbMX_uRh6kxs5sX1nICBir/s320/IMG_1937.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Old Blush, Cl.'</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-size: small;">O,P</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Paul Neyron (Hybrid Perpetual)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">P<span style="font-size: small;">uerto Rico? (</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">cream-colored tea <span style="font-size: small;">[</span>Tea? - found 2009<span style="font-size: small;">])</span></span></span> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Q,R</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Red <span style="font-size: small;">Smith<span style="font-size: small;">'s Parish (<span style="font-size: small;">Bermu<span style="font-size: small;">da Tea, Vintage Gardens 2012)</span></span></span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Reine des
Violettes (Hybrid Perpetual - ARE 1996)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rh<span style="font-size: small;">odologue J<span style="font-size: small;">ules Gravereaux (Tea, Vintage Gardens, 2012<span style="font-size: small;">)</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">"not-</span></span></span></span>Rise'n'Shine" (2 - Miniature - found 2009)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">S</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Sharifa
Asma (English - Chambee 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Sombreuil (Large-Flowered Climber - It's a Jungle 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Souvenir de
la Malmaison (Bourbon - ?)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Speedy<span style="font-size: small;"> Gonzales (Cl. China -<span style="font-size: small;">?)</span></span> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Spice (Found/Bermuda - Chamblee 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">T</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The
Ambridge Rose (English - Chamblee 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Fairy (Polyantha - unkn 2007)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">U,V,W</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Wedding
Cake (Floribunda - Bur<span style="font-size: small;">ling<span style="font-size: small;">ton</span></span> 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Wild Blue
Yonder (Grandiflora - It's A Jungle 2007)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Winecup (Found - ARE 2011)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">X,Y,Z</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Zephirine
Drouhin (Bourbon - HelpMeFind trade - 2010)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVWwN8Faf5grEw2k1PSk7JN4xq1WmNmvfGjkCOJCw-4DKMrxhIk473Cn6xyUakNbt6b3o0qbZHspZDopBae5Z0P6Xny9Y7VsNdlZJOuOfxpgRXBe3ag2Qc3KFpV0-7Qf0dMeXdRelKdop/s1600/IMG_0876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVWwN8Faf5grEw2k1PSk7JN4xq1WmNmvfGjkCOJCw-4DKMrxhIk473Cn6xyUakNbt6b3o0qbZHspZDopBae5Z0P6Xny9Y7VsNdlZJOuOfxpgRXBe3ag2Qc3KFpV0-7Qf0dMeXdRelKdop/s320/IMG_0876.JPG" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Sombreuil'</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Updated 27 Dec 2012</i></span>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-75026079179783530282012-02-04T23:39:00.000-06:002012-03-17T21:59:33.745-05:00The Drowned Land of Ys<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mHgH_jOhfF_Jsxdjqc4YWOEcjRe6tWXuVjPAJE2hnPKDSHO7LcHwCSmpKqyctdde6S9UGxKSi2G23RY204X7RmfeCnJQilpBDK2QCMscn8WpDX-2a3JlV0CLsCr5DxUKkMEASY9OqdFI/s1600/IMG_0216+%282%29.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mHgH_jOhfF_Jsxdjqc4YWOEcjRe6tWXuVjPAJE2hnPKDSHO7LcHwCSmpKqyctdde6S9UGxKSi2G23RY204X7RmfeCnJQilpBDK2QCMscn8WpDX-2a3JlV0CLsCr5DxUKkMEASY9OqdFI/s400/IMG_0216+%282%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Green, green grass, dead trees, fluffy clouds</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We've received something like 10" of rain since the new year, so the countryside is lush with winter grasses. I love, love, love the juxtaposition of dead trees with bright green grass--I think some part of me reads it as some sort of metaphor for rebirth or the indomitability of life or something. Or maybe it's just really pretty. The streams have been swelling, the roads have been flooding, and the farm ponds are brim-full. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mHgH_jOhfF_Jsxdjqc4YWOEcjRe6tWXuVjPAJE2hnPKDSHO7LcHwCSmpKqyctdde6S9UGxKSi2G23RY204X7RmfeCnJQilpBDK2QCMscn8WpDX-2a3JlV0CLsCr5DxUKkMEASY9OqdFI/s1600/IMG_0216+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZtcZDFn0kbMx1w5o-o5OrXDqKF5WeJ8Hm0RaNPftz2B4exy-8pnq-ZzrXbQfkrEKzTgsz4MnTuaihQHXXxfMQ9-jRh0bc1xbyz_Cx84gptiNml02q-XuVR61X0pGcTyvt02nKK3oP7pL/s1600/IMG_0212+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZtcZDFn0kbMx1w5o-o5OrXDqKF5WeJ8Hm0RaNPftz2B4exy-8pnq-ZzrXbQfkrEKzTgsz4MnTuaihQHXXxfMQ9-jRh0bc1xbyz_Cx84gptiNml02q-XuVR61X0pGcTyvt02nKK3oP7pL/s400/IMG_0212+%282%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A swollen stream--possibly Walbarger Creek?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I love these ponds (or "tanks" as they're prosaically called around here). They're often dug into the side of inclines to catch the runoff and shored up on the far side with a retaining wall, so they look like an earthen basin set into the hill.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNC3fAP-3ajtLipkzX1wnXRjMdYVMwd5eLpMuIyfNP4sEdaamr_F6M9-BOY3ZatM9pwhIpj0DQB74rAnIAxl29kkMCtkPKU8Ss7xX0g9TxdxeDJnizkyPf2-C0cHd70GZe4jtxsVUz35c5/s1600/IMAG0302.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNC3fAP-3ajtLipkzX1wnXRjMdYVMwd5eLpMuIyfNP4sEdaamr_F6M9-BOY3ZatM9pwhIpj0DQB74rAnIAxl29kkMCtkPKU8Ss7xX0g9TxdxeDJnizkyPf2-C0cHd70GZe4jtxsVUz35c5/s400/IMAG0302.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A gloomy island surrounded by a mirror-like moat</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Right now, those basins are overflowing, and they're forming rushing, foaming little streams that snake across pastures and form impromptu fens in the low spots. Then they spill out of the fens, pour under the road, cross more pasture, and fill up another pond, before overflowing... and so on. When you drive through the countryside, you're surrounded by a world of moving, brimming, gushing, living water. <i>Lovely</i>. I tried to snap some pictures as I made my roundabout way back from the farmer's market yesterday (roundabout because the roads I would usually take were flooded), but the light was a little tricky. Eh, well. I did the best I could.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4BB56hreivui4pH3itRjjY7b5cvGGEvdWtTwuh0CAGaCUU3MBjBm5gbY9wYzXp3lxKUG1qFlA168HJATAbFlC5pgu6rKfqMLAjE6Ab4RFzHhsjSyxnQfvI7U0Xs4ZuVJOuj6qljvN9sP/s1600/IMAG0308.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4BB56hreivui4pH3itRjjY7b5cvGGEvdWtTwuh0CAGaCUU3MBjBm5gbY9wYzXp3lxKUG1qFlA168HJATAbFlC5pgu6rKfqMLAjE6Ab4RFzHhsjSyxnQfvI7U0Xs4ZuVJOuj6qljvN9sP/s400/IMAG0308.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Green grass, cacti, overflowing ponds</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What's odd is that some of these areas have been flooded since the previous inundation, over a week ago. Especially along FM 973--trees have been up to their ankles in water this whole time. These trees were dying of drought for the past two years; now any that survived are drowning. Hardly seems fair.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLQwTZ98WsXOjiX3Ni_Vci_amQTmZcuYaJcujsGytLJlJT_Q8D0Os4PuS_BfANDL29GizbtLSOwJCMa8oFgGMtlV6hyphenhyphenEFih4uU2DSBUS_dXNerEZvjmnMAWFDyYLqI5WzIkuJTrQVB4qw/s400/IMG_0218+%282%29.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Flooded trees and pastures</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There's a legend of a Breton city that was swallowed by the ocean--it's called "The Drowned City of Ys" (long story short: kings should avoid having orgy-loving daughters that traffic with the devil). It's been on my mind lately because this area looks like a drowned land these days. Only in this case, it's a <i>good</i> drowning (for the most part)--fat cows, green grass, filled ponds.</div>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-57030821684361284562012-01-15T22:14:00.000-06:002012-03-17T22:00:25.096-05:00Cemetery Irises in Situ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCEPkLEqU_IybDnpqA4nEJMeJl23g-yEJk9A3K-W9JDonh6yh-onV0mWoIS4uOrmJ6dhGuvomg4loAWp54_FmSrKeTRrCEaCaLl2-6dG91KFt0bZe6CrLxLHRbWziiVL89Z2gZjazzQuj/s1600/headstonetopper_LittigC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCEPkLEqU_IybDnpqA4nEJMeJl23g-yEJk9A3K-W9JDonh6yh-onV0mWoIS4uOrmJ6dhGuvomg4loAWp54_FmSrKeTRrCEaCaLl2-6dG91KFt0bZe6CrLxLHRbWziiVL89Z2gZjazzQuj/s320/headstonetopper_LittigC.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Design on the top of a gravestone in Littig</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Something about winter makes Matt & me want to visit cemeteries. This turns out to be a good impulse, since it means fewer brambles and better visibility. Interestingly enough, it's MLK weekend, and we ended up at two historically black cemeteries by coincidence. So that seems sort of seasonally appropriate.<br />
<br />
The first was Littig Cemetery on Bitting Rd in Littig. Reportedly, it was created on land donated by a former slave. It's located in a pretty valley of pastureland beneath a ridge that I assume was carved out by Wilbarger Creek, which runs through the area. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-idzmW2R6ZB0WLHyuwDjZG-hzRUotUYIC1xndA-WKRARccyZ45zBXQC5YhdoVoYckFoTLOXLn28zaiZIVVTKMwtoM-8kheVOdUin3dLSfQMDfhYKIBI3zNDqAfuRXGjWbgPWHr0W4tLLL/s1600/IMG_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-idzmW2R6ZB0WLHyuwDjZG-hzRUotUYIC1xndA-WKRARccyZ45zBXQC5YhdoVoYckFoTLOXLn28zaiZIVVTKMwtoM-8kheVOdUin3dLSfQMDfhYKIBI3zNDqAfuRXGjWbgPWHr0W4tLLL/s320/IMG_0094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A pool of irises in Littig Cemetery</i></td></tr>
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Clearly, some folks have recently put a lot of work into maintaining the cemetery--they've been chopping down the (many) trees that died in the drought and gathering big piles of brush. Nicely, however, they've left the big drifts of irises (presumably <i>Iris albicans, </i>commonly<i> </i>known, for reasons that will become obvious, as "cemetery irises") that are gathered in pools around the cemetery--it will be lovely in a month or two. So many cemeteries are tidy to the point of sterility, but it's so much more interesting when they let a little wildness in.<br />
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Littig is a tiny community that has dwindled since its heyday in the 30s and has seen (or<i> is</i> seeing) tough economic times, something that is reflected in the improvised tombstones on many of the graves.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgr5vwNv-7wi7wbS5tzDSX3HO9xQU85njTbesS3WU380XLimUnsUE5kNPjMYGtZEDK6FY6D3xrKSIDI81O0dxQLqExZY7G23lns6COSY8HLzlrTLEIgDhp-edWcdev5uRpcOloTtRTHwH/s1600/IMG_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgr5vwNv-7wi7wbS5tzDSX3HO9xQU85njTbesS3WU380XLimUnsUE5kNPjMYGtZEDK6FY6D3xrKSIDI81O0dxQLqExZY7G23lns6COSY8HLzlrTLEIgDhp-edWcdev5uRpcOloTtRTHwH/s320/IMG_0107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This homemade headstone reads "HUS P. THOMAS DIED 25"</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
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After Littig, we went to Parks Creek cemetery in Manor. From the road, it looks pretty small, and I had assumed it was fairly recent, which doesn't really interest me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NZ4fGkkt33TCfLwZSpbDtZn88KR9KFXhzcjy_T_yGDY-I05k5BXapzrnLyAnKusweUt4Ohpdpm21Gmc50r-gdwpuOR2AWxEYQAUAAYO1i-PdxGOg4LgCOL9PJL8jZGGIPTvbAqe6_A2o/s1600/IMG_0126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NZ4fGkkt33TCfLwZSpbDtZn88KR9KFXhzcjy_T_yGDY-I05k5BXapzrnLyAnKusweUt4Ohpdpm21Gmc50r-gdwpuOR2AWxEYQAUAAYO1i-PdxGOg4LgCOL9PJL8jZGGIPTvbAqe6_A2o/s320/IMG_0126.JPG" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Interestingly crooked tree and irises among the graves in the newer section of Parks Creek cemetery</i></td></tr>
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But Matt was intrigued, so I said, "Sure, okay, whatever." ...And then it turned out to be a wonderful find. <br />
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Like Littig, it has a lot of handmade grave markers. The one below is cast of concrete and stones with a decorative border made of steel wire in a green casing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8OT65gYMzPqCbOOcVj7dExNwnQnILN1ugu2KpVUotcK9TsYsPxNTiL0hmvEQUBSSZhr7ar-6xeuqj9vigsdUfPJXi8rmiEOtuMwrRTXRIqZ8s1CvCsOJP4SJRWdOIQfZbm-bSdMMiL6O/s1600/IMG_0141.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8OT65gYMzPqCbOOcVj7dExNwnQnILN1ugu2KpVUotcK9TsYsPxNTiL0hmvEQUBSSZhr7ar-6xeuqj9vigsdUfPJXi8rmiEOtuMwrRTXRIqZ8s1CvCsOJP4SJRWdOIQfZbm-bSdMMiL6O/s320/IMG_0141.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A headstone at Parks Springs cemetery</i></td></tr>
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But the most interesting thing about this cemetery is that it goes on and on back into the woods. It is apparently grew slowly over the years, the older sections becoming overgrown while the new sections were being used. So if you press your way through the brush, greenbriar, and other inexplicable thorns, you find little pockets of graves surrounded by irises, cacti, refuse, and drought-killed trees. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0U0m1F4IFX1lc4rhCLdhmgshpUdClWLv9f-K3XQQ95xOfuOKROTSdI9Xk6VZiD6unkgLRJrPuXna0nlP8B_wLzVigg1ghyJsZti2O0oCUiGIQS4-3u-m8Oi3A8Gv3iQ_vNu7nLzIfiXa/s1600/IMG_0180.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0U0m1F4IFX1lc4rhCLdhmgshpUdClWLv9f-K3XQQ95xOfuOKROTSdI9Xk6VZiD6unkgLRJrPuXna0nlP8B_wLzVigg1ghyJsZti2O0oCUiGIQS4-3u-m8Oi3A8Gv3iQ_vNu7nLzIfiXa/s320/IMG_0180.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You have to scramble through scrub to reach this clearing</i></td></tr>
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This interesting thicket contains a huge clump of agave. It's a little macabre, but throughout the cemetery you can see colonies of plants presumably thriving on... people. Yum.<br />
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Honestly, though, if there's one thing touring small, old cemeteries teaches you, it's the impermanence of most grave markers. It only takes a decade or two of neglect to topple obelisks, shatter stones, and efface lettering. A giant agave cluster or a pool of irises makes at least as good a monument as stone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcurWUoBqhM609_wydqUBNg2CZzmISytAtzuKIlVEAXzSCarEcw6JI_Vt7xN48hYVaJUR2X6GxeWNuOTNfKU1JQsAOrNB6luozThuM-Nh8kD2xO4blzyjH_eIaW0J3Hq157Pe0u610OI9D/s1600/IMG_0170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcurWUoBqhM609_wydqUBNg2CZzmISytAtzuKIlVEAXzSCarEcw6JI_Vt7xN48hYVaJUR2X6GxeWNuOTNfKU1JQsAOrNB6luozThuM-Nh8kD2xO4blzyjH_eIaW0J3Hq157Pe0u610OI9D/s320/IMG_0170.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A huge clump of Agave (americana?) Somewhere under that tangle is the remnants of a small metal grave marker.</i></td></tr>
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The plants also make a nice permanent bouquet. What's interesting is that some of the graves back in the woods are only from the seventies (others go back at least to 1900). It doesn't take at all long for a cemetery to be overrun.<br />
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In both cemeteries, many of the best-preserved headstones are those of veterans; this one from 1975 is in good shape, but it's fairly deep in the woods.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5XumvdyuMMVJp0Cp7MVhtOFYyj3Q0nmrN5-Yi5JCUgsRYly88RQBSyQH6qVxdf-P8Q4ae6sbdu9CZToYizrhyphenhyphenQpvdWQ-C7dEpP0JqaYtWk2vWiBLJqLDKjxOvkgMcvCi4TYHaNtvv5rp/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5XumvdyuMMVJp0Cp7MVhtOFYyj3Q0nmrN5-Yi5JCUgsRYly88RQBSyQH6qVxdf-P8Q4ae6sbdu9CZToYizrhyphenhyphenQpvdWQ-C7dEpP0JqaYtWk2vWiBLJqLDKjxOvkgMcvCi4TYHaNtvv5rp/s320/IMG_0161.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>George L. Allen's headstone</i></td></tr>
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...Where you reach it by wading through irises--hundreds and hundreds of irises. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAURLDoNfkzqs6giQJ_8jzw4m4zbcSv8G0YqqcjgAW7OU73IpBprvvj_7oUBOF5iYodaP2yUdRCojZsvbyte_JZ5Z1iRvSeMdNP4GTcpMxtyXQ2NJ4W6r43P9ajJCVyRWo6cm2gMqaw2Md/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAURLDoNfkzqs6giQJ_8jzw4m4zbcSv8G0YqqcjgAW7OU73IpBprvvj_7oUBOF5iYodaP2yUdRCojZsvbyte_JZ5Z1iRvSeMdNP4GTcpMxtyXQ2NJ4W6r43P9ajJCVyRWo6cm2gMqaw2Md/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A glorious glade of irises (presumably, </i>I. albicans)<i><br /></i></td></tr>
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-25491193046389106082012-01-01T13:41:00.002-06:002012-03-17T22:01:04.905-05:00Holiday Garden Additions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a good holiday for the garden.<br />
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I got a new pair of my favorite gardening gloves, which are stretchy and close fitting, so no bulk hanging off the ends of one's fingers, but with nice leather on the palms and insides of the fingers for dealing with thorny roses.<br />
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Mom and Dad gave me a bird feeder with pole for my birthday. It's made by a company called "Droll Yankee," which they assure me is the best. So far, it seems to have defied the squirrels and doves, so it's an all-round success. (Also, I've switched to safflower seeds, which are said not to appeal to S & D and which fit better in my existing bird feeder anyway.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaG2pXK5k5UVJHzLz5vG4BtA6aliyHT9ItScN_Rk_O8xwphCTS5PHOKSjsqyF9-rQoEPQVTXyr2GnVaeqL3xqJUPNC3M1wzLEjAHiwuFZp3UGFkJVEua3xM0ZNshcttRuaZ4TNxNHLJ4v9/s1600/GrassBedBirdFeeder_20120101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaG2pXK5k5UVJHzLz5vG4BtA6aliyHT9ItScN_Rk_O8xwphCTS5PHOKSjsqyF9-rQoEPQVTXyr2GnVaeqL3xqJUPNC3M1wzLEjAHiwuFZp3UGFkJVEua3xM0ZNshcttRuaZ4TNxNHLJ4v9/s320/GrassBedBirdFeeder_20120101.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>New bird feeder in G-n-R bed, embellished with new baby grasses</i></td></tr>
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The climax, of course, was the awesome new Savio 2050 pond pump, which is currently sending gushing torrents of water through our waterfall. It's so strong, it picks pebbles up from the bottom of the pond and sends <i>them</i> through the waterfall. Yowza.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvEdM7PD6aGhxuylnhjmNasdcC-sohsm0K_q__CoxVHoxDfgJ6WUxzYaJ5p0jKGfuIA2__KJHZiVKug6af3K4eUb5xq4o2_fi6rAp9wKRO1vRHjxwgoDOUM9LFkGyXsJHpiKqOHxeeUtf/s1600/pond_w_Savio2050_20120101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvEdM7PD6aGhxuylnhjmNasdcC-sohsm0K_q__CoxVHoxDfgJ6WUxzYaJ5p0jKGfuIA2__KJHZiVKug6af3K4eUb5xq4o2_fi6rAp9wKRO1vRHjxwgoDOUM9LFkGyXsJHpiKqOHxeeUtf/s400/pond_w_Savio2050_20120101.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The amazing pumping power of the our new Savio 2050. Actually, the camera doesn't really capture the full volume. It's like this, only </i>more.</td></tr>
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Then the denouement was my birthday present from Matt--eight (EIGHT!) new 'White Cloud' <i>Muhlenbergia capillari</i>s (the grass we saw at the Atlanta Bot Gar that <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2011/11/this-grass-almost-made-me-miss-wedding.html" target="_blank">almost made me miss my cousin's wedding</a>) and a sample pack of 12 more grasses that Matt picked out for me from Dove Creek Gardens in Tennessee. (Why isn't there a major grass nursery here in Texas??? We have lots of grass. And not a lot of water. No brainer.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVbUFmJT7t7oxLdFgeDENVq8nSLEN3MtRz8K3I6UvBodE0w4FOUYfExhAb1Gb3XnM6zfoduQpRKiwr88PQ9R937etMfDO-z0sDNT4LvKEY-_sL4tBtcxJ9sQ04CP66kpaUvIIQTaIfc48/s1600/Birthday_grasses.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVbUFmJT7t7oxLdFgeDENVq8nSLEN3MtRz8K3I6UvBodE0w4FOUYfExhAb1Gb3XnM6zfoduQpRKiwr88PQ9R937etMfDO-z0sDNT4LvKEY-_sL4tBtcxJ9sQ04CP66kpaUvIIQTaIfc48/s400/Birthday_grasses.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Matt's sampler of interesting grasses</i></td></tr>
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Here's what was in the sampler pack:<br />
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<i>Andropogon scoparius</i> 'Prairie Blues' (little bluestem--some debate as to whether this cultivar is in <i>Andropogo</i>n or <i>Schizochyrium</i>)<br />
<i>Carex buchananii</i> (leatherleaf sedge )<br />
<i>C. pendula</i> (weeping sedge)<br />
<i>C. testacea</i> 'Prairie Fire' (sedge)<br />
<i>Eragrostis elliotii</i> 'Blue Eros' (blue lovegrass)<br />
<i>Festuca actae</i> 'Banks Peninsula Blue' (blue fescue)<br />
<i>Miscanthus sinensis</i> 'Nippon' (maidengrass)<br />
<i>Panicum virgatum</i> 'Heavy Metal' (switchgrass)<br />
<i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i> 'Moudry' (fountain grass)<br />
<i>P. messiacum</i> 'Red Buttons' (fountain grass)<br />
<i>P. villosum</i> 'Cream Falls' (feathertop)<br />
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We're using the 'White Cloud' as the background matrix for the Grass-n-Roses bed, studded with the various sampler grasses. So far, everything is tiny little dry tufts, so it's a little hard to tell what it will ultimately look like. I imagine some fine-tuning will eventually be required, just as it was for the Mexican feathergrass (<i>Stipa/Nasella tenuissima</i>), 'Dwarf Hamlin' fountain grass (<i>Pennisetum alopecuroides</i>), and 'Blonde Ambition' big grama grass (<i>Bouteloua gracilis</i>) we had already planted. Oh, and the cute little nimblewill (<i>Muhlenbergia shreberi</i>), sideoats grama (<i>Bouteloua curtipendula</i>), and big muhly (<i>Muhlenbergia lindheimeri</i>).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LbVrCj4S2rYOeC0YhnjnLE78cIRP8YJfKVUjtwtuCX6MDobpfpORfOAMAgh2lRahq6XHnPBjrf-ApULogdmI7HUID70eqlfXLSa7n6K0s14A5JnXkEMke-dVXzJ-vSMMkt42Clkb0hNz/s1600/PmessiacumRedButtons_20120101.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LbVrCj4S2rYOeC0YhnjnLE78cIRP8YJfKVUjtwtuCX6MDobpfpORfOAMAgh2lRahq6XHnPBjrf-ApULogdmI7HUID70eqlfXLSa7n6K0s14A5JnXkEMke-dVXzJ-vSMMkt42Clkb0hNz/s200/PmessiacumRedButtons_20120101.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pennisetum messiacum<i> 'Red Buttons,' <br />glowing in the sun</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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All told, that makes 18 kinds of grasses in the G-n-R bed. Plus inland sea oats in the shade bed:<i> <b>19!</b></i> Not bad. It's not quite the Grass Garden at Kew, but still--not bad.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDNnticCKrmAGi0zKhjAOfcXsfSFhHWG1_e0qsCgDVogcO6efpyOzG7xg9d95qOgIfcsWgGbUvs80V-AX3hPvNAC3Qg0dAr1hqKnqEufkXOTMkKp-GyvJGRMc773XcIYntC3eH-7LJ3gk/s1600/IMAG0294.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDNnticCKrmAGi0zKhjAOfcXsfSFhHWG1_e0qsCgDVogcO6efpyOzG7xg9d95qOgIfcsWgGbUvs80V-AX3hPvNAC3Qg0dAr1hqKnqEufkXOTMkKp-GyvJGRMc773XcIYntC3eH-7LJ3gk/s320/IMAG0294.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another view of waterfall & G-n-R bed</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-71759603075624773792011-12-11T14:37:00.001-06:002012-03-17T22:01:24.899-05:00Pond Pump and IrisIn what is obviously a Christmas miracle, today I accidentally came across two pieces of documentation that I really needed and thought were lost forever:<br />
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(1) Our current pond pump's capacity is (a puny) 560 gph. It's a "Smartpond" pump, model #DP560<br />
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To put this into perspective, my Christmas present this year from Matt is going to be a super-powerful "professional-grade" Savio 2050 (we got $100 off at Amazon!). In other words, it will have 4 x the pumping power. This will obviously require some kind of weir or basin at the top of our waterfall, or it's going to shoot water straight out like a fire hose. Am thinking of attempting something with one of those cheap aluminum catering pans.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMGMBdD_eu1LNcrVppDug5r5HscpLGO1C8fqJVPNDXGr_PVXEccNRZgpKqoSGBxe2n1cPZJ-jJjDFaCAAXhYAdnk7HxoEwyJWT4iWyOdXprBBRnBaW-0lQuQPpxz-QAwX0SXc0JEi4zwT/s1600/aluminum+steam+table+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMGMBdD_eu1LNcrVppDug5r5HscpLGO1C8fqJVPNDXGr_PVXEccNRZgpKqoSGBxe2n1cPZJ-jJjDFaCAAXhYAdnk7HxoEwyJWT4iWyOdXprBBRnBaW-0lQuQPpxz-QAwX0SXc0JEi4zwT/s320/aluminum+steam+table+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There's a guy online who shows<a href="http://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/1993-diy-small-pond-waterfall-weir/" target="_blank"> how to turn a plastic tool bin into a weir</a>, and I'm thinking of imitating him, only I need the flexibility of aluminum because of the irregular shape of the aperture at the top of our waterfall.<br />
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(2) The second documentation-related miracle was that I stumbled upon--and read, stranger still--an old Lowe's receipt that (amazingly) listed the name of the iris cultivar that I bought from them and then promptly forgot months ago: 'Spartan.' (I had googled 'Hector,' 'Troy,' 'Achilles,' and even, desperately, 'Trojan' trying to track this thing down to no avail. Right culture, wrong piece of geography.) It's near the volcanic rocks in our pond bed, and is a lovely sulky shade of burgunda, or so the picture indicates.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7cn5mkdGg69QEzPFvrX-OdCHtDugtZvDahycDH-UGN0Yhdx4ktxjNWgEN7ehqJYI_iFm4CEtwPBNMHfvY_JBuvp4wwlITVU3yFmZ4XGFCi2DLMWzXI5RMkFGWspwgfG3URgAelTS-gVk/s1600/Iris+germanica+Spartan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7cn5mkdGg69QEzPFvrX-OdCHtDugtZvDahycDH-UGN0Yhdx4ktxjNWgEN7ehqJYI_iFm4CEtwPBNMHfvY_JBuvp4wwlITVU3yFmZ4XGFCi2DLMWzXI5RMkFGWspwgfG3URgAelTS-gVk/s320/Iris+germanica+Spartan.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Iris germanica 'Spartan'</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pic from van Bloem bulbs: <a href="http://www.vanbloem.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_ID=14">http://www.vanbloem.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_ID=14</a> </i></span></div>
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-68735940374736091642011-12-08T21:59:00.001-06:002012-03-17T22:01:49.987-05:00But I LIKED Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of HappinessWe're going to take an unusual detour from our regularly scheduled programming into politics. I realize that my readers (all three of you--how I cherish you!) don't come here for political disquisitions. However, this particular issue is important enough to be an exception.<br />
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The Senate has recently passed a bill (S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act) containing provisions that <b style="color: #ffd966;">allows US citizens on US soil to be detained indefinitely by the military without trial.</b> (It is a measure of how low we've sunk that we're accustomed to detaining non-citizens indefinitely, and we barely blink when US citizens are detained--or assassinated--by the US on foreign soil. But at least for the moment, the idea of detaining US citizens here at home indefinitely is shocking and appalling. As it should be.)<br />
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The House also has a version of this bill (<a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HR01540:" target="_blank">H. 1540</a>), so the two bills are now in conference to be brought into consistency with one another prior to final passage and signature by the president. The White House, though it has made some vague rumblings about vetoing it, appears to be doing so under the deranged impression that the problem with the bill it that it is too <i>limiting</i> in its scope of presidential prerogative.<br />
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If you like freedom, or America, or justice, or if you are opposed to banana republics in general and to living in one in particular, please write to the morally bankrupt goons in DC and tell them to knock it the fuck off. I don't know how they justify their actions to themselves (to us, they use a lot of bloviation about "protecting the American people" and how traitors don't deserve defense lawyers), but this bill is a wholesale violation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" target="_blank">Amendments 5</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" target="_blank">6 of the Bill of Rights</a>, which were intended to protect us against detention without due process and indefinite detention. <br />
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On the lefty side, here's <a href="http://www.salon.com/2011/12/01/congress_endorsing_military_detention_a_new_aumf/singleton/" target="_blank">a detailed breakdown of the issue by Salon's Glenn Greenwald</a>. The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/us/politics/senate-approves-military-custody-for-terror-suspects.html?_r=1" target="_blank">NY Times</a> has a piece as well.<br />
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Right-wingers and libertarians have no reason to favor this bill, either. To his credit, Rand Paul was one of only SEVEN* senators to speak and vote against NDAA. Here's a <a href="http://spectator.org/blog/2011/12/01/national-security-nonsense%20" target="_blank">right-wing perspective from The American Spectator</a>.<br />
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The ACLU has a <a href="https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3895&s_sbsrc=111205_AdvocacyNDAA_fixNDAAredirect%20" target="_blank">form letter </a>you can use that they will automatically forward to your reps and senators.<br />
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Alternately, you can write your own letter and post it to each of your rep/senators/president individually--<a href="http://whoismyrepresentative.com/">whoismyrepresentative.com</a> will get you their contact info.<br />
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If you live in my neck of the woods, these are your elected representatives:<br />
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Senator Cornyn: <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm" title="blocked::http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm">http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm </a></span></span></div>
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Senator Hutchison: <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://hutchison.senate.gov/?p=email_kay" title="blocked::http://hutchison.senate.gov/?p=email_kay">http://hutchison.senate.gov/?p=email_kay</a></span></span></div>
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Representative McCaul: <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://mccaul.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=3&sectiontree=3" title="blocked::http://mccaul.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=3&sectiontree=3">http://mccaul.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=3&sectiontree=3</a>
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></span><br />
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President Obama: <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments" title="blocked::http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments">http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments</a>
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And here's what I wrote. It's probably too wordy and sarcastic, and it will presumably only be glanced at by an aide or two and then deleted, but if enough of us write in... maybe the aide's delete finger will get a cramp. That's something.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The National Defense Authorization Act is a travesty. It is blatantly
unconstitutional, and more than that, it is immoral, unethical, and, by
furthering the corruption of the government, undermines the stability of the
country. </i><br />
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<i>
</i><i>It is difficult to find language strong enough to describe how evil and
dangerous this legislation is, particularly sections 1031-1032 of the Senate
version of the bill (S. 1867), which allow US citizens to be indefinitely
imprisoned by the military and allow the military to imprison anyone
who “substantially supports” al Qaida. </i><br />
<i>
</i><br />
<i>I’m appalled that I should have to point this out to the </i>legislative branch of the government<i>—people
whose basic job qualifications include a passing familiarity with the US
Constitution—but indefinite detention and detention without due process are
blatantly, trenchantly, utterly unconstitutional. The Fifth and Sixth
Amendments are perfectly clear on this point:
[No person shall be]</i><b><i> </i>deprived of life, liberty, or property, without
due process of law</b><i>; and </i><b>In all
criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public
trial</b><i>. This echoes that fundamental formulation of American values
from the Declaration: that among our inalienable rights are life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness. </i><br />
<i>
</i><br />
<i>You cannot attack a more essential principal of our government, even of our
identity as Americans. It is ironic that this egregious example of legislative malfeasance
is being defended in the name of fighting treason. The legislation itself is a
more violent piece of treason against America than all of al Qaida’s
bombing and shootings, including September 11<sup>th</sup>. In fact, it might
be looked upon as al Qaida’s crowning achievement.</i><br />
<i>
</i><br />
<i>I vehemently urge you to vote against this bill when it emerges from
conference. And I will vote against—and campaign against—anyone who supported
it.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Sincerely, </i><br />
<i>&c.</i></blockquote>
<i></i><br />
<i></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPz2vYDS0ZI8cvyUOqjp3SpyrFPgdE6Vv4a20nU7Bd2pCzXHbxcIMZnX8HIdbADhLgp_NwlAlbBL6rE-_GMOF6zACmLeMngp76nc8cxEo401QM9BgddU7Ms8qfisRgRwUvb8mzouMXEyl/s1600/statueliberty-537x442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPz2vYDS0ZI8cvyUOqjp3SpyrFPgdE6Vv4a20nU7Bd2pCzXHbxcIMZnX8HIdbADhLgp_NwlAlbBL6rE-_GMOF6zACmLeMngp76nc8cxEo401QM9BgddU7Ms8qfisRgRwUvb8mzouMXEyl/s320/statueliberty-537x442.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I had trouble coming up with an illustration for this post, but I finally decided to go with the cute little girl in the Statue of Liberty costume. Let's not let this little girl down, okay?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>From: <a href="http://www.inhabitots.com/how-to-make-a-diy-statue-of-liberty-halloween-costume/statueliberty/">http://www.inhabitots.com/how-to-make-a-diy-statue-of-liberty-halloween-costume/statueliberty/</a></i></span></div>
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*The seven nays were Coburn (R-OK), Harkin (D-IA), Lee (R-UT), Merkley (D-OR), Paul (R-KY), Sanders (I-VT), Wyden (D-OR).</div>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-32239518132650194822011-12-02T22:13:00.001-06:002012-03-17T22:02:44.780-05:00Designy ThoughtsI've never been very designy about gardening--mostly, I find a neat plant and then find some place to stick it. But I'm trying to be a little more deliberate about our planting decisions (after our front beds suffered an overdose of the I-don't-know-let's-just-stick-it-here syndrome). As part of this effort, I recently bought a book that's just <a href="http://ca.phaidon.com/store/architecture/the-garden-book-9780714839851/">a fat little compendium of gardens</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwiVuI8EHvA3c3nkMtPMaA9v8sYVE3iqbR418ZfaA4wuZNems5-K1Qn6cUPNvNVTLr0G7qwqXZHjgnXHqx8yenSdRe6QuDRYDeyqWdFrX3c79gQLRcjJ_gQQyQY7lU1B5iwLpTzNjIiYC/s1600/gardenbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwiVuI8EHvA3c3nkMtPMaA9v8sYVE3iqbR418ZfaA4wuZNems5-K1Qn6cUPNvNVTLr0G7qwqXZHjgnXHqx8yenSdRe6QuDRYDeyqWdFrX3c79gQLRcjJ_gQQyQY7lU1B5iwLpTzNjIiYC/s320/gardenbook.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
Each garden gets a single page with a paragraph or two of text, which I thought at first was going to be annoyingly superficial. In the end, though, I think such a broad survey actually helps to clarify things that you hadn't ever articulated to yourself before. For example: I like topiary. I had no idea. I never thought I cared about topiary one way or another. But many of the gardens I sticky-flagged were topiary embellished if not downright topiary-centric.<br />
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For example, I mentioned in <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2011/09/horticultourism-tyler-tx.html">a previous post</a> how much I liked the use of topiary in the Bagatelle rose garden in France. I like how, in combination with the lawn and the trees in the background, the smooth green of the boxwood edging and the topiary cones keep the roses from being too gaudily overwhelming.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2280mfirScQisaQ9VAS6VIqdt-U0pO3C2tWTJxcPEIbBfVSfN9DU5CpNmwwzmxfoJpmrLvoUxORJhkQVA5nZmaPzPn8ox0C7bRfhb-ewG9zBE750BQ6TeS8MvHz0ahFz7EkjpngIaRf6x/s1600/bagatelle+rose+garden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2280mfirScQisaQ9VAS6VIqdt-U0pO3C2tWTJxcPEIbBfVSfN9DU5CpNmwwzmxfoJpmrLvoUxORJhkQVA5nZmaPzPn8ox0C7bRfhb-ewG9zBE750BQ6TeS8MvHz0ahFz7EkjpngIaRf6x/s320/bagatelle+rose+garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> The rose garden at the Bagatelle in France. Image from <a href="http://hiddenneststudio.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html">http://hiddenneststudio.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html</a> </i></span></div>
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I also like how they impart structure and tidiness--roses being a bit apt to be blobby or scraggly.
And they provide height, as well, which is nice since roses tend to be
short--the topiaries add drama and help integrate the rose garden with
the background. The columnar metal trellises, standard roses, and swags provide a similar punctuation mark sort of function--they help break the garden into discrete and intelligible chunks instead of its being an undifferentiated mass.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJpD27pkrO-mEVULGNJMRfCmBoiw-msqQed_GCFW61LnSNIM2JZ03nPhnDU3hPcsPPwrHT_FCJnjZoNnDssSfZCYuMa5OLWEJca0msFJsLcWK-YpYByYsVg_76srxBFtCagzUuAXM4BOx/s1600/2cones_wherewewalked.info.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJpD27pkrO-mEVULGNJMRfCmBoiw-msqQed_GCFW61LnSNIM2JZ03nPhnDU3hPcsPPwrHT_FCJnjZoNnDssSfZCYuMa5OLWEJca0msFJsLcWK-YpYByYsVg_76srxBFtCagzUuAXM4BOx/s320/2cones_wherewewalked.info.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Another view of the Roseraie at the Bagatelle in France. Image from <a href="http://www.wherewewalked.info/bagatelle.htm">http://www.wherewewalked.info/bagatelle.htm</a></i></span></div>
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The same concepts apply to this garden at Arley Hall in the UK. A riot of a perennial bed, made intelligible by the pauses and cleanness provided by an immaculate green lawn, some austere topiary/hedges, and a brick wall. I look at this example with particular interest because a perennial bed is alarming in much the same way as blank verse is--it's such a free-for-all. There are so few rules or guidelines. How does the gardener (or poet) know where to begin?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zfAeG4DkIagC08-3lfgOnORsNgf299zqmyOPbW287US1Prhcq776RBVadZmne6ZHqUJaPmQsIlmLtccQTuh8015lHJdOSfjiLLhnpvuEmXfwSlQwZ-SJ9zAvYYpbM01C7dQsvA_XGooE/s1600/arley_hall_herbaceousborderalcove.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zfAeG4DkIagC08-3lfgOnORsNgf299zqmyOPbW287US1Prhcq776RBVadZmne6ZHqUJaPmQsIlmLtccQTuh8015lHJdOSfjiLLhnpvuEmXfwSlQwZ-SJ9zAvYYpbM01C7dQsvA_XGooE/s320/arley_hall_herbaceousborderalcove.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Arley Hall's Herbaceous Border, Cheshire. Image from <a href="http://www.arleyhallandgardens.com/gardens.html">http://www.arleyhallandgardens.com/gardens.html</a> </i></span></div>
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The Foresters House in Wiltshire (couldn't find a pic online) by Preben Jakobsen, though much more contemporary, was similarly interesting. It showed how you can choose a plant with a strong, dramatic structure (in this case, an iris), and use it in the perennial bed to slow down the viewer's eye at some strategic point. It's like it gives your brain a place to pause and process.<br />
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Then there's the Birch Allee at the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Ohio.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Birch Allee at the <a href="http://www.stanhywet.org/article/article_view.aspx?UID=3ead7b5d-c50b-4a27-aefb-ac4ddc18de95">Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Ohio</a>. </i></span></div>
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The walk is actually much longer than this photo indicates. In the<i> Garden Book</i> photo, the base of the trees is planted, dully, with Asian jasmine. And really, what we're talking about here is two long rectangles with a perfectly straight sidewalk in between. And yet, that long, golden walk with those pale, white birches is just so arresting. If I ever get a several-thousand-acre estate, I'll be sure to plant an allee just like this.<br />
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One of my very favorite gardens in the whole book had no flowers whatsoever--the <a href="http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=74346">curious topiary garden</a> in the cloister at the Monasterio de San Lorenzo at Santiago de Compostela. It is wonderfully strange, secret, and mysterious. What do all those endearingly stubby symbols mean? And why do they look Asian? Or possibly Mayan? Unfortunately, there was exactly one photo of it on the internet (how is that possible?!?) and it is copyright protected (see link above).<br />
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I also liked Mottisfont Abbey, designed by the very same Graham Thomas for whom the lovely but maddening 'Graham Thomas' Austin rose was named.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Graham Stuart Thomas's garden as Mottisfont Abbey. Image from <a href="http://thelondonreviewer.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/mottisfont-abbey-flower-garden-2-19708.jpg">http://thelondonreviewer.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/mottisfont-abbey-flower-garden-2-19708.jpg</a></i></span></div>
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Once again, I think I was drawn to the contrast between formalism and informality. Somehow, I had never grokked onto the fact that a cottage garden can include formal elements like giant topiary pillars. I know it now, though...<br />
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But that's not really<i> enough</i> topiary. What you really need is nothing but grass, a pond, and a dozen or so gargantuan clipped yew pyramids.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Stonehenge-like collection of weird giant topiary at Athelhampton Manor. Image from <a href="http://www.alicesgardentravelbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Athelhampton-Great-Court-Fountain-Alice-Joyce-photo-500x375.jpg">Alice's Garden Travel Buzz</a></i></span></div>
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This is from the grounds of Athelhampton Manor in Dorset, UK. I like it for all the reasons I would think that I wouldn't like it--it's austere, rigidly geometric, the colors are decidedly sombre, and it's utterly artificial. But I love it. Monumental, inexplicable pyramids towering over the visitor like Ents or moai or something. What every garden needs.<br />
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Finally, the book had a surprising number of Chinese garden windows, apparently known as "lou chuang." I couldn't find any really good examples online, though this one is certainly quite pretty:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A Chinese garden wall window. Image from: <a href="http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travelwithtiff/1/1285257720/tpod.html#_">http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travelwithtiff/1/1285257720/tpod.html#_</a></i></span></div>
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What it doesn't capture is the way (some) Chinese gardeners use the windows in garden walls to artfully frame some particular scene or garden element, or combination of colors and textures. I'm hoping to someday make a western version of this in the fence by our pond to create (what I hope will be) an enticing glimpse of the pond as seen from the side of the house.<br />
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So that's it: topiaries and garden windows. I'm not really sure how to break this new development to Matt...<br />
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-58051338926796008392011-11-21T21:04:00.001-06:002012-03-17T22:03:42.192-05:00This Grass Almost Made Me Miss a Wedding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Masses of 'White Cloud' Gulf Coast muhly</i></span></div>
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Matt and I were in Atlanta last weekend for my cousin's wedding. We went to the Atlanta Botanical Garden during the day, where we saw the <i>awesomest</i> grass--'White Cloud' Gulf coast muhly (<i>Muhlenbergia capillaris</i>). It makes frothy masses of pale blond billows, and it is very aptly named: it's like being surrounded by a fluffy, luminous cloud.<br />
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In my excitement over sharing pix of this beautiful new grass with my brother, I kept the three of us from leaving the hotel on time, which meant we had to slip in the side as the bride was processing up the aisle. Oops. The irony is, my brother doesn't really care about plants at all ("Sure. It's awesome," he said, appeasingly. He did not say, "Can we go now?" but I'm pretty sure that was in the subtext.) The further irony is that none of my pix really do the plant justice. You'll just have to take my word for it: in real life, it's awesome. AWESOME.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">More 'White Cloud' in the background</span></i></div>
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Anyway, the ceremony was very nice (flowers were <i>very</i> stylish--terra cotta orange lilies and lime green accent flowers. And the boutonnieres were made of moss and yellow globes of the disc flowers from some sort of asteraceae--very funky. And at the reception: sashimi!). I don't think anyone noticed our late entrance, aside from my gimlet-eyed grandmother.<br />
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And we really enjoyed the botanical gardens (good thing, too. Admission was $20 a pop! Yeesh.) It wasn't a super-geeky bot. gar.--labeling and signage was spotty; you got the feeling it was more into design than botany. But it was very pretty, and intelligently pretty. Sometimes this kind of pricy destination garden depends on waves of gaudy annuals (yuck) to wow the visitor. But when the heart of your gardens is perennials and shrubs, you have to know how your plants will work in all four seasons. In Atlanta, for example, they left spent hydrangea heads on the fading shrubs, which is wonderfully seasonal and melancholy; not the Disney World approach.<br />
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My second favorite plant, after the inestimable 'White Cloud' was this radioactive Japanese maple, 'Yama Kagi' or "Full Moon" maple.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Acer japonicum 'Yama Kagi</i></span>'</div>
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Here's a closer view, showing the brilliant color and interesting leaf shape (click for a bigger version). I started making sounds about digging a really deep hole, filling it with peat moss and sulphur, and trying to grow this glorious thing back in Texas. Matt just snorted. Maybe he was remembering my earlier attempt at this kind of thing with the doomed <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2009/06/mood-indigo-garden-updates.html">farkleberry</a>. Ours is a cruel, cruel climate.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Closer shot of 'Yama Kagi'</span><br />
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</i></i>Also of interest was this espaliered loquat--who knew you could grow them this way? Matt thinks it's insincere, but I think it's a very clever way to enjoy your loquat without having to find space for a giant, shaggy monster.<i><i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Espaliered loquat </i>(Eriobotrya japaonica)</span></div>
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Other than that, my favorite thing was the orchid house, which was really a wonderful place: tons of freaky strange orchids, several very nice water features, and three staghorn ferns that were <i>bigger than stags</i>. No lie. Beyond that, it was just a place that felt nice to be in, maybe because it featured a stimulating balance between formality and wildness.<i></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Orchid house with giant staghorn ferns</i></span></div>
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This was one of many nifty weird orchids in the orchid house. <i><i><br /></i></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Strange pink orchid</span><br />
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</i></i>Finally, my other favorite thing of the whole trip. I give you--Bugscuffle, Texas. It's better than Oatmeal, Dime Box, or even my old favorite, North Zulch. To whomever named this town: my hat is off to you.<i><i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><i>Bugscuffle, Texas</i></i></span></div>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-46575572158085393712011-10-29T17:43:00.001-05:002012-03-17T22:04:10.100-05:00October: I Love You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> 'Buff Beauty,' back in bloom after a long, grouchy hiatus</i></span></div>
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Love, love, <i>loving</i> the lovely weather.</div>
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Things are blooming again. Not that it's raining, mind you. They're just so relieved that it's not 113F anymore. I think it's like those investors that keep buying US bonds despite the downgrade in our credit rating. They're so relieved that we haven't had a complete meltdown that they've decided to take our continued solvency on faith. So with the plants. Sure, we've had a downgrade in our weather quality for the past few years, but at least the climate's still capable of doing autumn at all, right? At least we're not Namibia.</div>
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And we've been planting again, also on faith. (We're like those big corporations that took stimulus money and are now taking a chance on the economy by hiring agai--oh, wait.) Anyway, we're really happy with some of our new additions.</div>
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For example, this 'Victoria' <i>Salvia farinacea</i>. My phone tends to be a<i> leetle </i>over-enthusiastic about saturating its colors, but this deep indigo isn't too far off from the real thing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrep-XdveKlxhWbs7MTDLwvn5PyFSGuXp65xE1gI_hbPMBrMLXVx6xXMXpzEGkpZXu40vsiXKwAuX0y6KjVrXZAf66D9DHvZ5p5cm8Pr8n4CsN9PPIAegLMYkRzZDCqBJ8V9BxxHY8ydmh/s1600/IMAG0171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrep-XdveKlxhWbs7MTDLwvn5PyFSGuXp65xE1gI_hbPMBrMLXVx6xXMXpzEGkpZXu40vsiXKwAuX0y6KjVrXZAf66D9DHvZ5p5cm8Pr8n4CsN9PPIAegLMYkRzZDCqBJ8V9BxxHY8ydmh/s320/IMAG0171.jpg" width="287" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Salvia farinacea<i> 'Victoria' </i></span></div>
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And another gorgeous treat from the <i>Salvia</i> genus: bog sage (<i>S. uliginosa</i>). I didn't get a very good picture of this tidy, upright, ~2ft perennial, but it is almost that vibrant and luminous, except that it's prettier in real life. Once Matt has propagated it, I'm going to put this one all over the place. That's how much I love its cooling brightness. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhmMwJerl3vv3j8Yc8hIhYKJhMSSYPoYjL72GU8xZQbdvGVlppGpizpRVtgHaqgC1ht6KSUGzM4Nzj_IGYyD0HFRdQdluxNNdFBdpdzlwP1mp1vxvmDRgyMLrwofME_rS3AHDWD895uaj/s1600/IMAG0174.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhmMwJerl3vv3j8Yc8hIhYKJhMSSYPoYjL72GU8xZQbdvGVlppGpizpRVtgHaqgC1ht6KSUGzM4Nzj_IGYyD0HFRdQdluxNNdFBdpdzlwP1mp1vxvmDRgyMLrwofME_rS3AHDWD895uaj/s320/IMAG0174.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Bog sage -</i> Salvia uliginosa </span></div>
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In the same area (the pond bed), we finally got a vine for our third
trellis, the evergreen wisteria (<i>Millettia reticulata</i>). It has a
faintly Asian flavor to it, but I don't think it will be too incongruous
with all the buddleia and butterfly weed--not to mention bog sage--that
will ultimately fill these beds. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxv8hZTQcMxMFZO6dqZSpvn_fJwFPvCqS0tJN43rhj6c6OhqOWye1lmuW0RFRlewJ3taA6Z_5rd6iPboYCA98MZplJzLrEeXvDr0fgGImxLP2MruwInuIHK8la0bHuce6tQ3KgEshE9Si/s1600/IMAG0175.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxv8hZTQcMxMFZO6dqZSpvn_fJwFPvCqS0tJN43rhj6c6OhqOWye1lmuW0RFRlewJ3taA6Z_5rd6iPboYCA98MZplJzLrEeXvDr0fgGImxLP2MruwInuIHK8la0bHuce6tQ3KgEshE9Si/s320/IMAG0175.jpg" width="256" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Evergreen wisteria </i>(Millettia reticulata)<i> and Matt's Insta-Fence Solution: 'Red Shield' hibiscus</i></span></div>
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Also, I'm trying a little experiment around the pond. I bought a
maidenhair fern (<i>Adiantum capillus-veneris</i>) at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center's plant sale
the other day, and I unpotted it, divided it, and rolled each root ball
into a sort of burrito made of the shreddy coconut matting stuff that
people use for hanging plants. Then I crammed (really--it wasn't a very
dainty process) each burrito into the waterfall wherever they could be
fit. So the experiment will be (1) can they survive that much pummeling?
(2) Will they stay sufficiently moist? (3) Is there enough soil in each burrito to provide the plants with whatever sustenance they need? (4) Are they strong enough to
withstand winter, especially considering that our last two winters have
involved <i>snow(!)</i>. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> The pond seen from the gazebo. Click to biggiefy--half a maidenhair is right by the edge of the water in the waterfall</i></span></div>
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Two other super-strong performers in this difficult year have been 'Hot Cocoa,' a recent grandiflora release by Weeks Roses, and 'Pam Puryear' Turk's cap, the beautiful shell-pink variant of the more familiar Camaro-red <i>Malvaviscus arboreus</i>. </div>
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I planted 'Hot Cocoa' last spring--it's one of those new off-color roses that have brown or tan or silver undertones. I really like them--Matt thinks they're rather vile. Color issues aside, HC has been a surprisingly shapely, robust, free-blooming, and low-fuss rose, despite some hiccups with our watering system and the horribleness of the summer. I think Matt may have been right that it's a little to corporate and rigid-looking for the G-n-R bed, but it's been so unstintingly doughty and cheerful that I think it's earned the right to stay there.</div>
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And 'Pam Puryear'--which is one of Matt's favorite perennials--is just knocking our socks off (constantly. We put on our socks--<i>boom!</i>--they're gone. Just. Like. <i>That</i>. That's how this plant is.) We planted it this summer in the middle of the Awfulness--which was deranged of us--and it's grown faster than all the salvias and bachelor's buttons and buddleias planted with it. From a one gallon, it's now a good 2' x 2' shrub and it's <i>covered</i> in just the prettiest little peachy-pink baubles.</div>
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Mostly, I'm a grown-up lady now, and my favorite color is green, and I love weird, off-colored roses that look like a cross between a pomegranate and a bruise. So my inner 8-year-old doesn't get a lot of gratification, is what I'm saying. But when I look at PP, I completely love it, both with my grown-up eyes and my inner 8-year-old eyes. Sophisticated. Strong. Prolific. And <i>pink. </i>Lots and lots of pink.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_WwnAKZk44UXMhripGF021gpu-IoNr0m55Em-an8rAcjIqTNEeWrUa5Ds7uUmGXD6EvY5dRzeMPWt4vvYIeJ1vwpnQ7yqWek8hQHTClDtWX80lsgXMWKonvxY-l3nCHRzNw6K-voH314/s1600/IMAG0184.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_WwnAKZk44UXMhripGF021gpu-IoNr0m55Em-an8rAcjIqTNEeWrUa5Ds7uUmGXD6EvY5dRzeMPWt4vvYIeJ1vwpnQ7yqWek8hQHTClDtWX80lsgXMWKonvxY-l3nCHRzNw6K-voH314/s320/IMAG0184.jpg" width="191" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>'Hot Cocoa' in the middle of the grass bed (not the purple, of course--that's sweet potato vine), and 'Pam Puryear' </i>Malvaviscus arboreus<i> in the foreground--looks a little washed out here. In real life, is much more vivid.</i></span></div>
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Speaking of off-color roses, we lost funktastic (and rare!) '<a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2010/11/awesome-freaky-rose.html">Wedding Cake</a>' earlier this year to the weather and a faulty irrigation timer. I scoured the internet again and found a source of 5-inch "bands" (a small, deep, square pot that seems to get used a lot for mail order roses). I would have really preferred a nice, stout 2-gallon, but you take what you can get. Anyway, this time, I bought two. Here's one of the little babies. Looks so helpless, doesn't it? Fingers crossed this time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_Lp_U8c0o0g9LjPNXCmBzAPotQE7Qojb3r3GAeqTvRqiPF-wDJxg4L8F4kBWFP9J3zP3jjPZJotjoCnahLmABLJYZjbUAYCrOvipLRzKJI1EtOYFSI4bhcxqHuCvB-z3IdspmSUfRXJx/s1600/IMAG0176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_Lp_U8c0o0g9LjPNXCmBzAPotQE7Qojb3r3GAeqTvRqiPF-wDJxg4L8F4kBWFP9J3zP3jjPZJotjoCnahLmABLJYZjbUAYCrOvipLRzKJI1EtOYFSI4bhcxqHuCvB-z3IdspmSUfRXJx/s320/IMAG0176.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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In other essays into strangeness, we were both captivated by the toad lily (<i>Tricyrtis hirta</i>) at Emerald Gardens last weekend (also the source of the <i>Millettia</i>, incidentally. Which was $15 for a great big thing.) If it does well over the next year, I'll be tucking them all over the shade bed. I love their orchidy weirdness, and all how they draw attention to themselves, but in a mannerly, non-overwhelming way. They'll add oomph without dominating, I think.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Toad lily Tricyrtis Hirta - looks like an orchid, but isn't--is a lily</i><i>, just like the name says</i></span></div>
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We've also got some well-established garden heroes, like the fantastic 'Souvenir de la Mamaison,' possibly my favorite rose in--brace yourself--<i>the history of the entire world</i>. Yes. I like it that much. It has gorgeous, huge, cabbagey pale pink blooms on beautiful little shrub with immaculate grey-green foliage, and it acts as though we had perfectly balanced summer in the 80s with a couple of inches of rain every month, plus fertilizers and fungicides. Instead of which, we give it irrigation and nothing else, plus a side of bermudagrass and torture by fire on the west side of the house. <i>Nicely</i> done, S de la M. Nicely done.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> 'Souvenir de la Malmaison'</i></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUgTNjZ6Op4_8tcS4ghP-BRRepxelIlzLWsMCPsxMvUicQfc_o5KJ6txccxKjmxCgL3PuhyphenhyphenZKCwT49Cu9UEKDxNBn75FK8x_2-ubpJlXOgfNreUDgUd3HRt-RRp7P6fPXp77-x8t1gnBu/s1600/IMAG0177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a> <br />
In conclusion: I love October. It feels nice. It looks nice. I love it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Glass slag in the mellow light of an October afternoon</i></span></div>
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-273160084841344582011-10-18T22:15:00.001-05:002012-03-17T22:04:45.158-05:00Oh, so busy!I think we've been liberated by the cool weather--it's been crazy busy time in the garden.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Manicure a la pipe primer</span></i></div>
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We went to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center's fall plant sale last weekend, and I ordered a bunch of bulbs from the Southern Bulb Company, plus I extended three zones of our irrigation system (with much digging, breaking of pipes, more digging, gluing, not fitting, recutting, regluing, and raking) and added some stake drippers to another zone. Oh, and I added some lights to the pond's landscape lights.<br />
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Busy times.<br />
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Here are the new plants:<br />
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<li>Nimblewell (wonderful name, no? Very Tolkienian. If only Aragorn had had access to a patch of nimblewell during the battle at Helm's Deep, the whole thing would have been over before the rain even started. No need for Entish intervention whatsoever.) It's a diminutive, rather blowsy little Muhlenbergia (<i>M. schreberi</i>) that I'm hoping will behave in a groundcoverish way. [<a href="http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/weeds/nimblewill.aspx">Update</a>: CA considers this an invasive weed. But... the LBJ Wildflower Center wouldn't lead me astray, would they? Perhaps it's better behaved in Texas's less hospitable climate.]</li>
<li>Sideoats grama (<a href="http://uvalde.tamu.edu/herbarium/grasses-commom-index/sideoats-grama/"><i>Bouteloua curtipendula</i></a>)</li>
<li>Missouri violets (<a href="http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/ms_violet.htm"><i>Viola missouriensis</i></a>)</li>
<li>Blue flag (for the pond - <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/iris/blueflag/iris_virginica.shtml"><i>Iris virginica</i></a>)</li>
<li>Partridgeberry (<a href="http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MIRE"><i>Mitchella repens</i></a>) for a groundcover in the shade garden</li>
<li>Chandler's craglily (<a href="http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ECCH3"><i>Echeandia chandleri</i></a>)</li>
<li>Spanish bluebells (<a href="http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/spanish_bluebells.jpg"><i>Hyacinthoides hispanica</i></a> - and can I just say to this picture: Yes, please!)</li>
<li>Grape hyacinth (<a href="http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/plants/muscari.html"><i>Muscari neglectum</i></a>) - a very promising specific epithet. They are likely to be more or less neglected, so hopefully that's something they relish. I imagine this is the species that one often finds naturalized in cemeteries.</li>
<li>Chinese Sacred Lilies (<a href="http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/gardenlog/?p=2319"><i>Narcissus tazetta orientalis</i></a> - unlike the <i>N.t.o</i>. in the link, my existing clump has bloomed faithfully and delightfully since they were first planted. I bought more to plant a matching clump on the other side of the front bed.)</li>
<li><i><a href="http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/108557/">Tulipa clusiana var. Tinka</a> - </i>a cute little striped species tulip. Apparently, <i>T. clusianas</i> are sometimes referred to as "lady tulips," which is rather sweet--they are dainty-looking.<i><br /></i></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rainyside.com/plant_gallery/bulbs/Narcissus_cyclamineusJetfire.html"><i>Narcissus cyclameneus</i> 'Jetfire'</a> - I've always wanted to grow a cyclamen-flowered daffodil--I find their blown-back petals oddly endearing.</li>
<li><a href="http://drystonegarden.com/index.php/tag/narcissus/">Narcissus tazetta 'Golden Dawn'</a></li>
<li>Jonquil (<a href="http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/narcissus-jonquilla-wild-jonquil.aspx"><i>Narcissus jonquilla</i></a>)</li>
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-51772462641929002892011-09-25T21:07:00.000-05:002012-03-17T22:10:01.324-05:00Horticultourism--Tyler, TX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Lovely glass fountain at Blue Moon Gardens with complementary gazing balls</i></span></div>
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I've been meaning to visit Tyler's very large municipal rose garden for some time now. We are rose enthusiasts, after all. So we woke up early, stopped off at <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2009/09/little-red-taco-wagon-dos-amigos.html">the little red taco wagon</a> for our customary Saturday chicken fajita breakfast tacos, and hit the road.<br />
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The gardens were looking well--plenty of blooms, well maintained--but the truth is that it's not really our cup of tea (excuse the pun)--and not just because of its focus on moderns.<br />
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Here's the thing: making an entire garden out of nothing but modern roses is like trying to write a sentence using nothing but exclamation marks. All these vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows are screaming at you from all over the place, trying to grab your attention. But there are so many of them, and they are all in uniform, boxy parterres, so nothing really draws you eye any more than any other thing. It's overstimulating and unsatisfying simultaneously.<br />
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Using parterres seems like a clever way to impose form on plants that are often so formless and scraggly, but it represses the distinctive personality of each cultivar. It de-emphasizes the rosiness of roses. Or so it seems to me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The admittedly impressive rows upon rows of roses. Note that the garden is at least this big again to the right.</i></span></div>
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There are some nice architectural elements in the park. I think it would have been better to select some roses for specimen plantings and some for massing, and then use the architectural elements to support the specimen plants--corners and archways and urns and central medallions in walkways that direct your attention and make the best use of different cultivars' strengths. And then use evergreens in the background to ground the whole thing and to give some relief from the riot of color. Think of a <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Arley_Hall_Heraceous_Border.jpg">classic perennial border in England</a>--a veritable Mardi Gras of colors and forms, set off by an impossibly smooth grass walk and the neutral background of a weathered brick wall--uniform, serene contrasts to the busyness of the flower beds. (See also <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFqtqgijCeZkIRhG-8go_3yjud5Fvfra0IRlTzhTaIjbc1_EUmvxks9ImXpumCNCtNZHhesSRkWixRN7M0uP_JoO1jA0shSWa_h-CyrL-XHDv8N5s4CyX9sMG8pe2ZeE8_wTufoQt0ys/s1600-h/bagatelle+rose+garden.bmp">the Bagatelle rose gardens</a> in France)<br />
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As it is, this was our favorite part of the whole experience--a three-level koi pond tucked in a shady spot away from the roses. Why not put a few roses around the pond's sunnier bank? Some lovely cascadey thing, like swamp rose or 'Climbing Pinkie' or a very mature unpruned Tea rose.<br />
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And then my other favorite thing was this cultivar--you should click on it to fully grasp how heavily covered it is with hips, and what a bright gold those hips are. I've never seen anything like it. Unfortunately, it was unlabeled--maybe 'Dainty Bess'? If anyone recognizes it, please let me know.<br />
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I feel like I've been a little unfairly harsh--it's pretty nifty that a smallish town--or any town at all, really--has taken on the expense and trouble of maintaining a collection of this size. I mean, look at the pic above--so clean and orderly! Can you imagine how much mulch this requires annually? And there are some very pretty spots--the koi ponds, the camellia walk, and the idea garden full of blooming perennials, for example. It was just that it helped clarify for us some of our own ideas about how we think roses are best used in the landscape, which would be less rigidly formal, more individualized, and mixed with other species.<br />
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After that, we went to Chamblee's Roses, which I had always thought of as the Antique Rose Emporium's main competitor. I think their main focus is wholesale and mail order, though. Their excellent facility was scrupulously clean, tidy, and weedless, but it isn't a showplace the way that A.R.E. is. It is definitely worth the visit--we bought 8 roses and a book between the two of us--but it's a straightforward production unit for a terrific boatload of roses rather than a magical garden experience.<br />
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It was thanks to Chamblee that we finally <i>got</i> <a href="http://www.houstonrose.org/gbintrod.htm">Buck roses</a>. "Moderns," we had hitherto sniffed dismissively. But when saw them in person and full of blooms, they pretty much had us at hello. We bought '<a href="http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.63844.0">Dawn Star</a>' and coveted '<a href="http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/163087/">Quietness</a>' and '<a href="http://www.northlandrosarium.com/index-2.cfm?cID=7">American Legacy</a>.' They seem to combine old rose flower shapes with high fragrance on what are reputed to be very hardy plants. We'll see what kind of shrubs they make. (Footnote: all 3, coincidentally, are posthumous releases of seedlings Dr. Buck gave to family and friends, according to <a href="http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0923191820822.html?19">this thread on Gardenweb</a>.)<br />
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And I finally got some David Austins: '<a href="http://www.love-of-roses.com/image-files/abraham-darby-rose.jpg">Abraham Darby</a>' and the '<a href="http://www.pbase.com/yvonneii/image/51008165">Ambridge Rose</a>' and '<a href="http://www.photomazza.com/?Rosa-Sharifa-Asma">Sharifa Asma</a>'.<br />
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We also picked up a '<a href="http://agrilife.org/today/2011/02/21/two-%E2%80%98healthy-fragrant%E2%80%99-roses-earn-earth-kind-distinction-for-2011/">Mrs Dudley Cross</a>' and peppery little '<a href="http://www.tamparosesociety.org/tiki-browse_image.php?galleryId=10&sort_mode=name_asc&imageId=115&scalesize=500">Spice</a>,' to replace the one from my undergrad days that died of Horrid Fungus our first summer in Elgin. <br />
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Then, back in Tyler, I saw the official lettering of the trip--how adorable is that <i>New York Store</i>?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Delectable vintage lettering in Tyler's brick-paved downtown square</i></span></div>
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Next, on the spur of the moment, we googled "best nursery in Tyler," and got a recommendation for <a href="http://www.bluemoongardens.com/Home.html">Blue Moon nursery</a>, which turned out to be that unexpected something extra that makes a trip. It was a small place with a lot of very nice plants in excellent shape set in creative, lovingly tended--and immaculate--display gardens. We picked up a bog sage, a tiny yellow daisy whose name eludes me, some purple-flowering Thai basil, a hummingbird feeder, and two Dwarf Hamlins (that <span style="font-style: italic;">Pennisetum alopecuroides</span> cultivar I was seeing <a href="http://blogging-the-house.blogspot.com/2011/09/tnla-2011.html">all over the place at TNLA</a>).<br />
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On the grounds they have this awesome patio/performance area--a fireplace, a niche for an urn, a mantel, a window, and--is that a pizza oven? Whatever it is, it's delightful and convivial filled me with envy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Fireplace and patio at Blue Moon Gardens</i></span></div>
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At Blue Moon, they recommended we eat at either Edom or Ben Wheeler--apparently, these two rather remote hamlets are bursting with culinary goodness. We chose <a href="http://www.theshedcafe.com/">The Shed in Edom</a> where we had very satisfactory old-school chicken fried chicken and country fried steak; but interestingly, it was the fried cabbage (pretty much everything on their menu is fried--be prepared) that was the revelation--caramelized, sweet, but not soggy. Delectable. They must fry it very fast, in what tastes like bacon grease. So it's going to be a salady week making up for that one, but, lordy! that cabbage was good.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I like this conjunction of signs.</i></span></div>
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So, all in all, a good trip. Long, but good. We learned some useful things, bought some nice plants, saw some gardens, and had some yummy food. That's about all you need.<br />
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-1163661291870203672011-09-20T21:57:00.000-05:002012-03-17T22:14:18.838-05:00Twenty Percent More Color!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuFaTRhQ-RQHWCKrMuaKWOPHOlMm4VF4q59swoH3uUE83UXbefKDoiP07XUf-aaTwRJ7a0kKXjiRN5lHdn-vRwdEJXqnNW6s1q5CF6OhHBRkJRbtfceyWKWSrsLW_5ARdghV3WJioaVXr/s320/IMG_0096.JPG" width="237" />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This birdseed is the shizz</i></span></div>
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Well, I'll be monkey's uncle (or aunt?). It worked! That bird seed just about <i>did</i> attract twenty percent more color.<br />
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See this thing? It's... kinda small. But I swear, it's a bird! Not a sick leaf! And it's very yellow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihaBG0xapdXJZIolQJikQ6v3uU1zJ-GFoE7bvKrT2L6cRjpKNBvNnrJym_UiWG49qn9qCK0QGtk3gMgqalTDimtUUxgToh8yCipmttLC-9we3u0HtGMQS134IOwK9Ya_ems6FoYhORuzMJ/s1600/vireo_arrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihaBG0xapdXJZIolQJikQ6v3uU1zJ-GFoE7bvKrT2L6cRjpKNBvNnrJym_UiWG49qn9qCK0QGtk3gMgqalTDimtUUxgToh8yCipmttLC-9we3u0HtGMQS134IOwK9Ya_ems6FoYhORuzMJ/s320/vireo_arrow.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A tiny yellow bird, attracted to our color-beguiling birdseed</i></span></div>
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Here's a perfectly awful closeup (I can see that our new bird feeders will require me to buy a new camera). You can see... well, you can see that it's yellow, anyway. I'm currently guessing that it's a yellow-throated vireo, but given my knowledge of ornithology, I wouldn't be shocked to learn that it was a Miniature Amber-Chested Mexican Vulture. Or a Great Gulf Dwarf Primrose Whooping Crane. But for now we'll call it a vireo.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A vireo. Or a small vulture. One of the two.</i></span></div>
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We've also been attracting Carolina chickadees (I assume that's what this is). They aren't exactly roseate spoonbills, but they're cute enough.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A jumpy little chickadee</i></span></div>
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I didn't get a picture of the neatest birds--a pair of tiny, dusky blue things. The closest species I could find for our area are the blue-crowned vireo and the eastern kingbird, though neither of those are really very blue, and I would have sworn that our visitors were. Dark and slatey, but definitely blue.<br />
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On the other hand, this hummingbird obligingly paused for a number of blurry, indistinct photos. I don't know what kind it is either, except that it doesn't appear to have a ruby throat. I imagine it's here for the Chitalpa though (blooming away cheerfully, drought be damned), not for the birdseed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A pointy-snouted little hummingbird</i></span></div>
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Speaking of nectar feeders, I was reminded the other day to put out nectar for the bees & butterflies. It's migratory butterfly season, apparently, and we're really low on nice, nectary flowers across the state. And the bees, of course, always seem to be having a rough time of it. I read the other day that their wax starts to melt above ~110F. So on top of everything else this summer, they had to cope with melty hives.</div>
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For the nectar lovers, I was told to put a piece or red or orange sponge out in a pie plate with some sugar water (3 parts water to 1 part sugar) and orange quarters. We've had a couple of these little bird feeders kicking around for years in the garage, so they're finally getting their day in the sun. Haven't seen many butterflies, but every bee in the neighborhood has heard about our nectar sponges. I froze extra nectar in 1/3 cup servings, and every morning (when I remember), I drop a chunk of frozen nectar on each sponge and let it melt in. </div>
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In a similar vein of folksy strategies for a crappy climate, we're giving our trees a deep soak via kitty litter buckets. I used an ice pick to pound 5 small holes in the bottom of 3 kitty litter buckets. I placed the buckets around the drip line of this little Lacey oak, filled them, and let them slowly drip out for a nice, deep drink. I think three buckets is enough for this little tree, but I'll probably move & refill them 1-4 times for the larger trees.</div>
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Because we can't stop ourselves, we've been putting in a few new plants. This is <i>Bouteloua gracilis </i>'Blonde Ambition' blue grama grass. Those white-gold horizontal flower heads are pleasantly sparky, especially in front of that red shield hibiscus.</div>
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We've also planted this interesting hesperaloe, 'Brakelights' (stupid name, as per usual. Have breeders been outsourcing their branding to some sort of cheapo advertising sweatshops overseas? How are the connotations of brake lights--stop!--traffic!--you can't go!--eek! accident!--what you want associated with a nice landscape plant???). <a href="http://www.yuccado.com/hesperaloe-parviflora-brakelights.html">Yuccado has an interesting comparison</a> of BL flower versus a standard red yucca. </div>
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Meantime, some of the 50 or so oxbloods that I planted in that same bed earlier this year--and which have receive ZERO water all summer--are poking their brave little crimson heads above a cracked and parched earth. Oxblood lilies are STRONG and BRAVE! And, by happy coincidence, they look quite nice with 'Brakelights.'</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Oxblood lilies: horticultural heroes. And new</i> Hesperaloe parviflora<i> cvr 'Brakelights' </i></span></div>
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-44525511846727000132011-09-13T23:26:00.001-05:002012-03-17T22:14:50.552-05:00I've always vaguely meant to add more wildlife-friendly plants to the
yard. Who doesn't want butterflies and birds, after all? But we've
been much more focused on finding homes for our roses and more general
landscaping priorities since moving in. But now that the Grass-n-Roses
bed is taking shape (grasses being generally rather WF by virtue of
providing habitat, apparently),now that the pond is providing a copious
water source for the thirsty, and now that the climate is in such a
homicidal and faunicidal rage, now seems like the right time to get
serious about lending our furry, feathered, froggy, and chitinous
brethren a hand.<br />
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We installed our first two bird
feeders around the pond this weekend, an activity that for some reason
made me feel more than usually <i>married</i>. Somehow, it just seems so
homey and pleasantly settled to have bird feeders. Matt said it made
him feel like an 80-year-old. I said, but a <i>married</i> eighty-year-old, right? (<b>Side note:</b>
is there anything we should know about which birdseed to use? We just
bought whatever they had at Lowe's, a mix that promised--I kid you
not--"20% more color!" We haven't yet figured out if that means the
birds will be 20% more colorful than they used to be, or we'd get 20%
more highly colored bird species than we used to. At present, it
appears to be netting us 2,000% more mourning doves, but whatever. We
did see one bright yellow thing, one cardinal, and a sort of titmouse
kind of a fellow, which was nice. Oh, and an inexplicable hummingbird.)<br />
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And I also trolled through <a href="http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen/pg_pdfs.htm">Austin's Grow Green Guide</a>
for ideas of plants we could add to the yard. What came as a pleasant
surprise is how many WF plants we already have. This begs the question:
where are all the bunnies, herons, pumas, foxes, and other furry
friends? But perhaps we don't have a high enough <i>density</i> of WF plants. Must work on that.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wildlife-friendly Plants We <i>Have</i></b></span><br />
Baldcypress (<i>Taxodium distichum</i>) <br />
Montezuma Cypress (<i>Taxodium mucronatum</i>)<br />
Bur Oak (<i>Quercus macrocarpa</i>)<br />
Lacey Oak (<i>Quercus laceyi</i>)<br />
Mexican White Oak (<i>Quercus polymorpha</i>)<br />
Live Oak (<i>Quercus virginiana</i>)<br />
Eve's Necklace (<i>Sophora affinis</i>)<br />
Kidneywood (<i>Eysenhardtia texana</i>)<br />
Texas Mountain Laurel (<i>Sophora secundiflora</i>)<br />
Cordia (<i>Cordia boissieri</i>) - a new one; our previous specimen croaked last winter. If at first you don't succeed...<br />
Pomegranate (<i>Punica granatum</i>)<br />
Evergreen Sumac (<i>Rhus virens</i>)<br />
Abelia (<i>Abelia</i> sp.)<br />
Chitalpa (X <i>Chitalpa tashkentensis </i>'Morning Cloud')<br />
American Beautyberry (<i>Callicarpa americana</i>)<br />
White Boneset (<i>Eupatorium havanense</i>)<br />
Turk's Cap (<i>Malvaviscus arboreus</i> 'Pam Puryear')<br />
Red Columbine (<i>Aquilegia</i> sp.)<br />
Obedient Plant (<i>Physostegia</i> sp.)<br />
Echinacea (<i>Echinacea purpurea</i> - butterflies)<br />
Pavonia (<i>Pavonia braziliensi</i>s - butterflies)<br />
Salvia spp (<i>Salvia </i>spp. - hummingbirds)<br />
Red Yucca (<i>Hesperaloe parviflora</i> - hummingbirds) <br />
Inland Sea Oats (<i>Chasmanthium latifolium</i>)<br />
Big Muhly (<i>Muhlenbergia lindheimeri</i>)<br />
Passionflower (<i>Passiflora incarnata</i> - butterflies)<br />
Horseherb (<span class="st"><i>Calyptocarpus vialis</i> - a volunteer that acts as a proxy lawn for us--not sure if it will have survived the Great Dryness)</span><br />
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But
more is required! So I'd like to start working some of these species
in, mostly in the G-n-R bed, the bed around the pond, and the shade bed.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Wildlife-friendly Plants We <i>Want</i></span></b><br />
Fragrant Sumac (<i>Rhus aromatica</i>)<br />
Barbados Cherry (<i>Malpighia glabra</i>)<br />
Buddleia (<i>Buddleia</i> sp.)<br />
Chile Pequin (<i>Capsicum annuum</i>)<br />
Fall Aster (<i>Symphyotrichum oblongifolium</i> - nectar)<br />
Gaura (<i>Gaura lindheimeri </i>- butterflies)<br />
Purple Skullcap (<i>Scutellaria</i> sp - butterflies)<br />
Perennial Winecup (<i>Callirhoe involucrata</i> - Hairstreak butterfly)<br />
Yarrow (<i>Achillea </i>sp. - Painted Lady butterfly)<br />
Little Bluestem (<span class="st"><i>Schizachyrium scoparium</i> - </span>Skipper butterflies)<br />
Bamboo Muhly (<i>Muhlenbergia dumosa</i>)<br />
Gulf Muhly (<i>Muhlenbergia capillaris</i>)<br />
Wood Violet (<i>Viola</i> sp.)<br />
Echincea Sombrero series 'Sandy Yellow' or 'Hot Coral' (<i>Echinacea purpurea</i>)<br />
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Also--and Matt doesn't know this yet, lucky guy! --I'd like to make a rain garden. The <a href="http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen/downloads/groundcover.pdf">Guide</a> had this really cool pic of rain garden, and I realized that something like that would really add pizazz to the the shade bed, <i>plus</i> we'll need and overflow spot <i>anyway</i>
when (as I hope will someday happen) we get that old cistern under our
house back in operation. Think of all the nice boggy plants we could
grow, like cardinal flower!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pretty, no? And the shade bed would adore the extra water.</i></span></div>Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053374700597619005.post-76102385425887842502011-09-04T23:02:00.000-05:002012-03-17T22:15:56.981-05:00Labor Day Fires 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I couldn't find a map of the wildfires online, so I had to resort to making one myself. This is a VERY APPROXIMATE map based on the loose descriptions of fire locations from YNN, KXAN, Statesman, Elgin Courier, &c., &c.<br />
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At present, as you can see, Elgin is in a safe patch. Fingers crossed that we stay this way, what with the winds and lack of humidity. My inlaws were coincidentally in the area at the time and had to evacuate, so we're now running a tiny, one-family refugee camp. Everyone's fine--not even the dogs are singed. I wish I could say the same for everyone else in Central Texas. First reports are saying that several hundred homes in Bastrop Co. alone have been lost, and the firefighters aren't even trying to fight it--they're just focused on evacuations.<br />
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<br />Elgin_househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07482403555097013087noreply@blogger.com5