The Last Leaf Gardener

It's Ground Hog Day! It's Ground Hog Day! (And my Salad Greens want to know what he has to say!)

2012-02-02T09:21:00.004-05:00

The things which I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden, and I, would like to wish you a Happy Ground Hog Day. Today marks the point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (this day is celebrated on August 1st for those living south of the equator).

And, as you can see in the image posted above, one the salad greens that I grow here is poking his head out of his winter gear — throwing back his blankets of bubble wrap and burlap — to see if the groundhog will see his shadow today.

While it's true that my salad greens are purple, their coloring is not from cold temperatures! Winter, in NYC, has been, for the most part, fairly mild. In fact, it has been almost too warm and balmy for this time of year, and the things I grow are probably feeling somewhat over dressed in the winter gear I've put them in — a fact that you may reference by going to a precious post here on TLLG by clicking here.

In any event, today, the groundhog will be a big player in predicting if we are in for an early spring or if winter will reign. After all, legends have it that if the groundhog sees his shadow, we are in for six more weeks of winter, but if he doesn't we are in for an early spring.

Groundhog days in years gone by have proved quite exciting in New York City, particularly a couple of years ago, when a rodent known as Staten Island Chuck (who annually makes a prediction on whether the coming days will be an early spring or prolonged winter) came out of hibernation to see if he saw his shadow.

A true New Yorker, this little rodent even stood up to Mayor Bloomberg by biting Bloomberg's finger in response for allegedly being coaxed out of his warm home and deep sleep to perform his see-or-not-see-his-shadow task.

I say "allegedly" because there was speculation at the time that Staten Island Chuck was miffed at Bloomberg (for cutting the Staten Island Zoo's budget from 1.6 million dollars to 1.3 million dollars), and grabbed his chance to retaliate by biting the mayor's finger!

I posted a video of Chuck's attack on Mayor Bloomberg on my blog last year, and if you'd like to see it, please click here.

Meanwhile, dear reader, does the city where you live have a "mascot" rodent who serves as a meteorologist on this day? Has your area experienced a balmy winter? And if so, and you are a gardener, what impact has it had on the things which you grow?

"If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr . . . " Week Nineteen

2012-01-31T17:37:00.043-05:00

The last day of January is already here, and my beloved friends from the comic strip Mutts, are already began celebrating one of our February holidays, Ground Hog Day, which will take place this Thursday, February the 2nd.

I have written a number of blog posts here on TLLG about Mutts, as well as Groundhog Day, and if you'd like to read related posts, please click here and here respectively.

However, since today is Tuesday, dear reader, you know what that means! If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr! Please click here to visit yours truly on that location, where there is a lot of new content!

It's a WRAP: Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day!

2012-01-30T20:25:00.001-05:00

My attractive Ophipogon planiscapus, AKA Black Mondo Grass, is also very responsible, and, therefore, he is taking his role of spokes-plant and co-host to yours truly very seriously and, in fact, it was he who told me that today, January the 30th, is Bubble-Wrap Appreciation Day!

If you follow this blog, then you are undoubtedly aware that Bubble-Wrap, plays a big part in my garden winterizing, as I discussed in a guest blog for Fern Richardson's Life on the Balcony (and for details about this, please click here).

In any event, I imagine the 80+ things I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden are feeling a little overdressed this winter, as it has been — for the most part — fairly mild, and all of them are beginning to loosen "their collars" of burlap, which are tied with jute that Juan V and I placed over their Bubble-Wrap this past December.

This is evident in the images posted below, which show just a fraction of the things that I grow in my garden. (Remember, they are ALL winterized in the same manner.)

The 80+ things which I grow in my urban garden are not the only ones feeling the effects of this relatively mild weather, and while many folks enjoy not having to be "layering up" to protect themselves from winter's elements, the fact is, the things I grow and I know it is crucial to have a "real" winter, and so we (the things I grow and I) have very mixed emotions about this mild winter!

What about you, dear reader? Do you live in an area that "normally" experiences snow and colder temperatures but is not finding that to be the case this year? What are your thoughts regarding this unusual occurrence? AND, also, HOW DO THE THINGS YOY GROW FEEL ABOUT IT?

Did Mayor Yury Luzhkov tell Bloomberg about spraying the clouds?

2012-01-28T17:29:00.005-05:00

When I went out to check on things in my urban (NYC) terrace garden, I found one of my shrubs, the Continus Coggygria AKA Smokey Bush, also known as 'Grace' (pictured above), in the throes of deep prayer, as evidenced by the upright and open position of her sweet little branches in the image seen here.

'Grace' confided in me that she was inspired to "lift (her) arms to pray" because she had remembering hearing of Joyce Kilmer's poem, where the quote is from, in past postings here on this blog which you can find by clicking here as well as here and here.

My Continus Coggygria is not prone to prayer, but she confided in me that she felt if trees can lift their arms to pray, why couldn't shrubs? And she said that she felt the need to pray because of the lack of snowfall we have had in New York City this year, as she is very worried about global warming!

Snow, while it is a hindrance to many New Yorkers, and admittedly impedes the elderly and physically challenged from getting around, is something my Continus Coggygria truly misses. She recalls the time last winter when she allowed her branches to be a cup for "nature's snow cones" which was a year and a day ago on January 27, 2010, a fact, dear reader, that you may recall from the image seen below.

It seems my Continus Coggygria feeling's were prompted by reading that New York City, where she and I live, has lately been accused of being a "nanny city" with our Mayor Michael Bloomberg "taking to the radio to pontificate about our lousy diets, gripe about our sinister smoking habits, and promote his latest utopian health scheme" (read full article here), and the actions of "hissoner" have prompted several jokes by yours truly when it comes to considering the small amounts of snow we have had in New York City this winter season.

"Perhaps, Mayor Bloomberg has banned snowfall in New York City," I have suggested, and I have offered an opinion that "if and when snow does fall again here in New York City, perhaps it must now fall on alternate sides of the street so as to not interfere with parking and trash removal regulations. Or better yet only fall in the city's parks."

Little did I know when I made these jokes, that my Continus Coggygria would take them to heart, but it seems that she has actually thought that our Mayor could and did ban snow! It turns out that she is aware of information documented in 2009 regarding a mayor in Russia banning snowfall!

As it happens, my Continus Coggygria has her facts correct. Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who was the mayor of Moscow, did attempt to ban snowfall on his fair city. In a 2009 article TIME World stated, "For just a few million dollars, the mayor of Moscow will hire the Russian air force to spray a fine chemical mist over the clouds before they reach the capital, forcing them to dump their snow outside the city. Authorities say this will be a boon for Moscow, which is typically covered with a blanket of snow from November to March. Road crews won't need to constantly clear the streets, and the traffic — and quality of life — will undoubtedly improve." (To read the full article, please click here which is also the link to credit for the image below).

Any thoughts, dear reader on how I might console my Continus Coggygria at this time? It has been unusually warm in New York City and I respect her feelings, after all, she has been the inspiration for one of my most popular cards titled "Grace" (Smokey Bush) which can be viewed within the card shoppe pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art by clicking here and her "service" as a "snow cone" cup is the inspiration for my soon to be released valentines which you can preview in a slide show which is on Vimeo and that you may watch by clicking here.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr . . . " Week Eighteen

2012-01-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say the image posted above has just been added to a set of images in my Flickr Gallery — which is named Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium) — please click here to view the entire set. Meanwhile, another Tuesday is here again and, as TLLG readers know, if it's Tuesday it must be tumblr! Please click here to go there.

Snow Day

2012-01-21T16:25:00.008-05:00

Today, January the Twenty-First, NYC (where I live) had our first snowfall for 2012. In fact, we had no snow in December of 2011, and the snow for November of 2011, was a "residual" from our Halloween 2011 snowstorm.

One of my Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass) triplets, pictured here, and who, as you know if you follow this blog, recently won a coin toss in my urban (NYC) terrace garden in which the prize was being the solo host and or co-host with yours truly to a number of year-end review segments (details available by clicking here and here), was so thrilled by nature's gift topping its black tufts and the brilliant green blades of his friend, Mr. Blue Shag (pictured below),

as well as the squiggly blades of his playmate, Ms. Juncus effsus (Unicorn Soft Rush),

that he declared it a snow day for a year in review segment (ie he and I are not doing one today).

But he hopes, as do I, that you have enjoyed the ones we have done so far here on TLLG's blog for my Physocarpus opulifolius (Coppertina) and for my Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium), and my Phlox Subulata, as well as the segments in movie format we have done for my Echinacea (which is called Echinacea Elaborates and was posted on nybg's – New York Botanical Gardens – tumblr with an accompanying photo album on Flickr), and my Hyssop with its visiting bees, whose movie was featured on TLLG's Facebook Page. However for those of you who "don't do FB", you can view the Hyssop's movie on Vimeo by clicking here.

Meanwhile, the Ophipogon planiscapus spokes plant and I are in the throes of creating other movies, which we like to call Virtual Stories; so stay tuned.

P.S. For those of you who are not familiar with Blue Shag or Juncus effsus look like without snow, see images below.

Blue Shag

Juncus effsus

Humpty Dumpty Honors Penguin Awareness Day

2012-01-20T19:59:00.001-05:00

With all the "year-end review talk" going on in my urban (NYC) terrace garden, the Humpty Dumpty figurine in my indoor succulent garden (pictured above, and you might recognize his face from other entries here on TLLG) is now feeling nostalgic.

His "position" in my succulent garden is near my kitchen window, so if he really streches his neck, he can eavesdrop on the year-end reviews my Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass) is hosting. And today, my visiting bees were the subject of a year-end review segment, which can be seen in a movie posted this morning on TLLG's Facebook Page by clicking here.

Be that as it may, all of this reminiscing has caused my Humpty Dumpty figurine to do his own reflections on by-gone times in my succulent garden. As you know, if you follow this TLLG blog, I often feature the escapades of my figurines which you can access by clicking here. Moreover, I also discuss them on nybg's (New York Botanical Gardens) tumblr. And, I guest blogged for My Square Garden about the ambience that results from having figurines in an indoor succulent garden.

While my figurines come and go depending on the season, my Humpty Dumpty stays, and today he was missing a penguin figurine (they both can be seen within the circles added to the image below).

Humpty Dumpty was especially missing the penguin figurine because today, January the 20th, is Penguin Awareness Day (not to be confused with World Penguin Day which is always on April 25th).

But, to give Humpty Dumpty his due, he kept his spirits up for the succulents and figurines which are currently in my succulent garden. For he, of all my figurines, knows from experience to take things in stride, since all the king's horses and all the kings men can (never put things back together again).

In honor of Wiki's Going Dark: Pausing for Station Identification on The Last Leaf Gardner

2012-01-18T17:47:00.002-05:00

Of course, when Dr. Seuss (who has been mentioned in a prior post here on TLLG, which can be found by clicking here), said, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go,” he was talking about reading books, and not reading things on the Internet, and while I read many things on the Internet for my small business, I am certainly one who enjoys reading books.

In fact, once upon a time, when I was about to have a surgical procedure on my knee, which would require a hospital stay, a dear friend gave me some money to buy "an appropriate nightgown to wear in the hospital." After she handed me some rumpled bills, she gave me a stern warning, "Don't buy books with this!"

A few days later she asked if I found "an appropriate nightgown". My response to her was that "the bookstore did not sell nightgowns . . . ."

All kidding aside, the ability to read is a great gift, and the availability of things to read is crucial, and even more so for me as a gardener, who is always needing information on the 80+ things which I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden, as well as the 15+ things I grow in my indoor succulent garden. Now that I maintain this blog, contribute to nybg's (New York Botanical Gardens) tumblr, create Virtual Stories, and guest blog, I am always in need of correct data, and often Wiki provides me with valuable information. Therefore, I find this Seuss quote apropos to pay homage to Wiki's anti-SOPA black-out which is today, January the 18th of 2011.

I have not had steady work for quite some time and therefore, at this moment, I cannot afford to donate to Wiki's editors, but I can, today, on Wiki's black-out day (which I know has nothing to do with fees and everything to do with censorship), have The Last Leaf Gardener's blog pause — as radio programs do when they run tests of their emergency broadcasting systems — to offer my sincere wishes in Wiki's plight to protect the integrity and principles of content offered on the Internet.

Today I went to a funeral mass for SP, one of the residents who lived at the home where (as I've stated in a previous post here on TLLG), I have done volunteer work since 2003, and the presider of the mass talked about the importance of people bringing light to others as our dearly departed resident had done during her life time. The presider went on to explain that at the Easter Vigil Mass we have the church in total darkness, then – as a congregation — we light each other's candles from the main (paschal candle) until everyone is holding a candle whose light was taken from the same source. The presider's meditation made me think not only of SP, but of Wiki, and their mission to bring an unbiased light of knowledge, on an array of subjects, to anyone and everyone, and I wish them well with their cause, and I thank them for the wealth of knowledge they have shared with me on may subjects. Moreover, I don't think I am being presumptuous in saying my fellow bloggers are grateful for Wiki too.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr . . . " Week 19 AND an Announcement About a Mini-Mini Movie (Virtual Story)

2012-01-17T13:23:00.040-05:00

As I announced here on TLLG yesterday, one of my Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass) triplets (pictured above) won the coin toss in my garden and, hence, will either be the spokes-plant or my assistant in "show-casing" year-end reviews for some of the 80+ things which I grow in my urban (NYC) garden. The Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium) managed to receive its year-end review on the last day of 2011, but many of the other things that I grow here will have their year-end reviews between now and when they wake up in April of 2012. We began yesterday with my Phlox Subulata, and today we are featuring my Echinacea, with a mini-mini movie (Virtual Story), called An Echinacea Elaborates, but since it's Tuesday it must be tumblr, so you'll need to view it there by clicking here.

Ophipogon planiscapus to Host (or Co-Host) Year in Review!

2012-01-16T00:04:00.018-05:00

In spite of the fact that this past Saturday I informed Ms. Apple of your Eye, "looking in the direction you are heading is far better than looking backwards", I realize that many folks, especially at the beginning of a new year, do like to look back, and I am fully aware that a number of media outlets pay homage to the old year by providing a year-end review feature, such as Reuters has done, and whose "picks" for the highlights of 2011 may be viewed by clicking here.

Moreover, many of the 80+ things that I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden have been imploring me to do a year-end review, where they wanted me to highlight the events that occurred within my garden in the 2011 year.

But now that most of the things which I grow in my terrace garden have been bundled up for the winter — making them look like kids wearing poofy jackets — and they are taking their winter's season's nap (as indicated in the photograph posted above today's entry), I was hoping that they had forgotten about the "plan" we had made (a plan that I discussed in a post here on TLLG, on December 31st of 2011, which is a date when most "normal" folks do, or have done, their year in review).

As you may recall, dear reader, in our December the 31st of 2011 "plan", we (yours truly and the things I grow) decided to start our year-end review for 2011 on January 6th of 2012. However, as you may also remember, when Friday the Sixth of January arrived, all the things I grow seemed to agree, that our chosen date to begin the "review" should once again be postponed – or at least shared with paying our respects to Three Kings Day also celebrated on the Sixth of January.

New York City's weather was much milder then, so everyone was in a good mood and quite agreeable about the postponement of our year-end review. But it has gotten much colder, and most of things I grow are all fast asleep, so, I figured I could let our plans for a year-end review slide.

Silly me for thinking the things I grow in my garden would miss a chance to appear in a year-end review! It seems that one of my Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass) triplets has appointed himself (and now has the approval of the other things that I grow) to oversee my comings and goings whilst they are sleeping, and to make sure that the year-end review for what occurred in my urban garden in 2011 happens, BEFORE the things I grow awaken for the spring season!

If you have been following this blog, you may remember that I have a set of Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass) triplets growing in my urban garden, and that they normally "reside" under the canopy of my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines), which you can see in the images below that have previously been included here on TLLG.

However, now that my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida have lost their leaves for the summer, spring and fall seasons,

the Ophipogon planiscapus have been removed from the copper rings that secure them when they are below my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida.

Moreover, since my Ophipogon planiscapus have been temporarily removed (for the winter season) from their "normal" location in the garden, they are huddled on the terrace's "floor" amongst the other things which I grow, and their specific location is indicated by the three white arrows in the aerial image at the top of today's blog entry. The one to the far left is "off camera" and the other two are on a diagonal from each other. It is the Ophipogon planiscapus that can be seen in the upper portion of the image, and in a close-up image below,

that won the coin toss as to which Ophipogon planiscapus would serve as the spokes-plant, and/ or advisor to yours truly for the 2011 year-end review.

Oddly enough, he also won a coin toss earlier this year regarding who should be a spokes-plant, and I must say the role comes very naturally to him, because he did an excellent job, which you can see for yourself by clicking here and here.

It is my Ophipogon planiscapus executive decision that we should start with the year in review by honoring my Phlox Subulata AKA Creeping Phlox. Although I have the Phlox Subulata in my garden for over five years, it has not been featured here on TLLG, or on nybg's tumblr, and so it is "high time", according to my Ophipogon planiscapus (and I must say I agree, for my Phlox Subulata has always added a touch of class to my garden).

One of the reasons that my Ophipogon planiscapus chose to start the year-end review with my Phlox Subulata is that he got aquainted with her when they were being winterized for the 2010-2011 season, as seen pictured below, where two of my Ophipogon planiscapus have orange circles around their tufts — no they are not wearing halos.

I suppose this is the reason that my spokes-plant insists that my Phlox Subulata begin her"review" story by receiving a close-up from last season's winterizing as an intro to her year in review, so without further ado, my Ophipogon planiscapus and I give you Lady Phlox Subulata!

You, dear reader, can catch a glimpse of her snoozing for the 2010-2011 winter season (indicated by the orange arrow).

And the following pictures are ones that highlight her 2011 year-end review in my terrace garden.

Lady Phlox Subulata was one of the first things to awken from a winter slumber on April 8, 2011 as seen above. She woke from her sleep slowly,

and, twenty days later produced her first beautiful flower as indicated in the picture immediately above this text.

She continued through May to produce lovely flowers as seen below,

and these were a delight to me as was her awesome lush foliage, which remained throughout all the seasons, including the time she was tucked into bed for the 2011-2012 winter.

But I am told that what Lady Phlox Subulata enjoyed the most was the day she received her name tag (seen in the image below).

Apparently, she had been feeling left out since she had not been featured in blog posts on TLLG or nybg's tumblr, so I am glad that my Ophipogon planiscapus suggested we start our review with her, and when she awakens this coming April, I'll make every effort to feature her in my various garden themed venues such as the places I blog, my virtual stories (these include my garden themed movies) that are on Vimeo, and my line of greeting cards as well as invitations that I produce and feature both in Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art and on ETSY.

In the meantime, the 2011 year in review will continue intermediately here on TLLG, as my Ophipogon planiscapus and I keep in mind that the gardening year begins in April so we still have time to give each of the things that grow here a close-up.

P.S. My Ophipogon planiscapus would appreciate you weighing in with your thoughts. If you are new to posting this type of thing, you may click here for directions.

FYI: As of 2-9-12:

Dear reader,

I am pleased to announce that my movie. "The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost," is being considered for a larger project. SO, for now, I have had to "turn off" the function in VIMEO which allows anyone (except for my backers) to view it, BUT, I will update you as to when my movie is back on the air for your viewing pleasure.

I apologize for any inconvenience, TLLG

My Visiting Apple has Agenda!

2012-01-14T19:43:00.001-05:00

Who's that lady? As you can see in the photograph above, I have another newcomer to my indoor succulent garden! And she calls herself Ms. Apple of Your Eye. (If you follow my blog, you know that figurines always add seasonal amibence to my succulent garden – please click here to see related posts on TLLG, and you may also be aware that recently I guest posted on My Square Foot Garden about indoor succulent gardens).

In any event, Ms. Apple of Your Eye, resembles Lady Prickly Pear in "body color" only, and, moreover, she has told me that, like Lady Prickly Pear, she will be with my succulents until spring when other figurines are due to return!

Additionally, Ms. Apple of Your Eye, informed me that, although she will share my "succulent garden space" with my orange (as in the fruit) figurine, who was featured yesterday on TLLG's Facebook Page (and also on nybg's — New York Botanical Gardens — tumblr), with a narrative accompanying the following image,

she detests the expression, "comparing apples and oranges" .

When I asked Ms. Apple of Your Eye why she was so adamant in her opinion regarding the apples and oranges expression, she brought up an old childhood wound, that she experienced when she was not cast in a school play, and she pointed out other apples have experienced this also, as indicated in the following image from Wiki:

I understand Ms. Apple of Your Eye's attachment to childhood wounds. I, like most others, have plenty of those, but, I seldom look back after having the following insight.

Every time I ride the train, I always make an attempt to choose a seat that is facing the direction the train is traveling, because riding backwards and looking where I have been makes me physically ill. This should be a warning to me, as I have a tendency (although not nearly as bad as it once was), to analyze the past, and the physical nausea I experience from riding on trains — when facing the opposite direction of which I am heading – is a good indicator that it is much better for me to always face the direction I am going.

Friggatrtishtkaiedekaphobia: One of my Larix Kaempferi's Demons!

2012-01-13T07:31:00.261-05:00

Today is the first Friday of 2012 in Ordinary Time, as well as the second Friday of the new year, and it happens to be Friday the Thirteenth, a day when some folks suffer from Friggatrtishtkaiedekaphobia.

The first time that I drew attention to this "condition" was in a blog entry on TLLG on May 13th, which happened to be a Friday, a Friday that my strikingly beautiful H.F. Clematis gave birth to a number of flowers.

Activity in my urban (NYC) terrace garden is quite different on this Friday the Thirteenth, because not much is happening. It's winter and most of the 80+ things that I grow here are asleep for the season, nestled in their containers, where they have been lovingly winterized by Juan V and me, which is a fact I mentioned in a previous post here on TLLG. (If you'd like to refer to it, please click here, and if you'd like to read about container garden winterizing in general, you may visit me at Fern Richardson's Life on the Balcony, where I guest blogged this past December which was mentioned on TLLG.)

One of the things that is not asleep for the season is my Larix Kaempferi AKA Japanese Larch, and he can be seen in the top right hand corner of the image above today's blog entry. As you can see, he looks directly into the windows across the court yard, a fact you may recall, when I wrote about Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, a little over a week ago.

Between all the things which I grow being wrapped up as they snooze, and the "neighborhood trees" that surround my building having lost all their leaves for the season, I think it is a lonely time for my Larix Kaempferi. I say this because when I went outside to water him today, he was upset that the soap opera, One Life to Live (OLTL), which he has apparently been watching on the flatscreen televisions in the building across the way, is airing its last episode today.

I was surprised to see that my Larix Kaempferi was so involved in OLTL's story line because he is not the sentimental type, which my Lemon-Lime Cypress pointed out in last Friday's TLLG's blog post. Who'd've of known?

And, moreover, my sweet Larix Kaempferi does not get help from me when it comes to television. I have not owned one since the eighties, although at that time, someone I assisted in personal matters did attempt to give me a television set, insisting that I was hard to reach, but figured if I had a T.V. I might be home more often.

The television she gave me was brand new, and it served as a coat rack for me until one day after Mass, an elderly woman approached me with a worn newspaper advertisement in her hand, and she asked me if I thought it featured a good price for a television. "I have a better price for you, I'll give you mine," I offered, and I have not had a television since.

However, once upon a time, I worked on television, and I even worked on the soap opera, OLTL, which is a fact, dear reader, that you may recall from a prior entry on this blog. When I told my Larix Kaempferi about my experince on OLTL, he wondered why I did not get any autographs from its stars! I truly had no idea that my Larix Kaempferi was such a televison buff, but I should have surmised it, given what he said about Festivus this past December.

Learning of the extent of my Larix Kaempferi's appreciation for movies and television, I may "cast" him in my next garden themed movie, which will be the sequel to The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost.

The aforementioned movie was produced last year and it is now on Vimeo. As for my ability to assuage the sad feelings (brought on by the cancellation of OLTL) of my Larix Kaempferi, by discussing the possibilty of featuring him in my sequel, he reminded me that he also suffered from Friggatrtishtkaiedekaphobia, the condition brought on by Friday the Thirteenth as indicated in the opening of today's blog entry.

Apparently, one of the symptoms of Friggatrtishtkaiedekaphobia, is the inability to make business decisions, so I will have to save my having a discussion with my Larix Kaempferi being featured in a sequel for another day, and I will make sure that it is not on another Friday the Thirteenth! For, in 2012, Friday the Thirteenth will occur three times: today, April and July. I elaborated a little bit on this in my morning entries on TLLG's Facebook Page as well as nybg's (New York Botantical Gardens) tumblr, but stay tuned here to follow the details re my Larix Kaempferi being ready for his close-up! Should he accept an offer to appear in on of my films, maybe it will cure him of his "need" to watch television and movies, giving him more time to interact with my Physocarpus opulifolius (Coppertina), I know my working in the film industry did that for me, and I am much more fulfilled observing my Physocarpus opulifolius than I ever was being on camera.

"Here we go round the prickly pear . . . "

2012-01-12T18:47:00.058-05:00

My succulents (pictured above) are having a great time with Lady Prickly Pear, a new arrival to my indoor succulent garden. Various figurines, as you may recall, from my previous posts here on TLLG, as well as on nybg's (New York Botanical Gardens) tumblr, come and go in my succulent garden, but, while they are here, they always add an atmosphere that causes my succulents to thrive. I even guest blogged about this for the blog known as My Square Foot Garden.

As you can see in the image at the top of today's post, a few of my succulents seem to be dancing around Lady Prickly Pear. Moreover, early this evening, I thought I heard them gleefully quoting one of the stanzas from T.S. Eliot's 1925 poem, The Hollow Men, which, as you may know, is far from joyous.

But joyous my succulents were, as they surrounded Lady Prickly Pear, singing the following famous stanza:

"Here we go round the prickly pear,

Prickly pear, prickly pear

Here we go round the prickly pear

At five o'clock in the morning"

Thank goodness my succulents were not singing at five o'clock in the morning, but perhaps it was there way of remembering T.S. Eliot. My succulents know that Elliot has been mentioned in a number of blog posts here on TLLG, including one this past April, where I referenced his famous observation that "April is the cruelest month", and, they also know that yesterday marked the thirty-seventh year and one week anniversary of his death, January 4th, 1965.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Sixteen

2012-01-10T18:07:00.004-05:00

My little hot pepper Christmas ornament has left my succulent garden, and is checking herself out, to see if she gained weight during the holidays, when she partied with the other ornaments and figurines that spend time there, when they indulged in a few glasses of Chateau Du Chatelard. Meanwhile, yours truly doesn't put a damper on any holiday festivities by worrying about the gaining of weight. How about you, dear reader? Meanwhile, as Ms. Hot Pepper primps herself for an appearance in a future blog post, I'd like you to check out what I've been posting on nybg's (New York Botanical Gardens) tumblr, because today is Tuesday, so it must be tumblr! Here's the link!

We Three Lemon-Limes join Three Kings Bringing Peace to one Physocarpus opulifolius

2012-01-06T14:35:00.002-05:00

Today is the first Friday of the New Year, which means it is a day the things (80+) which I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden, and I, "earmarked" for part of the 2011 year-end-review. As you may recall, this will occur over a number of Friday Follow-Up posts in January, and these posts will cover the brief "highlights" of the "activities" that occurred in my garden last year. What the things which I grow in my garden, and I, did not realize — when we agreed on today's date to begin our review — was that today is also the Feast of the Three Kings. This is an "event" that I wrote about last year on TLLG in a post that you may refer to by clicking here.

However, because I wrote about The Three Kings on TLLG last year (where I included an image similar to the one at the top of today's blog entry), and because I have recently shared information about celebrations regarding this feast day on both nybg's (New York Botanical Gardens) tumblr as well as TLLG's Facebook Page, we have concluded that the Three Kings would not mind sharing the limelight today in regard to the scheduled year-end review.

Be that as it may, the question raised by my Lemon-Lime Cypress triplets — who, given their name, know a thing or two about limelight — and who can be seen in the second image above today's blog entry (more on this later***), was this: while the Three Kings might not mind sharing the limelight with the things that I grow, would the things that I grow be willing to share the limelight with the Three Kings? In particular would my Physocarpus opulifolius (Coppertina) have problems doing this?
As you may recall from a very recent blog entry, my Lemon-Lime Cypress triplets only arrived in my garden this past December 16th, but eleven days later they had to be moved inside my apartment, but, apparently, not before they had heard (from the other things which I grow here) about my Physocarpus opulifolius's need to be in the limelight, and of the importance of him not being disappointed (over a postponed opportunity) again.

And, as you most likely remember, my Physocarpus opulifolius was quite taken aback when he felt that the attention in my garden was not focused enough on him. He made his feelings quite known in a post that he authored this past Cinco de Mayo, soon after he received his new digs (as seen in an image associated with his post and featured below for your convenience).

I can understand my Physocarpus opulifolius's frustration over getting his hopes up when he heard that he was about to be featured — only to have them postponed — as I have had many let downs when it comes to job opportunities.

Moreover, even though he enjoyed having the post he authored published on TLLG, my Physocarpus opulifolius has had a few other disappointments, as he passed his spring, summer and fall days in my urban garden this past year.

For example, he was very excited, in late May, when a visiting Monarch Butterfly landed on one of his flowers, as seen in the image below that was featured on TLLG.

And he was even more excited when I made a mini-movie (virtual story) of this event, then featured it in my Vimeo Library, because he thought he'd be a film star (and I overheard him rehearse an Academy Award acceptance speech).

But, alas, I have not used the movie yet (because I plan to incorporate it into a larger project), and this meant that my Physocarpus opulifolius had to delay his gratification. He was OK with this for a period of time, because I featured the aforementioned image of his flower with the butterfly atop it, as my Gravatar, and as my "About" photo on both this blog, nybg's tumblr, as well as on my Vimeo Channel.

Then, as you may recall, this past November, when I bit the social-media bullet, it was suggested that I use the image of just the flower of my Physocarpus opulifolius, and not include the butterfly (which I did by using the image posted below, and, if you have been following TLLG you will surely recognize).

While my Physocarpus opulifolius was elated that the Monarch Butterfly chose his flower for a landing spot, he was even more elated to be featured without the butterfly in all of my social-media "about pictures," and he "guest blogged" for TLLG again, telling his story.

Unfortunately, my Physocarpus opulifolius would ultimately become disappointed when my logo was changed once again (see below), to what it continues to be, because it reflects more of my brand.

Hopefully, my Physocarpus opulifolius has come to terms with this, and knows how much he is loved. In any event, there is nothing wrong with his appetite! The "pricey" digs which he received this past May are already too small for him, and they will need to be replaced next season!

As for my Lemon-Lime triplets, they are making an adjustment for the winter season. They had only been here for eleven days, enjoying their digs, where their containers "rested" within my "fireplace-fixture-planter", which meant that they were living between my Physocarpus opulifolius and my Japanese Larch AKA Larix Kaempferi, who are off-camera in the picture below, which is an image that you may recognize from my posting a few days ago,

when they had to be moved inside my apartment (as you can see from the second image *** at the top of today's blog entry), as they are the only things that I grow in my garden that will not winter over, no matter which one of my winterizing methods (discussed on Fern Richardson's blog) that I use!

In any event, during their brief stay outside in my garden, my Lemon-Lime triplets became acquainted with my Physocarpus opulifolius because his home is to the left of this "planter", which used to be the home for my Hysopp Triplets.

My Hysopp triplets provided a lot of entetainment for my Physocarpus opulifolius this past summer, because they were visited quite frequently by bees, an event that caused a lot of "buzz" in general, within my garden, which was discussed in a quite a number of posts on TLLG.

Now, hearing all of the stories of the 2011 growing season from the things in my garden, my Lemon-Lime triplets are of the opinion that between the bees leaving (due to cold weather) and the Hysopp Triplets turning in for their winter seasons's nap, these things might result in my Physocarpus opulifolius being down in the dumps.

This is most likely the case, especially since the Lemon-Lime triplets have had to come inside, leaving a void between my Physocarpus opulifolius and my Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi) as seen in the following image, an image familar to TLLG folowers.

I tried to fill the void by putting containers filled with chard as a sign of hope that things will be planted again as seen in the following image, another image familar to TLLG folowers.

But it seems my Physocarpus opulifolius is still a little bit depressed with the winter blues, and he doesn't get a lot of conversation out of my Larix Kaempferi, who often sends his time watching television through the windows of the high-rise building which he faces. This whole scenario is seen in the image below (taken by Juan V yesterday), which yours truly has turned into a quasi-diagram.

The two black circles "attached" to Juan V's image show where the Physocarpus opulifolius and Larix Kaempferi are located in my garden. The circle at the top right shows where my Physocarpus opulifolius is located, and the circle at the bottom right shows the location of my Larix Kaempferi.

The space between the two of them is empty now (as indicated by the purple arrow), however, in growing seasons, there are many things growing "between" them. A number of those things have been wrapped and moved closer to my building as you can see in the left hand portion of Juan's image. The red arrow shows how my Larix Kaempferi spends his time looking into the windows across the way, and from what I understand, this is how he gets his television fix.

However, my Physocarpus opulifolius, like yours truly, is not a television fan, and this gives him too much time to think, and too much thinking is what he does not need during the bleak months of winter: what's a gardener to do?

Well, the "solution" to the lonely-hearts Physocarpus opulifolius winter days is this: Since the Lemon-Lime triplets have had to be moved inside, and sit atop of a ledge near my kitchen window (which Juan V built yesterday), and since Juan V and I are calling their move an "experiment" because we don't know if they will survive the steam heat, my thought is this, the Lemon-Lime triplets, because they look out my kitchen window and can wave at my Physocarpus opulifolius since he is on a diagonal from their view (indicated by the turquoise arrow in image above), this will give my Lemon-Lime triplets a greater sense of purpose as they are already sensitive to the Physocarpus opulifolius's needs for attention.

And because the Physocarpus opulifolius most certainly wants the Lemon-Lime to return and be beside him in the spring, he will surely focus on them and not himself, or the fact that he is still waiting to appear in more blog posts or garden movies, and any time you focus on others, offer them support, and even bring them gifts as the Three Kings did for the Christ child on this feast day many years ago, you are guided to thy perfect light.

And as for my year-end reviews, well there's always next year . . .

MEANWHILE, as of 2-9-12:

Dear reader, I am pleased to announce that my movie. "The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost," is being considered for a larger project. SO, for now, I have had to "turn off" the function in VIMEO which allows anyone (except for my backers) to view it, BUT, I will update you as to when my movie is back on the air for your viewing pleasure. I apologize for any inconvenience, TLLG

Star of Wonder, New York City Front Windows, and a Window of Opportunity for TLLG

2012-01-05T19:17:00.002-05:00

" . . . O Star of wonder, star of night

Star with royal beauty bright

Westward leading, still proceeding

Guide us to thy Perfect Light . . . "

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Three Kings, a day, when the aforementioned lyrics to the hymn, We Three Kings are sung. In New York City, the feast will be honored by a number of celebrations throughout the boroughs including an annual parade in East Harlem. And, as I posted on TLLG's Facebook Page this morning, "This year will mark the 35h anniversary of this parade. The route begins at 106th Street and Madison Avenue, and it ends at 115 Street and Park Avenue. Although I've never been, I am aware that the parade features 12 feet Magi Puppets and live animals, such as camels and sheep. I am not sharing the info as an endorsement but am doing so because I think it sounds like an interesting event."

If you'd like to read more about this parade, I wrote a blog post about it last year and you may refer to it by clicking here.

As you undoubtedly know, dear reader, The Three Kings are always associated with the star of wonder, and, hence the presence of a star is a big part of holiday decor, or at least it is for the tenant who lives in the brownstone across the street from my building. The image of the star in a window, which is posted above today's blog entry, was taken on my camera by my neighbor's boyfriend on December the 30th 2010. He took the image for me when I told him that I had admired the star from the street.
Our apartments are on the top floor (fifth floor walk-up) of a brownstone in New York City. The window from their main living space faces the street and the brownstones directly south of us. I face north, with a "rear window" view which I described in yesterday's post.

Be that as it may, the aforementioned hymn comes to mind each time I see the star (which is quite frequently) because my good friend and sometimes editor, PW, whom I visit often, has a view of the star from her window too. This can be seen in the image below which also shows her "window sill" succulent garden.

The image was taken by yours truly last week, but a very similar one was taken by me last year, and it was included in something I posted about the Epiphany (a holiday associated with The Three Kings), which you may refer to by clicking here.

This year, what I have to say about the window where the star hangs is quite different than last year because PW has shared sone information with me of her experience seeing the star from her front (and only) window, and her "front window" news comes to my mind now. because, yesterday, in my post I described the plot of the movie Rear Window, saying, "Wiki's intro to the film's plot is this, "after breaking his leg during a dangerous assignment, professional photographer L.B. "Jeff' Jefferies (James Stewart) is confined in his Greenwich Village apartment, using a wheelchair as he recuperates. His rear window looks onto a small courtyard and several other apartments. During a summer heat wave, he passes the time by watching his neighbors, who keep their windows open to stay cool . . . "

Apparently, my friend PW, like "Jeff" in Rear Window, watches the comings and goings of her neighbors, not to the extent that "Jeff" did, as PW is most often reading as seen in the image below.

Evidently, for the past two New Year's eves, PW, has had an "interesting" experience regarding the "star of wonder", for it seems the tenant who puts up the star, throws quite the soirée for the new year, when all the guests take off their clothes for the duration of the party.

PW described it this way, "Guests enter the apartment and immediately take of their clothes. Then close to midnight, they put their clothes back on, place lights on their head and go out to Central Park [which is near by] to watch the celebration of fireworks, and after the fireworks are over, they return to the apartment and take off their clothes again . . . "

The aforementioned fireworks occur in conjunction with the Midnight Run every New Year's Eve. I usually attend the event in Central Park with friends as I described in a blog entry here on TLLG last year, so I know of nothing about the New Year's Eve comings and goings of the tenants who live in the apartment that has the window with the star, but I will say, it sounds like PW's succulents have a much more exciting view from her front window than mine have from my rear window!

A nd speaking of succulents, I am happy to announce that I recently guest blogged on a blog called My Square Foot Garden (MSFG), another window of opportunity, similar to the one I had with Fern Richardson's Life on the Balcony, where I wrote a three part post on garden winterizing.

In the case of MSFG, I wrote about creating interesting succulent gardens. I'd appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to read my post, which you may do by clicking here, and I would appreciate it even more if you would leave a comment at the end of my post on MSGF; as I think they are more likely to have me back if they see I bring an audience. I know folks are busy so thank you very much for any support.

Remembering Hitchcock's Rear Window

2012-01-04T18:06:00.005-05:00

Image Credit for Rear Window Poster is Here

Nearly fifty-eight years ago today on a Wednesday, Wednesday, August the First in 1954, the famous Alfred Hitchcock film, Rear Window, was released. The film's movie poster can be seen at the top of today's blog entry in an image credited with Wiki. Wiki's intro to the film's plot is this, "after breaking his leg during a dangerous assignment, professional photographer L.B. "Jeff' Jefferies (James Stewart) is confined in his Greenwich Village apartment, using a wheelchair as he recuperates. His rear window looks onto a small courtyard and several other apartments. During a summer heat wave, he passes the time by watching his neighbors, who keep their windows open to stay cool . . . "

Like "Jeff", I have a rear window in New York, and like "Jeff", my window faces a small courtyard and several other apartments. The apartments that I face are in a high-rise building directly north of where I live, and the rear windows of that building are in close proximity to my garden, as seen in the image below which shows a partial view of my garden as it looked this past September. I have included it here to give you a perspective.

During the growing season my garden is always lush and thriving, so I rarely think about what my neighbors are doing behind their rear windows. Aside from the fact that what they are doing is not my business, I don't have the time or inclination to think about it, as my work and my gardening are extremely time consuming. Moreover, I have very poor eye-sight and would not be able to see what they are doing even if I wanted to.

However, because today is January the Fourth, and many of the things that I grow in my garden have been moved away from those "rear windows" and placed towards my back door, I am much more aware of the rear windows in the high-rise across from me: they really seem much closer when the garden is empty (as you can see in the image below which I took this afternoon).

My awareness of how close those "rear windows" are makes me feel vulnerable. I can just imagine how the 80+ things I grow feel during the growing season.

Most of the things I grow were moved from their "normal location" within the garden to protect them from the winter wind, and now they are all huddled together, where they are hopefully sleeping comfortably for the winter season. An image of how a few of them look in slumber can be seen below.

While most of the things I grow were moved towards my back door, a few of them remain in their places, including all of the "big guys" that are located in the northern corners of my garden, which are my Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi), H.F. Young Clematis, Physocarpus opulifolius (Coppertina), as well as my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines), as seen below in an image I took this afternoon.

And perhaps I am projecting my aforementioned vulnerability when it comes to the proximity of these "rear windows" windows on things that I grow. For example, my Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi), the tree in the upper righthand corner, probably has no qualms if people look out their rear windows at him. In fact, I know he looks in their rear windows from time to time — especially when he get bored with me. I don't have a television and I know that my Larix Kaempferi has watched a program or two from his vantage point on the terrace. For all I know he has even seen someone watching the Hitchcock classic — and watched it with them — maybe I'll nickname my Larix Kaempferi "Jeff" in honor of Jimmy Stewart.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Fifteen

2012-01-03T03:28:00.037-05:00

A new figurine arrived in my succulent garden this past Saturday, which happened to be not only the last day of 2011, but it also happened to be the sixth day of Christmas, when one's true love gives to them, "six geese a layin' . . . ", and I was given one sheep a layin' . . ; as seen here in the image above today's blog entry.

Today, when I asked him if he'd like to say a few words about his arrival to my succulent garden, his reply was, "If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr, and I'm feelin' shy and I'd rather slumber . . . "

Maybe I have a wolf in sheep's clothing? In any event, he's right, it is Tuesday, so it must be tumblr, and here's the link to take you there and I'll see you tomorrow.

We have gotta say good-bye for the winter . . . .

2012-01-02T09:48:00.648-05:00

Mama Reindeer, seen in the "middle" of the image posted above, is someone whom you may recognize, dear reader, as she came with her twins (standing to her right in the aforementioned image), to spend the 2011-2012 Christmas season in my urban (NYC) garden, and as of today's posting, January 2nd 2012, they are still here.

Perhaps their extended stay is due to the fact that Christmas does not end until the Feast of the Epiphany (celebrated on the third Sunday after Christmas in the United States), which will be January 8th 2012.

Moreover, the Christmas season extends to February the 2nd in many parts of Europe, when The Feast of the Presentation is celebrated; bringing the Christmas season in those countries to a close.

Be that as it may, the aforementioned reindeer made their arrival a little over a week before Christmas, which is a fact that you may recall from some of the things I wrote about them on TLLG, as well as some of the things I posted about them on nybg's (New York Botanical Garden) tumblr, all of which I pegged, "the reindeer effect". At that time I featured these reindeer in a couple of images, including the image posted above today's entry.

In the aforementioned image, taken on December 15th 2011, Mama Reindeer and her twins were – as you may recall — conversing about the unusually warm weather temperatures that were prevailing in my urban garden at the time of their arrival; and, they were marveling that the little yellow flowers from my Helichrysum bracteatum (Strawflowers), seen in the lower left hand corner of this particular image, were still going strong — blooming as if it were summer.

At that time the reindeer came to the conclusion that "perhaps, these Helichrysum bracteatum flowers were living out the adage, Christmas in July", but I think it is more likely that the things still thriving in my urban garden were confused by the unusually warm temperatures.

The Helichrysum bracteatum flowers were not the only ones that did not seem ready to settle down for a long winter's nap: some of the other things in my garden were still going strong too. Not only were my roses, White Swan Echinacea, and Tropaelum majus AKA Nasturtium (all off camera) still thriving, but sprouts, from the bulbs of the Tulipia Tarda, Tulipia Curley Sue, and Original Poets Daffodil plants (also off camera), that Juan V had planted in containers in my garden this past November, were beginning to peak out from their slumber — which is way too early — since they need to sleep until April or May of 2012; and it was only December 15th of 2011.

Either the things I grow — like their gardener, yours truly — have a tendency towards insomnia and therefore they were not ready for a winter's nap, or the things I grow were not wanting to fall asleep because they were enjoying the company of the reindeer; or the things I grow are experiencing the result of global warming, and seeing first-hand how it is directly affecting their lives — something that I do not mean to make light of on any level. For, while the milder and warmer temperatures have made it easier to get around the city — as opposed to navigating the city streets when snow and the wind which "normally" prevail at this time of year — and, while I enjoy seeing things in my garden thrive, the "normal" conditions of winters in the northeastern portion of the United States, where the things which I grow and I live, are essential to our lives.

This year's warm spell is something I consider to be quite unusual in my years as an urban gardener, and, in fact, in the past I have had to winterize my garden by late November, or early December at the very latest, using methods I discussed as a guest blogger for Fern Richardson. As you may recall from one of my previous posts, Richardson, like yours truly, is a container gardener, and her blog is titled, Life on the Balcony.

My opportunity to write for Fern was one of the many blessings I experinced in 2011, but little did I know at the time I queried her, proposing that I do a winterizing post (pointing out our different climates, hers California, and mine New York City), how emotionally different my urban garden winterizing experience (for the 2011-2012 season) would feel. For this year it was much harder to accept that the things I grow in my urban garden, and I, have to say "goodbye for the winter" (putting a spin on the famed lyrics of Brian Hyland's "classic-song" which was discussed in a blog entry on TLLG this past September).

And so, realizing the saying of goodbye for the winter was inevitable, I asked Juan V to help me do the wrapping of the 80+ things that I grow in containers placed atop my terrace garden. These things include herbs, salad greens, vines, grasses, flowers, plants, succulents, sedum, shrubs and trees, all of which need their homes (eclectic containers) and themselves protected from winter's "standard" cold temperatures and high winds. The wrapping of all these things is vital to their comeback in the spring, and this method of winterizing has proved successful over the past winter seasons, as I indicated in a segment of my post regarding container garden winterizing on Fern Richardson's blog.

Juan V and I scheduled our work for Tuesday, December 27th 2011, which was nearly twenty days later than last year. Perhaps because I had had the things I grow with me for part of the Christmas holiday season this year, it was much harder to say goodbye for the winter this season.

Rain was predicted for our scheduled wrapping day, and part of me hoped that Juan V would reschedule, so that I could have the things I grow with me through the new year, but alas, Juan V did not reschedule, and he arrived — with big bags of mulch — at my apartment where I had been living amongst reams of bubble wrap and rolls of burlap in anticipation of the inevitable.

As we wrapped my things, I felt pained when he plucked and handed me the surviving Helichrysum bracteatum's (straw) flowers, seen in the image below,

where it seems they are now looking at each other in surprise as they attempt to embrace their new, and very temporary home, a ball-jar vase. While I have appreciated the look of cut flowers, I often find myself agreeing with a quote attributed to Jacques Deval which is this, "God loved the flowers and invented soil. Man loved the flowers and invented vases." This is a variation of a saying by Deval which went like this, "God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages." So, while one might think I would enjoy seeing my Helichrysum bracteatum in a "vase" on a shelf in my small studio apartment, the truth is when Juan V handed them to me, I knew how much I would miss going out into my garden and have my Helichrysum bracteatum surprise me with their antics. They were quite entertaining; and I documented several of their adventures in my posts on TLLG, which you may refer to by clicking here. I also described some of their comings and goings on nybg's tumblr. Additionally, I posted an array of photographs of them in a set on my Flickr Gallery which you may view by clicking here. AND, moreover, this past July (2011), one of my Helichrysum bracteatum's flowers authored its own post which you may read by clicking here.

I was surprised that Juan V cut the flowers off the Helichrysum bracteatum — in order for him to be able to mulch it and then wrap it up (as seen below),

because this plant is considered an annual, and I thought he would leave it there to live out its last days.

However, the things that I have grown over the years never cease to amaze me. A few things known to be die-hard perennials have not returned, and things known to be "just an annual," have returned time and time again. If this is the case, and my Helichrysum bracteatum ends up returning next season, I will feel better about the flowers that were sacrificed. Meanwhile, my reindeer seem a bit in awe at the fact that my Helichrysum bracteatum have disappeared, and that instead of finding themselves amongst thriving foliage, they find that they are in the midst of things that are attempting to take a winter's nap, as seen in the images posted below:

The images above show only a small portion of what we wrapped, and I plan to feature more of images of the "winter look", during my year in review segments, which are scheduled for "airing" here on TLLG during a number of "follow up Friday" posts in the weeks ahead, as per a plan I laid out on TLLG this past Saturday (please click here for details).

Meanwhile, I should add that the Helichrysum bracteatum's flowers were not the only ones that were cut whist still blooming, my White Swan Echinacea had its flowers cut to so that we could winterize it (as seen in the image below),

and while its flowers look sweet in a little curette that I have on my easel, as seen in the image below,

I will miss going out and seeing its never-fail-to-surprise-demise, something which I have included in TLLG posts that you may refer to by clicking here. As you know my White Swan Echinacea is quite opinionated, particularly in manners of trends in fashion, as she discussed in a blog post that she authored on the "wearing of white after labor day", a post, which you may refer to by clicking here. She, indeed, added much delight to my urban garden this year (and the bees thought so too), and you can find an array of images of her and my other Echinacea plants in a set within my Flickr Gallery by clicking here.

Looking out my back door, before I go out into my garden is usually most inspiring. One of my main views, prior to last Tuesday's winterizing, had been looking at my lemon-lime triplets, which can be seen below.

These triplets were something Juan V brought to my garden on December 16th 2011 to fill the void left by moving my Hyssop triplets that were in my "fireplace planter" (the turquoise object seen in the image above), which had previous been a home to the containers where my Hyssop thrived this year (seen in the image posted below),

as it brought nourishment to my first-time-visiting bees, a fact that was documented in a number of posts on TLLG which you may refer to by clicking here, and an event that was featured on nybg's tumblr that you may read by clicking here, and an occurrence that prompted the inspiration for many photographic images which are a set called the HYSSOP and the BEE within my Flickr Gallery that you can view by clicking here.

But, as soon as Juan V left last Tuesday, the turquoise planter stood empty as seen below,

(as we had to bring the lemon-lime triplets inside for the winter season)* and all that remained was an unsightly cord that was the power source for the lights which are still on my Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi), which stands to the right of this planter. I would provide an updated aerial view of this, but Juan V and I were working under very rainy conditions during the end of our "it's a wrap day" and we could not chance him getting injured in a photo-op. As of today's posting, Juan V has agreed to come back on Thursday, January the 5th of 2012, to take a final aerial view for the season.

* I am very concerned about my having to bring the lemon-lime triplets inside — as bringing things inside my apartment in previous years was unsuccessful — and it is something I wrote about in Part Two as a guest blogger for Fern Richardson. This time, at the suggestion of Juan V, I will build a special shelf in my kitchen window, near my armoire whose top provides the living space for my indoor succulent garden and the figurines who frequent it as per the "stories" you may refer to by clicking here.

My conclusion on the sense of loss regarding this year's winterizing is that, while it was totally expected, it came suddenly with a BOOM. It came amidst the push to get things done before a new year, it came amidst a push to honor the holidays, it came amidst trying to fulfill many obligations, and now, suddenly, it's all over! As for my planter, looking so empty and in competition with an unattractive cord, I quickly disguised the cord by putting chard filled containers in the planter (as seen in the image below).

Somehow seeing those containers filled with chard is a reminder that gardening season will ultimately return once again.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T00:04:00.048-05:00

Happy 2012 from ALL OF US (the succulents, the herbs, the vines, the ornamental grasses, the plants, the flowers, the salad greens, the sedum, the shrubs and the trees that grow togeher in my urban – NYC – garden) at TLLG.

During the weeks of January 2012, on Fridays, or Follow-Up Fridays as they are called at TLLG, we hope to share our year in review as per a schedule laid out in yesterday's post, but for today, we invite you to view this sweet movie of The Clangers, with a message that can resonate throughout the years to come. (If The Clangers sound familiar to you, a different video – than the one posted below – of them was featured this past Thanksgiving on TLLG.)

Remembering Henri Matisse (And an Update on my Year-End Review)

2011-12-31T10:02:00.369-05:00

Happy last day of the 2011 year, dear reader, and Happy Birthday to Henri Matisse, who was born 142 years ago today, in 1869. He died on the third of November in 1954, but it is Matisse's life that we (the 80+ things which I grow in my urban — NYC — terrace garden) and I are recalling today.

Henri Matisse is credited with many paintings, and the one pictured above, Nasturtiums with the Painting Dance, is not only a favorite of mine, but it is one that all 80 + things that I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden enjoy. Hence, it is the general consensus of the things which I grow in my garden, and I, that we include it, and give a shout out to Matisse himself on this December the 31st; the last post for the 2011 calendar year.

However, as much as I enjoy the work of Matisse, I had intended the last post of the calendar year for TLLG to be a year-in review re my urban garden. As you may recall, dear reader, I expressed this intent the last time I posted on TLLG, which was December 28, 2011. But, since the hour to raise a glass and toast 2012 is drawing near, and I don't want to end 2011 without a post, I have switched gears — on the advice of the things that I grow.

The truth is I have had some production glitches (although not the magnitude of glitches that were experienced in getting the $70 million musical, Spiderman Turn Off the Dark, under way), and so my year-end review will take place at the beginning of the new year — something Charlie Rose and Barbara Walters would probably find unthinkable, as they always put every given year into succinct capsules; highlighting this and that, before the onset of a new year.

What happened with me is this: I found out, in compiling my film clips for my year-end review, that when you grow 80+ things in a garden, there can be some bickering on the "film production set"; they all want to be in the opening scenes! This should have come as no surprise to me, given the feelings my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines), expressed during their roles as the narrator of my first garden themed movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost, which was introduced on TLLG in a blog post that you may reference by clicking here.

And, if you'd like to see my first endeavor The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost, you can find it within my Vimeo Library with my other virtual stories. The aforementioned movie is now considered a virtual story, and I subsequently have been producing virtual stories for clients (that, in addition to garden themes, cover an array of topics of their choice such as vow renewal ceremonies, memorials and product promotions), which you can read about in my on-line brochure.

Moreover, ever since the great response I have had regarding The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost, all the things I grow have wanted to star in the movies AKA Virtual Stories that I produce. Their need to be on camera is one that I myself am quite over, having been there and done that, in my brief stint as an actress in the film industry, which has been mentioned on TLLG in posts that can be found by clicking here as well as here and here.

But, meanwhile, back to this final post of the year, and how Matisse became part of the mix, here's the back story: Since everything that I grow appreciates the talents of Henri Matisse, and since Matisse liked to paint nasturtiums AKA Tropaelum majus; every one and every thing agreed that my first aspect of the 2011 year in the urban garden shoild feature my Tropaelum majus — providing I promised to give all the things I grow their own year in review which I will do within my first several follow-up Friday segments of the new year so stay tuned for this exciting feature. And now without further ado, in honor of Henri Matisse and of my 2011 Tropaelum majus, here is the slide show, which will hopefully bring some joy to you dear reader, on this last day of 2011, before you head out to ring in the new year . . .

. . . and in the interim — after you watch my slide show of my Tropaelum majus — and find yourself curious about this amazing plant, you may want to read more about it. To do so, please click here for a link to take you to related posts on this blog. I have also included information about my Tropaelum majus on nybg's (New York Botantical Gardens) tumblr which you may access by clicking here and scrollong a bit for related posts.

Moreover, in my Flickr Gallery, I have an entire set of Tropaelum majus images; to view them, please click here. The images in the aforementioned gallery are available for purchase and may also be rendered into custom greeting cards that go beyond communication, invitations that enhance any occasion and event program covers that preserve a moment in time. (If you are interested in any of this, please leave me a comment in the dialogue box reserved for comments at the end of this post, or send me a private e-mail via a form you my access by clicking here.) ------ See you next year!

Some End of Year Posting Schedule Changes

2011-12-28T06:30:00.024-05:00

As you may recall, from yesterday's post, Juan V and I bit the winterizing bullet and wrapped the 80+ things, which I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden. These things include herbs, vines, succulents, salad greens, grasses, plants, flowers, shrubs, trees and sedum. The wrapping of the things that I grow to preserve them through the winter is a topic I discussed (as a guest blogger) on Fern Richardson's blog, Life on the Balcony, a three part post which you may read by clicking here as well as here and here.

I will not be posting for a few days; hence the image posted above taken of a restaurant window in my neighborhood. The sign remained in the window day after day — for a couple of months — until the restaurant closed, going out of business for good. In my case, I have no intention of going out of business but I am preparing a year end review which will feature the adventures of the things that I have grown this past season. Please stay tuned.

And with all this, dear reader, I leave you for the day, with a reminder that (apropos of nothing in this post), the "festivities" for many events still continue, so please keep in mind that I now have boxed sets of all occasion greeting cards available, and that they make great gifts for the continuing celebrations. Some of these cards are now on ETSY; however; the majority of them are featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art. To go to where they are located within the beautiful Card Shoppe Pages, please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Fourteen

2011-12-27T23:59:00.044-05:00

T oday is Tuesday so you know that it must be tumblr, and you can get there by clicking here. Meanwhile, I bit the winterizing* bullet with Juan V today, so this posting is a bit later than is my usual standard. Wrapping some of the smaller plants (such as this Tulipa Kaufmanniana pictured above), was like bundling up a toddler in a puffy jacket. We had over eighty containers that provide homes to my herbs, salad greens, succulents, vines, plants, flowers, grasses, shrubs as well as my trees, to prepare for their seasonal winter nap, and we dressed each one in layers of bubble wrap and burlap before tying them with a"sash" of jute. I will post more about our antics and hopefully share some pointers later this week.

* If you'd like to read about urban garden winterizing in general, please refer to my guest post on Fern Richardson's Life on the Balcony by clicking here as well as here and here.

Monday's Musings: It's Boxing Day (among other things)!

2011-12-26T08:30:00.003-05:00

The sweet little eggplant figurine, known as Lady Eggplant (who is pictured here in the image above), came to my place to spend time in my indoor succulent garden with the other Christmas characters* that visit for the season. This morning she told me that she needed some down time today, to take a break from all the socializing that she has been doing during the "holidays", and so she stepped away from my succulents to be alone alongside my wreath, which I have atop my easel.

Lady Eggplant is feeling somewhat despondent because she just heard about a quote made by Ursula K. Le Guin, which is, "I doubt that the imagination can be suppressed. If you truly eradicated it in a child, he would grow up to be an eggplant." Lady Eggplant was quite hurt by this remark, and she pointed out that she always went to great pains to dress imaginatively, and admitted that this was no mean feat given the size of her touché.

Lady Eggplant supported her well respected opinion by insisting, "that folks should, in this supposed politically correct day and age — which is especially prevalent at this time of year (when the on-going debate to use the term Christmas tree or holiday tree prevails) — be mindful about what they say about vegetables too!"

Her thoughts were fueled by the fact that not only is today Monday the 26th, but it is also, a day known as the first day of Kwanzaa, the sixth day of Chanukah, "the second day of Christmas", Saint Stephen's Day, Boxing Day, and in South Africa, December the 26th is known as Goodwill Day.

The aforementioned are just a few of the things that are celebrated on this day; there are many other things, including the anniversary of a vow renewal for a young couple (more on that later).

Lady Eggplant concluded her argument (she gets no argument with me, she is preaching to the choir in this instance), by saying that if, on this day, folks are going to be careful about how they wish others a merry "whatever', they should also watch what they say about things that they grow too! She leaves you, dear reader, with an image of her making a final plea for her cause:

But, before Lady Eggplant and I sign off for the day, and wishing you a blessed and happy whatever you celebrate, as we bid you adieu; I'd like to give a shout out to Masayo and Masahiro, a young married couple who traveled to New York City from Japan last year to renew their wedding vows in a ceremony held on December 26th 2010, on New York's Upper Westside.

For those of you who live in the New York area, you undoubtedly recall that last year on December 26th we were buried — and I do mean buried — under mountains of snow! (If you'd like to refer to blog posts on TLLG about our snowstorm please click here and here.)

In any event, in spite of the severe snowstorm, Masayo and Masahiro had a beautiful ceremony, which yours truly described in a Virtual Story (DVD) that I produced. As you may know, dear reader, these Virtual Stories are now a part of the services offered by The Last Leaf Gardener. The link to the brochure about these services can be found by clicking here, and a link to the TLLG blog post describing a trailer for Masayo and Mashahrio can be found by clicking here; moreover, the synopsis of Masayo and Masahiro's virtual story may be viewed on Vimeo by clicking here.

And with all this, dear reader, Lady Eggplant and I leave you for the day, with a reminder that the celebrations for many events still continue, so please keep in mind that I now have boxed sets of all occasion greeting cards available, and that they make great gifts for the continuing celebrations. Some of these cards are now on ETSY; however; the majority of them are featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art. To go to where they are located within the beautiful Card Shoppe Pages, please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.

[*These have been mentioned in previous posts that you may refer to in a number of past TLLG entries including ones which you will find by clicking here as well as here and here.]

Have yourself a . . .

2011-12-24T00:05:00.004-05:00

Tis the day of the Eve, on TLLG, and I am wishing those who celebrate a very Merry — with this bit of cheer from one of my faves, Mutts. In between hanging your stockings by the chimney with care, you might wanna visit posts that feature this strip* that are out there!

*Please click here for a"list"of previous posts that include Mutts. AND, as for a little background on the tree (whose images you see above), it's M.R.'s first Christmas tree! And it's shining brightly with lights from yours truly who highly recommends battery operated lights when your tree is far from an electrical outlet. I referred to this "style"of lights in my December 23rd entry on nybg's (New York Botanical Garden) tumblr which you may refer to by clicking here.

Friday Follow Up: "the celebration of Festivus"

2011-12-23T17:54:00.004-05:00

Today, Friday, is the weekday I reserve for follow-up: hence Friday Follow Up. However, today, December 23rd, is also known as Festivus Day. According to Wiki, "Festivus Day is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as a way to celebrate the holiday without participating in its pressures, the religious aspects, and commercialism. It was created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a screenwriter for the TV show, Seinfeld."

Because I have not had a television for quite a number of years, what I know about Seinfeld is minimal, and I certainly — until today — knew nothing about the celebration of Festivus. My Larix Kaempferi (Japanese Larch) which grows in my urban (NYC) garden is the one who told me about it.

He is planted in a container in the northeast corner of my urban (NYC) terrace garden, where I have (in the height of the growing season) eighty-plus thriving things, including vines, grasses, succulents, plants, salad greens, herbs, flowers, shrubs, as well as other trees, and he has a bird's-eye-view into the windows of the building directly north of me, where, according to my Larix Kaempferi, folks spend a lot of time watching reruns of Seinfeld.

You, dear reader, can see a full view of my Larix Kaempferi, in the upper righthand corner of the second image within the photo collage at the top of today's blog entry. I have had this lovely tree for a number of years; however, this will be only the third year that it has had a star — in honor of the Christmas holidays. A close-up of my Larix Kaempferi with his star can be seen in the lefthand image of the photo collage.

The first year (December 2009), that the star became a part of "holiday decor" for my garden, it was secured atop a bamboo pole that I had placed within the Larix Kaempferi's container for the winter season. The pole not only served as a stand for the star to protect my Larix Kaempferi's tree-top, but it also served as an anchor for my sweet tree. This is because I tied my tree to the poe in order to protect it in the then forthcoming winter season's high winds and any heavy snowfall.

The function of this bamboo pole in relation to my Larix Kaempferi is evidenced in the photograph (taken in December 2009 after the things I grow had been wrapped for the winter 09-010 season) which is posted below — an image you may recognize from prior blog entries on TLLG.

My garden has undergone many changes since that star's first year, including the placement and removal of objects that have been a part of the ambience. It was this past May that Juan V and I removed my SODAS sign (discussed in a prior post which you may refer to by clicking here). And several months prior to the removal of my sign, I had removed all the lights that surrounded the railing of my terrace (seen here on either side of the SODAS sign) to make a clear path for the branches of my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines). My removal of the railing lights is something that you might recall from a post I made last December.

The major change in my garden objects, has been Juan V's installation of my overhead string lights, which you can see in the right hand image of the photo collage. They form an "X" shape that spans my entire terrace. I wrote about this lighting system on TLLG, in a post that you will find by clicking here.

These overhead string lights are supported by four silver colored poles that are in the four corners of my garden. Ones pole's proximity to my Larix Kaempferi's seasonal star is what started the conversation in my garden today regarding Festivus. According to my Larix Kaempferi — and I double checked his facts with Wiki — who is in agreement that "The holiday's [Festivus] includes an unadorned aluminum 'Festivus pole'."

In any event, my Larix Kaempferi, felt — based on the Seinfeld episode he watched when the characters discussed the use of the pole — that he was being upstaged by what has become an icon. Indeed, my Larix Kaempferi may be correct: the practice of Festivis has become quite the fad. According to Wiki, "In 2005, Governor Jim Doyle was declared 'Governor Festivius' and during the holiday season displayed a Festivus Pole in the family room of the Executive Residence in Madison, Wisconsin. Govenor Doyle's 2005 Festivus Pole is now part of the Wisconsin Historical Museum."

However as much as I love my Larix Kaempferi and respect his opinion, I'm not moving the pole, and so, my Larix Kaempferi will have to co-exsist with the pole, but perhaps I'll have to monitor his television watching — especially if it brings up such insecurities!

And with that, dear reader, apropos of nothing in today's blog entry, I want to remind you that I now have boxed sets of all occasion greeting cards (including ones to send for Festivis) available which make great gifts for the forthcoming holidays. Some of these cards are now on ETSY; however; the majority of them are featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art. To go to where they are located within the beautiful Card Shoppe Pages, please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.

Winter Solstice: Think Spring!

2011-12-22T17:13:00.010-05:00

Today is the winter solstice — for the year 2011 — when the days stop shortening, reverse direction and begin to grow long again. I have written about this phenomenon in the past, and if you'd like to read my thoughts on the solstice for 2010 (posted on TLLG), please click here.

As for the snowman figurine (seen in the image posted above), who spends the winter season in my succulent garden: He is armed with his watering can and a "Think Spring" sign — you've heard of occupy Wall Street — well my little figurine is all about "occupy gardens" in the anticipation of spring . . . for after this darkest (re sunlight) day of the year passes, each day will get brighter and brighter!

BTW, apropos of nothing in today's blog entry, I want to remind you that I now have boxed sets of all occasion greeting cards available which make great gifts for the forthcoming holidays. Some of these cards are now on ETSY; however; the majority of them are featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art. To go to where they are located within the beautiful Card Shoppe Pages, please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.

Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree: How Good to Use Your Branches!

2011-12-21T06:56:00.028-05:00

Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree: How Good to Use Your Branches! The branches of Christmas trees make great winter blankets for an outdoor container garden, and if you'd like to see how I've used these branches in my urban (NYC) terrace garden, please visit my Flickr Gallery.

In my aforementioned gallery, you will see the "Christmas Tree Blankets" that are being used by my 'Tamukeyama', Acer palmatum ('Shisitatsu' Sawa), Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines), Avellana corylus (Contorted Hazel Nut), Continus Coggygria (Smokey Bush), and my Fagus sylvatica (Beech Tree), as well as links to posts about these trees, shrubs and vines.

Christmas Tree branches also make great antlers for reindeers, as seen in the images below, and mentioned in a previous post.

Unfortunately, after most "holiday" celebrations have occurred, abandoned Christmas trees are seen throughout the streets of New York City, giving a sad meaning to "tree-lined" streets (as I discussed in a post this past January which you may refer to by clicking here), so enjoy the "lovely branches" while you can.

Meanwhile, apropos of nothing in today's blog entry, I want to remind you that I now have greeting cards available for the forthcoming holidays. Some of these cards are now on ETSY; however; the majority of them are featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art. To go to where they are located within the beautiful Card Shoppe Pages, please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Thirteen ('Twas the day before Winter . . . )

2011-12-20T17:12:00.006-05:00

Twas the day before winter, throughout my garden on the east coast,

When the things that I grow there, began to sing AND to boast;

All of them were most excited to learn,

They'd be featured in "Life on the Balcony" — A blog by Fern!

T oday is Tuesday so you know that it must be tumblr, and you can get there by clicking here, but before you go, I'd like to share some news with you, dear reader: I have been featured as a guest blogger for Fern Richardson's blog which she calls Life on the Balcony, where I have written a three part post on Garden Winterizing (Part One, Part Two, and Part Three).

This is why the things I grow began to sing and to boast — the next thing that they'll want is to have a toast!

I encourage you to check out Fern's blog, as there is a lot of great content there, and I am thrilled to be a part of her community! I would truly appreciate any comments you might leave on the posts I wrote for her.

Monday's Musings: On The Gathering of Rosebuds

2011-12-19T19:32:00.034-05:00

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,

Old Time is still a-flying:

And this same flower that smiles to-day"
To-morrow will be dying."

Most everyone is familiar with the aforementioned "quote" as it includes the words which are the opening stanza to Robert Herrick's famous poem, To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time, a poem, that was the inspiration for the painting, Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, by John William Waterhouse. The painting is pictured above in an image from Wiki.

As Wiki concurs, Herrick's poems were known for their "overriding message", that "life is short, the world is beautiful, love is splendid, and we must use the short time we have to make the most of it".

My garden has certainly been a help in my putting the well-worn make-the-most-of-life-philosophy into practice. The two pictures of the roses, featured below,

are of a rose that grows on one of the three shrubs of roses which I have growing in my urban (NYC) terrace garden where I grow eighty-plus things.

These photographs were taken nine days apart. The first image was taken on December 8th 2011, and the second image was taken on December 17th 2011.

When I took the first image, I was painfully aware of the fact that I was beginning to be on borrowed time (in terms of the inevitability of winter temperatures settling — it is December after all) with some of the things which were still thriving in my terrace garden, including my Helichrysum bracteatum AKA Strawflowers as well as my Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium) and my Echinacea — a fact which I have included in a few of my recent postings, including ones which you may refer to by clicking here and here.

However, this past Saturday, December 17th 2011, when a sudden extreme drop in temperatures zapped New York City, the beautiful flowers that still had been thriving on my Tropaelum majus collapsed nearly to the point of being beyond recognition. And one of my sweet roses tried to hang on to as many of her petals as she could (which is seen in the second image at the top of today's entry).

The severe mood swing of Mother Nature was anticipated — because of the time of year — but, perhaps, because the weather change was so sudden, seeing its direct impact on some of the things that grow in my garden left me a bit in shock and wondering if Juan V and I had made the right decision to postpone this year's garden winterizing until December 27th 2011 (we did it on December 11th last year). With this year's warmer December temperatures, our decision to wait seemed prudent (as I mentioned in a few posts last week which you may refer to by clicking here as well as here and here).

And, even though we had the sudden drop in temperatures this past Saturday, "a warmer trend" (temperatures in the fifty degree range) is predicted for much of this week, which hopefully means that Juan V and I did make the right decision. Still, I find myself concerned about the well being of the things I grow, and wondering about their "durability" until December 27th, when they will be put into a warm bed and will be fully protected for the long winter season.

My roses, it seems, were a case of life imitating art in terms of Herrick's words,

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,

Old Time is still a-flying:

And this same flower that smiles to-day"

To-morrow will be dying."

However, even though every one one of us knows that we need to gather our rosebuds of opportunity while we have the opportunity, and even though every one of us is well aware that time passes quickly, it is very hard to be consoled when what we love and have seen smiling has died.

This morning (as is my morning ritual) whilst having a cup of strong black coffee, I made my "usual rounds" perusing blogs I have bookmarked, where I often check in, to leave a comment in support of the blogger's endeavors, and I received some sad news when I read one of Michelle Fabio's blogs, Goatberries.

In her post today, Michelle (who among many things raises goats) wrote about the sudden turn of events in the life of her precious goat, Pinters, which resulted in her death. Once again, I was reminded of the fragility of life, and the urgent need to preserve every given moment permeated my thoughts. I sent Michelle one of the roses from my garden (not featured here, as the one I gave her was intended for her and those near and dear to her who are suffering from the pain of loss at this time).

I am aware that, even though we all know death and loss are a part of life, it is difficult to feel consoled when we experience it ourselves, and it is also difficult to find the words to comfort someone in their time of sorrow, no matter what the nature of their loss is.

Later this afternoon, I also received news of someone experiencing a loss. In this instance, the loss was the death of my friend's (whom I will call VB) mother. VB is a friend I've known since 1987. The situation was this: I was working at my home when I received a phone call from my dear friend's brother. He was wondering if I knew where VB was as a dire situation with their mother had taken place.

Their mother, who lives out of the country near her other children (all of adult age), had taken a turn for the worse, and the children that were at the hospital with her wanted to unplug a respirator which was supporting her life, but they wanted the consensus of my friend VB, and the consent of his siblings who live in the states. My heart went out to my beloved friend VB, and my thoughts also turned to the time in late November of 1995 when my sisters and I had come from the various cities where we live in the States, to be at my father's bedside in the intensive care unit of a hospital in the northeast, where it was anticipated that he would not survive, and on the off chance that if he did, the quality of his life would be minimal.

The May of 1995, six months prior to my father's hospitalization, was when Christopher Reeve had suffered a tragic accident which had permeated the media. Reeve's accident had left him paralyzed and in need of breathing tubes and oxygen. It was the November of 1995 when my father fell ill, succumbing to severe emphysema, which resulted in him being hospitalized. While he was in the hospital, a failed surgical procedure caused him to go into septic shock. That is when a nurse at the hospital told us, "I am sure your father is not as wealthy as Christopher Reeve, and therefore, unlike Reeve, he will not be able to afford the oxygen that he will need if he pulls through this trauma." My father's wife wanted the respirator to be removed immediately, and he died soon after.

As for my friend VB, I knew that a decision to remove his mother from a respirator would be something that he could not live with. "We are not our own," VB constantly reminds me when subjects of life choices and issues come up in conversation. Thankfully, VB and his siblings did not have to make the decision. Their mother passed away on her own this evening. I am sad for both VB and Michelle and feel their losses as if they were my own.

At this time, being there for both of them is all I can offer, but what I can offer to others, if they are so inclined, are my services as a Virtual Story Producer, which is what I did for Donna De Solis (a woman who's been mentioned on this blog) when she lost her friend, Warren, to AIDS.

A Virtual Story (or mini movie on a DVD) is a beautiful way to preserve the memory of a loved one, for I compile it from your photos, videos, and narratives, putting together your loved one's story in a sensitive and caring manner. If you care to view the one I produced for Donna, it is on Vimeo, and I have her permission to share it with you, so if you want to see it, please click here.

If having a Virtual Story produced for you is a service you are interested in, please leave me your contact information either in the comments field below this post, or feel free to send me a private e-mail via the contact form located within my on-line brochure which you may access by clicking here.

P.S. If you are new to posting comments on my blog, you may click here for directions.

A Guest Blogger Weighs in on Creative Holiday Gifts – Cards and Prints By The Last Leaf Gardener

2011-12-17T00:01:00.006-05:00

Photo by Melody Godfred

A guest post by TLLG Fan, Melody Godfred

With Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa steadily approaching, many of us are scrambling to find our loved ones the perfect holiday gifts. The ticking clock in all of our heads has a way of clouding our thoughts, which makes it even more difficult to find the gifts we need. If you’re looking for a creative holiday gift that is perfect for any occasion, Patricia Youngquist, The Last Leaf Gardner (TLLG) can help. As many of her dear readers know, TLLG is a photographer and visual artist in addition to being an urban gardener in NYC. TLLG has captured images of her garden as well as nature scenes from NYC and its surrounding areas and has created unique greeting card box sets. Aside from the beautiful imagery (as we all love scenes from the garden!) these cards are very special because they can be opened up and framed (see below!). Whether you give a box set as a gift, or use one card to write a note to accompany a gift, these cards are sure to please.

A framed card! Photo by Tony Jalondoni

On Etsy, you can visit her card shop where she has many options for you to chose from, including a large and small card set with pictures from the garden, Kaleidoscopic prints for those who prefer more surreal or abstract images, and even some more avante garde images that are both thought-provoking and beautiful. The Kaleidoscopic prints are an especially nice choice for Chanukah as they bring to mind visions of the beautiful Chanukah lights (I must say this series is my personal favorite!). If you’re looking for something more Christmas specific, you may like “Round Yon Virgin,” an image of a snow sculpture that really captures this festive season. Every purchase also comes with a special bonus gift: an additional card for you to keep.

The Last Leaf Gardener and I wish you all a very happy, healthy and inspired holiday season. Thank you for being part of the Last Leaf Gardener community.

You can view the entire card collection on Etsy by clicking here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/thelastleafgardener

A Kaleidoscopic Print by The Last Leaf Gardener

Friday Follow Up: "the reindeer effect"

2011-12-16T10:51:00.186-05:00

It is TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) on TLLG, and, as you undoubtedly know from a plan I posted this past October, I try to dedicate Fridays as an "opportunity" to follow-up on things which are in the news or which I have discussed, hence the clever post title, Friday Follow-Up 0-8

This past Tuesday on tumblr, (where I "send" TLLG Blog Spot followers on Tuesdays), I wrote about "the reindeer effect" in relation to a reindeer figurine, who lives in my indoor succulent garden, and I accompanied what I said with the following image of that particular reindeer.

Today's post has to do with some reindeer that are new arrivals to my urban (NYC) terrace garden, and who can be seen in the photograph at the top of today's blog entry.

These reindeer flew in yesterday afternoon "landing" on the planter that is the home to my Autumn Clematis, who is attempting to go to the sleep for the season. (Hence, she has pulled a blanket of evergreens over herself, but she did not put up a "Do Not Disturb" sign, so the Mama Reindeer and her twins plopped themselves atop the Autumn Clematis's blanket of evergreen.)

As you can see, from the aforementioned photograph at the very top of this blog post, Mama Reindeer and her twins seem to be marveling at the fact that my Helichrysum bracteatum AKA Strawflowers (the yellow flowers which can be seen in the lower lefthand corner of that image) are still blooming when it is currently mid December. And they are enjoying the scent from the Lavandula dentata (French Lavender) which is still thriving directly behind where the newly arrived reindeer are standing!

While the reindeer are pleased that it is not so cold, and are enjoying the bright and brilliant yellow flowers from my Helichrysum bracteatum, which is what I can surmise from their conversation, and perhaps you can surmise from the surprised expressions that you undoubtedly notice on their faces, as evidenced in the photograph posed below,

they are concerned about something, and I suspect their concern has to do with global warming. I am sure you will agree from the expressions on their faces, which look even more profound in the following image,

that they seem most concerned indeed, and I am quite touched to think that they seem to have such a concern for their environment! It seems to be in these three visiting reindeers' genes to have a concern for the planet; after all, each one of them has a body made of a trunk from Christmas trees being sold in my New York City neighborhood. Their little legs are also made of pieces of Christmas tree trunks, and their antlers are made from Christmas tree branches. Moreover, their tiny tails are each made from a pine cone. This is why — the fact that they are made from "recycled" parts that are tossed from Christmas trees — I assumed that they were totally consumed with environmental concerns. But, alas even my reindeer have their price!

This is evidenced in the image posted below of the three of them eyeing my Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium), which is also still thriving in mid December.

I always find my Tropaelum majus is much too pretty to eat, although many folks do put them in salads and incorporate them into a number of recipes. I still prefer them to be a source of inspiration for blog posts on TLLG (which you may read by clicking here) as well as inspiration for images in my Flickr Gallery (which you may view by clicking here).

I hope the visiting reindeer also find my Tropaelum majus's flowers inspiring, and all I can say to them, which is a modification of the "famous expression" Please Don't Eat the Daises is . . . . . . [drum roll] . . . you guessed it, Please Don't Eat the Tropaelum majus!

Meanwhile, apropos of nothing in today's blog entry, I want to remind you that I now have greeting cards available for the forthcoming holidays. Some of these cards are now on ETSY; however; the majority of them are featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art. To go to where they are located within the beautiful Card Shoppe Pages, please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.

Rockin' around the Hens and Chicks!

2011-12-15T21:50:00.133-05:00

The succulent known as Hens and Chicks which I grow in my urban (NYC) garden is pictured above atop a "dining table," where I often entertain guests. This particular succulent makes a great center piece which is intriguing to all — including bottles of wines, spirits and cordials — as evidenced by their fascination with the aforementioned succulent. (They even bundled up in their winter gear — and it's not even that cold today — to come out of the liquor cabinet and into my garden to see this succulent).

I have other types of Hens and Chicks growing in my garden amongst my eighty-plus other things which include herbs, plants, flowers, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees, and they can be seen pictured below,

As for the particular "bowl" of Hens and Chicks that have attracted the attention of my "bundled up" bottles of liqueur, vino, and spirits, and seen above today's blog entry, it is a plant whose image you might recognize, if you follow this blog, because this particular variety of Hens and Chicks, was featured in a blog post, this past June, when it looked like it was making a "thumb's up" gesture.

And, this particular Hens and Chicks, was subsequently featured on TLLG in a posting this July when it flowered and looked like this (see below).

These images of my Hens and Chicks are included again today, because, in a sense, Hens and Chicks, are an example of how we should live our lives — especially now when we are approaching the holidays of Chanukah (the evening of December 20th 2011 through December 28th 2011), Christmas (the evening of December 24th 2011 through January 8th 2012 or February 2012 depending on where you live) and Kwanzaa (December 26th 2011 through January 1st 2012). The holidays may have their differences in dates on which they are celebrated as well as the the beliefs associated with them, but the importance of family applies to all of them.

A "central message" by the way Hens and Chicks live their lives is applicable to all families, no matter what they celebrate, and even if they do not celebrate at all. According to a citation in Wiki, "Hens and Chicks is a common name for a group of small succulents belonging to the flowering plant family Crassulaceae, native to Europe and northern Africa. They grow close to the ground [or in my case a container] with leaves formed around each other in a rosette, and propagating by offsets. The "hen" is the main plant, and the "chicks" are the offspring, which start as tiny buds on the main plant and soon sprout their own roots, taking up residence close to the mother plant . . ."

"Upon maturity (usually around three to four years old) the plant will send up a single stalk that ca reach 5-25 cm tall. The head of the stalk is a cluster of star-shaped buds 1-2 cm in diameter, which range in color from dark pink to yellow and that flower for several weeks. After blooming, the plant will die. Usually by this time it has produced many offsets ('chicks')."

It is this aforementioned behavior of the Hens and Chicks that makes me think of this succulent in relation to celebrations involving family. A blogger, known as Patrick who calls his blog Patrick's Garden: A Fresher Look at Creative Gardening made this observation about Hens and Chicks too, but, he stated it in a most moving way in his blog post The Philosophy of Hens and Chicks, where he wrote "I like to think that Hens and Chicks remind us of how we should live our lives. Be a loving parent and show our children how to get the most you can out of life. And when it is our time to go, they are prepared to do the same."

Patrick's observation regarding Hens and Chicks is so poignant that I'll end today's post with his words, but I want to remind you that I now have greeting cards available for the forthcoming holidays. Some of these cards are now on ETSY; however; the majority of them are featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art. To go to where they are located within the beautiful Card Shoppe Pages, please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.

Wednesday's Wisdom?

2011-12-14T18:33:00.051-05:00

Today is Wednesday, a day I usually "reserve" for Wednesday's Wisdom, but I am not sure that I am feeling so wise about my personal or business related affairs today, on this Wednesday the Fourteenth of December, bringing us to the point where we only have eleven days until Christmas, when folks — if they are not already — will sing, "and so this is Christmas and what have you done? Another year over, a new one just begun . . . .", the lyrics from John Lennon's, Happy Xmas (War is Over). The song is haunting to me because I find it to be a reminder of what I have not achieved and what I've failed in doing, as described in a previous blog post on TLLG regarding this song.

There are also, after today, Wednesday the Fourteenth of December, only seventeen days until New Year's Eve. This is another time of reflection and self-evaluation, a time when some folks make resolutions, something I find myself doing daily, since I fail miserably at keeping ones I make on the eve of a new year.

Last year at this time, on December the Fourteenth, it was much colder, and Juan V and I had braved the elements three days earlier to winterize the eighty plus things that grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden, which include herbs, plants, flowers, vines, succulents, grasses, plants, salad greens, shrubs, and trees.

However, today when Juan V was here to help me work in my garden, we did not winterize, as the temperatures are still too mild to do so, and while some of the things that I grow are going dormant, a number of the others, including my vine, known as Rubus calycinoides AKA Ornamental Raspberry and my Helichrysum bracteatum AKA Strawflowers are not ready to succumb to winter.

They can be seen in the image above, which shows an aerial view of my garden. It was taken by Juan V. The multi-colored cascading leaves of the Rubus calycinoides's remind me of "flowing locks" (please see the yellow arrow I inserted in the image, and to read other posts abut this stunning vine, please click here). As for my Helichrysum bracteatum's still thriving yellow flowers, I have dedicated some of my recent blog posts to this phenomenon, which you may refer to by clicking here.

And so, because these and other things (such as the roses on each of my three shrubs) as well as my Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium), are still flowering, Juan V and I just did routine clean-up stuff, and added a few more strings of lights to my Avellana corylus AKA (Contorted Hazel Nut or Harry's Walking Stick) which can be seen in the image posted above today's blog entry and the one posted below this text.

The image directly above shows how I have rendered an image of the Avellana corylus (Contorted Hazel Nut) for a Christmas card which I plan to send to my clients, colleagues and friends. I've just begun receiving snail-mailed cards from others and am reminded that I should start sending my own.

You would think, knowing I am a designer of all occasion cards that go beyond communication, my "task" of writing notes on cards and sending them to those near (and not so dear) would be behind me, but, alas, like the things I grow in my terrace garden, I am prolonging the inevitable.

For those of you who have gardens, how are you doing with your winterizing? And for those of you who still need to send cards for Chanukah, Christmas or Kwanza, I want to remind you that I now have greeting cards available for the forthcoming December holidays. Some of these cards are now on ETSY; however; the majority of them are featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art. To go to where they are located within the beautiful Card Shoppe Pages, please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Twelve "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

2011-12-13T00:30:00.207-05:00

It's Tuesday, so it must be tumblr but before I lead you there, here's a little (as usual) digression: The images posted above are of my still-flowering-in-December Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium) and White Swan Echinacea both of which I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden. Additionally, my Helichrysum bracteatum (Strawflowers) and the roses, from all three of the shrubs that I have of them, are still thriving. This is quite unusual for this time of year in New York City, as by now we have usually had some snow.

"Perhaps the Halloween snowstorm that we (who live in the eastern part of the United States) have experienced this past fall is our snowfall for the year," some New Yorkers have said. And those who are making that "observation" are not "dreaming of a white Christmas with every Christmas card they write," but, rather, they are hoping for no snow, a common "wish" for New Yorkers who don't want to contend with walking their dogs or shoveling out a car that they have parked on the street.

We have so many rules in New York City these days (most brought on by our mayor, Michael Bloomberg), regarding trans-fats, smoking, bike lanes, the drinking of soda, etceteras that I am wondering when the city will pass a law that it will only allow snow to fall on alternate sides of the street and in our city parks. For it's "the inconvenience of snow," which has many New Yorkers dreading the probability that, because we are in the middle of December, snow will fall. Last year's snowstorm, December 26th 2010, took folks by a storm and it reeked unexpected havoc on the city (for related blog posts, please click here and here).

I am not waiting with bated breath for snow to fall either, although I do find snow inspiring. As you may recall, I have used images of it in a number of the greeting cards which I have created, including the following:

These cards go beyond communication, and if you are intersted in purchasing them, please visit the Card Shoppe Pages (within the Storefront) of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo-Art, or visit my ETSY store.

Regarding snowfall itself, as a child I certainly hoped for snow, not just to build snowmen and go sledding, but I hoped for snow, because I hoped for snow-days; much like Mutts is doing in the comic strip posted below:

[As you know if you follow my blog, I like to include this delightful animation whenever I get a chance, and if you would like to refer to past posts which include Mutts, you may refer to them by clicking here, as well as here, and here and here, and here.]

However, as an urban gardener, I have mixed feelings when it comes to snow. Some snowfall is good for my herbs, vines, flowers, grasses, plants, shrubs and trees, which I thoroughly winterize every year, but there is always a danger that it may break some of the branches of my beloved Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi).

Alas, weather is something beyond anyone's control, and I am ever mindful that "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." This profound quote is attributed to Lao Tzu, and even Mutts will have to "contend' with nature's seemingly unhurried pace (as seen below):

And with this, I am mindful of my promise: "If it's Tuesday, it must be . . . tumblr", so, here's the link to take you there.

P.S. As always, I invite you to please weigh in with your thoughts, ideas and reactions. If you are new to posting this type of thing, you may click here for directions.

"Life is like eating artichokes, you have got to go through so much to get so little."

2011-12-12T00:42:00.020-05:00

One of the little succulent garden figurines who came to spend time in my indoor succulent garden (a garden that I decorate for all of the seasons, which I have written about in a number of blog entries on TLLG which you may refer to by clicking here) is Lady Artichoke (seen in the image above). She was featured in a post on nybg's (New York Botanical Gardens) tumblr about a week ago, and in that blog entry she is seen with her comrades in the following picture which accompanies that entry.

I return to Lady Artichoke today because of the Tad Dorgan (Thomas Aloysius Dorgan) quote, "Life is like eating artichokes, you have got to go through so much to get so little."

Like yours truly, who creates characters with the things that grow (as well as the objects that surround them) in both my indoor (succulent) and outdoor (urban terrace where I grow 80+ things) gardens, Dorgan (among other endeavors) created comic strips which had an indoor and outdoor theme. One of his creations was called Indoor Sports, that was considered "a main feature", which "at times was accompanied by Outdoor Sports". Dorgan's career as a cartoonist began at the San Franciso Chronicle, but he was there for only three years, leaving to work in "New York City at the New York Journal as a sports writer and a cartoonist."

As you know, if you follow this blog, I obviously appreciate comic strips given the number of posts which I have written about Dagwood as well as Mutts (which you may refer to by clicking here and here respectively). Additionally, in my very first blog entry, I mentioned, Herb Gardener, a cartoonist turned playwright, due to the fact that his cartoon character's conversation bubbles became bigger than the character.

But today's blog post was inspired by Lady Artichoke, who reminded me of Dorgan's quote, "Life is like eating artichokes, you have got to go through so much to get so little," because she was offended by it. As an artichoke, she did not feel it was "politically correct" to say one went through so much to get so little when referencing this vegetable, and, she also took offense to Miss Piggy's quote about artichokes in which Piggy stated, "After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual "food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps."

"Artichokes have feelings too", Lady Artichoke explained pointing out that they were known for their hearts. However, she was consoled by the fact that Dorgan is "credited with either popularizing such words as 'dumbbell' (a stupid person); 'for crying out loud' (an exclamation of astonishment); 'cat's meow' and 'cat's pajamas' (as superlatives) . . . and 'yes, we have no bananas,' which turned into a popular song."

Lady Artichoke was proud to be in the company of quotes which include "yes, we have no bananas", because she loves Audrey Hepburn and often watches the You Tube video posted below.

Moreover, Lady Artichoke's heart was deeply moved when she learned that Dorgan, even though at age thirteen he "lost the last three fingers of his right hand in an accident with a factory machine", went on to be a cartoonist!

However, he eventually retired "because of poor health, and a heart ailment (that) kept him home for the last years of his life" so he certainly knew about the feeling of going through so much and getting very little.

And today, dear reader, Lady Artichoke and I thank Thomas Aloysius Dorgan, (TAD) for his contributions. Moreover, we invite you to please weigh in with your thoughts, ideas and reactions. If you are new to posting this type of thing, you may click here for directions. And apropos of nothing in today's post, I now have greeting cards available for the forthcoming December holidays. Some of these cards are now on ETSY, however; the majority of them are featured within the Card Shoppe Pages of my web-site, Patricia Youngquist Photo Art. To go to where they are located within the beautiful Card Shoppe Pages, please click here to view my selections of delightful greeting cards to honor the festivities.