Troy's Botanic Studio

I used to really have a way with plants.  And I don't mean that in a good way.  Other than a single plant that somehow survived the days when I had to choose between nurturing the children or some potted greenery, I pretty much killed plants. 

Something shifted, though, about 10 years ago.  I inherited a rubber plant (tree?) from a friend departing town, and unlike our friendship, this plant has thrived.  Two re-pottings later this plant towers over me and is beautifully lush all year long. My confidence grew and I took on a spider plant, which became multiple plants as it happily threw off shoots.  I began forcing flowers during the winter and more seriously puttering around my tiny front garden.  But the day I knew I had arrived as a competent plant tender was when Lisa gave me a mostly dead fern, a type of plant that I have killed on a routine basis, and told me I could make it live.  And I did.

Last year I added an asparagus fern, also nearly dead, to my indoor garden and its beautiful  feathery fronds make me happy every time I see them.  I also dug up my parking strip (the grass between the curb and the sidewalk) and added some herbs and iris to my landscape. Yeah, I got this.  

Whether you struggle with gardening or have a natural green thumb, Botanic Studio on River Street in Troy is bound to inspire.  The space is gorgeous and tranquil and each eyeful of the shop is pleasing.  Get yourself to Troy and bring some of that peace to your home.

Immediate impressions - Champagne on the Park

 

Stunning setting.  Beautiful people. Delicious food.  Great vibe.  Rocking music. 
And a young man who made me feel like Gina Davis in Thelma and Louise.
Ah, Albany,I love you!

May Day

image: http://s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com

In Germany, where my mother comes from, May 1st is a holiday.  There are flowers and Maypole dancing and tree planting ceremonies on this day which celebrates spring's midway point. It is a sweet, sweet day, reminiscent of a more simple time. My mother, the third of fifteen children, never really celebrated her own birth on this special day, nor really on any other day. For her, May Day was just another day to be disappointed by life.

My second child was due on May 1st, 1999, his soon-to-be-Oma's 61st birthday.  I was mildly distressed by this coincidence because I certainly didn't want my child to share a birthday with someone who didn't acknowledge her own life with joy. Of course, since there was little I could do to determine Baby #2's arrival day, I just hoped for an early arrival and, when my water broke on April 29th, I knew I got lucky.   Griffin Hudson arrived exactly one day early, beautifully pink with a hearty cry and a bald head. Unfortunately, his birth was a disappointment to my mother since she had fervently wished that I would have a daughter. You know, a girl as revenge for all the trouble I had caused her during my teen years, trouble I presumably still cause as an adult. At least one of us was happy.

I remember bringing Griffin home from the hospital, driving down Hackett Avenue and noticing that in the 2 short days since Griffin joined our family, everything looked different. The tulip beds in the median had popped and the blue sky was filled with white cottony fuzz from some unknown tree. Spring had arrived with this perfect baby boy.

Although I have considered Griffin to be an old soul since his infancy, today Griffin enters the rank of teenager. It's a weird thing to know that I'm heading to the Wine Bar tonight to work rather than preparing to share a special meal with my boy, but, I know his Dad has things covered. I was fully present the afternoon he arrived 13 years ago and, on his request, we'll enjoy dinner tomorrow, May Day, at Cafe Capriccio. At least there will be someone joyfully greeting the month of May. 

Paper White Project - Week 4

We have fragrant blooms, people!!  It was seriously crazy how quickly these bulbs provided gratification, but what would you expect in a November in which the temperature exceeded the average daily high for 21 of 27 days?

Paper White Project - Week 3

Holy growth spurt!

These paper whites are growing faster than Liam - and that's saying something!  As the mom to a boy who has shot up from a size 12 to a size 20 in the last 15 months, I recognize crazy growth when I see it. and these bulbs are definitely giving that teenaged boy of mine a run for the money.  

There's still time for you to get on board the paper white train in time for Christmas - or Hanukkah for that matter.  Aren't they the same time this year?

Inspired by this post, I stopped at Hewitt's yesterday and sprang for a gigantic amaryllis bulb, which I promptly stuck in a pot of soil.  It was a bit of a splurge (sale price $11.99) but I can't wait to see the gorgeous white flowers in my boudoir.  I'll keep you posted on the progress of that project as soon as something starts happening.  From what I've read, they're a little slower to get going but the payoff should be spectacular. What a treat - fresh flowers in winter!

Paper White Project - Week 2

One week later

Watch this pot!

6 bulbs, some soil, a cool pot

I can only imagine where some of you thought this was going...

It's that time of the year, folks - get your paper whites planted and look forward to the most satisfying, least expensive holiday decoration ever.  Last week, on my way home from skiing, I picked up 6 bulbs at Hewitt's, total cost: $7.62.  I popped the bulbs into a pot of soil this morning and expect to see beautiful flowers in about 6 weeks.  Not to get all Martha Stewart-y on you all, but, this is a perfect hostess gift for holiday parties. 

a specimen from last year

I will try to remember to give you weekly updates so you, too, can witness the miracle of life and all that.  Trust me, a watched pot never provided so much beautiful entertainment.

Champagne (and pork belly!) on the Park

pork belly - not everything needs tulips to be beautiful!


Last Thursday was the annual Lark Street BID fundraiser, Champagne on the Park.  Of all the Tulip Fest weekend events, this one is my favorite. Tulips, champagne, food, smartly dressed people...what's not to like?  The weather mostly cooperated and I took a ton of pictures, 30 of which were featured in a "Seen" Gallery on the Times-Union website.  The flowerbeds were spectacular this year and it seemed to me that they were even more creatively laid out with  great color combinations and precise patterns than in past years.  Beautiful!  I didn't eat nearly as much as I would have liked because I was too busy chatting with friends, both old and new, but I did get to try  Jason Baker's Pork Belly, as well as the cake that Debbie Klauber baked.  No coincidence that both, of course, went perfectly with champagne. Being a social butterfly also meant  I  didn't overindulge with champagne, a fact I was most appreciative of come Friday morning.    I've had the good fortune to attend this event for the past three years and must admit that this year was my favorite year ever - it definitely must have been the company.  I am  a lucky girl.  

orange and purple?  yes, yes!

   

the design of this bed was beautiful, but debatable.  a regular rorschac test!



Thank you, Mother Nature

I know, I know, the weather has been crap. Too much rain, not enough sunshine, flooding, wet basements, lawns and gardens too saturated to permit you to get your hands anything but muddy. I get it. Despite Mother Nature taking a piss on all of us here in the Northeast, I would like to take a moment to thank her for her recent display of thoughtfulness. As with most things, this relates to an experience I had in childhood which forever changed my perception of the transition from early spring to late spring. Let me tell you about the incident that caused me to become completely captivated by an annual rite of spring...

When I was in elementary school, perhaps second or third grade, I remember spending my Easter break (yep, that's what we called it then) with family friends in New York City. They lived in a complex of low, brick buildings arranged around a central courtyard. There weren't many trees, but I have a vague recollection of there being spring flowers in bloom in designated areas of the communal property. The week that I spent in the city was behavior alternating in numerous ways. I was forced to abandon my thumb-sucking ways after my thumb was repeatedly basted with copious amounts of some wretched tasting liquid. On the positive side, Barbara was a phenomenal cook and I'm sure my palate was expanded to include items much more desirable than the more than likely dirty thumb of my left hand. The biggest change, however, didn't come until the return drive back "upstate" to Greenwood Lake. As the car headed further north, I noticed a big change since just 7 days previous...something was very different. The branches of the trees had gone from wearing a suggestive hint of red to a now brilliant green. There were leaves on the trees and everything looked different. And I was pissed to have missed the transition.

Since then, I have tried to always be home in the Hudson Valley during the springtime. Because if you blink, you just might miss it. So, this public thanks to Mother Nature is for her indulgence of my recent trip west. I was concerned that I would miss the unfurling of the first leaves of the season, but, due to the lack of sun and the excess of rain, I was able to witness the busting out of Mother Nature's summer wardrobe. Now, if we could all only get a chance to do the same...

Magical time

I think I've got a pretty solid relationship with time.  I respect it, try not to waste it and appreciate the power it can wield over situations which may initially appear unchangeable.  Although it may sometimes deservedly own its spot on a list of four-letter words, generally speaking, me and time are good.  There are occasions when it moves at a rate of speed that may seem too fast or too slow, but, like many other uncontrollable elements of our proscribed lives, I find it best to accept it and do my best to work within its parameters. (Despite my being pissed off twice a year when we manipulate the clocks as we did this morning.)

If you're under the impression that time moves too slowly as the greyness of March creeps along like a melting glacier, let me give you a photographic example of what a difference a mere week makes.  

last week, trees encased in ice

today, my little patch of earth coming alive

It's been a long autumn/winter with lots of snow, both literal and figurative, swirling around in my life.  I entered the season most typically related to hibernation and, instead of slowing down and becoming dormant, I opted to renew my commitment to having a life well lived.  I realized yesterday that I've made it to the city at least once each month since October - a real feat for me, one that I swear soothes my soul while stimulating my brain, every single time.  Not to be a bummer, but I need to have another little piece of something removed from my neck later this month.  I am convinced that this will be the last time this will be necessary because after months of turmoil, and years of repressing the struggle between my heart and my head, I feel like my internal compass is in accord with the direction I am facing - forward.  The procedure is scheduled for the last day of March, which makes me happy.  I can turn the page on the calendar, confident that time has worked its magic, and am incredibly excited about what the future offers.  Don't go anywhere - there are definitely more tricks up my sleeve!

Flowers in the Museum - not in the attic.

How about that Steven Tyler? I have to admit, he has made watching American Idol fun all over again with his crazy exclamations and genuine respect for the contestants. But, this posting isn't about AI - it is about the annual NYS Museum Flower I attended last weekend, like I attend this event every single year. The organizers really know what they're doing by planning this display of gorgeousness at a time of the year not known for much local natural beauty. My favorite part of this show, aside from the recipient of the proceeds (the after school program hosted by the museum), is the clever way the flower designers take cues from the installations, both permanent and temporary. My favorite year for this show was when it coincided with a quilt show - amazing combinations of riotous colors and patterns were present that particular year, believe me. Overall, I enjoyed the show, as always, although I did miss seeing pieces by Renaissance, a florist which generally has a pretty large presence at this event. Anyone else go this year? Maybe I just missed David Schmidt's work somehow? A gloomy day like today is the perfect time to feast your eyes on the slideshow of pictures I took. At least that's how I'm trying to justify the delay in posting the pictures - see I wasn't unmotivated, I was saving them for you!

NYS Museum Flower Show

bulbs (hope) for springtime

On a gorgeous day like today, it is hard to imagine that winter with his annual dose of cold and precipitation, is hiding out right around the corner.  And, although Old Man Winter may have a few tricks up his sleeve, Mother Nature and I have a couple of illusions of our own -  don't you doubt it.  In honor of changing seasons and good things always being in the future, I offer you a simple reminder.