Festival of Flowers ( Part Two)

Yesterday we enjoyed the floral birdhouses and mini-vignettes that welcomed us to the Festival of Flowers in Mobile, Alabama.  Today we are ready to enter the main tent!

 As we walk in, we are met by a beautiful pool surrounded by spring plantings of tulips, hydrangeas, hyacinths, and delphinium.  Fountains shoot up out of the pool in the background.

The corners of the pool are marked by four pergolas with swings hanging from them. Around the corner, the flowers stay the same, but their color palette changes.  Boxwood makes up the back of the bed while Dusty Miller borders the front.

Over to the right is a stunning garden filled with delphinium and floxglove.

The next garden has a more tropical flavor.

The festival is held in a wide open, eight acre field behind Providence Hospital and each year I am amazed at how that space is transformed by participating nurseries and landscapers.  The pictures below are a great example of the huge size and overwhelming quantity of plants they bring in to shape their garden presentations.

Hanging from the ceiling of the main tent were these fantastic lights.  They look like giant lamp shades that were wrapped in pink and white tulle.  Airy arrangements of greenery and pale pink flowers billowed out of each "lamp".

At the far end of the tent, a structure is added that ties in with the theme of the show.  This year's theme was "Southern Roots" and the structure was the facade of a bay house, the style of architecture found along the Dog River and Mobile Bay.

In front of the bay house, free formed tree "tents" showcased one of the oldest components of the festival, Flowers of the World.  Usually, this venue displays fresh cut flowers from exotic countries around the globe, but with this year's Southern Roots theme,  many native flowers were included. Ron Barrett, who was in charge of this exhibit, said he "hopes the inclusion of some endearing southern roots - the naturally grown plants we live with every day - will rekindle a new appreciation for some of the old southern garden classics."

Surrounding the World of Flowers are the tablescapes. This venue is designed to show southern style entertaining.  

Garden Party

Dinner on the Delta

Friday Night Lights

Southern Supper Club

Lower Alabama Seafood Boil

The Camellia Ball

Brunch After the Hunt

Well, mercy, that's enough for today!  We've made our way through about half of the show.  Tomorrow we'll see birdbath designs and famous southern literature brought to life with flowers. Until then....

Love ya'll, Shelli

Festival of Flowers (Part One)

It is one of our favorite events of the year, the Festival of Flowers in Mobile, Alabama.  The festival is produce by the Providence Hospital Foundation and is in it's 22nd year. This year's theme was "Southern Roots" and included the following features:

• Landscaped gardens reflecting our Southern heritage
• Featured display by Bellingrath Gardens & Home, the South’s premier garden destination
• Floral presentations of Southern garden showplaces
• Floral interpretations of books by favorite Southern authors
• World of Flowers – blossoms from around the world
• Designer tablescapes for Southern entertaining
• Container gardens for the Southern home or patio
• Special Event: Demonstrations by Benny Campbell, one of the South’s foremost floral designers
• Seminars: Tips for growing a Southern garden
• Featured Alabama artist Stacey Howell
• Photography contest and exhibit – glimpses of our Southern treasures
• Garden Café - Enjoy a taste of the South
• Gardener’s Galleria - Southern style shopping
• Weekend Family Fun Days

I snapped pictures like crazy for you faithful readers, but will dole them out in small doses this week as the festival is so overwhelmingly impressive that it is best enjoyed a bit at at time.

We'll start with the floral birdhouses.....

The cardinals at our house would love to call this place home!

Don't miss Sylvester up in the tree.

So clever to cover the house with bird seed.

Notice the "stream" made of glass pebbles flowing down from the house.

And finally, the piece de resistance!
Wouldn't a little Carolina wren be proud to live in this!!

The birdhouses greeted you as you entered the festival.  Then you made your way through beautiful floral vignettes before reaching the main exhibition tent....

I have never seen so many irises in one place!!

Tomorrow we'll enter the main tent.....

Love ya'll,

Shelli

Recycle Your Art

Because spring is in the air and everything in the yard is bright and colorful, I decided new pillows were called for to perk up the living room!

I made the two larger pillows and found the little one at Wal Mart.

 After I made the pillows, I decided a new painting would be nice for the mantle.  I grabbed an old canvas and began smearing paint.  That's all there is to it when you use my favorite painting tool:

After spreading a taupe background thick enough to cover the painting already on the canvas, I  let it dry overnight.  The next day I added these blue stripes, again using the spackle spreader.  That's right, I just pulled the blue paint straight down.  But remember from an earlier post, you need to mix a glazing medium with your paint. (See "Instant Artist Tutorial" 11/2/14)

After the stripes were dry, I painted on my curvy lines with a brush.  These lines mimic the curve in the new orange pillows I made.

In the Fall, I may cover up this painting with a new design; letting one canvas serve my art needs for several years! Ha!!

Love ya'll,

Shelli

Rescued Plants

Speaking of Spring and daffodils......

 

My mom and I "rescued" some daffodils and jonquils from an old home that was being bulldozed to make way for a new subdivision.

 

That brings up the question, "What is the difference between a daffodil and a jonquil?"

 

Well, in her article for "Gardening Know How", Bonnie Grant explains:

What Is The Difference Between Daffodil, Jonquil And Narcissus

By Bonnie L. Grant
There are new cultivars of daffodils introduced to eager gardeners every year. Multiple colors, double petals, bigger and better or smaller and cuter; the list is endless. These are often marketed under the name Narcissus, which is the scientific name for this group of plants. Among similar looking plants, you will also find reference to jonquils. What is the difference between daffodil, jonquil and Narcissus? Some of the answer depends on the region, while the rest of the answer is divided by cultivars and scientific classification.

Narcissus Plant Info

Daffodils ^[1] all fall under the botanical name, Narcissus. Narcissus also often refers to the smaller variety of daffodils. Regionally, jonquils may be called daffodils but this is botanically incorrect.
There are 13 divisions of daffodils, or Narcissus. Each division has special classifications and specific Narcissus plant info that delineates which class each species falls into. Is jonquil a Narcissus? Yes. Daffodil bulbs are Narcissus and jonquils are Narcissus. The overall scientific name is Narcissus and covers over 13,000 hybrids of both daffodil bulbs and jonquils.

The Difference Between Daffodil, Jonquil and Narcissus

We now know that jonquils and daffodils are classed as Narcissus. Daffodil bulbs are generally barely scented while jonquils are very perfumed. When answering the question, is jonquil a Narcissus, we should consult the Daffodil Society. The two words are synonymous but do not make the jonquil a daffodil.
Jonquils are in Class 7 and 13 and have numerous yellow scented blooms with rounded foliage. It is a small group of Narcissus and confined to just the one group. Jonquils tend to grow in southern regions and USDA zones ^[2] above 8. You can also grow daffodils in these areas but jonquils are predominant and hardier in warmer regions.

Characteristics of Daffodils vs Jonquils

There are 200 species of daffodil and over 25,000 cultivars, with more arriving annually. Class 7 holds the hybrids of jonquil, while Class 13 bears the species. The major difference between daffodils vs. jonquils would be the leaves.
Jonquils have slender leaves that round on the tips while daffodils sport slim sword-tipped foliage. Jonquil stems are hollow and usually shorter than daffodil varieties. They tend to have clusters of flowers on the stems and a delicate fragrance.
In flower shape and hue, they are very similar to daffodil bulbs and most gardeners simply don’t differentiate. The length of the corolla is smaller in jonquils than daffodils. Additionally, jonquils only grow in yellow hues while daffodils may be found in white, peach, pink and a variety of other colors.
The cultivation and planting of both bulbs is the same and the presentation of a golden sea of flowers is just as pleasing no matter which species you choose.

---

Article printed from Gardening Know How: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com
URL to article: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/daffodil/daffodil-jonquil-and-narcissus.htm

Spring!!!

They have been arriving for several weeks
 and
 the preparations have begun.

 

First came the daffodils marking out the boundaries of the dance floor and dining area.

 

 

 

  

 

The pear trees hung their chandeliers high overhead.....

 

 

while the dogwoods strung  twinkle lights all around.

 

 

 

Then the camellias spread their ruffled tablecloths.......

 

 

 

and the saucer magnolia placed votive cups down the middle of each table.

 

 

The tulips, butlers and footmen, stood at the ready...

and the orchestra of birds began to play....

 

And me?

 

 I am the guest,

invited to enjoy it all!!

 

 

Spring is nature’s way of saying, "Let’s party!" 

~Robin Williams

 

 

Love ya'll,

Shelli

The Egg and I: Building the Coop (Day Five)

 

Today was the last day of our coop building project. The coop itself was finished, so today was all about the run.  The dimensions of the run are 4' x 10' x 4'.

 

 

 

We framed it out and then added the hardware cloth.  This picture gives a good view of the ramp into the coop.

 

 

Next, the shingles were added.

 

 

Then we had a finished product - one fun, funky chicken coop!! 

 

 But the best part is that it isn't just a chicken coop..... It's a chicken tractor - easily movable to anywhere in the yard!!!  I can move the chickens to shady areas in the hot part of the summer, and out into sunny areas of the yard during the cold days of winter. 

 

But the most important thing is that none of this would have been possible without my wonderful parents.  About a month ago, I sketched a coop out and gave it to my dad with a list of important components I wanted to include.  Dad took that little drawing and brought it to fruition, and it turned out exactly like I had imagined.  Mom took all my little reclaimed lumber and used it in such a way that the coop has that "instant vintage" feel that I was hoping for. 

 

Thanks so much Honey and Tom!!! 

 

Now all I have left to do is paint it.

 

Love ya'll,

Shelli

 

 "A chicken in every pot" - 1928 Republican Party campaign slogan
 " Don't have a pot to put it in" - 1928 Democratic Party response slogan

The Egg and I: Building the Coop (Day Four)

 

 

We woke up expecting rain today, but it didn't start raining until noon so we were able to get several things done.

 

 

Mom and I added more of our salvaged green trim to the coop.  We also added our curvy iron brackets below the egg box.

 

 

Dad started adding the hardware cloth (wire) to the run.

 

 

And we built the sliding door to the coop. Here you see the door closed....

 

 

and here you see it opened.

 

After the rain started around noon, we shut it down and went to see The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel at the movies.

 

Another fun day with my parents, and we should be able to finish in the morning.

 

Love ya'll,

 Shelli

 

 "Boys, I may not know much, but I know chicken poop from chicken salad.”

- Lyndon B. Johnson