My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[PlantsnobIN]

I am glad I checked in here today.  I hope your plans work out, and I think it certainly seems like you would be great at lecturing throughout the world.  I would hate to see the end of Gardens North though.  But I realize that things have changed, and everyone has to do what they feel is right for the present situation.  It has been a tramatic year for gardeners in the US with the closing of Seneca Hill & Asiatica.  I suspect many more specialty nurseries are on the verge of closing as well.  It really doesn't seem like the type of business that is easily sold, as not many people have the knowledge or determination it takes to carry on such an enterprise.  I guess I better get to your website and start an order...

[Kristl Walek]

Two days ago Alisha and I took advantage of a warm day to head out to Brier Island for the last time this season. Even though it was terrifically foggy, this added a mystical feeling to the landscape and heightened the colours of the autumn landscape. At this (non-tourist) time of the year, the ferries only run once per hour. On the first ferry we shared the ride with an ambulance---and I hoped the emergency was not too serious---because short of helicopter pick up, this is what one has to cope with when living in these really remote areas, only accessible by boat.

It's been a miserable, cold and wet fall, and the recent non-stop rain had produced serious flooding in the roads, and along the sides of the bogs. Nevertheless, we had our boots, and managed a way in to explore. The beautiful colours of the small Huckleberry, Gaylussacia dumosa, could be seen in drifts throughout the area. I was lucky to find a few remnant berries; as I had not been able to collect this earlier because of the broken toe.

Also, to my surprise, there were still hundreds of Myrica pensylvanica WITH berries, the blue colour having really intensified over the past month.

[Kristl Walek]

Walking from the bog to a slightly drier area, the fall-winter colours of many other species could be observed.

Multi-coloured Potentilla tridentata, maroon Gaultheria procumbens and beautiful red Vaccinium vitis idaea.

The cranberries (which I had come to collect, a month later than usual) actually take on blue colouring, after their fully-ripe maroon, once hit by frost. The foliage is maroon as well. I had not been able to locate the small cranberry (Vaccinium ocycoccos) earlier this season, but today, I managed to find it in the same area---the foliage still fresh and green.

A garter snake surprised us, flattening itself on a large rock--I had never seen one quite this colour before.

In the wetter areas between the boulders, were distinct clumps of Scirpus caespitosus which had turned the most gorgeous coppery and gold colours. This species apparently also grows in dry, alpine areas throughout North America, making it very horticulturally accessible.

On our return home we harvested wild apples---and these, along with a mixture of the collected cranberries (not needed for seed) turned into a yummy galette today.

[Kristl Walek]

A note about computer back-up:

If, like me, you absolutely cannot afford computer losses (huge picture files, drafts of a book you are writing. data for a web site, poetry and personal musings) do get an external hard drive (cheap these days, with plenty of space) and back up/move everything you need or treasure to the external drive.

Because a serious crash can (and usually) happens when you least expect (or can afford) it, like it did to me, very recently.

As I struggle to set up a new computer, and restore data, I keep thinking how lucky I was to have been more than a bit vigilant about my back-up activities.

[Paddy Tobin]

Another wonderful selection of plants but your cooking tops the lot.

Paddy

[Kristl Walek]

Another wonderful selection of plants but your cooking tops the lot.

Paddy, one of the many things I am researching as part of my dream to start wandering around the world in the future is that, in addition to plunking myself down for a while in a particular spot because of it's proximity to great plants, I might also have a chance to get some direct culinary experience cooking the foods of that area (local cooking classes, etc???)

And of course, then there are the nurseries, the art, music....the head starts spinning with excitement.

[Paddy Tobin]

Kristl,

Mary, here, is dropping very heavy hints about a cooking holiday in Chianti. I'm not so sure - maybe, if there are nice gardens to visit locally.

I will, of course, volunteer to taste all offerings.

Paddy

[Kristl Walek]

Kristl,

Mary, here, is dropping very heavy hints about a cooking holiday in Chianti. I'm not so sure - maybe, if there are nice gardens to visit locally.

I will, of course, volunteer to taste all offerings.

well, i second Mary's idea---and it would hardly be painful to spend time in tuscany.
if it happens, please report back, giving all (precise) details.
italy is high on my list, for the cooking (and cultural) portion of my dream.
and i must also write to Arkyana, our amazing forumnist chef in Hungary, to see if she might be willing to take on a student for a while.

[cohan]

A note about computer back-up:

If, like me, you absolutely cannot afford computer losses (huge picture files, drafts of a book you are writing. data for a web site, poetry and personal musings) do get an external hard drive (cheap these days, with plenty of space) and back up/move everything you need or treasure to the external drive.

Because a serious crash can (and usually) happens when you least expect (or can afford) it, like it did to me, very recently.

As I struggle to set up a new computer, and restore data, I keep thinking how lucky I was to have been more than a bit vigilant about my back-up activities.

that's a drag! i recommend double back-up for really crucial stuff--those external hard drives can also suddenly die!
i'm trying to put stuff on both dvd and external hard drive, (online storage is a third option) since neither is infallible..

[Kristl Walek]

i have always been one of those lucky people who see the silver lining in (most) difficult life moments as well as in catastrophe...a perpetual, silly optimist...and if that doesn't work, i know that life changes every moment, and tomorrow i will feel different (or for sure the day after  ...or the day after that...

i have not had time in the past year to read or contribute much on this forum---so what a treat to be stuck here with new hardware and software and plugs going every which way....every time my frustration levels hit a new high, i just get right back on the forum!!!!

another reason to be a member---it preserves sanity!!!!

[Kristl Walek]

A discussion of seed collecting and cleaning that started in the "Lewisia" thread is being continued here.

Cohan, in my 2008 "My Bit Of Heaven" thread, I talked a lot about seed cleaning, and showed my various techniques and implements. I am happy to demonstrate some of these again, if necessary.

But perhaps, as a general starting point, and for those of you who never read the original (published in the NARGS bulletin a few years ago), is there some way I can post here the article I then wrote on seed collecting, cleaning, etc?

Perhaps I can just cut and paste the article---is there a limit on line space here?.....Maggi?????

I realized I could convert the article into a PDF--but now the question is how do I insert it here??

[Maggi Young]

No limit on lineage, Kristl...  and to attach a pdf ( which must be under 500 KB) simply type attach=1 in square brackets and load the pdf from your pc.... it will show as the pdf name and then can be downloaded at will.

[Kristl Walek]

I can hardly believe that actually worked the first time.
Thank you Maggs.....(my affectionate nickname).
Now I should also say that this article is copyrighted,
and because some fuss was once made in NARGS about one of their published articles showing up published elsewhere, I need to clarify this.

Proudly, this was also the article for which I won the first Geoffrey Charlesworth writing award.
Because this was my actual draft copy, there may still be some typos---and of course, sadly, no pictures.


 Nargs---SEEDY PERSPECTIVES.pdf (43.05 kB - downloaded 365 times.)

[Maggi Young]

Thank you, Kristl.... I would hope NARGS will have no problem with this, which is, after all, a nice opportunity to make a little advert for them....
NARGS is the North American Rock Garden Society...it has chapters ( groups) in many places in America and Canada and their website can be found here :
http://nargs.org

You will find information about all the chapters and about joining NARGS on the website.
NARGS has a forum, modelled on our type, here : http://nargs.org/smf/

 They have a Journal, the editorship of which has just been taken over ( his first issue just published) by the former SRGC Journal Editor (and Saxifraga expert !) the ebullient Englishman, Malcolm McGregor.  
For all that North America is a huge land mass, this is not a huge society,  including its overseas members..... keen no doubt to take part in their annual Seed Exchange  ..... I think it has around 2600 members.
I commend it to you!

[cohan]

I can hardly believe that actually worked the first time.
Thank you Maggs.....(my affectionate nickname).
Now I should also say that this article is copyrighted,
and because some fuss was once made in NARGS about one of their published articles showing up published elsewhere, I need to clarify this.

Proudly, this was also the article for which I won the first Geoffrey Charlesworth writing award.
Because this was my actual draft copy, there may still be some typos---and of course, sadly, no pictures.


(Attachment Link)

thanks, kristl and maggi, looking forward to going over this; i'll go back and recheck the 2008 thread too, i remember discussion of some kinds of seed cleaning, not sure if i saw all of your 2008 thread or not..