Showing posts tagged Nancy J. Ondra
Chasmanthium latifolium For Nancy J. Ondra, who knows what’s in a name, and seldom gets one wrong! View high resolution

Chasmanthium latifolium

For Nancy J. Ondra, who knows what’s in a name, and seldom gets one wrong!

Dolichos lablab, syn. Lablab purpureus; Purple Hyacinth Bean Thanks to Nancy J. Ondra for the seeds! These plants are doing well at Luciano’s house in Galeazza and Maria’s place in Renazzo, so we’ll definitely have seeds for next year! View high resolution

Dolichos lablab, syn. Lablab purpureus; Purple Hyacinth Bean

Thanks to Nancy J. Ondra for the seeds! These plants are doing well at Luciano’s house in Galeazza and Maria’s place in Renazzo, so we’ll definitely have seeds for next year!

For Nancy J. Ondra, one of my favourite garden writers. View high resolution

For Nancy J. Ondra, one of my favourite garden writers.

For Nancy J. Ondra, who sent me the seeds of this “Lauren’s Grape” poppy. View high resolution

For Nancy J. Ondra, who sent me the seeds of this “Lauren’s Grape” poppy.

Iris reticulata For Nancy J. Ondra View high resolution

Iris reticulata

For Nancy J. Ondra

A blue? bloom of a Hyacinth for Nancy J. Ondra As a boring, normally law-abiding gardener, I don’t do heroin, but I have a few heroines… a fellow Pennsylvanian, Nancy J. Ondra, is one of mine. That woman can garden! and write; what a rare and fantastic combination of talents! I love her books and her blog, which recently covered “Blue Notes” - a vast array of stunning true blue and mostly not-so-true-blue flowers from her own garden. In the comments area below her photos and text you’ll find an amusing discussion…  I’m going with blue for this flower… and I remember writing a couple weeks ago that I thought the flowers would be purple from a photo on the package… hmmm. Blurple? Biola? Blavender? Nancy J. Ondra’s blog: http://hayefield.com/2012/02/18/blue-notes/ I bet some seed or plant sellers write “blue” when they know damned well the flowers will bloom a normal purple just to sell more, because true blue flowers are so rare - as for the English or garden writers (and we all know the English write more about gardens than the rest of the world combined), well, they’re just an odd lot! View high resolution

A blue? bloom of a Hyacinth for Nancy J. Ondra

As a boring, normally law-abiding gardener, I don’t do heroin, but I have a few heroines… a fellow Pennsylvanian, Nancy J. Ondra, is one of mine. That woman can garden! and write; what a rare and fantastic combination of talents! I love her books and her blog, which recently covered “Blue Notes” - a vast array of stunning true blue and mostly not-so-true-blue flowers from her own garden. In the comments area below her photos and text you’ll find an amusing discussion… 

I’m going with blue for this flower… and I remember writing a couple weeks ago that I thought the flowers would be purple from a photo on the package… hmmm. Blurple? Biola? Blavender?

Nancy J. Ondra’s blog: http://hayefield.com/2012/02/18/blue-notes/

I bet some seed or plant sellers write “blue” when they know damned well the flowers will bloom a normal purple just to sell more, because true blue flowers are so rare - as for the English or garden writers (and we all know the English write more about gardens than the rest of the world combined), well, they’re just an odd lot!

Plant Nomenclature: It’s all Greek to me!

Actually, it’s Latin, and it’s quite simple because there’s no stress with creating complicated phrases or using advanced grammar, it’s normally only two simple words at a time that never need to be declined or anything! Just a Genus and a species. Normally pronouncing the names as you would Italian gets your plant across.

How funny that for gardeners around the world two simple words can stir up excitement, memories, visions of something beautiful…

Thank you Nancy J. Ondra for seeds of Persicaria capitata, Solanum atropurpureum, Aquilegia viridiflora, and Nicotiana ‘Ondra’s Green Mix’!

For Nancy J. Ondra, garden writer and fellow plant lover from Pennsylvania. I saw this blooming in a pot in Kyoto this morning. Any idea what it might be? That purple looks impossible, I know, but I assure you it’s real! View high resolution

For Nancy J. Ondra, garden writer and fellow plant lover from Pennsylvania.

I saw this blooming in a pot in Kyoto this morning. Any idea what it might be? That purple looks impossible, I know, but I assure you it’s real!

Purple Peppers in Paradise The little fruits of this variegated hot pepper known as Capsicum annum ‘Tricolor’ probably couldn’t grow in heaven, because they are truly HOT AS HELL! I love them. Thank you Nancy J. Ondra, for sending seeds of such an exquisite plant and scorcher of a pepper! View high resolution

Purple Peppers in Paradise

The little fruits of this variegated hot pepper known as Capsicum annum ‘Tricolor’ probably couldn’t grow in heaven, because they are truly HOT AS HELL!

I love them.

Thank you Nancy J. Ondra, for sending seeds of such an exquisite plant and scorcher of a pepper!

Capsicum annuum ‘Tricolor’ Looks like flowers and little burning hot peppers are on their way! Thank you, Nan! View high resolution

Capsicum annuum ‘Tricolor’

Looks like flowers and little burning hot peppers are on their way! Thank you, Nan!

Look Alikes These are the leaves of Zea Mays ‘Tiger Cub’ - a small, ornametal corn. It looks like it won’t be growing much over 4 feet tall this year. The seeds were a gift from one of my favourite gardeners and writers, Nancy J. Ondra. View high resolution

Look Alikes

These are the leaves of Zea Mays ‘Tiger Cub’ - a small, ornametal corn. It looks like it won’t be growing much over 4 feet tall this year. The seeds were a gift from one of my favourite gardeners and writers, Nancy J. Ondra.

Light There’s a two-page section in the first Chapter of Nancy J. Ondra’s book Grasses; Versatile Partners for Uncommon Garden Design which deals with light. Not the light one might imagine in a gardening book (what grasses need what amount of light, which grasses will thrive in shade, and so on - that’s covered, too, but later). These pages are dedicated to how plants look with sunlight shining on them (frontlighting) , through them from the side (sidelighting), or from behind them (backlighting) . Add this to the list of things gardeners should keep in mind when selecting what plants to buy and where to locate them in the garden. Ever since I’ve read those pages I’ve been thinking more about light here in the Galeazza Garden and how it changes through the day. These seedheads of Lunaria annua (honesty) are backlit from this evening’s sun. The seeds are all for you, Steph!  View high resolution

Light

There’s a two-page section in the first Chapter of Nancy J. Ondra’s book Grasses; Versatile Partners for Uncommon Garden Design which deals with light. Not the light one might imagine in a gardening book (what grasses need what amount of light, which grasses will thrive in shade, and so on - that’s covered, too, but later). These pages are dedicated to how plants look with sunlight shining on them (frontlighting) , through them from the side (sidelighting), or from behind them (backlighting) . Add this to the list of things gardeners should keep in mind when selecting what plants to buy and where to locate them in the garden. Ever since I’ve read those pages I’ve been thinking more about light here in the Galeazza Garden and how it changes through the day.

These seedheads of Lunaria annua (honesty) are backlit from this evening’s sun. The seeds are all for you, Steph! 

Nicandra physaloides ‘Alba’ This great annual space filler was grown from seeds sent to the castle by Nancy J. Ondra. View high resolution

Nicandra physaloides ‘Alba’

This great annual space filler was grown from seeds sent to the castle by Nancy J. Ondra.

Cardiospermum halicacabum, “Balloon plant” or ”Love-in-a-puff”

This funky little Asian/African climber with a funny name is growing from seeds sent from a gardener friend in Pennsylvania.  Thank you Nancy J. Ondra… and thank you Angela Carr and Co. for sowing so many seeds this spring!

Swiss Chard ( Beta vulgaris var. cicla) ‘Pink Lipstick’ That might not look too good on most lips, but it sure is tasty! Thank you Nan! View high resolution

Swiss Chard ( Beta vulgaris var. cicla) ‘Pink Lipstick’

That might not look too good on most lips, but it sure is tasty!

Thank you Nan!