2018-03-24 - Saturday - Spring plants

Spring happenings in the back yard. Things are popping all over.

May apples.

Cranefly orchids.

Fiddle heads.

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2018-02-28 - Wednesday - Many things

The May Apples are starting to pop up. I'm always pleased to see that they like it in our yard.

Wednesday night I went to Clayworks and did the slip transfer on the cut rim bowls. Not too bad. I may have to do more of this in the future.

On the way out I noticed that tree again. I checked; it is a Bradford Pear. I'm not a fan, but it sure did bloom nicely this year.

I stopped at the store on the way home and was completely grossed out (again) by the latest Oreo flavors. Please make it stop!

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2016-03-24 - Thursday - Spring has sprung

I always like to take stock in the yard during the spring as everything comes back to life. Spring is such a hopeful time.

The last gasp of the crane fly orchid leaves from last year.
Soon a flower stalk will emerge.

The lady ferns are coming back.

I'm pleased that the may apples are propagating and thriving.

Even the weeds are competing with themselves.
The onion is growing over the wild violet.

On the downside it appears that this canker worm band
has trapped a whole ant colony.

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2015-03-24 - Tuesday - Yard plants and salt loading

Tuesday I checked on the yard again. I really like the way things change from day to day in the spring.  I had to grab another shot of the vinca blooming, more fiddle heads emerging, and the progress of the may apples. Things move fast.

Tuesday night we loaded the salt kiln. It takes many hands and since I got there late I stayed on the periphery, helped where I could and took some photos. We had a good crew and things got done very efficiently.

Deborah and Claudia re-wadding pots.

The Coniferous Forest.

The gas kiln is on the cool down.

Larry, Meredith, and Vince taking pots to the kiln.

The production.

Robert showing off the kiln.

More pots awaiting departure.

One more stack to go.

Decisions.

Chicken kiln god made by Greg on an old thermocouple.

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2015-03-21 - Saturday - Yard, museum, and pots - oh my

Saturday I was all over the place.

I started out in the yard reveling in spring's progress. The daffodil show is over and we're moving into the heart of spring where everything else starts to emerge and the overpowering green of summer gets a foothold.

I used to joke with a friend years ago that during early summer in the Carolinas everything was such a vibrant green that there seemed to be a green haze hanging over the wooded areas. We would laugh, but we still marveled at it. I miss Jim. He's been gone a long time now, but I think of him most in the spring and summer.

I am glad to see the may apples
I transplanted last year are propagating.

The native orchids are looking a bit rough after the winter,
but they're still here.

I think this native plant is called spotted wintergreen,
and it always makes me think of peppermint candies.

The lenten roses I transplanted from a neighbor's yard last year
are happily blooming. Thanks Sheilah!

The hydrangea is peeking out.

The vinca minor in the front yard is filling in nicely.

I love the fiddle heads on ferns.
This one is a holly fern.

Here is another holly fern past the fiddle head stage.

A close-up of the vinca minor flowers.

In the afternoon I went to the Mint Museum to hear Rose B. Simpson speak about her art. I arrived at the last moment and found a small contingent from Clayworks to sit with. Rose was amazing. She is a skateboarder, punk rocker, poetry slammer, multimedia artist from the Santa Clara Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico. She told us about her life and strong connection with her heritage. She amazed us with her artwork and her vision. She even treated us to one of her poetry slam performances. It was fun just to be around that kind of energy for a while.

Lindsay, Cathy, and Jeff.

Rose B. Simpson.

After the talk at the Mint I went to Clayworks to do some more work on my pots from March 11. They waited patiently under plastic for me to return so I decided to alter them a bit. The left one is softly altered, the right one is done with my usual method of adding clay to make the facial features. The middle face was made only by removing clay, so it appears a bit flatter.

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2014-04-14 - Monday - New plants

I went on another plant rescue with Nic and Rick.  We got some new plants and some old standbys.  I believe Nic said the new ferns are "lady ferns".  We also took some May apples and some more Christmas ferns.  I am happy to report that so far they are all loving it in the new bed area I made for them.

One of the best things about growing native plants is that they require very little maintenance.

Christmas and lady ferns.

Lady fern.

May apples.

I just couldn't leave this
large group of  Christmas ferns.

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