holiday here and there…

Tags

a day away, NOVA, rest from the garden, Virginia, winter break

Once November arrives, the gardens are mostly quiet and tucked in for the dormant season. This gardener breathes a deep exhale and rests in knowing she has a few months ahead to indulge in travel. Always tethered to the gardens from March-October, plans form quickly for a few days away.

my mood soars with a get away in sight

For Thanksgiving, I packed Baby 5 and headed north to my old neighborhood, Arlington Virginia. A guest of my friend and former real estate agent, we had a loose agenda, and flowed into our two days.

the Old Dominion Yacht, c. 1880 is currently being pressured to sell to developers…Old Towne Alexandria, VA please RESIST!!!

nearby a water bird paddles with ease in the mighty Potomac. Notice its incredible eye color!

remnants of decades old signage remain on a waterfront warehouse

down river, the massive Woodrow Wilson bridge spans the Potomac, supporting six lanes of traffic from Virginia to Maryland. So glad I no longer lived here when the old bridge was replaced. Talk about heart-stopping traffic jams…daily for YEARS!!!

Across the river, we played tourist at the Capital Waterfront

this sculpture was relocated here to the Maryland side of the river

body parts shock or become a playground for children…

long hair is seen everywhere, any age group

The Capital Wheel, similar to the London Eye, only smaller. We simply could not resist being touristy on this pretty river day.

at the highest point on the wheel, a wee thrill as we begin the descent.

the view from the top of the Capital Wheel (Maryland) looking at the Washington Monument (DC). Impressive! Can you find the dome of the Jefferson Memorial?

Friday we headed to DC and wrangled our way through Georgetown traffic from NW DC and the National Cathedral. Notice the window message… “where lonely sofas meet perky pillows.”  Clever.

The Washington National Cathedral still recovers from devastating damage following the earthquake three years ago. At least the Bishop’s Garden tranquility is preserved.

massive scaffolding still covers many areas of the Cathedral’s facade…

broken spires await expensive repairs…so sad for this magnificent building

on a lighter note, the Washington Monument is fully recovered and mended from the earthquake’s damage. Flags stand at attention as we drive by, while an aircraft departs Reagan National airport off in the distance. 

Evenings were spent enjoying meals and movies. My return trip on Saturday down 95 was uneventful until after a brief shop at Ikea — the next hour on the road was bumper to bumper making my arrival home sweet indeed.

Good nostalgic, short trip revisiting sixteen years in NOVA, yet in no way would I ever return. My little 800SF condo now sells in the 350K range. Since 2000, when I sold it for 116K, real estate prices in NOVA have reached epic proportions. And any new construction, either side of the Potomac, begin in the 400K-600K price range. How the average Joe affords working/living here eludes me indeed. Salaries, especially for  the non-profits, cannot possibly keep up.

Now off to my next road adventure…

Copyright © 2014 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

end of july ~ morning garden stroll

Tags

Central Virginia, critters in the garden, summer harvest, sustainable gardens

Temperatures are unprecedented of late.
Cool, mild weather creates the perfect scenario for early garden strolls.
Join me on this morning’s meander and garden finds…

Sugar Sweet indeterminate cherry tomatoes ~ plump and tasty and first time to grow them here. Two volunteers appear to be a Rutgers and a red, tasty cherry with hundreds on the vine! Could it be Jobes Organics?

many more to come…

have I mentioned that zinnias are one of my favorite annuals?

baby bumblebee works at pollinating…

this coloration reminds me of Mardi Gras!

raised bed arbors function well…

let’s not forget the hardy yet delicate hosta bed

What are you harvesting in your gardens today?

Copyright © 2014 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

 

June is garden delights month…

Tags

garden, home, life, spring flowers, Spring Garden Delights, Virginia

Below are a few images of my June garden delights here in central Virginia.
Following a hard winter, the garden now rewards with color, texture, and edible feasts.

Sunny rose in first flush, Red Hot Poker, Oakleaf Hydrangea, clematis, all in bloom this week. Nice!

up close and personal with the Red Hot Poker! Merely its second season in my Virginia gardens.

Sunny Knock Out Rose makes me look like a rose guru! This is her second year in my gardens.

O’Neil variety of highbush blueberry. Three plants deliver all the berries I can eat (and share) in one season.

tasty, plump morsels…once the wild birds are fed, my early, daily ritual includes a visit to the blueberry bushes. Can you just taste them? I cover the plants with row cover to keep the birds away…they can have sunflower seeds and currants!

This is the tiniest floribunda…she is recovering from a transplant last fall. I estimate she is forty years old and struggled for years under the flourishing dogwood. I finally mustered the nerve to move her last fall. Half died during the winter, yet today she shows a bud…and soon, she will flourish in the full sun bed. Yeah! Note she is merely six inches tall today, yet still produces a bud. Go Girl! If you squint, notice the teeny bud near the top. I am so excited! In a few days I will add a photo of the first bloom…

a bit closer to bloom time on this teensy floribunda transplant…I’m like a bird on her nest…too bad a young bunny tasted all these buds just after this photo was taken. Now surrounded with wire screen, I wait for Tiny’s next effort.

the stonecrop sedum is showing her stuff in the herb bed planter. I think she resembles a candelabra, don’t you? Lots of bang for the buck, this plant.

a few Siberian Iris were gifted to me two years ago and now flourish anywhere they are planted…a garden thug? Time will tell.

can you smell the sweet perfume of this Little Gem?

looking for a vine to replace the Concord Grape on this split rail, voila! Arctic Kiwi manifested. I cannot wait for this fruit next year!

male planted on one side of post, female on the other.

everyone knows Lambs Ear. A classic in any garden; sometimes a thug, yet when that happens, I dig clumps and sell them at the farmer’s market to eager gardeners… the bumble bees also adore the blooms.

this variety of clematis lived on the property when I bought the place in 2001. It survived years in deep shade under a tree, and now thrives on a slick tuteur in the deep shrub border with her feet heavily mulched and her height in full sun.

I cannot forget to mention the sweet, edible, most popular plant, the viola or Johnny Jump Up. I am convinced this plant parties at night, as thirteen years ago, seed was planted in the front garden and every year since, I find it growing all over the entire half-acre…

quite an edible feast: beautiful salad greens and edible flowers from the garden this week. The arugula was especially nice.

Spring weather of 2014 was spastic. 40F degrees one night and 60F the next.
Daytime highs have swung from 40F to 90F numerous times, and rapidly humidity of summer builds.

Yesterday I rose early to add more mulch, river rock in wash areas, and to tidy the beds for the summer ahead. Finding garden solutions is a never-ending challenge.
Rewards arrive in the hues of spring color, tastes of flavorful edibles, and in the humbling glow of accomplishment.
Striding alongside nature while sharing the garden’s beauty/bounty is a legacy of unnamed bliss.

Gardening in Virginia has its challenges; with humidity comes powdery mildew, which I plan to attack with fresh abandon.
The peonies suffered terribly in the past two years with this fungal disease, thankfully following bloom time.
Since peonies are an important cash crop every May, I want to coddle my twenty-nine plants and avoid the ugliness of mildew.
Stay tuned…

over 400 peony stems went to market last month.

selling my garden bounty at the local farmer’s market in May…

I hope you enjoyed my June Garden Delights Tour today.

Comments are always appreciated.

Now back to the kitchen to finish that order of Key Lime Pies.

At least views from the workbench allow glimpses of my garden sanctuary and the adored wild birds.

May your June be bountiful and beautiful.

Copyright © 2014 by Diane LaSauce  All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

in love again…

Tags

April in Virginia, Central Virginia, charlottesville virginia usa, spring flowers, Virginia garden

It is that time of year, when I am about at my end with winter.
Nearly ready to take a long walk off a short pier. My rescue?
My collection of heirloom daffodils emerge to save the day.
Below is a collection of recent cuttings — please enjoy.
I am in love again…

love is blooming all around me

sweet faces fill my office with delightful scent

these beauties knock me out

non-stop beauty this week

this precious wonder is named Minnow

close up ~ notice the minute tip on the petal. The design department worked overtime on this detail!

lovelies in my mother’s old vase

this is the companion vase

I hope these images cheer your day.
Freshly inspired to head off into another growing season here in central Virginia,
I daresay, hurrah!

Copyright © 2014 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

strolling with Thomas Jefferson ~ his Grounds at the University

Tags

Albemarle County, Charlottesville, fall, fall garden, Fralin Museum, Grounds at the University, landscape design, photography, the University, Thomas Jefferson, University of Virginia, Virginia

Although I have resided near Monticello and UVA on-and-off for more than thirty years, I never took the time to stroll with Mr. Jefferson on his Grounds at the University of Virginia—until yesterday. Even though a slight drizzle was about, the light was simply divine for photography, and my time had come.

Fortunate to find parking near Grounds this holiday weekend, I first visited the Ansel Adams exhibition at the Fralin Museum, then took off towards the majestic landscape and buildings known as “an Academical Village.”

Fall color arrives near Grounds

the University ~ on the UNESCO list

paths to knowledge

The Rotunda is the focal point of the Academical Village and is modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. The Village is comprised of ten faculty pavilions; the Pavilion Gardens; student rooms along both sides of the East and West Ranges; and six Hotels which served as dining halls. These buildings continue to be used as Jefferson intended.

The designer himself ~ Thomas Jefferson ~ “father of the University”

classic details prevail

flanking the lawn

inside the Rotunda, the former library housed a collection of books initially selected by Jefferson himself.

a unique detail ~ a fireplace built mid-way up the staircase

Jefferson’s favorite view of the South Lawn through the portico’s double inside glass doors. He visited here one last time only days before this death.

magnificent restored stair rail system

Cleverly placed bookcases in the Dome Room disappear behind the room’s columns when viewed from the center of the room

The oculus is the Dome Room’s crown.

seating in the center of the Dome Room.

The life-sized statue of Jefferson overlooks the entrance to Grounds

another view of the complex staircase leading to the Dome Room. The restoration took four months to complete.

The East Oval Room, originally a lecture hall, is now the meeting chamber of the governing body, the Board of Visitors.

map engravings from the 1800’s hang in the North Oval Room.

Mantel décor in the North Oval Room.

close up of mantel clock

oval rooms were fitted with oval tables

pine doors are given their inlaid mahogany appearance by a painting process called “graining.” This was a very popular technique used during the 19th century. Inexpensive, local woods could be used, sidestepping the costs of imported versions.

another detail of pine wood “graining.”

just outside the Rotunda’s doors stands one of many couples recently married on Grounds.

two small ovens were discovered during the 1970’s restoration of the Rotunda. This confirms that the Lower East Oval Room was the site of early chemistry classes.

another classroom at recess

Ground floor detail of Rotunda

heated debate topic published on the cover of the Cavalier Daily ~ the paper of the University

one of the Hotels along the Lawn

building details

classic architectural details abound

student rooms along the Lawn. Edgar Allen Poe resided in one.

serenity abounds and details please the eye

notice the structural landing between floors

easily transported back in time, these Grounds convey the past

classic fretwork under overhang

another brick pathway joins the Grounds

serpentine walls undulate often around Grounds

and again

and again

quiet outdoor spaces abound for student enrichment

a well-defined garden found within another walled space

the privies on Grounds. Daresay, I did not open a door.

simple adoration for these walls

hyacinth bean climbs historic walls at the University

gates are another delightful garden feature on Grounds

my eyes never tire of gates

rear view of privies

the real ball and chain ~ simple yet oh so functional

symmetry in action supports perspective

intersecting paths lead thousands to higher knowledge

We must not forget that without the hundreds of laborers, both free and enslaved, neither Monticello nor the University would exist.
To all those unnamed, you are not forgotten.

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

bursting with pride

Tags

bluebird monitor, Bluebirds, nature, outdoors, predator guard, Virginia, young bluebirds

By now followers must realize my adoration of the US Native Bluebird. Four years ago, with the help of three bluebird experts, I joined the ranks of bluebird monitors. After a few rough starts and mortality rates, this year appears to be my most successful year. The following photos were shot this morning through my glass door, so some may appear blurry, yet the moment cannot be replaced. I hope that you enjoy!

for clarification this slightly blurry shot shows the predator guard acting as a perch for the 28 day old bluebird chicks. I rigged this private BB feeder in an unused BB box noel guard. It has worked splendidly–keeping other birds out.

28 day old chick safely explores the feeding ground below main feeder

adult male feeds chick and is instrumental in keeping fledglings healthy with food

OK, Smarty, as I named him, is the first chick to actually fly up into the private BB feeder

female adult perches amongst the chicks, as she has already completed her second nest in the other box used earlier (cleaned out by moi). I expect new eggs any day now.

Smarty enjoying the morning sun and awaiting more mealworms

notice Smarty’s blue tail feathers…at day 28 already we can see Smarty is a male. And how VERY adult he looks ~ very streamlined!

clever Smarty turned to the feeding bowl

I know, I am guilty of sharing too many photos, yet moi feels like a proud grandparent, with the hard parts left to the adult bluebirds

I surmise these three chicks are the ones that fledged first, before the last two from this clutch. If you recall, the last two chicks fledged two days after these, and I believe that somehow they do not associate themselves with the first three. I spotted a single chick with the adult male yesterday, a loner, who flew directly into my glass door window (despite the window ribbon) as I stood there, gasping. It was not killed, and flapped its way over the rooftop. The fifth chick alludes me to date. I shall hope to see all five together in order to soothe my concerns.
Observing wild birds can be difficult at times, as Mother Nature will take her course, despite the best efforts by moi. After all, I can only help so much, yet the hand wringing continues…
If you wish to see my other bluebird posts, merely type the word bluebird into the search bar on this site. I invite comments from readers more experienced than I. Yet, today I am one proud and grateful bluebird monitor. Kudos to the many naturalists who monitor bluebird trails and cope with hundreds of these beauties.
At home, garden, life, one box at a time is all I can manage.

Update as of 5/31. This face-guard is my adaptation to keep a nosy Thrasher out of the mealworm feeder. She happened by when adult BB was feeding the chicks. This quick contraption, made from another butter box, works perfectly.

PS I should mention another bird blessing this spring. A pair of robins decided to build their nest in the Little Gem magnolia, just outside my bedroom window. So close is the nest, that I merely need to glance through the pane to see their chicks eagerly gaping for food. A first for this birding woman, and a joy to behold.

PPS Just spotted Uno (the chick who crashed into the door glass yesterday) at the feeder. Female adult ignored it, yet in zoomed the adult male, who promptly stuffed Uno’s gullet with mealworms. Yay!

And off in the distance the din of a zillion cicadas….

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

joint venture ~ bluebirds and moi

Tags

animals, Bluebirds, nature, nesting bluebirds, Noel guard, platform feeder, predator guard, Virginia, virginia countryside

Crack that bottle of champagne! Today the first egg arrived in the bluebird box. Although I monitor bluebirds every year, this day is always special!

Woo Hoo! First Swallowtail Cottage bluebird egg of 2013!

I will admit I was a bit nervous this morning, when I observed only the female. Typically, the male is never far away, yet today he was absent. The female hopped out of the box and waited and watched on the Noel guard for some time—no male in sight. Then voila this afternoon I discovered this in the nest! Yay! Perhaps the male was out smoking cigars with the boyz…

This is the side view of the completed nest with side door raised. Notice the wire riser in the bottom ~ I added this to help deter blowfly. Notice the coir material on the bottom, yet the female finished the liner with soft grass. Nice mama!

This is the overall view of the bluebird box with hole extender and Noel guard (green) attached to box face ~ another predator guard.

Front view of bluebird box. Much ado.

Don’t laugh, but this is the second box in my yard away from the active nest box ~ the one this pair used last year. Since they chose the other box, I rigged up this private feeding station for the bluebirds. Parakeet feeder inside Noel guard and covered with (yikes!) butter boxes to prevent other birds from seeing the food.

This TACKY arrangement, ahem, works! The butter boxes are flexible and coated, so they stand up to weather, keeping the treats dry.

Bluebirds are bashful birds and will not come to feed at my public platform feeder where titmice, cardinals, chickadees, finches, doves, and woodpeckers feed.

Celebration is in order tonight!

And the best news is that just after I poked around taking these photographs, I noticed both the male and female checking out the box. Hurray!

All is well at Swallowtail Cottage!

These little things in life make my days sweet.

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

Bluebirds ~ our very special relationship at Swallowtail Cottage

Tags

Albemarle County, back yard birds, blowfly, bluebird monitor, Bluebird Monitor's Guide, Bluebirds, coir, garden, home, life, nature, nesting bluebirds, Virginia

rural Albemarle County

Bluebirds are native, timid, and endangered here in the US. In order to continue my life’s mission of sustainability and education, four years ago I became a Bluebird Monitor. During the nesting season, I observe, serve, and promote the health and survival of this wonderful species.

The following photos were just taken this morning from inside my home, so please forgive the few slightly blurred images, yet I think it is important to record and blog about the very special relationship I developed with this particular pair. They nested here last year and I welcome them back with open arms and camera in hand. They do not feed here during the winter, and I celebrate their safe return from the wild.

Virginia’s wild

Let’s return to the timid part—bluebirds frighten easily and nesting conditions must be just right for a pair to claim a box. Since I feed many other species of wild birds on my half-acre, placement of bluebird boxes is critical. Not too close, just the right size and angle, positioned on stand-alone posts just the right height off the ground, and goodness knows, plenty of predator guards.

I offer two boxes here and currently have a small feeding station set up in the Noel guard of one box—specifically for the blues. It is hidden from wrens, titmice, cardinals, and Mary Mockingbird, all of who adore the same sunflower seeds, currants and nuggets. Happily the bluebirds found this private feeder quickly, and chose the other box in which to nest. All this I learned by observation.

Another tidbit learned in recent years is, is about the nesting material. Bluebirds fancy pine needles here, yet with nearby cattle, the bluebirds are easily infested with blowfly parasites, which kill. I learned the hard way two years ago when I lost all but one nestling in an otherwise healthy brood. Blowfly apparently love pine needles, so last year I experimented with coir, a sustainable by-product of the coconut. It is cheap, clean, and nicely simulates pine.

coir nest built by moi when blowfly was detected in pine needle nest

I lined coir nest with raffia strips to prevent nestlings from tangling their nails in coir. From this nest the fledge was successful.

In spring I stock up on a few plant basket liners, and place shredded bits near the bird box when the female shows interest. This streamlines the female’s nest-building chore as the male does not help construct—he guards the process.

Can you imagine being a nesting bird who flies around large areas in order to return with just a few threads of nesting material per flight? Hundreds of trips must be made, using precious energy. While assisting in this process I feel such joy when through the glass, I observe a connection with this wild creature as she selects the coir and hops into the nearby nest box. Now for the photos taken within the hour:

this year’s scenario~
notice the coir tucked into the fence post

female bluebird making the connection, yay!

bluebird up on post ready to enter the box

there she goes!

male at private feeding station

Male guards while female grabs a snack~nest building takes energy!

Male bluebird checking out the nest-building process

Dear readers, I cannot begin to express the absolute glee—a kid in a candy store perhaps? Filled with hope, pride, and pure joy that I may share this small miracle with you.

If you host bluebirds in your gardens, please do not feed dry mealworms! Most of them are from China! Please order fresh (USA), live mealworms from Nature’s Way in Ohio. They are easy to care for (just put them in a deep tray with oat bran and a few fresh romaine leaves) where they happily reside until plucked out (I use tweezers) and feed to appreciative birds. If readers have questions, please write to me through the comments link above…

I would be honored if you would continue to learn about my bluebird adventures by typing bluebird into the search bar on this page. There you may read previous posts and see photographs of this miraculous process. If, per chance, I inspire you to become a Bluebird Monitor, please type suggested reading into my search bar to learn titles of the essential publications supporting this incredible bird. Also one of my followers a great source of information and her blog may be found at http://woolwinehousebluebirdtrail.com/
Check it out and get inspired!

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

all or nothin’

Tags

backyard birds, cairn, late snowfall, nature, snowfall, tete a tete, virginia countryside

a wisp of promise

embellished tuteur

raised beds at rest

Tete a Tete daffodils uncovered

cairn for Miss Kitty

Mother Nature was kind to this garden last night.
Mild overnight temperatures allow for a quick melt this morning,
yet not before I captured these images to share.
The backyard birds eagerly await their nesting season and
the snow (ha!!) peas would like to raise their heads!
For now, this garden looks like nothin’!

Where ever you are, I wish you a safe and memorable day.

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved