This is the first in a series of posts using color as a theme. The pink flowers include deciduous magnolia, alstroemeria, begonias, poinsettias, azaleas, hyacinths, snapdragons, hydrangeas, freesias, orchids, camellias and dogwoods….so many beautiful blooms. Enjoy the pink show!
When I made the reservations for a cruise on the Potomac to see the cherry blossoms on 3/24, the projection was for them to be near peak on that day. Then the area has some cold days that turned into a couple of weeks of colder than usual weather and the cherry blossoms were delayed. We opted to go on the tour anyway.
The day was cold and damp. Everyone stayed in the enclosed part of the boat. There was a birthday party next to us. They gave us desert parfaits to make up for the noise the little children were making; it was a nice little treat and the children actually were making happy noises making the day brighter even without the sun.
Being on the river provides a different perspective than fighting the traffic on the roads around Washington DC. The scenery slides by: Haines Point, the National War College, the capitol, the Washington Monument, the 14th Street Bridge, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, National Airport, and a flock of seagulls as we get close to our pier.
We’ll have to try it another year when the cherry blossoms are blooming.
The fronds of ferns emerge rolled up - in a tight spiral that unfurls to turn into the greenry that always seems so luxuriant on the forest floor. I saw fiddleheads in biology textbook pictures long before I saw them growing. They were on the list of plant forms to look for along with horsetails and Indian pipes; none of them were easy-to-find in the part of Texas where I grew up because of the dryness and the city landscape. I found horsetails in Oklahoma and the other two in close succession when we moved to Virginia in the early 80s. The fiddleheads have become a continuing favorite for me over the years.
The shape is appealing. Spirals are like infinity into the past or into the future. The translation of that shape into violins and other stringed instruments is a reminder of the continuing importance of plant designs into our own creations; the pleasure in that shape must be deeply etched into the human psyche.
The tight components of the frond as they unwind have a gracefulness about them too. The compactness of the fiddlehead next to the mature frond is extreme. Mother nature is full of design tutorials that are effective and beautiful. Let’s hope that human engineers can approach their challenges with the same finesse.
The slide show below is a collection of fiddleheads from conservatories (Brookside Gardens most frequently) and our local woods.
There were only a few things blooming at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum when we went a few weeks ago. The dried out blossoms of century plants and dormant ocotillos were everywhere.
The bright yellow of the Arizona poppies stood out among the more subtle colors of cactus spines and edges of agave leaves. Soon there will be many flowers in the desert but for now enjoy the slide show of the situation in March!
The gardens at Tohono Chul in Tucson are one of my favorite places. I notice something different every time I go. This time was in the early spring. The desert poppies that I posted about a few days ago were one of the few flowers already blooming. The cactus spines added some color.
But the odd saguaros were what caught my attention. My mind jumps to name them: the one on the left is ‘crying Pinocchio’ and the one on the right is ‘Gumby (with lots of extra arms).’ What do they look like to you?
Last but not least - the sculpture of the horned toad caught my attention. It is many times larger than the actual animal but quite realistic looking. I remember seeing them frequently when I was a child in Texas. 
We got the best snow of the season yesterday in our area of Maryland. It clung to the trees until the little breezes and temperature caused it to plop to the ground or trickle away. One of the early pictures of the day was of the dense oak twigs piled high with snow (to the left). It looks like a black and white abstract drawing to me.
We went out for a drive to enjoy the beauty of the snow. I liked the way the snow clung to the dry grasses from last summer with the flocked spruce in the background. It was a shot from an open window - the car simply stopped in the middle of a country road.
When we got back from the outing, we made snow ice cream: fill a large bowl with snow, add milk (I used half-and-half that I had frozen from an early time when snow was forecast but didn’t materialize), 1 cup of sugar, and flavoring (I used 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon coconut). I add red food coloring so that I can tell when everything is thoroughly mixed. With an electric mixer it only takes a few minutes to create the treat.
By the afternoon the wind and melting had revealed red maple blooms and the hyacinth bed.
This was a year that the groundhog got it wrong….we are not having an early spring. With the snow scenes so beautiful and the streets cleared easily, I could simply celebrate the beauty of the day, take photos and remember that spring will be here soon.
The desert poppies were blooming in Tucson when we were there. They are quick to respond to the early warm days of spring. The bright color of the flowers marks the springtime against the dull greens of other desert vegetation or the browns of the sand and pebbles on the ground.
There was a class of art students sketching them. It was breezy so keeping papers and materials in place was a little challenging…but all seemed to be enjoying their attempt to capture the essence of poppies in bloom. I snapped a few photographs of the poppies to commemorate the day.
Our spring weather has been a bit colder than usual; some plants are holding off their rush to spring blossoms and foliage. Others, like the hyacinth and daffodils, are blooming but a little worn looking from the cold. Usually they are more numerous and robust looking than they are this year.
The maple has appeared to be going red at the end of its branches several times….then seems to retreat back into a drab color of winter.
Surprisingly, the moss between the rain gutter and driveway seems to be fruiting more than usual.
And the cherry and plum trees are not bursting into bloom as they were this time last year. I hope the buds protect the flowers enough so that we will eventually have the blossoms that make spring extra special in this area.
The raptor presentation at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was something I had missed in an earlier visit. I was reminded of it by a volunteer holding an American kestrel near the entrance of the museum.
I snapped a few pictures of other birds on the saguaro and mesquite as we wondered around the displays waiting for the time for the presentation.
I didn’t get a picture of the raven or the red tailed hawk. The great horned owl was very photogenic before it spotted a bunny and went off in pursuit. And the prairie falcon was protogenic as well. I noticed the gear on the back in the bird when I looked at my images on a larger screen.
The Internet has a growing number of online books…and many of them are free. This is my monthly post highlighting 3 that I have enjoyed most this past month.
Featon, Edward and Sarah. Art Album of New Zealand Flora. Wellington, New Zealand. Bock & Cousins. 1889. Available in two volumes: one and two. These volumes were the first full-color art book published in New Zealand. Now the botanical art (and the text) are digitized and available on the Internet Archive. A sample clip from one of the pages is to the left.
The second item on my list this month is a magazine archive rather than a book. I found it when I was looking for resources on the web about May Theilgaard Watts (and about ‘reading the landscape’). Chicago Wilderness Magazine was published from 1997-2009 by Chicago Wilderness (a regional alliance dedicated to protecting nature and enriching life). The archive can be found here. The articles and photographs are focused on the outdoors around Chicago in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.
Toulouse, Pamela Rose. Integrating Aboriginal Teaching and Values into the Classroom. Canada. The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat and the Ontario Association of Deans of Education. 2008. Available here. This is a research monograph from Canada but broadly applicable to diverse, inclusive classrooms. Who does not want children to learn respect, love, bravery, wisdom, humility, honesty, and truth? The site includes other education/teaching ‘research into practice’ monographs as well (follow the link at the bottom of the PDF).
Living in Tucson is somewhat different than living in Maryland. As a visitor - these are the ones I noticed.
My walk around Brookside Gardens this month was brisk; it was quite cold. There was some progress toward spring since last month’s walk. More twigs have brightened in color. Sometimes - it is the growth from last year that is the most brilliantly colored.
And there are more bulbs up. The snow drops are beginning to fade.
The shelf fungus on an old stump that I check from time to time had been damaged. Pieces had been torn off. I left the pieces where they were and noticed the gill structure that is so hard to see when they are still attached to the stump.
The witch hazel that was blooming last month is still blooming - a welcome bit of color among other trees that are still winter bare.
The buds on the rhododendron are swelling. They are primed for spring.
In general the scene near the front of the conservatories was a good summary of the outdoor state of Brookside in early March: cold wilted ivy, a sprinkling of daffodils, and witch hazel.
It was a gray and cold morning when I went to the Brookside Gardens conservatory this month. The warmth and gurgling water through the lush tropical plantings was a respite from all winter thoughts. Doesn’t the little water fall and river rocks framed by green look welcoming?
The tropical food plants continue to be displayed. I noticed a very small pineapple. Notice how the skin looks very prickly at this stage; the segments flatten as the fruit expands. The star fruit, chocolate and bananas seen on previous visits were still around. A new addition that I had not noticed before was cardamom in bloom.
Many orchids were in full bloom. The orange ones at the left were growing from a hanging pot.
There were pink poinsettias tucked underneath some other plants. Were they left over from Christmas and just too pretty to jettison?
I always enjoy a walk around the conservatory - checking on plants from the last time I was there and discovering new ones.
Brookside Gardens has several amaryllis in all stages of blooming in their conservatory when I visited in early March. The large flowers are the culmination of the unfurling of tightly compacted buds. Enjoy the slide show of the various stages of that process below!
The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles I read this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.
What’s Happening to Great Lakes Ice - Compare 2010 and 2013 then watch the video of ice forming this winter
Vibrant Paint Patterns Brighten Up Urban Landscapes - Color in Beirut
The Science of Smart - Infographic.
Visual Storytelling through Intricate Paper Designs - Design in cut in paper always seem appealing to me. I probably include collections of them in my gleanings every time I find them. these are by Australian artist Emma Van Leest.
'Behind The Brands' Oxfam Report Evaluates Social, Environmental Impacts Of World's Largest Food Companies - None of them are doing very well when it comes to women, small scale farmers, farm workers, water, land, climate change, or transparency.
Education Indigenous to Place: Western Science Meets Native Reality - Article from the Alaska native Knowledge Network from 1999. The argument for integrative thinking relative to place rather than deep specialization (which has been the trend for some time in the sciences and medicine) is beautifully made in this article.
Top 25 Wild Bird Photographs of the Week #38 - My favorite is oriental dwarf kingfisher. The size and shape of the head/beak make it clear that it is a kingfisher but the colors are extraordinary. I am in awe of photograhers that capture birdlife so vividly. My most recent (and poor) attempt is at the right; at least you can tell that it is a redwing blackbird.
Namibia: The Big Empty, part 1 - A short video from National Geographic
First Confirmed Sighting Of Rare Whooping Cranes At Natchez Trace Parkway - Hurray! Maybe an effort to establish an Eastern Migratory Population of these cranes is succeeding.
Sugata Mitra: Build a School in the Cloud - TED talk
One of the assignments for the Aboriginal World Views and Education course I am taking on Coursera was to write about a meaningful place. I am posting what I wrote for the class below (after subitting it to the course's forum).
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The room that is my own is my most meaningful place. It is a place where favorite things collected over many years are enjoyed: Georgia O’Keeffe posters on the walls, a vase of 30 year old peacock feathers from my grandmother, some macramé wall hangings from my sister, windchimes from my mother-in-law, a dream catcher from my daughter, small keepsakes in the pockets of the window sheers (mismatched earrings, a cloisonné belt buckle, a tarnished metal rose from my mother, dried maple leaves, bookmarks). The large window reveals an edge of rooftop with a gutter where birds like doves and house finches come to get water and nesting material. Further way, there are maple and tulip poplars that are the edge of the forest. In the summer it is a wall of fluttering green. The winter a flock of blue jays visits almost every day. Sometimes I see deer. Last summer there was a doe with two fawns that visited regularly.
My computer is in this room - the window to the broader world. One of the two screens is usually running a slide show of collected images that I particularly like. I have a Swopper chair in front of the computer and bounce while I am thinking or reading. On a table to one side I have materials for doodling.
The meaning comes from the richness of perspective the room provides….my history through the items collected there…the outdoors through the window…the access to information out in the world via the internet…the creation of new things first through thought and then writing (journaling or this blog) or doodling. The integration of sedentary pursuits with some level of activity (the Swopper chair) over the past few years has been a positive experience from both a mental and physical perspective. It has been evolving for the past 20 years….fitting to what is happening in my life at the time. This place is one where I am alone but not too alone since it is ‘the room that is my own’ in my family home.
Early March is still winter this year but there are a few signs of spring. The hyacinths are up and their buds are showing, the tulips are just out of the ground -their leaves still spiraled and tipped with pink. The debris from last year’s lilies is protecting the tulips from the deer. The cairn is still tumbled. The buds on the maple and cherry are not quite as advanced as they were at this time last year although they are enlarging compared to last month. Only the very tips of the maple twigs are turning red so far. The aging self-fungus and moss add some welcome color among the browns of winter. The pine cones and tulip poplar shells lend texture but continue the brown theme of winter.
May Theilgaard Watts popularized the idea of ‘Reading the Landscape.’ I’m reading her book about Europe now. Of course, it easier when you are out and walking around a landscape - but a picture can be a start. What can you tell from the picture above of the Robinson Nature Center and its immediate surroundings?
It is winter.
The building must not be that old since the plants do not appear to be universally well established.
The trees are not very big but they do appear to be several different types. Can you recognize them from their bark? It may be difficult or impossible from the picture but certainly something that would be possible with closer inspection.
There are some new trees that have mesh around their trunks. Someone is trying to help a forest become re-established here. Deer must be around - perhaps over abundant.
There is lot of undergrowth and downed limbs. Have the winds blown down some branches recently? We can’t tell if there are spots or shelves of fungus on the windfall. That would be clue about how long it had been on the ground.
What is the value of a grassy yard? Why is it always in the picture of an ideal house? Do we really need grass to hold the place around the house between the street and other houses?
It has uses and advantages. Children can play there. Grass tends to have dense enough roots to hold soil firmly even if it dies back in winter.
But there are disadvantage too. Most grass needs to be mowed; depending on the type of grass and the amount of moisture, this can be a frequent chore. And to look good it needs to be fertilized and weeded. It is very easy to put more than enough fertilizer which then causes streams to receive the burst of nutrients after each rain (adding to the pollution from other sources they already carry). It is a lot of work and consequence for a grass yard.
Why aren’t more grassy areas being turned into gardens? Food prices are going up but they have not gone up enough to motivate many of us to become new gardeners. I am a small time gardener but I have big ideas. I’m not going to enlarge my garden bed this year but I am going to plant more food items than flowers like I have in previous years. And maybe I’ll get even more ambitious in 2014 and make a larger garden where the grass still grows in 2013.
Have you ever noticed how learning something new leads to learning tangential things - totally unanticipated at the beginning? It has been happening to me quite a lot lately.
One day this past week I listened to the introduction for the Aboriginal Worldviews course on Coursera and became intrigued by the indigenous worldview that values integration of knowledge more than specialization. I happened to be enjoying Reading the Landscape of Europe by May Theilgaard Watts on the same day and was intrigued by the way she combines geology, botany, zoology, history….and sees it all by careful observation of the landscape. I’d just finished the chapter on France and was so intrigued by the section on roses that I looked on the Internet Archive for the artists she had mentioned from the 1700s ….and found their works plus others. I remembered that my father planted hybrid tea roses along the driveway of our new house in the 60s (one for each member of the family) and wrote an email to him asking if he remembered their names. What a thread: indigenous world view to landscape reading to roses to family history!
It is so much easier to follow a tangential thought now than it was 20 or 30 years ago. A trip to the library or bookstore might have yielded some information back then but it took so much effort that many threads were simply dropped. And I can remember making the effort and being disappointed by the lack of information the library had on its shelves.
How is this ease of finding exactly the information desired - in seconds - impacting the way we learn? We have an enormous wealth of resources. Are we enlightened by them or overwhelmed? It is natural to be both. I willingly accept the risk of being overwhelmed as the price for finding what I want to know shortly after deciding I want it.
Today - I am celebrating the adventure of following threads for as long and as deep as I want.
Celebrating the whole of life....
Thanks for visiting my blog! Enjoy the photo picks from 2023:
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