Garden Muse

Sue’s spectacular sunrise

cindydyer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:02:20 +0000

On our last night on the long road from San Antonio to Virginia, we spent the night with our friends, Sue and Steve, in Huntsville, AL. We arrived at Sue’s house at almost midnight and set the alarm to get up by 6:30. I really didn’t want to get out of that comfortable bed, but when I caught a glimpse of this gorgeous pink and yellow sunrise from the guest room window, I was propelled out of bed to get this shot. Who needs sleep when there are scenes to record like this?

Lake Lavon in Texas

cindydyer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:56 +0000

I shot this image of a part of Lake Lavon as we were leaving my younger sister’s home in Wylie, TX on Tuesday morning, en route from San Antonio back to Virginia. Despite recent rains, the lake is still 12 feet below normal. At its deepest, the lake is only 40-45 feet deep. The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) receives raw water supplies from Lavon Lake, Jim Chapman Lake, Lake Texoma, Lake Tawakoni, and Lake Bonham for treatment and distribution to the region served. The North Texas Municipal Water District serves hundreds of thousands of North Texans. Learn more about the effects of drought on Lake Lavon here.

Re-post: Rhymes with orange

cindydyer — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:21:15 +0000

Originally posted January 30, 2009

For several months now I’ve been trying to catalog my images better, bit by bit (there are thousands and thousands of photos). While organizing my garden photos folder I noticed that I have a plethora of orange-hued flowers so I put together this collage of all things orange-ish to brighten your winter day.

Tangerine. Coral. Day-glow orange. Push-up popsicle orange. Sunset. Pumpkin. 70s shag carpet orange (I did window display at a department store while in college and there was multi-shaded orange shag carpet in each window. Do you know how hard it is to design around that color scheme? I covered it up every chance I got—with a decorating budget of zilch, unfortunately. I asked for $5 once for a huge set of markers and my boss freaked out).

Orange peel. Safety orange. Salmon (did you know that the “l” in salmon is silent? The correct pronunciation is “sam-uhn.” Don’t believe me? Click here).

Frou-frou-big-bowed-bridesmaid-dress-apricot (yes, I had to wear one once upon a time).

Carrot. Persimmon. Vermilion. Orange-red. Rusty can orange. Burnt orange. Tomato. Panama Brown orange (the color Dad insists his old diesel VW Rabbit was—sorry, Dad, it was orange).

After a week of designing at the computer in a cold basement, pausing only to look out at winter gray skies (save for that remarkable sunset on Wednesday), I needed a jolt of color to inspire me. What better color than orange?

Repost: Photographs? Well, not technically.

cindydyer — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:45:39 +0000

Originally posted 1.28.2010 and 1.28.2011

A few years ago I dabbled in scanning flowers on my Epson flatbed scanner and got some pretty good results. The technique works best if you can cover the flower arrangement with a dark piece of fabric or black cardboard. While the original images were nice “record” shots of my flowers, I wanted to do something more with them. I ran the scanned images through some artsy Photoshop filters to give them a romantic, soft-focus glowy look. So there you have it…photographs without a camera!

Not long after I toyed with the process, I saw an exhibit of photographer Robert Creamer’s images at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. These large-scale works were amazing! He scanned all sorts of things—dead birds, flowers, fruit, bones, and more. You can read more about his Smithsonian exhibit here and see more of his work on his website here. Watch the video " target="_blank">here for a demonstration of his setup.

You are cordially invited to Garden Muse: A Botanical Portfolio

cindydyer — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:37:47 +0000

Mark your calendar! My first exhibit in umpteen years will run from Tuesday, February 28 until Sunday, April 29, 2012. The show will be on the ramp in the Horticulture Center at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia. I’ll be hanging the show on the morning of February 27 but I’m making the official start date as February 28. The show will be dismantled on the morning of April 30, so my end date is April 29.

The show reception will be held from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 15, 2012 in the Horticulture Center. Appetizers and beverages will be prepared by Barbara Kelley of Kelley Hospitality (also known as the Sneeze Guard Heiress).

Artwork will be available for purchase (both matted and framed as well as matted and ready to frame by you!).

I’ll be re-posting this announcement regularly as a reminder to mark your calendars and will include updates and additional information leading up to the big event. If you can’t join me for the reception, you have two months (that’s a lot of days!) to get over to Green Spring Gardens to see the show.

For those of you who don’t live nearby and can’t make it, I’ll be preparing an online “virtual gallery” so you can experience the show from afar, so stay tuned. Thank you to everyone for your support!

Austin sky

cindydyer — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:01:27 +0000

I know I’ve said it, but I’ll say it again (and again): Texas (at least for this cloud-crazed photographer) remains undefeated for stellar sky displays, hands down. There’s an amazing show virtually every day!

Photographed overlooking downtown Austin, 1.04.2012

Chinese Maple leaf canopy

cindydyer — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:58:20 +0000

While preparing for my March/April 2012 solo photography exhibit at Green Spring Gardens, I stumbled across this image I captured at Garvan Woodland Gardens a few years ago. I was on a road trip with my friend, Sue, and we visited her Aunt Gaye in Little Rock, AR. I’m considering this image for a 12×12 print for the show.

Mark your calendars for March-April 2012 for my exhibit!
This will be my first art exhibit since college days (way back when!), so I’m very excited. The exhibit will be in the Horticulture Center in the park. The reception isn’t until Sunday, April 15, from 1-3 p.m., but the show runs all of March and April, so if you’re in the area, that’s ample time to stop by and see the show if you live nearby or plan to be in the Washington, D.C. / Northern Virginia area during that time!

Green Spring Gardens is conveniently located off of 395, at 4603 Green Spring Road in Alexandria, VA 22312. The Horticulture Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12 – 4:30 p.m. Parking is free and the park closes at dusk.

All works will be for sale, with a portion of proceeds going to Green Spring Gardens. I also plan to have unframed and matted images available for sale during the reception. The show consists of 12×12 images, 12×18 images and 8×12 images, all matted and framed for the show. I’ll also have more than a dozen gallery wrap canvas transfer images (a very contemporary look with no framing needed!), ranging in size from 12×18 to 20×30.

The show includes a great deal of images I’ve shot at Green Spring Gardens, as well as images from Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C., Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Virginia, Brookside Gardens in Maryland, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C., McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Maryland, Garvan Woodland Gardens, Atlanta Botanical Garden, and in my own front and backyard gardens.

Stay tuned to this blog for an announcement of my show website with more details and a sneak preview of some of the images that will be featured. The website will also include ordering information if you’d like to purchase an image (whether matted/framed or matted/ready to frame) but can’t come see the show in person.

Self-portrait, Texas sky

cindydyer — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:33:29 +0000

Photograph taken near the town of Poth in Wilson County, Texas

Bowtie sky

cindydyer — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:40:42 +0000

Originally posted 3.31.2009. While preparing for my photography exhibit, I came across this photo in my archives and thought I’d share it again. This image was shot off of I-95, just a few miles from home. As my regular visitors may have noticed, I am quite fond of photographing skies. Images like this are the reason that I always carry a Nikon Coolpix with me. I can’t always carry my pro gear on my daily jaunts, but the quality I get from this point-n-shoot is great!

The Painting Years: A little paint, a little paneling

cindydyer — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:20:46 +0000

This family quote, “a little paint, a little paneling,” originated with my dad. He probably learned it from his mother, perhaps. I just did a Google search on that quote and believe it or not, the only two entries that reference it are on this blog!

On family vacations, when we would invariably pass by a dilapidated house or barn, held up with just a few boards and rusty nails, and showing sky through the roof, my dad would point at the structure and quip, “a little paint, a little paneling,” as if that was all it would take to make the hovel presentable. I still use that quote today and since we can safely assume my dad invented the phrase, I will give you permission to use it as needed. Just remember who invented it and give credit where credit is due. Or, you could make a donation through PayPal to the King of Texas each time you use it. The King says a quarter per use (he acknowledges it is a tough economy for his subjects) would be greatly appreciated. Donations would help with the upkeep of the castle (he is retired and on a fixed income, you know).

It would certainly be appropriate with this sketchy painting done in thinned-out oil paints on an 11×16 canvas. I’m not sure what I was referencing when I painted it—it could have been an exact copy of a painting or even sketched from a photograph in a magazine. I’ve always liked loosely painted subjects and that’s the style I tend to lean toward now when I do paint.

The Painting Years: Texas Bluebonnets

cindydyer — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:55:24 +0000

This tiny painting measures just 4×6″ and is an original oil painting that I did when I was about 17 years old.

A brief lesson in composition by Brian Loflin

cindydyer — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:33:08 +0000

Brian Loflin, a professional photographer living in Austin, Texas, was my boss umpteen years ago (I shant say how many lest I reveal my agedness) and is my photography mentor and lifelong friend. I met him when he was doing a fashion photo shoot for Jones & Jones, an upscale department store at La Plaza Mall in McAllen, Texas. This was one of my first jobs out of college and I was hired to do fashion illustration and write newspaper and ad copy. I was asked to assist Brian and since I had a yen for photography, I relished the chance to do so. Not long after, he offered me a full-time position, and despite the long commute, I accepted without hesitation.

I worked with Brian on myriad advertising and marketing projects and acquired so many skills in the year I was employed as both a graphic designer and photography assistant at his studio, Loflin & Associates, in Brownsville, Texas. I drove from my tiny hometown of Donna, Texas five days a week to Brownsville to work. It was approximately 60 miles each way, so that was a roughly two-hour commute, as traffic wasn’t heavy in that area. If I had to commute 60 miles in the D.C. area, it would take me well over two hours each way, I’m certain. I didn’t mind the commute (especially after my dad offered me his bright orange diesel VW Rabbit to lessen the cost).

Under Brian’s watchful eyes, I became very proficient at b&w film developing and printing, learned a lot about studio lighting for both products and people, went stark crazy learning how to spec type for brochures (this was covered wagon days, well before Jobs and Wozniak offered us Apple and desktop publishing), and accompanied him on unusual photography excursions such as the workings of an aloe vera plant from the field to the final product (fascinating!) and the christening and photo inventory of the world’s largest offshore drilling rig (exhilarating!).

In this recent posting on his natural science photography blog, he offers a brief lesson in composition. Enjoy!

http://bkloflin.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/its-snowing-somewhere/

Brian and his wife, Shirley, have published three books: Texas Cacti: A Field Guide and Grasses of the Texas Hill Country: A Field Guide, both published by Texas A&M University Press. Their latest book, Texas Wildflower Vistas and Hidden Treasures, will be hot off the press shortly. Their Grasses book recently received the Carroll Abbott Award from the Native Plant Society of Texas.

The Painting Years: Landscape with deer

cindydyer — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:38:03 +0000

This was a 24×36 oil painting that I copied from a small postcard in Lila’s “morgue file.” I don’t remember the original artist’s name. I was immediately drawn to it because of all the blues and greens. It was a monumental undertaking because of all the details and all the color mixing. I most certainly didn’t complete this one in two Saturday sessions! I was so tired of it at the end that my father tried to bribe me with money to finish the deer in the background with more details. I had completed the one on the far right and was so exhausted that I just painted brown amorphous shapes in for the others! (Maybe one day I’ll surprise him and finish it. Hmph.) He just told me that this was yet another painting that Lila advised me against attempting. Well, except for not finishing the deer, I showed her, huh?

The Painting Years: Apple harvest

cindydyer — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:20:20 +0000

Here’s one of my favorite oil paintings. I don’t recall the artist who did the original. I was probably 15 or 16 when I painted it. This is an 18×24 canvas.

The Painting Years: Birds in flight

cindydyer — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:10:56 +0000

Here’s another painting I copied while studying with Lila Prater in Weslaco, Texas. I was about 15 when I painted this 18×24 canvas.

The Painting Years: First florals

cindydyer — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:18:08 +0000

Yesterday I organized my father’s “framing shed” workshop and found some of my old oil paintings that I painted from about ages 12-17. The two paintings below are framed and hanging in the house. Discovering the unframed paintings instigated this trip down memory lane and I thought I would share some of my first paintings with you.

My parents took me to the Lila Prater Studio in Weslaco, Texas, for an interview with Lila when I was just 12 years old. I had already been drawing since elementary school and they wanted to further encourage my interest in art. Lila had a strict rule—no students under 15 years old. Classes ran from 9:00 a.m. to noon every Saturday and she discovered that most younger students don’t have the attention span nor inclination to give up a Saturday morning to paint. My dad showed her my portfolio of drawings and I remember him saying, “she’s not like other kids.” (She’s still not!)

Lila decided to make an exception and give me a spot in her Saturday morning oil painting class. I remember there were about five or six students at the time. I was the youngest at 12, the next was a young man who was about 17 or 18, and the others were in their 40s and older. I don’t remember all their names, but I remember some details of my fellow painters. One dark-haired woman, possibly in her late 40s, always dressed up for class and never spilled one drop of paint on her white-colored clothing. She wore a simple white smock/apron and never got paint on it either. I, on the other hand, occasionally used my clothing as a wipe rag (much to my mother’s chagrin).

Another woman, probably in her 50s or 60s at the time, was a retiree named Violet Treasure, who wore her silver hair in a bun perched on top of head. Hers was such an unusual name that I thought it couldn’t possibly be her real name. I did an online search but can’t find anything about her, unfortunately, but I never forgot her name. She painted on really large canvases and almost always painted female nudes. She was a supremely talented painter. I marveled at her use of color—where I tended to see skin as one tone of beige, her brush strokes infused purple, lilac, pink, green and every other hue into the figure. I would learn just how difficult this was when I attempted to copy a painting of a young Native American girl. Initially, my subject was just one shade of brown (think coloring book style) and it was just so flat and uninspiring. Under Lila’s patient guidance, my subject’s skin began to reflect all those colors that Violet used in her paintings. I never did master skin tones but I had an instant respect for Violet’s painting skills.

The young man’s last name was Somerville (or Summerville), but I don’t recall his first name. My dad, who was in Customs at the time, worked with his father, Red Somerville, who was an immigration officer at the port near Nuevo Progreso (which was a mere eight miles from where we lived in Donna, Texas). I remember how slowly he painted and how meticulous he was. He hardly uttered a word while he was in class—he was too intent on replicating works of the masters. (He would have done incredibly well as a forger!) One painting I remember him copying was The Gleaners, an oil painting by Jean-Francois Millet. I always aimed to finish a painting in one or two weekends (impatient even at that young age, I was). He, on the other hand, spent three hours painting just the hands of the wheat gleaners! I marveled at his patience and expertise. When I moved on to a new painting instructor in a different studio, he was still working on his copy of The Gleaners!

There was a pass-through from Lila’s studio to her dining and living room, where her husband, Neil Giles Prater, was bedridden with a long-term illness. I just did a search online and learned that he died at age 83 on June 10, 1977 of pneumonia.

I actually spoke with Lila sometime in the 90s and she was about 92 years old then. She was in an assisted living home and had lost her eyesight. She remembered me and some of the images I painted. I just did a search and found that one of her two daughters passed away in 2010 and the obituary indicated she was preceded in death by her parents, Lila and Neil. Further research revealed that there was a Lila V. Prater, from Weslaco, Texas, who lived to 107 and died in 2003, and I’m pretty certain she’s one and the same Lila Prater. 107 years old—amazing, isn’t it?

Lila had a huge filing cabinet that she called “the morgue,” where we could sort through and find an image to paint. As a rookie, I invariably chose images to copy that were well out of my scope, and Lila would encourage me to pick another. Sometimes she won, sometimes I did.

My first painting was a landscape, and the very next painting was the first floral piece below, done on an 11×14 canvas. When I picked the painting I wanted to copy, she said it was too soon for me to do such a detailed work. I pleaded with her, stating it was to be a gift for Mother’s Day. She relented and I faithfully replicated the work. When I was 15, I painted the second floral, a 24×36 canvas, as a present for my mother.

By copying the work of other artists, I learned myriad painting techniques and color combinations. Lila also taught me how to use the grid method to enlarge or transfer an image to a canvas. Learn more about the grid method here. For this posting, I’ve made both images the same size, although there is a huge difference between them in reality—11×14 vs. 24×36.

I studied under Lila’s direction for about five years and rarely missed a painting session. She was a wonderful teacher and gave me a great foundation in painting. When I was about 17, I began taking lessons with another instructor, Richard (last name escapes me) in Donna, Texas. His teaching method was vastly different from Lila’s—he didn’t allow us to copy anything and we had interesting exercises like using limited palettes of black and white paint only. We did a lot of still life set-ups with fruit, bowls, vases and figurines.

Re: framing—my dad would buy really beautiful but very inexpensive frames in Mexico to showcase my paintings. I remember that we would swap them out whenever I painted something new that matched the color of a particular frame!

2011: A Visual Recap

cindydyer — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:52:59 +0000

I’ve picked one photo from each month of 2011 as a way to recap the year. Now here’s to 2012—hoping it is a year of immense creativity, preparing for my first solo photography show in umpteen years, partnering with two friends in publishing ventures, staying connected to family, nurturing friendships both near and far and old and new, growing my graphic design and photography business in fresh and challenging directions, hosting soirees, communing with nature, updating my garden with quirky and photogenic new plants, hitting the road in search of adventure (and fresh photographs), getting back to my painting (fine art, not walls), shooting more photos (and not just botanical), honing my writing craft, acquiring new skills and learning something new every day.

North and south of the equator

cindydyer — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:17:19 +0000

Skipper Butterfly and Bumblebee on Buttonbush bloom, photographed at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona

cindydyer — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:15:06 +0000

Saguaro cactus photographed in Saguaro National Park, Tucson, AZ

Garden Club Craft Night, 1.8.2007

cindydyer — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:28:53 +0000

I’ve been a bit of a slacker as the Head Weed of my garden club for the past couple of years, for which I apologize profusely to my Weedettes. I came across this fun project where everyone painted garden signs on little strips of wood that Michael prepared for us. I printed out phrases that the Weedettes transferred with carbon paper and then painted with regular acrylic craft paint. Michael had pre-drilled holes at the top and bottom of each plank so that we could string them together with rusty craft wire. We enjoyed the wintertime craft nights so much that Karen suggested we switch it to a craft club instead. Other crafts we did included cement leaf casting, making topiaries, garden photography, sculpey clay jewelry, mosaic mirrors, floral acrylic painting on canvas and floral pins made from felted wool sweaters. Come to think of it, I do miss hosting these creative get-togethers. I’ll make a concerted effort to organize some events in 2012.

I prepared this collage and sent it out later that night as a recap of the event. Looks like a bunch of happy crafters, don’t they?

The sky is ablaze and all I have is Michael’s iPhone and we’re in an ugly strip mall parking lot.

cindydyer — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:14:57 +0000

Such is life…but it was such a spectacular sky that I simply had to share this image I shot last weekend. And no, the color was not enhanced in Photoshop! We thought about driving back home (just a few miles away), but after I shot this image, the sky started changing quickly and the opportunities waned. Just picture mountains and saquaro cactus silhouetted against this awesome sky. Sometimes ya gotta work with what ya have and shoot where you are.

Eye candy, batch #4

cindydyer — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:55:52 +0000

Sigh…culling through my archives, in preparation for my March/April 2012 exhibit, is making me want to photograph blooms and bugs right now.

Bumblebee on Blanket Flower

cindydyer — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:59:27 +0000

Bumblebee on Blanket Flower (Gaillardia grandiflora) ‘Oranges and Lemons’ cultivar; photographed at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA, July 26, 2009

From the archives—missed this one!

cindydyer — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:07:07 +0000

Just found this composition in my March 2011 Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden archive—this shoot was particularly successful in the number of solid images I produced, so I see why I overlooked this one. This was a tulip growing in the conservatory; variety unknown. Enjoy!

There aren’t enough hours in a day…

cindydyer — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:31:09 +0000

I was trying to open a jpg image in Photoshop and got this progress bar below. I guess I have plenty of time to make more oatmeal cookies if I felt so inclined. Why did I mention oatmeal cookies? Read about my recent adventure in the kitchen on my main blog here.

Eye candy, batch #3

cindydyer — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:20:49 +0000

Pulled from the archives of my personal refrigerator magnet poetry, and created with a garden-specific set of magnetic poetry (yes, there is such a product!), I give to you my handcrafted poem attempt #2.

in my garden
through spring and summer
flower bulb root sprout vine tendril emerge
brown earth explodes with life
struggles in the harsh noon light
blooming yellow red blue fresh
quietly full and wild and fertile
bug & bee work hard & long
and a thick green eden thrives
a blanket of peace rustles
beneath sunshine and shade above
I weed cut grow protect
then breathe relax reflect listen live
murmuring come here sacred rain
water more this labor of love
this canvas my art
soft sweet sanctuary

Eye candy, batch #2

cindydyer — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:56:43 +0000

Pulled from the archives of my personal refrigerator magnet poetry, I give to you my handcrafted attempt #1:

January snow blanket melts
cold February moon gone
March winds a memory
a luscious light envelopes
tiny crocus petals whisper spring
most delicate green grass emerges
rain sweetens the earth
bird song filters down
from the impossibly blue blue sky
warm breezes weave through
a gorgeous tapestry of color

Eye candy

cindydyer — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 04:39:11 +0000

I’ve been going through my garden photography archives from the past six years, searching for images that I might use for my first exhibit since college (the covered wagon days). I’m scheduled for a solo photographic exhibit at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA from March through April 2012. The reception will be held Sunday, April 15, from 1–3 p.m. (Yeah, I’m well aware that it also happens to be dreaded tax day—take a break, come see me, eat some appetizers, and buy something so I can recoup my investment in this show!) So mark your calendars and get your taxes done so you can come see me! Even if you can’t make the reception, remember that the show runs through all of March and April. The horticulture center is open seven days a week, 9-4:30 on weekdays/Saturday and 12-4:30 on Sunday.

There will be more details to come, but I must say that I’m really jazzed about it. Thanks to Jeff Evans for prodding me until I presented a portfolio to the show coordinator. Jeff has had a solo photography exhibit and joint exhibits with the Springfield Art Guild there. The horticulture center is really a lovely place to exhibit art and I’m honored that I’ll be having my work showcased in one of my favorite gardens. Thanks to Katie Delgado for introducing me to Green Spring Gardens more than five years ago. I had no idea such a lovely little park existed in our area. Many of my favorite botanical images were created there. And finally, thanks (in advance) for all the professional matting and framing work my father will be doing for me next month!

I’ll have matted/framed images, gallery wrap canvas images, and unframed/matted images available for purchase. A percentage of sales goes to Green Spring Gardens. My dear friend and Hearing Loss Magazine editor, Barbara Kelley, will be catering the event in her capacity as Kelley Hospitality, and I’m very excited about having her assistance with my first show since my college days. Check out Barbara’s hospitality blog here.

Below is a collage of just some of the images I’ve pulled out that are under consideration. It’s been raining for a few days here in my neck of the woods and I needed to see a good dose of color to lift my mood. Enjoy!

Sour cream ghost busting a move…

cindydyer — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:47:30 +0000

I take credit for this (unintentionally humorous) garnishing on Michael’s latest soup creation. Don’t you think the dollop of sour cream looks like a ghost doing the Saturday Night Fever dance? Trust me, it wasn’t planned—I envisioned swirls of the white stuff but my garnishing skills obviously leave a bit to be desired.

Michael made this butternut and acorn squash soup as a starter for our Thanksgiving dinner with our friend Karen down at her lakehouse. He found the recipe on allrecipes.com. Because the butternut squash he used was so large, he opted to add nearly a teaspoon of cinnamon (the recipe isn’t specific about how much) as well as a little extra onion. The recipe reviews had a common thread; many who tried it said it was way too sweet, which is why Michael opted to not add the brown sugar to his version. It was enough soup to completely fill a crock pot—and it was delicious!

And, are you sitting down? I did some cooking, too. I made my friend Barbara Kelley’s Baked Cranberry–Orange Sauce (check out her posting, the recipe, and my photography on her blog here). I do not profess to be an expert in the kitchen (by a country mile), but when I mixed the cranberries with 2 cups of sugar (really? no liquid to add?), I thought, “hmm…I’m no expert, but that just doesn’t look right without any liquid.” I cut out some of the sugar but followed the other directions that Barbara gave me. It’s obvious (to anyone but me) that the cranberries supply the liquid during the baking process. Clearly, I missed that Good Eats episode with Alton Brown. (Note to self: do not think you will ever be a contender for Chopped). I cut the sugar in half in my version because I knew I would be adding orange marmalade (which is already sickly sweet). It’s still a sweet dish and my dinner companions actually ate a good helping of it (out of pity, perhaps?) My other contribution to the day was crafting the tablescape (truly my favorite thing to do in the kitchen!).

Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 quart chicken broth
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (Michael opted out on this ingredient due to the reviews)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
ground cinnamon to taste (optional)
fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Scoop the pulp from the skins. Discard skins.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender.
In a blender or food processor, blend the squash pulp, onion, broth, brown sugar, cream cheese, pepper, and cinnamon until smooth. This may be done in several batches.
Transfer the soup to a pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with parsley (we had home-grown chives in lieu of parsley), and serve warm.

I would imagine…

cindydyer — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:41:42 +0000

that sales of SanDisk Extreme III cards will soar after this story makes its rounds. Thanks to photographer extraordinaire Chase Jarvis for posting this story on his blog below. Even if you’re not a photographer, it’s still a fascinating story!

http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2011/11/your-photo-data-is-safe-underwater/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ChaseJarvis+%28Chase+Jarvis+Blog%29

Sigh…yet another gadget on my wish list!

cindydyer — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:32:36 +0000

Thanks (yet again) to my friend, F.T., for sending me info about yet another gadget I am now drooling over. It’s the TimelapseCam 8.0 from Wingscapes, and for what it does, I think it’s a steal (and wouldn’t it make just the best Christmas present ever, hint, hint?). Can’t you just imagine how cool it would be to see the garden growing when you’re not looking? Or following what your cats do when you’re not at home?

Happy Thanksgiving

cindydyer — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:19:06 +0000

Today, we’re heading down to Lake Land’Or in central Virginia (just an hour away) to spend Thanksgiving with my friend Karen, her aunt and a friend who are visiting from Wilmington, N.C. Here are some photos of the view from Karen’s lakehouse; originally posted 11.12.2008.

Published: Anything But Ordinary: Inspiring and Unique Flowers

cindydyer — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:01:50 +0000

As a gardener and as an artist and photographer, I have long been attracted to more unusual plants—those that are showy, quirky, alien-like, and over-the-top—anything but ordinary. Any plant or flower that makes me ask,“what in the world is that?” has a place in my garden! Many of these flowers can also be used in bouquets, adding a touch of the exotic and unusual to any arrangement.

In the link below, you can read my latest column for the Bloomin’ Blog, a monthly newsletter published by the flowershopnetwork.com.

http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/unique-flowers-photos/

You can see my previous columns in the links below:

http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/got-the-blues/

http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/passion-purple-flowers/

http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/fall-garden-flowers/

Saturday sky

cindydyer — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:04:26 +0000

Missing mom

cindydyer — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:25:41 +0000

Today marks the one year anniversary of my mother’s passing. She survived Stage II ovarian cancer for 11 years. She never gave up and never turned away anything her doctors offered to get her into yet another remission, relieve her pain, and keep her with us year after year. She is the strongest woman I will ever know. I shared many stories about my remarkable mother last November in my blog post here.

I wear one of her gold rings on my right hand every day. It has five tiny diamonds set into a gold band that crosses another band. I like to think she bought it because each diamond represents the five members of our little family. I have been surprised at just how comforting it is to wear it and then in the same moment, I am made painfully aware that it is no longer gracing her hands. It is just one of many rings she wore faithfully, earning my father’s lifelong nickname for her—Diamond Lil.

Every night, I sleep on her satin pillowcase—the one she used when she had her hair styled at the beauty shop when we were younger. I talk to her late at night when I can’t sleep, which is often. I miss her fried chicken and shopping with her at outlet malls. I miss hearing her dish on the latest legal case, missing child, political happening or celebrity scoop. I miss sharing the Star tabloid from the San Antonio Sunday newspaper. I miss hearing the comforting “I worry about you, doll” as she hung up after each phone call.

When I look in the mirror, I see her smile and very fine hair. I believe I inherited her compassion. My father says I inherited her very forgiving nature. More than anything, I hope I inherited her strength.

Janie Alta McLean Dyer, 12.26.1931–11.18.2010

Goodnight, sweet garden, goodnight…

cindydyer — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:59:39 +0000

Well, sort of…I’ll still post photos of plants that I photograph in the winter months (such as the bulbs I force every year indoors), but alas, my garden has gone dormant and new flower and insect photos will become few and far between. I will be going through my botanical archives in winter to seek new treasures I may have overlooked in my initial culling process, though.

On the subject of gardening, I just began writing a regular monthly column for flowershopnetwork.com. I just completed an article entitled, “Anything but ordinary,” which will be published shortly. You can see my previous posts in the links below:

http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/got-the-blues/

http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/passion-purple-flowers/

http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/fall-garden-flowers/

If you’re interested in things other than gardening, head over to my “everything including the kitchen sink” blog. I’ve got posts on everything from travel, graphic design, art, and entertaining to fascinating people I’ve come to know. You’ll see the same gardening posts that are on this blog as well. I just thought you might want to know what I’m up to when you don’t see plant postings for days on end!

http://www.cindydyer.wordpress.com

Alas, poor Borders, I knew you.

cindydyer — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:58:38 +0000

Were you a life-long Borders groupie like me? If so, you might enjoy my farewell to the defunct store here.

Vertical beauties

cindydyer — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 02:38:17 +0000

When my friend Senthil was visiting in September (to be photographed for the cover of the upcoming November/December 2011 Hearing Loss Magazine), Michael and I dropped him off at the U.S. Capitol building so he could get some photographs. I went over to check out the sprawling vertical garden display outside the U.S. Botanic Garden, which is in view of the Capitol.

Apparently the exhibit has been in place for a couple of years and I just got to see the very end of the exhibit. I can’t find anything on the web regarding who designed it or any details on the types of plants, how-to’s, etc., but I do have some photographs to share. It was really a sight to see—and had I the room to build something like this in my own backyard garden, it would happen in a nanosecond. I shot some closeups so you can see the details. The wood frames have coco fiber “shelf baskets” held into place with wire screen. The plants are tucked either directly into the liner baskets or through holes made in the side of the baskets.

There were a lot of plants that I recognized immediately, including vegetables and ornamental plants, plus herbs such as oregano, sage and basil; various coleus plants, licorice plants, flowering annuals, sweet potato vine, ferns, ivies, catmint and catnip, just to name a few. Read more about vertical gardening here.

Michael and I saw these Woolly Pocket living planters in the gift shop at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden last week. They’re made from recycled plastic bottles and come in unlined (for outdoor use) and lined (for indoor use) versions, along with wall anchors. You can line an entire wall with these pockets (which come in a multitude of sizes and colors), fill them with a variety of plants, and achieve impressive results!

But the type of vertical gardening that makes me swoon are the “succulent gardens” shown on Flora Grubb Garden’s blog here and their main website here. Jaw-dropping beautiful pieces of living art—they remind me of landscapes as seen from the air. Flora Grubb sells the tray components to achieve these looks in your own home or on a garden wall.

Authors and gardeners Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet recently published Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces, available here. Author and garden photographer Derek Fell has written Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space, available here. And on my list of books to add to my gardening library is green thumb artist and French botanist Patrick Blanc’s tome The Vertical Garden: From Nature to the City, available here. Want to see some spectacular living walls? Visit Blanc’s website here.

Orchid

cindydyer — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:03:18 +0000

Unidentified Orchid photographed in the Conservatory at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.

White Bat Flower

cindydyer — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:54:37 +0000

I photographed this exotic White Bat Flower (Tacca integrifolia), originating from Southeast Asia, in the conservatory at the U.S. Botanic Garden. This is undoubtedly the oddest-looking flower I’ve ever photographed! A tender tropical perennial, it is actually part of the yam family (Dioscoreaceae). Learn more about this unusual plant here.

From what I’ve read, they’re a bit challenging to grow. Learn more details here.

Thread-leaf Agave

cindydyer — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:03:59 +0000

Originally from Mexico, Thread-leaf Agave (Agave filifera) is an evergreen perennial succulent. The name “filifera” means “carrying threads.” It thrives in dry and hot climates and is drought-tolerant and low maintenance. It prefers full sun to light shade and needs regular watering in summer, but must be kept dry in winter.

Tequila is made from the leaves and rope, food, soap and other products are made from the fibers and pulp (pretty industrious plant, I’d say!). Agave filifera rarely flowers, but when it does, greenish flowers bloom on a 6-foot tall spike. Some can bloom annually, while others only bloom every 30-40 years (As a gardener obsessed, I’ve developed a store of patience—contrary to what my family and friends might say!—but I doubt I’d have the patience to wait for that show!) The flowers turn maroon as they age.

Honeybee on Chrysanthemum

cindydyer — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:05:49 +0000

Photographed in the National Garden outside the U.S. Botanic Garden

Geranium Pelargonium x hortorum

cindydyer — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:29:51 +0000

I think this might be the specialty ‘Crystal Palace Gem’ Pelargonium, although it wasn’t identified at the National Garden. I was drawn to the intense orange-red flowers against yellow-chartreuse leaves.

Echeveria setosa

cindydyer — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:03:59 +0000

Echeveria setosa, a member of the Stonecrop family (Crassulaceae), is native to Mexico and is commonly known as the Mexican fire cracker or firecracker plant. It blooms from early to late April with bright red and yellow flowers. Echeverias are my favorite type of succulent and these on display in large glazed pots at the U.S. Botanic Garden are stunning! Photographed in the First Ladies’ Water Garden, part of the National Garden at the U.S. Botanic Garden

Blue Ginger

cindydyer — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:44:11 +0000

Blue Ginger (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora), photographed in the conservatory at the U.S. Botanic Garden

Monday sky

cindydyer — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:14:01 +0000

Beauty can even be found in a strip mall parking lot!

Tropical foliage

cindydyer — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:01:38 +0000

(unidentified), photographed at U.S. Botanic Garden. This shot was actually backlit, so what you’re seeing is sunlight through the leaves!

Spathoglottis ‘Golden Passion’

cindydyer — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:52:34 +0000

Spathoglottis ‘Golden Passion’, from the Orchid family, photographed in the conservatory at the U.S. Botanic Garden

Chirita ‘Walkerae’ bloom

cindydyer — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:57:19 +0000

Chirita ‘Walkerae’ bloom, photographed in the conservatory at the U.S. Botanic Garden this afternoon. Doesn’t the tubular part of the flower look like the torso and leg of a green lizard?!

Learn more about the genus Chirita from the site below by John Boggan from the Smithsonian Institute.

http://www.gesneriads.ca/genchiri.htm

Daylily(?)

cindydyer — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:13:45 +0000

I’m fairly certain this is a type of Daylily, but there wasn’t a marker at Green Spring Gardens to identify it, and my online research hasn’t yielded any clues. Any Daylily lovers out there who might know what it is?