Every time I think my photography skills are starting to get to a point of being not half bad, I come across a portfolio like Anna Wolf’s and come back down to earth. I love this shot of peonies in this girl’s hair – can you imagine wearing that beautiful headdress out for the first day of Spring this weekend. Lovely!
I’d also love to be able to capture this soft but distinct tone of red that is featured in these two shots Anna did at an apple orchard for Planted Magazine. Gorgeous! Can’t you just smell the apples?
{via red hooded}
The rains and wind last night in Connecticut were truly epic – bringing in their wake a very soggy Sunday around these parts. My house (the exterior and the chimneys) are soaked as is every part of the grounds. There’s a little pond behind my house that now looks like the Loch Ness Monster could comfortable do the backstroke between its swollen shores.
I have a tree – I think it’s a White Oak, that’s been a concern of mine for a few months now. If there was ever a time that this would fall its now, when its just coming out of winter dormancy and has been soaked for hours by a downpour and blown on by 60 mph winds all night.
It’s creaking in the breeze as speak. I think it may have been hit by lightening at one point as it has had a decided split running down the middle of its trunk. The squirrels and the woodpeckers have been working away at this to the point that there’s a knothole where there should be a nice facade of this bark.
To be honest I wouldn’t really care all that much if it was away from structures – I have quite a few of these. But naturally this one is right over a shed that we use to store hay. The way it’s leaning, it could fall away into the woods, or right down on the shed (please don’t Ms. White Oak). I’ve half convinced myself that this is in fact two suckers that grew into trees that have braided together, rather than a split tree.
It is possible, I do have trees around here that have grown into the oddest formations – from completely fallen over and sprouting branches, to growing out of rock formations, like the fellow below – the flora and fauna around here have learned to adapt.
So I’ll keep watch and hope for the best on this sodden Sunday.
If you’re at all a fan of the Golden Girls you’ll recall Stan Zbornak, ex-hubbie of main character Dorothy, was a purveyor of novelties. I’m pretty sure Marc Cherry (the same guy who created Desperate Housewives) and the creators of the show concocted this career for utter laughs. Who can forget the time Stan made uber $$ on a potato opener.
I have a feeling Stan would have loved the A + R store in Los Angeles. I’ve come across this spot online and in person a number of times and am always amused by the part genius, part kitch concept behind many of the items they carry. Apartment Therapy interviewed Andy and Rose, the duo behind the name, a few years back – check out their chat here.
Two items that caught my eye most recently are these inventive products for flowers and plants. The first is The Sky Planter – which displays your plants hanging from the ceiling upside down.
Designer Patrick Morris created this employing a locking disc to hold both soil and your unsuspecting plant in place. A reservoir system gradually hydrates the roots, somehow not dripping water on the floor. This is a great sight gag for sure, although I have such difficulty keeping orchids happy (whoever said they thrive on neglect must have lived in a rain forest is all I have to say) I wonder how well the plants do in the long run. I’m thinking this is best for herbs and probably ferns would handle this. Tomatoes also seem to love this type of system.
The second is this collection of rubber vases. I’ve been using silcone baking pans for muffins and mini quiches lately and have become quite a fan of the material. A cute product and what a great way to childproof your floral arrangements!
More than just the softness of the vases, I think the color is really fun. These would look great in a light toned room by tossing in a great punch of turquoise, red, or any of the other primary shades these come in.
If you saw my post a few weeks back – on February 15th I started some tomato and eggplant seeds in peet pots indoors – attempting to get going for some early planting. I set them out on a cookie sheet – kept them watered and after about 10 days – *nothing*! I think the downstairs of my house is too cold and dry yet to nurture much without some intervention.
Then I picked up one of those Jiffy mini greenhouses for starting seeds (about $3) from a local greenhouse out here in Connecticut – poured some water in to the bottom reservoir, clapped on the clear plastic cover and like magic the seeds bounded out of the soil like gangbusters within about 3 days.
The tomatos first – then the egglant. Now I have to go about thinning the sprouts which is a little sad but utterly necessary. I take the lid off in the afternoons so the little buggers get accustomed to a regular environment and the bright sunshine.
If you have the space to do any sort of planting – whether an acre or two or just a window box, there are gazillions of reasons for planting a few edible green things. Here’s just a few that come to mind:
When you plant a plot of spinach, herbs, beans and tomatoes:
1) you immediately lessen your consumption of petroleum based packaging (even those plastic produce bags are a problem);
2) curtail the pollution emitted in shipping produce from distances;
3) reduce the consumption of petroleum based fuels needed to fly, truck and ship these goods around;
4) will become accustomed to eating what’s in season rather than what’s growing on the other side of the planet year round;
5) enjoy fresher, more healthful produce.
You’ll also have the fun and satisfaction of watching little seeds go from a packet to the plate as you nurture and care for your plants.
Isn’t this a scrumptious looking garden? (below). This is what I’m planning this year, although my house certainly isn’t as quaint as this one.
