Friday, January 30, 2009

Japanese Flowering Apricot for Winter Fragrance


Walking on a sunny, January day with my husband and greyhound, we happened upon this beautiful Japanese flowering apricot, Prunus mume.

These fast-growing small trees can reach a height and width of 15-25 feet.

Depending upon the variety and zone, the tree may begin blooming as early as December or as late as March.

Suitable for zones 6-9, there are over 300 cultivars from which to choose, ranging in color from white to soft pink to a deeper pink or red. The flowers may be either single or double and bloom for several weeks. The incredible fragrance will draw you closer to the tree, so plant one by your house or walkway for enjoyment. The summer foliage is dark green and the tree has a nice, rounded shape.

Japanese flowering apricot is deciduous and grows well in moist (not wet) soil and full sun locations.

On the downside, this tree may be short-lived. However, they are fast-growing and are often available as five foot potted trees for around $30. Since I have not tried this tree in my own garden, I cannot say whether or not the tree is deer resistant or resistant to Japanese Beetles.

The cultivar 'Peggy Clarke' is very popular here in zone 7 and can be found growing in flower gardens (especially attractive in Japanese gardens) and landscapes. Other cultivars include 'Kobai' that is pink-red and 'Fragrant Snow' for large, white flowers. Prunus mume 'Josephine' is supposed to be a hardy variety and produces soft pink blooms in February.

The popularity of Japanese flowering apricot is due, in large part, to the efforts of the late Dr. JC Raulston, who introduced this tree to our area. Combined with evergreens, Prunus mume is a wonderful, fragrant addition to a winter garden.

Story and photo by Freda Cameron

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Lots of great ideas for making the most of your space

Awhile back I posted some photos for making the most of small kitchens, and now I'm continuing that with some more general inspiration to use throughout the house. Lots of good ideas here- both big projects and little projects!

Not that many of us have extra closet space, but if you're lucky enough to have some, take off the doors and turn it into a small home office.

A cabinet nightstand will give you more storage opportunities than a table.

Use the inside of doors to store materials, I put spice racks on the inside of my cupboard doors and they're super handy.

Radiators can be huge space-wasters, install a shelf for instant surface space. I have one in my bedroom, and I couldn't be without it!

These benches have been stacked to make shelves, and they can also serve for extra seating or a coffee table in a pinch.

Drawers under the bed are a great storage solution - put them on casters for even easier storage
via Martha Stewart

If you own the space and have the budget, utilize high ceilings by creating this very cool scaffold style bookshelf
via Jac de Villiers


via James Merrell Photography


Even narrow spaces can accommodate furniture like this half-table


Get two-timing furniture that doubles as storage
via AT Casa

Even odd nooks are put to good use.

If you have major carpentry skills - or access to them, this Manhattan apartment dweller created a swiveling tv stand, which can totally flip around depending on if he/she is in the bedroom or the next room.
via Point Click Home

If you have weird angled walls (like many old apartments), find small furniture and make use of the space

Make your rooms multi-task. Keep your bookshelves for storage, and install a sliding curtain when in need of a less cluttered feel.


Use bookcases and keep your wall space by hanging art from the shelves.
via Domino


These console tables are great because they have shelves or rungs that act as storage.
via Joe Schmelzer

You can keep your crafts in the living room - just choose a storage solution that can camouflage supplies, and ties in with your decor
via Easy Living


Images via Briger and Briger

Image via Sunset Magazine

Twelve Blooming Months

On a recent winter day, the fragrance from my winter daphne carried all the way around the house. There are a few other plants that bloom in winter in my region.

If I want twelve months of bloom in my zone 7 garden, what should I plant?

For the cold of winter, flowering shrubs, trees and early bulbs can bloom with a little planning. Here are just a few of the local examples:

January
Winter Daphne
Winter Jasmine
Camellia japonica
Prunus mume

February
Cyclamen
Hellebores
Iris danfordiae
early daffodils
Crocus
Snowdrops
Mahonia

March
Flowering cherry trees
some hazels
early daffodils
Iris reticulata
Saucer magnolia


In April and May, the spring bloom season kicks into color with azaleas, dogwoods and redbuds. Early flowering perennials and more bulbs add to the show. By June, the summer plants begin to bud up and start blooming.

April
Spanish Lavender
Dianthus
Dutch iris
Azaleas
Hyacinths

May
Japanese iris
Siberian iris
Hardy geranium
Ice plant

June
Echinacea
Monarda
Southern magnolia
Verbena bonariensis
Buddleia
Roses

In the heat of the summer, the July flowers put on a really big show in my garden. The list of summer flowers is very long, especially for annuals and perennials.

Many of the plants that begin blooming in July and August are still blooming, perhaps on a second round, in September. With September, the ornamental grasses (muhlenbergia, pampas and miscanthus) begin to plume with interesting colors or form.

The fragrant, tender perennials, ginger and colocasia, bloom in my garden beginning in September and into October.

July
Agastache
Gaillardia
Crocosmia
Crape Myrtle

August
Salvia
Spirea
Hardy ageratum
Rudbeckia

September
Ginger
Helianthus
Salvia greggii
Roses
Chrysanthemum
Spider lilies



I've found October to be a very colorful month, especially with the wildflowers in the area. Within my garden, the salvia greggii and helianthus are the best performers.

The Knock Out™ Roses and Encore™ Azaleas start up another show in October that lasts through a few frosts into November.

Camellia sasanqua blooms embellish the October and November gardens in the area. Also in the area, many gardens include the camellia japonica that begins blooming in December. In my garden, the winter daphne sets buds. Depending upon the temperatures, it can bloom as early as late December and continue until February.

October
Asters
Sedum
Ginger
Verbena bonariensis
Helianthus
Salvia greggii
Salvia guaranitica


November
Knock Out™ Roses
Camellia sasanqua
Asters
Osmanthus fragrans
Chimonanthus praecox (wintersweet)

December
Camellia japonica
Witch Hazel
Hellebores

When we don't have flowers in bloom, there are evergreens, berries and interesting tree forms. Right now, my Japanese Maple and the Crape Myrtles provide interesting shapes and bark for the winter season.

While there are many plants missing from my list (especially April through October), it does brighten the gardening outlook when I think of the blooming possibilities for all twelve months of the year. It will just take additional planning to increase the number of winter flowers so that my garden is never off-season. A rather pleasant task to ponder on a winter day!

Story and photos by Freda Cameron

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

SAY IT AIN'T SO, DOMINO!!! Domino Folding

I just got word that Conde Nast's Domino is folding! This is a sad day. :( Supposedly the website is going away too. Wow, I'm still in shock...



*My favorite thing that comes in my mailbox*

This just in from NY Magazine:
UPDATE: "This decision to cease publication of the magazine and its website is driven entirely by the economy,” Condé Nast CEO Chuck Townsend says in a press release that went out just now. “Although readership and advertising response was encouraging in the early years, we have concluded that this economic market will not support our business expectations.”

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Driven By North Carolina Barbecue


Many North Carolinians love to debate the best barbecue. We have a great barbecue restaurant, Allen and Son Barbecue, right here in Chatham County. In fact, it's only a ten minute drive down the road from our house. On a pretty winter day, we wanted to take a nice, long drive through the countryside.

We drove three hours roundtrip from Chapel Hill to Lexington to eat... what else? Lexington barbecue!

The Monk family has been running the Lexington Barbecue for as long as most folks can remember.

If you drive old Interstate 85 to Lexington and can't find that big "Lexington Barbecue" sign by the highway, just stop and ask someone for directions to "Honey Monk's Barbecue" (as all the locals call it). There are many barbecue places in the area, so make sure you ask for Honey Monk's.

Knowing the popularity of Honey Monk's, we arrived late for lunch at 2:00 pm on a Monday afternoon, only to find the parking lot overflowing. The smoke billowing outside was the indicator that there would be no shortage of this North Carolina specialty, no matter how large the crowd of diners.

The line for inside seating was long, but the wait was short and we were seated in no time at all. During our brief wait, we had a few friendly conversations with other loyal customers in the line. Folks like to know where you're from and just how far you've driven for barbecue.

Everyone working at Honey Monk's wears a smile as they run back and forth between taking orders and bringing out the food. The restaurant is as efficient as can be imagined.

Immediately, we were asked about our beverage preference... sweet tea, of course. That's iced tea, southern style. The friendly wait staff came around to top off our glasses as often as necessary.

Experienced barbecue connoisseurs (like us) don't even look at the menu. We just have to decide between chopped or sliced pork.

Both my husband and I went with the sliced pork platter. It includes French fries, coleslaw (slaw) and your choice of bread. The bread of choice for me is always hushpuppies.

If you're not from the South, you probably don't know about hushpuppies. These are nice, lightly crisp, deep-fried, dropped in the oil by spoonful, delicious cornmeal batter delicacies. Just look at the upper right side of my photo of the food. That's a nice batch of hushpuppies in the little container beside the plate.

I love the slaw, too. This slaw is made with vinegar, not mayonnaise. The tangy taste is a great side dish for pork barbecue.

The French fries are crinkle cut and perfectly crisp, piled high on top of the sliced pork. There's plenty of pork hiding under there!

As with many barbecue places, the secret is often in the sauce. A half-cup portion of sauce is served alongside the plates. Served warm, it won't cool off the piping hot barbecue. A brand name hot sauce is also on the table, but the homemade barbecue sauce is really great. Don't worry; it isn't spicy like the hot sauce.

Although I couldn't finish the generous portions on my platter, I still wanted Honey Monk's famous peach cobbler. My husband ordered it with ice cream, but I prefer the cobbler served without any distractions.

When the bill arrived, it was around $20 for the two of us. We left a tip on the table for the wonderful staff and paid the bill up at the register on our way out.

Given the distance we'd traveled, we debated whether to buy a pound of barbecue to take home. We even had our cooler out in the truck, just in case. We concluded that this was probably our last meal of the day. We decided to pass on the carryout this time... we don't mind the roundtrip drive for a return visit to Lexington Barbecue.

Story and photos by Freda Cameron. Calories not included.

Gorgeous colors I wish I was brave enough to use!

Sorry this is just getting to you! My computer wasn't feeling too well, and had a little accident...*blush* But we're feeling better now. So, some of you know I'm a big fan of the all white interiors. These rooms drive a hard bargain though! They definitely add energy and freshness to the space. Have any of you been braver than me and gone with a bold or bright color in a room?

*gulp* Love this wallpaper with the gold in the next room!
via Better Homes and Gardens

ooh...like this


I think gray with yellow or light green is really classy
via Ideal Home



I should just go for it and use pink already since there's no man inhabiting with me to protest ... ;)
via Point Click Home

Monday, January 26, 2009

Monarch Butterfly Migration Documentary

Gather your friends and family to learn about the miraculous migration of the Monarch butterflies. The yearly migration can cover up to 2,000 miles and take two months.

The PBS show, NOVA, will air a special presentation on Tuesday, January 27th.

The Incredible Journey of the Monarch Butterflies is a documentary by director Nick de Pencier.

The film follows the epic migration of the Monarchs from Canada and the United States to Mexico. Monarch experts share their research findings from studying these fascinating butterflies.

In my garden, a Certified Monarch Waystation, I grow host plants as a food source for the Monarch caterpillars. Throughout my gardens, I also grow nectar plants for the butterflies.

I'd love to add a chrysalis house, like the one in the butterfly garden at the JC Raulston Arboretum (JCRA) in Raleigh. However, a simple setup with everyday materials, such as clean glass jars with ventilated lids, can be used for rearing Monarch larvae.

Many gardeners look for the eggs on the host plant, milkweed. They protect the larvae by placing the milkweed leaves and eggs in a chrysalis house. This helps to ensure that the caterpillars hatch, a chrysalis forms and the butterflies emerge unharmed.

The raising, feeding and releasing of butterflies gives you the chance to gently hold them before they fly away on their own.

Kylee, at Our Little Acre, also has a post about this documentary.

If you'd like to certify your garden as a Monarch Waystation or learn more about rearing the butterflies, please refer to the information at Monarch Watch.

Photos and story by Freda Cameron. Refer to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) show schedule for your area. NOVA airs at 8:00pm in the UNC-TV viewing area.

Bright and Beautiful - Stacey Brandford Interiors

So I discovered photographer Stacey Brandford while I was looking through the credits of Canadian House and Home. His work is consistently bright and beautiful. What really drew me in were the cheery colors!

















via Stacey Brandford