How my garden GREW before 2014

As an artist, I have been using the garden as my canvas since 2009. Every year it's been totally different. I love that aspect of it. I think it's why I enjoy it so much, never get bored. Tired, yes! Bored, NO!  

Gardening of any kind suits my creative style as I like to let what ever I am making evolve. I have a plan in my head, I "see" what it looks like, make some sketches, drawings, notes, even a color scheme. I was never an artist who had these perfect thumb nail sketches to scale & color of what the end work would be . Never. Not even in art college.  Could be why even back then I gravitated to photography & collage. My BFA is in Textile design . No could have predicted back then, when I was living in NYC, Italy or even LA, that I would find a creative niche in DIRT & GREEN!!!  It must be my ancestors. It's in my blood, my family is telling me. 

    2013 Spring

    2013 Summer

    2013 Summer

   2013 Fall

      

   2012 Summer

    2012 Fall

    2012 Winter 

    2011 Summer

    2011 Fall

    2010 Spring

    2010 Summer

    2010 Fall

    Summer 2009

    Summer 2009

   Summer 2009

   

Another pastime

Like I said it takes a lot to get me to leave the cozy warm house in the winter. What dragged me out this winter was a wonderful event:  my my photograph was in a gallery exhibit!

I once again entered a photograph in "Philly Photo Day 2013". I did it last year either and both years my photo entry was selected to be in the main exhibit in a gallery and then both 2012 and 2013 photos were each chosen to be part of 200 photographs in a year long photographic exhibit at the Philadphia airport! 

I wasn't able to see both of two years exhibit at airport  because they're in terminals that you can only enter if you are a passenger with a ticket. Friends got to see it and sent me the photos. No airplane travel these last few years. I am way over do to fly somewhere!

This was 2012 photograph I entered and exhibited:

    And on exhibit at airport:

Of course I'll be entering "Philly Photo Day 2014"!

How will my garden GROW?

That's always the mystery question. It's the unknown component out of your control that you have to factor in when growing anything outside, whether it's flowers, herbs, or vegetables.

2013 

The garden always changes. You plant annuals yearly something new to try out in a different color, same location or not, different variety. Perrineals do come back every year but their life could be 5 yrs, 10yrs or less even. Or the self seed & suddenly you got more than you ever wanted.  That's when you dig up, divide, & share with other gardener friends! And their listed life span is of course only if gardening conditions are perfect.  Which they never are.

You can wish for what you want your garden to grow to and become that year, while planning, ordering and growing seeds inside. You can design in your head, on paper, even render it to scale. But you won't know what it will all look like till it happens!!

I tell everyone: I am creating with 

MOTHER NATURE as one of my tools.

And ya better not mess with her!!

It's here!!!

Some photos from a super sunny warm first day of SPRING that every one in city was bursting with joy at it's arrival FINALLY!!!

I got my leeks in now too. I dug a trench this year for them to fill in with soil as they grow to bleach the stalks.

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Adding some purple plants to pots. 

And found the most gorgeous anemone!

Anticipating SPRING!

Friends stopped by to have a little celebration for the arrival of S-P-R-I-N-G 2015. And to be able to leave the house without checking weather, multiple layers, snow boots, etc. 

We decided to keep it easy & lite. Just have some cocktails & appetizers, small bites, small plates, tapas, or as the Italians say instead of cocktail hour: SFIZIOSI.

We made NEGRONI cocktails. It's a classic Italian APERTIVO. An apertivo is an alcoholic beverage taken before a meal as an appetizer. Herbs in the recipe help digestion of the meal to follow. Traditionally made with gin but you can sub vodka. It's equal portions of spirit, sweet vermouth, & Campari. 

It's the most gorgeous color!

As for the foods, besides some pizza I defrosted. & added toppings before putting in oven, I collected an assortment of olives, cheeses, crackers, breads, pickled veggies, some fruit & nuts. Every thing very easy-peesy.

As the Brits say. Very simple we say.

The Italians have this saying which means the same. L'Arte di Arrangiarsi - Something out of Nothing. Make a meal any meal with with whatever you have on head, in the frig, freezer and pantry. No fuss. It's this mind set that contributes to their living the DOLCE VITA. translated: the Sweet Life! 

Winter 2014 ALMOST gone!!!

More signs everyday: hear birds, more sunny days, weather warming up. In fact this March, it got unseasonably warm too soon. Not complaining. But who knows what this screwy weather new weather pattern means for the garden this year? We became a Zone 7. So technically warmer. Yet coldest winter on records, including record amounts of snow. Last summer was wonderful. You knows about what's ahead for us.

Project for March: START UNCOVERING THE TUNNELS & COLD FRAMES!!

I had taken off the outer covers & blankets. And you can see how warm March has been very early as the weeds had started to grow already . In fact as I stated , the garden season seems to last 12 months now. I found myself weeding under the low tunnels! Who knew?

It was so exciting to see how things lived & started re growing!!

 

Amazing, right? LOTS to do before the actual planting time starts. Rule of thumb: peas can go in by St Patrick's Day. Another found out that fava beans can go in ground earlier. They can take the cold. The plant don't like the heat or rather the planter(me) doesn't like them in warmer weather as the aphids LOVE them! They come with black ants all over the flower, stem & even pods. Yuck!

Learned a lot my second year of cloth covered load tunnels. On some levels it's really worth it but I would have to set up my system to be more efficiant and not make me do all this unnecessary work( hard labor).

Plus I GOT REPAIR or even REBUILD the deer fence!

Decided my swiss chard & beets this spring would be planted under a covered top enclosed in a wire fence. They would be protected from the deer nibbling or wiping out the row of veg. In one night in 2012 they ate an entire 15ft row of my Swiss chard & a 15ft of my beets. I kid you not! 

Signs it's ALMOST FINISHED!!

I got an email today from PHS: the 2014 Flower Show App is ready to download & check out show.

The PHS Flower Show in Philadelphia is every year in late March.

SPRING is MARCH 21!

What does all this signify???

WINTER 2014 IS MOST OVER!!!! 

Yippy-i-Yea!!!!!