Sunday, September 26, 2010

Early Autumn Perennials in the Jarvis House Garden

Physostegia virginiana, or the Obedient Plant,  is a tall purple perennial that is easy to grow and easy to pull out when it outgrows its space.  The plant did well, although Long Island experienced a drought this summer.
Originally I received this plant from a relative in Virginia.  It can grow as pictured in a clump, or singularly behind other plants.
Another drought tolerant plant is the Everlasting Plant or  Sedum.  This variety is a lovely lavender.  
These are the usual rose colored blooms of the taller and more common variety.
The perennial Ageratum came through well although it was droopy from lack of rain during the Summer.
The Ageratum is an easy transplant, and spreads moderately, and is one of the most reliable perennials which partners well with yellow plants such as
the Marigold.  This variety was growing the garden at my bank, last year.  I asked the manager if I could pick some the seed pods which were dried and ugly.
 I kept the seeds over the winter and planted them in potting mixture and grew seedlings this Spring.  Later I transplanted them into the boarder of the driveway garden.  This variety is compact with large super yellow blooms that flower all late Summer into late Fall.
Blooming behind the Marigolds and Ageratum is the Yellow Butterfly Bush Buddleja or Buddleia.  The hot and dry summer brought out the best in this shrub.
An old fashioned Phlox continues to send out blossoms.
The Knock Out Rose produces many new flowers if old blooms are removed.  It is an amazing shrub and well worth the care.
In the raised boarder of the large barn, the Veronica continues to flower.  I went out and purchased four more and planted them in other areas if the boarder.
The Catmint,Nepeta,  became leggy, so I trimmed it with scissors and it cam back beautifully.
The formerly blue Hydrangeas are now a bronze color.
A fuzzy grass variety is turning a sort of purple too.
 This is another unidentified late blooming shrub that I probably got on sale a few years ago.  It resembles the Butterfly bush but,
it is much smaller, and has a different bloom.
This  Pyracantha shrub did well and produced masses of orange berries which I hope the winter birds will find.
The Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria,  waves in the breeze.
 The berries on my Purple Berry Bush, or  Callicarpa, or Beauty Berry bush have turned a lovely shiny purple,
while the berries on the Pyracantha are becoming a brilliant orange.
The front door is decorated with an Autumn silk wreath and the pots support several Chrysanthemums.  I will plant these later hoping to see them next Fall, but usually they are simply treated as annuals.




Sunday, September 12, 2010

Ground Zero Memorial Day 09.11.10

Women from the Ribbon International Project visit Ground Zero on the 9-11 anniversary with their tribute.
 Michele has been the steward of this NGO project which is affiliated with the UN.
The group was inspired by its founder Justine Merritt, who in 1982 began a grass roots effort for World Peace. 
 To honor the memory of those that lost their lives and those first responders who risked their lives to save others, I created this ribbon for the 2010 day of remembrance. The panel was sewn, painted and glued.
My inspiration was an indelible photograph of the firefighters climbing up the rubble.
Ribbons are crafted using sewing, painting, embroidery, collage, and other hand crafts.  Each segment of ribbon measures a meter by one-half meter in size. 
Ribbons or ties are attached to all four ends in order to "tie" the sections together and form the "ribbon." 
According to the mission statement of the Ribbon International, "Each Ribbon segment celebrates the beauty and importance of life.  When symbolically tied together, they show we are ready to join with all humanity in protecting Earth's life."
Each panel lovingly represents this sentiment.
 For those readers who do not live on an island as most of these women do, we went in on the Long Island railroad, which means we had to go through a tunnel, 
then we took subways in order to get to and around the island of Manhattan.  Think about this.
Our day started at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza,
near the United Nations Plaza.
We arranged the Ribbon.
After a prayer for peace, the ladies tied segments of the ribbon
around their shoulders so that they could
walk down to the construction site of Ground Zero.
We did assemble on street corners with the ribbon, which passersby responded positively and respectfully.
 We walked over to the waterfront, where the Statue of Liberty could be seen in the distance.  It was another unforgettable day.
This is a picture that I took on the fifth anniversary of 9-11.  I was there during the evening when the Twin Towers of Light were lit.  The large flag on the opposite building completed the memorial image.  It was an amazing memorial.



Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Robert Moses Beach After Labor Day Weekend 2010

Robert Moses  N.Y. State Park is the best beach in the world, according to me and my friends, Robert & Elizabeth Schmid.
It looks pretty empty now that it is after Labor Day weekend.
We  bring a beautiful box of red rapsberries and a mixed bag of nuts and dried fruit, trying to be good and continue on a healthy diet.  The snack bar was open.
Children are for the most part, back in school now.
Red warning, "no swimming" flags were still up because
of the rough surf due to last week's hurricanes.
 Green, "it's ok to swim"  flags were positioned very close
to the life guard's stand.  The yellow flags indicate
that on this beach, boogie boards are permitted.
We arrived fairly early, so some of the life guard stands were not up yet,
and the swimmers were restricted to a smaller stretch of the beach.
This New York State Beach is on the south shore of Long Island,
sort of in the middle of the island.  It is named after Robert Moses .
 Robert Moses worked as an urban planner.  To some
he was a bit demanding, but he saved
vast stretches of the north shore
and south shore beaches for public use.
The waves were up today, and only the really brave,
  strong swimmers tempted the force of the undertow.
It is truly a beautiful stretch of white sandy beach,
although some of it has been eroded
by the late summer storm.  It comes back.
Just sitting there, walking on the sand, people watching,
was wonderfully relaxing.
The Piping Plovers were out skirting the waves looking
for small creatures to eat.
 A fellow enjoying salt water fishing, was casting off the beach.
Another gentleman was seriously outfitted
for metal detecting underwater.
We walked along the beach and I had to take this picture
for all who thing that you cannot find places
on Long Island where you can be very alone.
Early on a weekday this beach is only 
sprinkled with people.  You can easily walk to a spot
and be very solitary.
 
The three of us take cameras along, Elizabeth and I blog,
and Robert uses his as inspirations for his artworks.
 The beach begins to fill in with people and other life guard
stands go up while the area between the green flags increases.
The large bag was something that I brought back from my stay
in Morocco with the Schimids.  The other is a new smaller
version that Elizabeth found in a N.Y. C. street vender's stand
this year.  I asked her to look for one for me.
  Check out her blog, the World Examining Works.
 I use mine as a beach bag, and I like the extra-long straps
for slinging my" beach stuff" over my shoulder.
  The smaller one looks perfect for every day use.
A little later, some older kids were using
their Boogie Boards in the perfect surf.
The beach was getting somewhat crowded, so we pulled up
stakes and started for the parking lot. 
The metal detecting man was doing a return scan.
"Wonder if he found anything?