August garden

Tags

Albemarle County, Central Virginia, garden, home, life, lifestyle, plants, summer, Virginia

There is one word that describes the month of August in central Virginia… steamy. Not unlike steam room cloying temperatures and humidity with dew points in the 70’s.

August skies over Swallowtail Cottage

This year does not disappoint. Any Virginia gardener knows this month requires resolve and fortitude and multiple trips to the shower. If Mother Nature holds back quenching storms, this gardener must rise before dawn to drag hoses around for blooming plants, inviting nectaring insects and butterflies to have sweet tastes. Newly added plant material must be monitored for even moisture, if they are to survive and put down healthy root systems.

Despite these character-building conditions, I want to share with you the beauties that dot my landscape this month…

The Chinese Lycoris squamigera, more commonly known as Naked Ladies, are plentiful around here (zone 7a) as summer beauties yet are extremely persnickety. They send up tall, flat leaves in the spring that die off, then tall spikes appear this month. With multiple flowers on plain or naked stalks reaching 36″ tall, they are quite the show stopper. They never need staking, yet when I transplant them to other garden areas, many never bloom. Go figure…

Formosa lilies are native to Formosa and grow easily in my gardens where they readily self sow… the original seed came from Tufton, a property once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

The Formosa seed pods during winter, with actual seeds removed. Stunning, yes?

This Honeybells fragrant hosta and nine sisters were gifted to me last year. Now blooming and 48″ high, the steamy August garden is blessed with visual cool and fragrance. PS: generous applications of spent coffee grounds around the base of early leaves completely stopped the onslaught of slugs…a Whole Foods Barista was happy to give me their dregs any time that I asked.

A close up of this dreamy hosta Honeybells. Too bad the biting ants like the flowers too or I would cut stems for the house and market.

The only phlox I grow here at Swallowtail Cottage, Davidii stands tall and does not succumb to any mildew. Incredible.

Another gift from Kate. The Celadon poppy blooms early spring and again this month. I am told this poppy is invasive, yet tucked back in the rear garden, I invite a bit of delicate color and naughty.

THIS is a thug. Rudbeckia triloba…I do not remember ever planting it, yet this year a huge area of the butterfly garden is filled with these 6′ tall bloomers! I took many bunches to market and will stuff the rest in the burn barrel, as they have needles along the stems and are as rough as a cob. OUT!!!

Autumn Joy sedum attracts flutterbyes by the dozen and is an easy-care perennial. A classic in any garden. This was on the property when I bought it in 2001, and I have shared many clumps with neighbors.

Ahhh, my summer delight. The Natchez crape myrtle. One double trunk grows in the front lawn, and a five-trunked specimen thrives on the west side of the house. These beauties provide dreamy shade during summer months, have refreshing blooms where honey bees bury themselves, and in fall, leaves change to a brilliant hue. Did I mention the peeling bark during August? This shed reminds me all is well with much visual interest.

The shedding bark layer curls and twists, revealing the baby smooth leather-like under bark. I often find myself stroking the trunks as the sensation is like no other.

I laugh every year when this silly PJM rhododendron blooms in August…All of its companions bloom in the spring, when they should, but here, no. I really do not like pink of any kind in the garden, yet planted PJM’s years ago for their winter bronze leaf color.

Let me introduce you to a new variety… Black Diamond crape myrtle, added to my front garden this summer. Notice the wonderful deep leaf hue and pleasant color of the flowers…this plant blooms multiple times per year and the plant tag promises a mature height at 12′. I look forward to many years with this new variety…

And Babe, the topic of my last post, survives despite its weird appendage in front of its right leg. After emailing photos to the Wildlife Center, they too are stumped and suggest that as long as Babe is eating well, to leave it in the wild. Although Babe continues to molt and look rather pathetic with its shabby coat, I eagerly wait to see what sex it is…can anyone guess?

This plaque, found in a shop at Tryon Palace, reminds me that the garden teaches forever.

Twice per week this time of year I run errands and make deliveries very early, then confess to enjoying short afternoon naps in the air conditioning. Heat is hypnotic. Reclined on the loveseat, dozing between paragraphs of a Baldacci novel, I later rise and do indoor chores. Then around 7PM I dress for insects and head out weekly to mow and perspire. Soon. Soon. Very soon, there will be lower dew points and garden clean up, as the blooming show will be mostly over until next spring. And this gardener will sigh a large exhale.

Thanks for reading along. Your comments are always enjoyed.

Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

~ this holiday it is all about the critters

Tags

Berry Family Nurseries, cats, charity, dogs, Holiday decor, P Allen Smith, seasonal greenery

Ask anyone who knows me or who follows this blog and they will tell you that
I am all about the critters.
Since Miss Kitty’s passing in May of 2011, I turned my critter affection out-of-doors.

Miss Kitty ~ my muse for eleven years

Over 1100 Monarch butterflies were raised in my Waystation since 2009.

female monarch ready for release

I became an official Bluebird Monitor and host adults as they rear their young.

nestling bluebirds day nine ~ Swallowtail Cottage

During winter months, I feed, admire, and attempt to photograph
wild birds up close and personal.

handsome red bellied woodpecker

At the local shelter, I volunteer photo time so adoptees
have a better chance at a permanent home…

this pup is showing her holiday stuff at the SPCA

happy holidays and take me home!

This season is extra special, as P Allen Smith and Berry Family Nurseries
are offering to send assorted holiday greenery to the winning blogger’s charity.
This is Allen’s Holiday Cheer Challenge, and I need your vote to win!

Here’s the deal. Allen’s people will post this post (and many others) to his Pinterest Holiday page and the most number of likes or Pins will win the prize for the blogger’s charity. I am choosing Caring For Creatures, as this fabulous no-kill sanctuary could use the festive greenery for all visitors and staff to enjoy.
So if you have a Pinterest account, please click here to vote http://www.pinterest.com/pallen_smith/holiday-ideas/
Voting ends December 9.

chocolate spice wreath from P Allen Smith’s Holiday Collection

styled by moi with additional seed bells for the wild birds

During December, I will be wrapping gifts at Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Barracks Road Shopping Center. Many volunteers will be there raising funds for both the CASPCA and Caring for Creatures. Stop by!

See, it is all about the critters this holiday season
here at Swallowtail Cottage! Thanks for your vote
and Happy Holidays!

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

~ another reason to share the garden

Tags

Charlottesville, fall blooming plants, garden highlights, harvest season, Virginia

The following images came from willing yet fleeting creatures who visited my garden yesterday. Kindly view on a large screen for full effect…

slightly tattered Monarch during migration. So glad it found my garden for rest and nectar while on its journey. Monarchs are in dramatic decline.

another Monarch during migration. So nice to share my afternoon with numerous survivors.

Quite a show today–the last day of September. Pineapple Sage, an annual, has earned a place in all my future gardens…

My first attempt at photographing hummingbirds. They were perfectly poised.

Belladonna amaryllis, yet we call this stunner Naked Lady here in Virginia.

Late summer show stopper ~ hyacinth bean.

Oh so fragrant tuberose. A newbie to my garden this year. Why did it take so long to discover?

Queen Ann’s Lace. A must for my garden. Have I recited its poem?

Have this in your garden? Seeds given to me twelve years ago. Common name Poinsettia Plant.

Loaded with fall berries ~ pyracantha, a real sticker as the genus belongs to the Rose Family, yet showy and berries are bird food.

Sedum family ~ a low succulent plant that I consider bullet proof. A joy in the garden.

My sexy grape tomatoes continue to produce from its little burlap pot tethered to the raised bed arbor.

The smaller the pepper, the hotter. This bird’s eye will make you weep!

A bowl of concord grape sorbet floating in a pool of heavy cream. Grapes from my garden and oh so yummy! The tile is from a local estate sale.

When I spotted this in a local consignment shop, I had to have it. Turns out it came out of a Charleston garden and is 25 years old. Not sure where it will finally end up in my garden.

Another detail of my new garden ornament.

The only pink that I tolerate in my gardens. Muhly grass, a real show stopper during late afternoon, or early morning covered in dew or frost. An easy keeper too.

Nearby vista of central Virginia farmland. Notice the specks of gliding hawks in the distance.

a telling proverb

As summer glides into fall, my heart fills with gratitude for another year in my gardens. Blessed with much rain and bounty, the gardens thrived and most tasks mildly challenging. I added a few specimens, and continue to edit the landscape.
Fall is the time of year when this gardener has time to sit a spell, reflect, and adore the dazzling colors in weeks to come.
I wish you a splendid harvest and hope that you take time to enjoy this precious event.

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

embrace this day

Tags

farmer's market, harvest, healthy meals, Ichi Ke Jiro persimmon, Monarch butterflies, October, photography, quick meals, vegetarian, Virginia

I feel giddy, as if I were in love for the first time.

I am beguiled by October. Yes, the month of October is a time to celebrate—and feel the flush of Mother Nature’s boundless beauty. I embrace her, crave her, and revel in her. The planet shifts, shadows elongate, high humidity and biting insects depart, and temperatures top out at 70 degrees F— yes I am in love again.

At home, the garden is bursting with colors of fall. As many plants begin their decent into dormancy, others like this ‘Muhlenbergia capillaris’ explode with riotous hue. This is the only pink that I tolerate in my gardens, as this display epitomizes fall in my world — life is intoxicating!

Monarch season was extremely challenging this year, as the oleander aphid ravaged the host plants (tropical milkweed) forcing me to raise most monarch larvae indoors, multiplying my daily chores ten-fold. The monarch’s predatory wasp also took a high toll on the larvae, leaving dozens dead. However, ninety monarch beauties successfully emerged and flew from my terrace over the past month, hopefully to find safe haven in a warm climate, where they may overwinter. Nearly one-hundred others went Fed-Ex to southern states where they will live out their lives in a lush botanic gardens and educate visitors.

The farmer’s market is brimming with large, leafy vegetables, root crops, and loads of pumpkins. Therefore my daily lunch plate is full of steamed kale and red garnet sweet potatoes, splashed with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and garnished with sliced almonds. Six minutes are all one needs to provide a healthy, farm fresh meal.

Another tasty mid-day meal came from the remaining bit of basil pesto left in the food processor following a massive harvest. I tossed in a peeled avocado, a splash of olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. After a brief spin, the fluffy dip was quickly consumed with crusty crackers.

A third fast meal came from a friend who dropped off assorted tomatoes, eggplant, and squash. I quickly sliced, diced, and cubed the lot, added fresh okra from the garden and voila! a beautiful medley of healthy goodness. A quick saute in olive oil, then covered and steamed until tender, a half tube of tomato paste, seasoned with sea salt and black pepper finished this dish! Topped with grated cheese and toasted breadcrumbs, made this a memorable, quick, healthy meal. Try it!

Remember the Ichi Ke Jiro persimmon blog from this spring? Well, twenty-five fruit formed, despite the July wind storm that claimed half of the tree, and they are amazing. Ever had one? The fruit is unlike native persimmons. One fills my hand, is eaten while hard, and has none of the tannic aftertaste of the native. In fact, this fruit tastes like a firm melon! What I do not eat, will be introduced at market this Saturday and boggle curious shoppers. Looking forward to the dialogue!

PS There is still nothing like a power snack of the hard-boiled egg. I always have some in the fridge, ready to peel when I need a boost. Better to have a snack like this on hand rather than eat a carb or a handful of chocolate!

Remember to roll your mouse over the images to read captions. Click on images if you wish to enlarge.

Copyright © 2012 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

M is for monarch

Tags

butterfly larva, Central Virginia, climate, magnificent monarchs, Monarch butterflies, Monarch migration, Monarch Waystation, nature, photography, science

The mighty, yet oh-so-fragile monarch butterfly has begun its annual migration. This pattern is critical for the survival of this species, and I help where I can. Four years ago I took a course on monarchs and to date raised over one thousand. The Monarch Waystation section of my garden is filled with host plants that attract monarch females where they lay eggs. This garden also supplies essential nectar for their long journey to Mexico.

newly emerged Monarch tasting nectar for the first time

Here on the ground, I collect, feed, protect larvae and release adult butterflies. Since few folks actually observe the transition of the monarch from larva to pupa stage, I thought I would share recent photos. These delicate creatures are fascinating and I glow with pride when a minute egg transitions into the marvelous monarch under my care. These beauties are endangered, as merely 3 to 4 eggs out of one hundred would survive in the wild without help from monitors.  Please enjoy!

Remember to slide your mouse over these images for further captions. Click to enlarge any image.
These larvae and pupa are seen attached to the roof of the lettuce container, where they finish their cycle in the safety of indoors.

A hardened chrysalis is hanging on the left of new pupa and in fourteen days it will hatch into a magnificent monarch. So goes the cycle.

Too learn more, please click on this link to see more images from last year’s monarch season: https://dianelasauce.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/the-thing-about-monarchs/

Stella, my curious neighbor learns about the wonders of Monarchs in my gardens

giggles with the flutterbies

 

Copyright © 2012 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

how dry is your garden?

Tags

how dry is your garden, migration, Monarch butterflies, US drought, Virginia drought, water conservation

Drought is severe in dozens of US states this summer. This condition will drive up food and insurance prices as well as reduce the number of garden pollinators, such as butterflies, as their loss of host plants succumb to heat. This will also affect the fall migration of the Monarch butterfly, as there will be few plants to nectar on during their flight.

Here are a few thoughts on water conservation and ways we can help our wild creatures survive unbearable conditions.

Please read my blog https://dianelasauce.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/the-thing-about-water/

Here’s to fall and a gentle rainy season.

the thing about monarchs

Tags

Butterflies, Butterfly farming, Butterfly Waystation, Monarch, poetry

Today I released the last of twelve wild monarch butterflies. Each year I plant their host plant, tropical milkweed, in my registered Monarch Waystation where females lay their eggs. A few days later, I find the tiny larva, raise them indoors until large enough to place back in the garden, then monitor their growth, protect them from predators, then return them to the safety of the house, where they form their chrysalises.

outdoors the larvae are protected from predation with paint sleeves that are twist tied at the bottom. There larvae can grow and eat in safety. Paint sleeves are cheap at any paint store and can be washed and reused season after season.

About nine days later, they emerge into the magnificent Monarchs we readily recognize. When these beauties are fully dry and active, I release them back into the garden, where they nectar on the milkweed and phlox, gaining strength for their long migration.

feeding the larvae indoors for a few days before they pupate safely in the lettuce container. They will safely emerge in 14 days when they can be released to the wild.

Feeding larvae indoors when really tiny or when they are ready to pupate

black swallowtail ready for release. Fun to have it in my office for glamour shots first…

Over the past four years, I raised over one-thousand monarchs and dozens of black swallowtails and handfuls of Fritillaries and Red Spotted Purples.

Monarchs are endangered therefore I do my part to insure that those who find my garden prevail while they are here. Fewer than 1% of monarch eggs will survive in the wild without help. When I began this hobby, I had an excellent teacher, who to this day continues to answer questions, that to the novice bystander, would seem bizarre. Check out her website at www.socialbtrflies.com.

• An excellent documentary to learn more is entitled In the Company of Wild Butterflies.
• Learn more and help at www.monarchwatch.org
• West Coast, USA residents may want to visit www.monarchbutterfly.org

This day is one of celebration, as 100% of my caterpillars emerged healthy. This day is also bittersweet, as I must bid my creatures farewell, never to know their ultimate fate. So fly strong and high mighty Monarchs. May gentle currents glide you to your winter home.

Butterfly Prayer

May you be happy and peaceful,

May you be healthy and strong.

May you be safe and protected from harm.

May you be at ease in your lives.

~ S. Laufer

Copyright © 2011 by Diane LaSauce all rights reserved