It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Last night I hosted my annual holiday party, a friendly laid-back gathering to celebrate the shortest day of the year. We had the traditional German treats of glühwein (mulled red wine), Apfelstrudel, Stollen, and pizza and salad (!). We also enjoyed a mini bonfire in my trusty Weber grill, recovered from the roadside by a friend some years back. (You can't have actual bonfires in the city of Ann Arbor as they violate codes, but containable fires are allowed, hence the grill whose lid can be replaced at any given minute.) Many people brought fire wood and I had been saving bits and pieces of wood and greenery as well, including a rosemary plant that gave up the ghost and the leftover greenery from the evergreen centerpiece class (but not including, as it turned out, a broken wooden planter my mom had saved for me specifically to put on the fire, which I completely forgot about. Doh!).

It was a nice time although the Garden Faerie was too busy being a mingling hostess to take photos. I did however go outside this morning to capture this snowwoman (let's just say there were additional pine cones that melted off overnight in the warming temperatures):


that two enterprising young fellows (the 4- and 7-year-old children of one of the guests) created last night.

I wasn't able to make it to the tree-cutting place this year (my friend Wendy hooked me up with this do that a couple near Pinckney hosts each year on their private property. They let you cut free trees of any size and provide greens and wreath making machines as well. There's also a pot luck. In spring, there's another potluck and people plant baby trees. It's a great place!), and the trees sold on lots are mostly too big for my house, so I decided to decorate my Norfolk Island Pine as my tree this year:



She's about four feet tall in her pot now and doing really well after she sustained some fairly severe damage in a freak hail storm in June, 2006:



And, no, I don't personify all of my plants, but I feel like I know Piney personally. :)

I also bought a "mini me" pre-decorated one-foot tall Norfolk pine for my bedroom:



I got the idea of a bedroom tree from Wendy, whose birthday was yesterday as well. I have the tiny 10-light strand set on a timer so my bedroom is softly illuminated both as I wake up and fall asleep. It's very comforting and seasonal!

And finally, I'll share some photos of my favorite retro holiday knick knacks:


I just love the styrofoam snowman and smile every time I pass it.


This was hands-down the best garage sale buy all season.





Happy holidays, everyone!

Evergreen Centerpieces

I really enjoy decorating for the holidays, both indoors with an eclectic combination of German, Scandinavian, and 1950s American pieces, and outdoors with lights (though I am finding my tolerance of perpetually tangled lights and extension cords is waning as I get older!)

Both indoors and out, I enjoy decorating with greenery--in the window box on my shed, along a fence, in a pot, in baskets or bowls, and in unusual places like a mitten:



I was really bummed when I lost the partner to this mitten two years ago and kept saving the solitary wool glove in hopes of the other one turning up. I was finally about to part with the single mitten when it struck me that some greenery including blue juniper berries would set it off nicely. I tied it with some left-over ribbon to the back of a wood rocking chair that sits on my side porch.

Also something as simple as a few white pine branches dress up this little birdhouse, which is hung on a section of decorative fence at the front of my house:



I've been teaching classes on making an evergreen centerpiece for three years now and really enjoy it. Two weeks ago, I taught the class at Hidden Lake Gardens to a group of enthusiastic crafters:



Only one of them was brave enough to appear in the photo with her creation:



It's fascinating how people can pick from the same sets of "ingredients" and come up with unique creations!




Click for the photo set of everyone's finished creations.

Photo Catch-Up: Fall Walk at Hidden Lake Gardens

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way...

Yesterday evening I finished decorating my Norfolk Island Pine as my Christmas tree, and now I'm in the mood to share some photos of my holiday decor... but I'm still not caught up with posting about things that have happened earlier. Since it's my pre-New Year's resolution to start 2008 with an updated blog, let's travel together back to November 3, OK? It's not that far!

I needed to deliver 10 copies of Fun with Winter Seed Sowing to the Hidden Lake Gardens gift shop and invited my friend Pete along. We first took a little detour to a hobby shop in Tecumseh that Pete was interested in browsing in. That was amusing.

We then delivered the books and commenced to take a walk on the trails at HLG. They have three trails, the papa trail, the mama trail, and the baby trail. We decided the baby trail (really the Sassafras Trail at 0.75 miles) was too short, the papa trail (the Hiker's Trail at 3 miles) was too long, and the mama trail (the Pine Tree Trail at 1.33 miles) was just right. And it was, precisely and exactly.

Fall was unusually late in coming this year, so even in early November, there was still some nice fall color:





We also spied a deer, who eyed us with a calm confidence and allowed us to admire her for a few minutes. Unfortunately, I did not snap a good photo.

We were tired but happy on the trip home, which consisted of turning randomly north and east on back roads until I found one with which I was familiar.

Another thing I've done recently, for which I didn't take photos but which was also fun, was visiting the Rentschler Farm House in Saline (whose garden Carole and I may take on for our next master gardener project), with my friend Wendy for a Christmas open house. It was kind of ice-rainy that day but the short jaunt was no problem. Volunteers were stationed in each room, explaining items in the room and history of the house.

Another fun holiday event was the Ypsilanti Holiday Home Tour, which took place on a rainy Sunday. Carole, Amy, and I toured six residences and one museum, all decked out for the holidays. One stop was the home of former Ypsilanti major Cheryl Farmer, which was fantabulous, not least of all for the lovely natural decorations and the large and bright wrap-around sun room/greenhouse. Pout pout pout. As much as I love my home nestled by trees along two property edges, I just don't get a ton of light, not even through my large triple patio doors. Another home was the Eastern Michigan University president's house, which was built long after I graduated. Because the post is currently vacant, we were actually allowed to see the private part of the home (most of it is public space for entertaining). The place was large and very, very cream and beige, but I guess it needs to be somewhat neutral. The tours were led by students who are members of what used to be the University Ambassador's Society (UAS), of which I was a member some twenty years ago. I used to lead tours for prospective students and call them to see if they'd decided on a college and answer any questions about EMU. I also had my first job through the UAS, writing "EMU Candids," short fact sheets about successful EMU students to be sent back to their high school as a recruiting tool. (Hey! I said it was twenty years ago; we didn't have slick web pages back then.) I'm really struck by two things: 1) That I dared step outside my comfort zone and quiet and shy demeanor back then to actually do either of the first two things (If you've ever seen me present, you may be laughing at the idea of me being quiet or shy, but I really was and still sort of am, even today. In fact, I never would have entertained talking in front of a group of people before I started doing it. We can blame Kitty Zimmer for that, but that's another story entirely.) and 2) That, years later, I'm still writing the same kinds of articles for the staff newsletter in my day job.

And, finally, a thing Carole and I had planned to do, and which I was looking forward to for several months, didn't end up happening: a day trip to Chicago on megabus to see the Christkindlmarkt, a German Christmas market modeled on the market of markets in Germany, the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt. Ice storms were predicted, and did occur, on what would have been our five-hour bus trip home, and neither Carole nor I wanted to be delayed in Union Station or fret on the trip back. My mother informed me of a German Christmas market happening in Saline (the next town over), which she read about in the Nordamerikansiche Wochen-Post, on the same day, so we went to that instead. It was, as to be expected, much smaller than the one in Chicago, but it also wasn't very German. There were local artisans selling wares, and that's swell, and the booths looked like the huts in Germany, but aside from a book or two and a few sweets, nothing was from Germany. And the sausages and glühwein were entirely not so very authentic. But the event did give us the general feel of a German Christmas market and that was better than nothing!

Two years ago, Carole and I went to the Christkindl Market in Kitchener, Ontario, with Carole braving a drive in a snowstorm for part of the trip there! The market was awesome. The food was authentic and awesome. The glühwein rocked. And we met a self-proclaimed Christmas Nut, a vendor selling nice ornaments and authentic feather trees. He and his wife invited Carole and me to their home that evening, which was decorated to the tippy tippy top of the hiltiest hilt for Christmas. This was just one of many rooms:


In retrospect, I think I can also trace my recent fascination with retro Christmas decorations back to this evening, thank you very much! It's funny how something can go from tacky to classic so quickly! :) I will post photos of my retro decorations soon. Really. Double-dog pinkie swear.

And finally, I'm throwing in a gratuitous cat photo from Christmas (notice the bows) 2005, with Fiona swatting at James to keep him off her (yes, it's really mine, but never mind) heating pad. Also note the milk ring, which they always bring me as "kill." And they can really give that milk ring a run for its money, let me tell you.



There, now, that's better. Good times!

Photo Catch-Up: Ford Rouge Factory Tour

Well, if you know anything about me, you know that I'm cheap. :) So, I was quite excited to learn about the Detroit Adventure Pass, available from local libraries, which gives you free admission to local museums.

My friend Carole and I promptly toured the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, which was interesting and elegant. There were some modern rooms designed in the 1940s and the gardens were designed by Jens Jensen! The property is right on Lake St. Clair, but the grounds are laid out, with winding paths and large trees, so you come upon the lake almost surreptitiously, which is some feat. Jensen was one of the first landscape architects to use native plantings, and natural looking layouts, in his designs. I didn't have my camera with me and it was drizzling, anyway. We'll definitely go back in spring.

Carole and I also went on the Ford Rouge factory tour, which is a working assembly line as well as a museum and a multimedia experience. We watched a movie of an F-150 being made and the seats rumbled and dry ice smoke appeared, etc. Amusing. I was impressed with the video displays, which played short overviews, and signage along varying stations on the factory floor tour. You are on an elevated walkway above the factory and look down while the line is in production. I was surprised by how quiet, clean, and light the production area was, especially based on my experience in light industrial settings, where I worked a summer during college.

I was also amazed how large the factory complex is--I worked as a contractor for Ford for two years and never realized the size even then. It's like a whole little city and even has its own dock for shipped deliveries!



Of course, the coolest thing to a gardener is the green roof (primarily sedum, though I've never been successful in receiving a plant list)!





The Mallett's Creek branch of the Ann Arbor library also has a green roof, which I was able to watch being installed. Check out the article I wrote about it for the master gardener newsletter!

Photo Catch-Up: Chicago (Days 2-3)

OK, I'm just going to admit it. I'm awful about updating blogs. So now we'll travel back to late August and find ourselves at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Right? Right!

Well, it's warm for one thing, sunny, and quite humid. We've walked a long way, rode the El, and arrived, with our sun hat and backpack, to see some flowers.

There was a special exhibit at Garfield Park where an artist had created a ton of colorful sculptures, of all sizes, that were interspersed in the gardens, indoors and out. My favorite piece was probably this snake and its setting:



There was also a good sized pond with many nice aquatic plants...



And I enjoyed looking up close at random elements in the conservatory, including some roots...



and a brick...



Another day, while Julia was spending the day at her conference, I took an excursion to the Chicago Botanic Garden. I walked a bit, took the El, walked a bit, took a Metra train to the Glencoe station, and walked several more bits (and then a few more), to the gardens. It was a pleasant walk along a nice street with well-kept homes.

My first move was to take a tram ride through the gardens, partially to acquaint myself with the layout of the gardens, which are huge, and partially to sit down for a while! I learned some interesting things from the driver who gave background information on the sites we passed. At the far end of the tram ride, there is a restored prairie, where I requested to be let out. I love prairies and also wanted to get some photos for my friend Aunita who is a prairie diva/enthusiast. They had different kinds of prairie habitat such as sand, gravel hill, wet, and fen prairies.





The grounds were just gorgeous, with different kinds of gardens tucked here and there among walking paths.













There were also conservatories, of course, as well as paintings and photos on display.

The next day, a Saturday, Julia and I went to Oak Park on a walking tour of Frank Lloyd Wright houses in town...



..and non-FLW houses - I just love how the garden colors and design mesh with the house colors and design...



... and an official tour of his studio. He was truly an architectural genius, but, it seems, somewhat of an ass as a person.

Later that afternoon, we went on a boat tour that focused on historic buildings. While waiting in line, I took this photo of flowers in the city...



The tour was both relaxing and exciting--a whole different perspective on the city from the water. Much more tranquil.







We also went to some nice restaurants and to Buckingham Fountain, but we just missed the water (it's turned off at 10:00 p.m.) Walking back through Millennium Park, we did see some fireworks near the lake.

It was a fun trip, despite megabus being delayed four hours on the way back due to a series of unfortunate events. I did chat with a nice lady who lives on Grosse Ile, however.