Attention & Reminder To Northeast Gardeners: Beware The Ides of March

Falling on the 15th of March, May, July and October as well as the 13th of any other month, the Ides signified the middle of the month on the Roman calendar. Today's "ide" was made famous by Shakespeare in his play, Julius Caesar, with the famous line, "Beware the ides of March," a warning that Caesar did not heed which cost him his life. 


Julius Caesar was betrayed and assassinated on the Ides of March in 44B.C. by a group of Roman senators — a fact which most everyone over the age of eleven knows from their having to read Shakespeare's recounting of this in their school years. 


So what does this piece of trivia have to do with a blog that (among other topics) discusses gardening? It may be a stretch, but gardeners should take a lesson from Julius Caesar's  not heeding a warning. In this instance, the warning that gardeners need to heed (at least those that live in the northeast) is to not — and I mean not, give in to temptation to unwrap any plants they may have winterized, and to definitely not plant anything new, if they want a thriving garden in the spring, summer, and fall that will come in due course.


Just because spring is "officially" five days away (and the northeast groundhogs Chuck and Phil predicted an early season), does not mean that plants, trees, and shrubs are finished resting for the winter. Give them all the time they need, after all, don't you like to sleep-in on occasion? 

In like a lamb . . .

Approximately a month ago I posted about Chuck and Phil, the famous groundhogs of the northeast, being in agreement that an early spring was in the works. However, the weather since that time has been very cold. At least today, the first of March (which is coming in like a lamb so may go out like a lion, delaying spring), brings the promise that there will soon be more daylight. (Daylight Savings Time begins in twelve days on March 13th 2011). I am still not ready to unwrap the shrubs and trees that were wrapped in my roof-extension urban garden this past December (as seen in the photo posted above this entry taken at that time) to prepare them for winter (as discussed in a previous post) and will probably not do so until April — even if Spring Fever attacks. I have learned the hard way about the consequences of having an eager-beaver-green-thumb, and can almost be certain that other gardeners have done the same, especially after a long dreary winter, and all I can say to my urban gardener comrades is this: those that wait upon the onset of warmer temperatures renew their strength and benefit their gardens.

Sansevieria trifasciata and Other Delights in Tony's Garden

Even though Phil and Chuck, the respected northeastern groundhogs did predict an early spring, it is still winter — mid winter — and although the temperature in the New York City area where I live is predicted to reach near sixty degrees by the end of the week, my urban gardener-comrades  and I will continue to give our respective outdoor gardens (and ourselves) a much needed rest. However, indoor gardeners, such as Tony (whose luscious succulent garden can be seen on a window-sill facing Seventy-Second Street in the Upper Westside of New York City and is  the subject of the photograph posted above) continue to find exciting opportunities in maintaining a succulent garden. His succulents vary widely in form, texture, and color mirroring his design potential. At the moment, his Sansevieria trifasciata (Mother-in-law tongue/ Snake plant) stands proudly (as seen in the left corner of this photograph) and seems to watch over the succulent community around her as a lioness would watch over her cubs. Tony's garden exudes the warmth and wonder of exciting places like North Africa, Australia, and Yemen — a much needed respite in the bleakness of winter. 

Staten Island Chuck AND Punxsutawney Phil's "News"

This is an unscheduled entry as I normally post on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but occasionally I offer an additional post when a noteworthy event occurs, or when I need to follow-up on a given topic. I wrote about the importance of following-up on entries this past fall, and since in Tuesday's entry I discussed the meaning of Groundhog Day (which is today), I am happy to report this: For those who have not heard, our beloved: New York rodent, Staten Island Chuck, did not see his shadow this morning, which those weary of winter will be happy to know, because this is a traditional sign that spring is on the way.

Staten Island Chuck was in agreement this year with Punxsutawney Phil, who did not see his shadow either. Rare is the case when New Yorkers and those from Pennsylvania agree on much — especially when it comes to their respective sports teams — but today, these citizens do agree on one thing: they hope their "meteorologist-rodents" are correct in their prediction of an early end to winter.

As for me, I'm not hurrying outside to de-winterize my ice-caked roof-extension garden by unwrapping any plants. In fact, maybe I'll invest in a shovel (since they apparently are on sale, as many shop-keeepers have taken on the sentiments of the cartoon posted above) for the snow that's still predicted.

Happy February! Tomorrow is Imbolc Day....What will the groundhog have to say?

Tomorrow, February 2nd, is Imbolc Day, the day that 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 a day also known as Ground Hog Day, when in New York, a rodent known as Staten Island Chuck annually makes a prediction on whether the coming days will be an early spring or prolonged winter. He does this by coming out of hibernation to see if he sees his shadow. The deal is this: If the groundhog sees his shadow, mend your mittens, as winter will remain fast and furious; but, if he does not see his shadow, an early spring is in the wings. As an urban gardener, I am certainly eager to undo my urban garden winterizing although I hardly rely on a groundhog's predictions — even though in New York the groundhog has been right 85% of the time. A true New Yorker, this little rodent even stood up to Mayor Bloomberg ( a couple of years ago) 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 is speculation 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.





Now, with the mayor's recent arrogance over the response to the mishandling of the December 27, 2010 snowstorm, and his lofty manner regarding third term limits, New Yorkers are waiting in anticipation for tomorrow's event — not only to see if Staten Island Chuck sees his shadow, but to see if this little rodent will reprise his role of standing up to "his honor"— as only he seems to be capable of doing, as evidenced in the video posted below:

Down by the Riverside, Down by the Riverside, Down by the Riverside . . .a Polka Dot Garden Grows!

What's a blogger who is a gardener and tandem-bike-stoker to do when snow and frigid temperatures prevent such activities? If cross-country skiing, sledding or building a snow sculpture aren't options; then perhaps thinking about what lies beneath the snow may be the way to go. As I look out onto my snow blanketed terrace garden (seen above), which I have written about in previous posts that you can read by clicking here and here and here, as well as here, I find myself hoping that in nine days, on February the second, Ground Hog Day, that the groundhog will not see his shadow — as this will supposedly signify that winter will soon end. Hardly the most reliable prediction, but  Acu-Weather could take some lessons from this animal. As an urban gardener, I know that the cold temperatures and remaining snow also cause other urban gardeners that I know to fantasize about spring. However these winter facts-of-life are not a deterrent to accomplishment, as Victoria Mackenzie-Childs (wife and business partner of Victoria and Richard Emprise) clearly proves. Her snow-blanketed garden that she maintains with her husband, Richard MacKenzie-Childs, is located down by the riverside, and can be seen in the photograph below) as it awaits the on-set of warmer weather.

Yes, their garden is down by the riverside, and this is because they live on a boat — the 104 year old ferry boat at the Hoboken shipyard, known as the Yankee Ferry — and their garden is on the boat's (now snow covered) pier. Victoria and Richard Mackenzie-Childs, the garden's owners, are well known artists. They have also been guardians to the historic, and allegedly the last remaining Ellis Island Ferry Boat, for about ten years. Living on a boat in winter weather has them hoping the groundhog will not see his shadow on February second, as it is quite cold these days aboard Yankee Ferry. However, this has not stopped either of them from being on the move, as you will see by the end of this entry. But what about their garden beneath the snow?

Their garden is known as The Polka Dot Garden, and looked like this (see photos below),

at the beginning of gardening season last year. The story goes that one day the boat crew was gathering tires for "fendering" to serve as a cushion preventing the pier from damaging the boat, when the idea of growing herbs and tomatoes inside the tires was born. Since the diagonal alignment of the tires had a resemblance to polka dots, Victoria Mackenzie-Childs named the endeavor The Polka Dot Garden. Because of her many patterned products, it is no surprise that Victoria connected the dots to give the garden this name. However, this is not the first time the use of polka dots came about by happenstance. Polka dots used in patterned fabric has been credited to Walt Disney. It is documented that when Disney was designing Minnie Mouse's outfit, he was pondering what type of pattern should be used for Minnie's skirt; stripes were out, and plaid was too hard to animate, and as he contemplated this dilemma, a drop of ink fell on his drawing, prompting Minnie Mouse's distinctive white on red polka-dot skirt. As the drop of ink could've ruined a drawing for Walt Disney, rows of tires could have been limited to fendering for Victoria and Richard Mackenzie-Childs. However, since they are a "if-life-gives-you-lemons-make-lemonade"couple, as you might know from their well documented struggle to keep the branding of their products, and as you also might surmise from the photograph of them posted below, they are always on the move.

In regards to how The Polka Dot Garden grew, below are two photographs. The first one  shows how much heirloom tomatoes enjoyed the space, and the second one shows how The Polka Dot Garden ultimately flourished. Wittika, the granddaughter of Victoria and Richard Mackenzie, can be seen in the third photograph of the garden. Along with her brother, Felix, she is the co-star of many Victoria and  Richard Emprise videos promoting their unique products. One of the videos may be viewed below the photographs I've just discussed.

Whether the groundhog sees his shadow in nine days or not, Victoria and Richard will be on the move, continuing to live out George Bernard Shaw's philosophy (expressed before he won the  Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925) in which he stated "You see things; and say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were, and I say 'Why not'?"

Star of Wonder: Who is "counter-cultural"? When IS Epiphany?

"Star of Wonder, Star of Night

Star with Royal Beauty Bright

Westward leading, still proceeding

Guide us to thy perfect light"

My neighbor lives in a studio apartment on the top floor of a building that is a few doors west of me and her window (where she has a small indoor garden of succulents) faces south. It looks directly into a window where someone has hung a star. It is in the front window discussed in a previous post. The star, we once speculated, was hung in honor of the Epiphany, which is the twelfth day of Christmas, January the sixth, and often celebrated with the familiar hymn, We Three Kings (its chorus lyrics are posted at the top of this entry). However, today, January the second, this traditional Epiphany hymn will be sung in New York City Catholic churches, where masses will be offered and celebrated for the Feast of the Epiphany, because the bishops have decided to move this feast day up to the second Sunday after Christmas. In spite of this, the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, insists it is the secular world that is the one rushing Christmas, when for me, it appears the church is rushing it too — by moving up holidays.



Dolan writes,"A blessed Christmas everybody! I realize some might think me tardy in this heartfelt greeting, but hear me out. I am not late at all! Holy Mother Church starts her celebration of our Savior on Christmas Eve, and keeps it until Epiphany which is the Sunday after the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1). The feast of the Epiphany — when the magi adored Jesus, giving us the 'Twelve Days of Christmas.' The tree stays up, presents can still be exchanged, carols are still bellowed out, the crib sets remain in place, and we still express Christmas good wishes and make our visits . . . as we should. One of the saddest sights is to see Christmas already in the trash bin on December 26th!" 

The Archbishop continues with his lament with,"but not for us Catholics! We love stretching out our celebration! In some countries, the crib and the tree even stay up until 40 days after Christmas, February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, (Candlemas Day not Ground Hog Day). Christmas festivities do end sooner or later don't they? . . . . How can we make the joy, light, and love of Christmas last all year?"

Then Dolan gets to his 'pitch' of his article, in one of his ideas on how we might extend Christmas;"Charity!," he writes with an exclamation point, as if that were the Epiphany itself. With this proclamation, Dolan writes,"Our food pantries, soup kitchens, and clothing depots report that in, the days right before and after Christmas, they're brimming over with supplies." Dolan continues, "Msgr. Kevin Sullivan tells me people are generous in sending gifts to Catholic Charities every December. Thanks we need it! But then , as the trees come down and the carols halt, the pantries are strapped, soup kitchens adding more water to the stew, clothes depots down to a few pairs of gloves, and money for rent and medication  begin to get scarce. Christmas sparks love, sharing, and giving. You want to keep Christmas all year? Keep on loving, sharing and giving. So keep on wishing everybody a Merry Christmas until the Epiphany! Sing those carols, let the tree and decorations shine these ancient Twelve Days of Christmas."Archbishop Dolan is right of course:"giving and goodwill should not stop at Christmas"; however, his observation that secular folks are being "counter-cultural" in rushing the celebration is ironic: the church itself is shortening the feast days of Christmas by moving the celebration of Epiphany up by four days in terms of offering a high mass, which indicates to me that "seculars" are not the only ones who "cut Christmas short".

The star in the window across the street from my dear friend's window will be our reminder of the Feast of Epiphany. As for the archbishops' other observation about seculars "cutting Christmas short" with his words, ". . . but not for us Catholics! We love stretching out our celebration! In some countries, the crib and the tree even stay up until 40 days after Christmas, February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, (Candlemas Day not Ground Hog Day)," We find the Feast of the Presentation to be the day to take down cards we have received for the season. In fact, the Feast of the Presentation was the inspiration for one of my "special edition" cards that can be seen below:

This card received recognition in a radio interview (W.B.A.I.) which can be heard on my web-site, which most of my regular blog-readers know, and I have blogged about circumstances related to this card which can be found in three different posts by clicking here and here and here.

And one more thought we have on Archbishop  Dolan's statement,"We love stretching out our celebration! In some countries, the crib and the tree even stay up until 40 days after Christmas, February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, (Candlemas Day not Ground Hog Day)" is this: we do not find the February Second's celebrations or rituals of  Candlemas Day and Ground Hog Day to be mutually exclusive, whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not.

Snowy days. Starry nights. "And since we've no place to go, Let it go, Let it go, Let it go..." (A Case For Not Sending 'E' Cards)

Engaging conversations. Sipping Papillon Hermitage. Snacking on Prince De Clavrolle Cheese and a baguette from Tom Cat Bakery as we make up our own words to the "Let it snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow"  song and replace them with "Let it Go, Let it Go, Let it Go." We are snow-bound in my studio apartment and looking out onto my terrace garden celebrating my winter note-card collection and so this is my first 'in-between-Saturdays-post.' 




These cards will soon be in the store-front pages of my web-site, and are so perfect for the season and to send when 'E' cards just won't do. We are not 'E' card people, and while we are fairly proficient in using the computer, and are very much concerned about our environment (we don't "waste" paper), we like to keep in touch in a personal way which is often by mailing a card.

This causes me to think how grateful I am for some of the 'paper-cards' — as they are now branded — that I have gotten in the past. While I am not a collector, I have kept some very special paper cards that I have received. I've even framed some cards. One card that I have framed is from the summer after sixth grade. It is one that I received from my Great-Aunt Grace (who had eyes like Bette Davis eyes — long before the pop tune coined the phrase — but not the personality Kim Carnes  depicted in that song), my maternal grandmother's sister, who I always remembered as having been to the World's Fair (as seen below) in New York City, which even as a child, is a place where I wanted to live.

That summer had been hard. I was very overwhelmed: My father had moved away the year prior, my Neurofibromatosis was now causing bumps to appear everywhere on my body. I wanted contact lenses, because my left eye was frequently turning inward from the lack of acuity  that it had, and my eye-doctor had told my parents that contacts would help with this problem as well as help to correct my low vision. Additionally, I would be attending a new school in the fall —the junior high school — where I would be going from room to room for various classes as opposed to having everything taught in one room, and I  was nervous I would not have time between classes to arrive on time. I even thought of my possibly missing the elementary school kids despite the fact that they didn't pick me to be on their Murder Ball team because of my low depth perception causing me to be an "easy-out." At least they had seen my physical problems and the teasing me about them had subsided; now I'd have to start all over again by being with different kids.

Most of all, I was overwhelmed because I could not comfort my mother, who cried constantly over my father's leaving us. I knew I could share these thoughts with my Great-Aunt Grace, who often 'baby-sat' when my mother needed someone to take care of me. I was looking forward to seeing Grace on my birthday, but that was not to be. My dear great-aunt died unexpectedly in her sleep. She had been discovered dead, by her land-lady, after having turned blue in her bed. I still received the birthday card that  she had put in the mail prior to her fatal day. It arrived (featured below out of its frame) the day after I got the news that she had died, and it was to let me know she'd be thinking of me on "my day" as she called it. On the back of the card my Great Aunt wrote, "Will see you before long."

 

Now at my launching of my winter-card-line soirée, we agree, "These kind of treasures aren't the same as an 'E' card that's been archived in your e-mail account-folder, with the threat of  a link breaking if you want to view it again." Being snowbound and drinking wine is fueling our nostalgia as we continue to talk about  framing cards. Our attention is now on another card that I have framed is posted below:

As you can see, a car is pulling into a parking space in a crowded lot. We can infer the driver is pleased to find a place to park. I received this as a birthday card from my father, with whom I'd finally reconnected on a minimal communication level, after having lived in New York City a number of years.  My conversations with my father did not go much beyond the weather and cholesterol levels — despite my yearning for a relationship. He was a man of few words, but he sent me this card upon hearing I'd found an apartment — the living space where I am now - that I truly love. "Sometimes paper-cards can express what we cannot articulate," my friends and I conclude as the snow continues to fall and the wine warms us. My inclination to frame certain cards has led me to design cards that are suitable for framing which you may have seen in my previous posts but I'll include here for convenience.

The following are some selections from my new winter card line that we have been celebrating, and that Chris Deatherage, (my new web-designer) has added to my web-site.The first is titled Snowbound, the second is titled Hibernating, and the third is titled  Family Life In Central Park. (These are all petite fold-out cards.)

The images in the first two cards posted above are from my terrace which provides me with solace and inspiration. The third card is derived from an image taken in Central Park, a few yards a way from my apartment. Winter in New York City brings out the need to sculpt as evidenced in my image, Snow Diva in Central Park, for  the new single-sided card line (which Chris has also posted).

The front of the card is the right portion, the back of the card with the title of the image is the left hand portion. The card is blank inside and sized the same as the Petite Fold-Outs (5" by 4 and 1/4"). As you may recall  from my "day one" post, I've been inspired by the snow-sculptures constructed in Central Park after a winter storm, as evidenced by one of my very first line of note cards, Round Yon Virgin, an image of a snow sculpture of the Madonna and Child, seen near the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.

If you are interested in preserving moments in a special way with any of my note-cards, please feel free to contact me via the information on my web-site. If you see cards posted here that are not yet on my web-site,  I can make arrangements for you to purchase them. Meanwhile we are still watching the snow fall, as we look out onto my garden (it has accumulated quite a bit since we began our soirée). Although we are surrounded by snow, we are now talking about our forthcoming spring card collection. After all, just a few weeks ago, Stanten Island Chuck, the New York  City Ground Hog, saw his shadow, and despite the heavy snow fall this evening, we know spring will be here soon, so we hope you do celebrate winter with friends, sip Hot Chocolate -infused with bitters  — (We recommend del Capo ) — and reach out to those near and dear to you by sending them one of our cards. I'm two days early posting this. Perhaps it's the del Capo's influence.....