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Six on Saturday - Texture in the Winter Garden - February 1, 2020

Six on Saturday – Texture in the Winter Garden – February 1, 2020

So foggy this morning it was after 9 when I ventured out. And I was glad I did because look what I found — the first hellebore blooms. The evergreen helebore leaves provide texture in my winter garden. The blooms are a bonus.

2. I love this crepe myrtle bark.

3. The silver maples have wonderful craggy bark with lichens and moss at the soil’s edge.

4. Contrasting textures of Hollywood juniper…

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#crepe myrtle bark #daffodil buds in February #hellebore buds #mahonia #mahonia in winter #multi evergreen textures #Silver Maple bark

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Six on Saturday - Eye Candy - January 18, 2020

Six on Saturday – Eye Candy – January 18, 2020

After unseasonably mild temperatures and some rain, today is frigid – in the twenties. I realize that is balmy compared to the places where two of my children live (Montana and Colorado), but I am staying inside and looking for some of my favorite photos from last summer to share. No commentary, just eye candy.

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That’s my Six on Saturday, a collection of six pretty photos. The…

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Six on Saturday - A Retrospective - January 11, 2020

Six on Saturday – A Retrospective – January 11, 2020

There’s not much going on in my garden this week so I thought I would look back six years for photos of this date. Enjoy.

 January 2014. We were in Key West, Florida. This photo was taken on one of my morning walks.

2. January 2015.  Key West again. Brugmansia is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. They are woody trees or shrubs, with pendulous flowers, and…

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#Angel&039;s Trumpets #geraniums inside the house #Key West Florida #Quirky Key West House #Retrospective 2019 - 2014 #sunrise on the Miles River

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Write on Wednesday - Christmas Dinner Disasters - January 7, 2020

Write on Wednesday – Christmas Dinner Disasters – January 7, 2020

My writing partner, Laura Ambler, and I met for lunch at Olive Garden yesterday. Their soup and salad combo is really good and a booth gave us privacy to discuss a new writing project.

With two produced Christmas themed plays we have a tiny wedge into a niche. So we were brainstorming about other possible Christmas play ideas. One of them involved all the kinds of family drama that can happen at…

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#Brainstorming play ideas #Laura Ambler #Mala Burt

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It was misting when I went out this morning to see what I would find in my garden. We’ve had rain again, but with warmer temperatures. Puddles in the beds and the Burt lake is back. But, really, no complaints. It could be icy rain or snow.

Nandina berries. I love the reflections in the water drops.

2. Why is a reblooming iris which didn’t rebloom last fall think now is the time?

3. Allium bulbs…

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#allium shoots #clivia #fall grasses #Nandina berries in the rain #reblooming iris buds #six-on-Saturday

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Write on Wednesday - Welcome 2020 with Gløgg - January 1, 2020

Write on Wednesday – Welcome 2020 with Gløgg – January 1, 2020

My very best wishes to one and all for a happy, prosperous and healthy New Year.

For years my parents had an annual New Year’s Day party where they served Gløgg, a Norwegian mulled wine. I didn’t continue this tradition, but my brother and sister-in-law did for many years.  Recently I found a notebook with my mother’s recipes and notations for many years of that party. This was from 1963.

For…

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#appetizers #Celebrations #Crack Pecans #entertainment #Gløgg #Mala Burt #New Year&039;s Day tradition #Sugared Pecans

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On this shortest day of the year we have winter temperatures. Ours are moderate compared to many places in the United States, but 26 degrees Fahrenheit means the ground was crunchy underfoot when I went outside this morning to see what I could find in the garden.

Before I headed outside I pulled my chicken stock bag out of the freezer and put a pot to boil on the stove. By the time I came in the house was fragrant. My mother taught me to put a little apple cider vinegar in the pot when making stock. She said it pulled the calcium out of the bones. I have no idea if that is true and suspect cider vinegar was a replacement for white wine in the stock pot of a cook who grew up on an Iowa farm. 

2. Last weekend I was in Tennessee with Laura Ambler attending opening night of our play, The Santa Diaries, at Encore Theatre Company in Mt. Juliet. This photo is us (in the middle) with the cast. This small community theater did us proud. A memorable production.

3. The window boxes are full of greens from my property. Not as full as in years past when I had bags of greens left over from a wreath workshop at the St. Michaels Woman’s Club, but it will do. The box of red ribbons is still on the shelf in the garage. I have a few days to get them in place.

4. My husband has refilled the woodpile on the deck and the level behind the shed is falling. We will have enough to get us to spring and then he will restock for 2020.

5.  A camellia is full of buds as is a rhododendron. I doubt that purple rhodo bud will make it through to spring.

  6. I rooted around in the hellebore bed but found no buds. However, at the roots of one of my old maples I found a moss garden. I think the fairies are tucked under those cozy green blankets and will emerge in the spring.

That’s my Six-on-Saturday on the Winter Solstice in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The meme was started by The Propogator, a UK gardener.  This is the link to the rules if you’d like to join in.

As we head toward Christmas, may your days be merry and bright. Happy Holidays to one and all!

#lovemygarden   #mid-atlantic garden   #Six-on-Saturday  #malaburt

      Six on Saturday – Baby, It’s Cold Outside – December 21, 2019 On this shortest day of the year we have winter temperatures. Ours are moderate compared to many places in the United States, but 26 degrees Fahrenheit means the ground was crunchy underfoot when I went outside this morning to see what I could find in the garden.

#buds on camellia and rhododendron #Encore Theatre Company #Laura Ambler #making chicken stock #Mala Burt #Mt Juliet Tennessee #Mt. Juliet #The Santa Diaries play

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Six on Saturday - First Snow - December 14, 2019

Six on Saturday – First Snow – December 14, 2019

When I went out on Wednesday morning to go to my 7am yoga class, my car was covered with snow. I’d thought I had heard it rain overnight, but it must have changed to snow at some point. The roads were just wet but the white stuff was a surprise.  Only the hard core people were at yoga that morning. The rest must have seen their cars and decided to stay home.

By the time I got out for some photos…

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#daffodils peaking through #Encore Theater Mt. Juliet TN #fall color on grasses #Sheffield mums fall foliage #The Santa Diaries

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Six on Saturday - Winter Color - November 30, 2019

Six on Saturday – Winter Color – November 30, 2019

Almost all the leaves are down from the trees, with the exception of one large maple. I’ll wait a little while and then call my garden guy who will climb on the roof and blow out the gutters. Then he’ll blow the worst of the downed leaves out from the garden beds. I don’t mind some as a winter blanket of insulation.

The leaves have fallen from the ninebark by the lattice, from the crepe myrtles…

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#Asian honeysuckle #boxwood topiary #fall color on a small maple #fall grasses #hoop sculpture #New England aster #yucca

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Six on Saturday – A Week of Gratitude – November 23, 2019

As we approach the American Thanksgiving holiday, I ma grateful that I have a garden.

I wandered my garden this morning wondering what I would find.

A birdhouse (made by my husband) hides in maple foliage that daily becomes more colorful, waiting for a Carolina wren come Spring. I am grateful that I can hear the birds in my garden and see the changing foliage.

2. I am grateful for the warm…

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#Gratitude #Mala Burt

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Six on Saturday - A Closer Look - November 16, 2019

Six on Saturday – A Closer Look – November 16, 2019

One of my neighbors in the back has a section of their yard the is behind the solid tall fence around their pool. It’s kind of a no-man’s land although they do keep it mowed. I took time away from book publishing details today and walked around looking for things to photograph when I saw a bunch of odd dark shapes back there. Occasionally some of my black plastic pots get blown into that area so…

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#amsonia hubrichtii #duck decoys #Japanese maple fall colors #red twig dogwoods #Sugar maple fall leaves

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We had a light frost last night. The coleus in the front window boxes need to be pulled out. I’ll stick evergreen trimmings in the soil for the winter. As I walked around the garden this morning I was surprised to see some confused plants.

But first I want to showcase a gift my friend, Carol M, brought me yesterday.  A spray of sorghum heads with a turkey. I put it on the lattice in the back so I could see it from the house, although I may move it to one of the older, weathered lattices where there will be more contrast. I’ll still be able to see it in that location. I had no idea sorghum heads had so many colors.

2. On to a couple of confused plants. An azalea (not one of the fall re-bloomers) has put out a couple of flowers. The leaves show an infestation of azalea lace bug. I’ll have to go on line to see if I can treat the plant now or need to wait till spring. This particular pest is epidemic in my azaleas.

3. A bud on a clematis will not survive a hard freeze. And I’m hoping to bring that pretty white geranium in for the winter. I think there are a couple of plants in that big pot so I’ll need to repot one into a container I can lift.

4.  Frozen water in the Jan Kirsch avocado is stunning with fallen leaves. Wrapping the concrete sculpture for the winter has moved to the top of the to-do list.

5. The petals have fallen from the Sheffield mums, but the remaining centers are bright yellow, providing a needed pop of color in the fall garden. The Autumn Joy sedum heads continue to darken into tones of burgundy.

  6. I need to brag a little about the large area where the raised beds were removed. I seeded, and watered and watered and watered and hoped. Fingers crossed for it being really settled in next spring.

An update on my writing life. The third book in my Caribbean romance trilogy is back from the proofer. Now I am working on finalizing titles and choosing a cover concept. Publication sometime next spring.

That’s my Six on Saturday, this week photos of my garden. The meme was started by The Propogator, a UK gardener.  This is the link to the rules if you’d like to join in.

#lovemygarden

Six on Saturday – First Frost – November 9, 2019 We had a light frost last night. The coleus in the front window boxes need to be pulled out.

#azalea lace bug #Jan Kirsch avocado with leaves #Mala Burt #Sheffield mum centers #sorghum head spray

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This morning I went into town to check on something at the St. Michaels Woman’s Club. For a number of years I co-chaired the Grounds Committee with Joanne Buritsch. We “retired” several years ago but I love seeing the things we planted filling in. I was glad I had my phone with me to take photos.

The nandina is loaded with red berries this year, a lovely contrast against the white callicarpa.

2. Oakleaf hydrangeas we planted ten years ago took a long time to get established, but are now putting on a show.

3. I am tempted to take some cuttings from these mums which come back every year. We used to cut them back but this year they are a sprawling gorgeous mess.

4. A spring and fall blooming azalea is providing a pop of color. I need to incorporate some of these in my garden which doesn’t have much color this time of year.

5.  A redbud tree (Cercis canadensis) we planted is shapely and full of seed pods. The Woman’s Club of St. Michaels clubhouse is on St. Mary’s Square which is lined with historic houses. A click on the Woman’s Club website link will take you to a photo of the redbud in bloom.

6. The camellia bushes are full of buds and Solomon Seal left over from a Green Thumb plant sale at the club house have spread.

That’s my Six on Saturday, this week photos of the grounds at the Woman’s Club of St. Michaels. The meme was started by The Propogator, a UK gardener.  This is the link to the rules if you’d like to join in.

#lovemygarden

Six on Saturday – Woman’s Club Garden – November 2, 2019 This morning I went into town to check on something at the St. Michaels Woman's Club. For a number of years I co-chaired the Grounds Committee with Joanne Buritsch.

#Fall azalea #Heavenly Bamboo #Nandina #Oakleaf hydrangea #Redbud #Redbud in the fall #solomon seal #white callicarpa #yellow mums

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Six on Saturday - Fall Colors - October 26, 2019

Six on Saturday – Fall Colors – October 26, 2019

Every year it seems I despair of the lack of fall color. And every year it comes…just later than I expected. We were in Baltimore twice this week as I had cataract surgery on my left eye and the next day a return trip for the post-op exam. The trip to Baltimore involves highways with lots of trees and in the two weeks from the first surgery we now saw lovely fall colors. And the really great news…

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#Abelia #crepe myrtle fall color #Fall color on hostas #Fall colors on azalea #Jan Kirsch avocado #Major Wheeler honeysuckle berries #New England aster #Sedum Autumn Joy #Sheffield mums #St. Michaels Community Garden

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We had rain this week — and wind. It brought down a lot of trash from the silver maples, but I am not complaining. We were desperate for moisture. More rain forecast for tomorrow, but after several months of drought some of my evergreens may not make it through the winter.

This afternoon I will pull up the cucumber that hasn’t stopped giving. I took the last bag of cukes to Sherry, who cuts my hair, and whose Serendipity Salon is next to the St. Michaels Community Garden where the steroidal cuke grew. I’m pulling up the spaghetti squash plants as well. This morning I saw a single potential squash the size of my thumbnail, but it’s too late in the season for it to mature. The plant only had male blossoms for the first six weeks. Anybody have any ideas why? Last year seeds planted at the same time in late August produced a bumper crop of a dozen good sized squash.

But first, something pretty.

Physostegia virginiana, the obedient plant, obedience or false dragonhead, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family. I thought I had pulled all of this out, but there is a small clump. It needs to be transplanted.

2. I think this is a chamomile cultivar but it doesn’t look like the button center photos I pulled up on the internet. It’s another plant someone gave me. It has small white flowers which are still blooming.

3. Despite all the watering I did, drought distressed plants now litter my garden. I suspect some will need to be replaced next spring.

4. The red twigged dogwood leaves are beginning to show some color and the twigs are turning red.

5.  Most of my large grasses were cut back a couple of weeks ago so I could divide them. I knew I would lose the seed heads, but I couldn’t wait to do that job later. One clump along the fence didn’t get cut and is showing plumage. It looks as soft as a cozy, warm sweater.

6. Seed heads on the Echinacea, a group of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family.  Commonly called coneflowers, I have not had much luck with them. This clump is now getting more sun since I took out the river birch, so I will plant some of these seeds nearby and see what happens.

That’s my Six on Saturday, photos in my garden once a week, a meme started by The Propogator, a UK gardener.  This is the link to the rules if you’d like to join in. #lovemygarden

  Six on Saturday – Blessed Rain – October 19, 2019 We had rain this week -- and wind. It brought down a lot of trash from the silver maples, but I am not complaining.

#chamomile cultivar #coneflower seed heads #decorative grass seed head #drought damaged evergreen #red twig dogwood #six-on-Saturday #The Propogator

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Six on Saturday - Still No Rain - October 12, 2019

Six on Saturday – Still No Rain – October 12, 2019

Still no rain.  We are now over two months without precipitation. Our quarterly town water bill arrived. Almost $300, but I am hoping most shrubs, etc. will survive as well as the emerging areas that I seeded when we removed the raised beds. Despite what the weather people call a “moderate” drought, there are still things to see in the garden among the desiccated foliage . Several people have…

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#Asters #Autumn Joy sedum #baby cucumber with blossom #epimedium #garlic chive blossoms #Mala Burt #red peppers shaped like bells #Sheffield mums #six-on-Saturday #St. Michaels Community Garden

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Six on Saturday - Last Rain Was August 7 - September 28, 2019

Six on Saturday – Last Rain Was August 7 – September 28, 2019

While I was in my garden this morning, my neighbor came over to ask if I needed some Joe Pye weed plants. I said yes having dug most of mine out several years ago in a fit of who knows what. And regretted it ever since. The large clump she is dividing originally came from me. I just love that.

As we were chatting, my neighbor said that the last rain we had was on August 7. She works for a…

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#dividing miscanthus grass #fall chokeberry foliage #Knock out roses #New England aster with solidago #Pink Muhly grass