Black Cat Pottery 2014 Calendar of Events

Saturday, April 26, 2014, 10:00am-12:00n:  Clematis Pruning Workshop Long perceived as “difficult” or “temperamental”, Clematis are actually proven performers that can give years of gardening delight. Join us for a hands-on workshop to learn about the care and culture of these garden gems and specific pruning techniques and concerns for various species and hybrids. Bring your favorite (by-pass) pruners and a chair. $10 pre-paid/nonrefundable registration includes one hour of instruction, an hour of supervised hands-on experience, refreshments and a comprehensive hand-out. Pre-enrollment required, including your name and contact information in case of inclement weather. Limited enrollment. Two hours of education for Master Gardeners. Register at www.blackcatpottery.com.

May 31 and August 16, 2014 (Saturday), 10:00am-2:00pm: Annual Spring/Summer Garden Tours. Cheryl's life-long love of Clematis and her more recent obsession with native plants are both immediately apparent as you arrive at her garden. Designed as a teaching and learning space, her garden includes numerous Clematis, representing over 10 species as well as large-flowering hybrids, and over 200 species of native plants, ranging from Spring ephemerals to trees, shrubs and vines. Take advantage of this opportunity to become acquainted with some of the lesser-known small-flowering species Clematis varieties and the beauties of our native flora. Cheryl's garden was featured in the July 2009 issue of Michigan Gardener, a publication for which she also writes about Clematis and native plant topics. We will feature at least one hands-on workshop (pre-paid registration required), prints and notecards by Notable Greetings, hypertufa garden furnishings by Farmbrook Designs, Black Cat Pottery’s garden-inspired pottery and other locally-sourced creative products. We also feature a limited selection of seasonally-appropriate native plants and a butterfly release at the Summer Tour. Qualifies for Master Gardener Educational Hours. No fee or pre-registration required for the tour.

December 13, 2014 (Saturday), 10:00am-4:00pm. Join Cheryl English’s Black Cat Pottery and other Michigan artists for a day of holiday cheer. Meet the artists, enjoy holiday goodies and take care of your last-minute gift needs with handmade art for the home and garden! In addition to our garden-inspired pottery creations, we’ll be sharing our studio space with Don Schulte of Notable Greetings with his line of exquisite note cards and prints; Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs with his beautiful hypertufa lanterns, fountains, planters and other garden accoutrements; Glenda Hopp of So Many Colors with her one-of-a-kind hand-dyed cotton wearables; and Shelley Rothenbuhler, all made right here in Michigan! Locally made refreshments and musical accompaniment, as well as a book signing by a local author, round out the day.  Join us for some holiday cheer, get to know the artists and take care of your last minute gift-giving needs!  Bring a friend and spread the word!

Other Activities  Schedule an activity for your group or organization!

Pottery Workshops. Choose from a variety of projects for two (Original, Fancy or Deluxe Sunflower; Wall Pocket; Leaf Pocket; Applied Leaf Bowl; Leaves; Lace Bowls) or three (Hanging Bird Bowl) sessions. (Other workshop projects are available upon request.) 

Hypertufa Planter Workshop. Under the guidance of artist Chris Hopp, owner of Farmbrook Designs, make your very own unique hypertufa planter. (Advanced classes are available upon request.)

Botanical Monoprint Workshop. With the help of artist/educator Christine Laikind, make your very own unique botanical monoprint using material from the garden.

Botanical Cyanoprint Scarf or Notecards Workshop. Make your very own unique printed notecards or scarf with the assistance of artist/educator Christine Laikind, using special materials and the sun’s light.

Call or e-mail Cheryl English for additional information

or to book a private garden tour and presentation

or other activity for your group!

All events at 3903 Grayton St., Detroit, MI 48224-4003

Contact:  (o) (313) 885-3385/(m) (313) 690-3385

(e) cenglish@blackcatpottery.com

Check our website at www.blackcatpottery.com

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BlackCatPottery

Visit our Etsy Shop at www.etsy.com/shop/TheBlackCatPottery

2013 Annual Spring Garden Tour

Saturday, June 1, 2013, 10:00am-2:00pm

Free and open to the public!

The Gardens. Cheryl's life-long love of Clematis and more recent obsession with native plants are both immediately apparent as you arrive at the property.  Designed as an educational space rather than a design show-stopper, the gardens include dozens of Clematis, representing over 10 species as well as large-flowering hybrids, and over 200 species of native plants, ranging from Spring ephemerals to large trees - all nestled in a typical 40x120 urban lot in the heart of the Motor City.  Become acquainted with some of the lesser-known small-flowering species Clematis varieties and the beauties of our native flora, as well as cost-effective sustainable gardening strategies.

Cheryl's garden was featured in the July 2009 issue of Michigan Gardener and she penned the first article on native plants to appear in that publication, in May 2012, as well as her most recent article on Clematis which appeared in that publication's April 2013 issue. She has another article on natives slated for 2014.

Everything Else.  We also feature local garden art, live music and refreshments, as well as two hands-on workshops. Last year's Hypertufa Planter Workshop, led by Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs, was a huge success, so we'll be offering it again. Guests will also have the opportunity to work with local artist Christine Laikind to create a unique botanical monoprint using materials from the gardens. (There is a charge for the workshops. The rest of the event is free and open to the public.)

The 2012 Summer Garden Tour was a great party, with over 100 folks enjoying the gardens, art and entertainment - we hope you can join us to make this event even more fun and exciting.

All events are at 3903 Grayton St., Detroit, MI 48224. Contact Cheryl at cenglish@blackcatpottery.com for additional information about the workshops. Register online using the buttons to the left.

2012: The Year in Review

It seemed to me a good thing to recap the events of the last 366 days - a lot has happened and I have many people to thank. I know I'll miss some of you; if I have, my apologies - I know there are folks out there who have helped me in ways of which I'm completely unaware but I am nonetheless grateful for all you've done to help make 2012 a successful year for Black Cat Pottery.

Our events this year started out slowly (it's never helpful when we have mizzly, drizzly weather for our Clematis Pruning Workshop in April) but we had outstanding turnouts for our Summer Garden Tour - 150 people! - and our Holiday Open House. Friends Theresa Dearhamer, Sharon Bass and Catherine Dumke-Derbyshire lent essential assistance in making these events the success they were, as well as the other participating artists - Chris Hopp, Don Schulte, Tim Hanks, Glenda Hopp, Karen Hooper and Bob McGowan.

I decided pretty early in the year to start focusing more on getting my work into galleries and shops throughout the state of Michigan, with an eye to growing the wholesale/consignment side of my business. I took a lot of road trips - often with my friend Theresa Dearhamer (during a recent break to take in the Barbra Streisand/Seth Rogan flick The Guilt Trip, we concurred that the two of us would not make it through an eight-day cross-country odyssey). We made two trips through the center of the state up to the Leelanau Peninsula and then up into the Upper Peninsula, as far north as Copper Harbor. (I believe that's as far north as you can go and still be on land in Michigan, except for Isle Royale.) I also took several trips on my own, including points west and east of Detroit. As a result of these efforts, I was able to add 14 new accounts.

As I've said, I've had a lot of help doing this. Many friends have been instrumental in recommending galleries to me or recommending me to galleries, including (but not limited to and in no particular order) Andrew Lathrup, Renate Favour, Melanie Boyle, Janine Bauchat, Joyce Diemond-Mcgowan Janicki, Chris Hopp and Chelsea Martin, Blue Dingman, Cleve Hayes, Glenda Hopp, Karen Hooper, Jackie McMahon, Trish Hacker-Henig, Lambro Niforos, Julie and Bob Peterson, Theresa Shepherd and Sharon Bass. And the suggestions keep rolling in. Not all of them are "right" for the direction I'm taking with my work but I have diligently checked out each and every one (in person if possible). Through these suggestions - and the faith these and other folks have had in my work - I was able to exceed my 2012 wholesale/consignment goal.

It hasn't all been good news. Some relationships were not sufficiently productive; sometimes getting the right "fit" is tough, regardless of how hard the artist and business owner work together to make it happen. Other opportunities disappeared due to the ongoing difficult economy. Probably the most disappointing development for me in 2012 is the closing of Firebrick Gallery and Pottery Studio in Rochester, a business with which I had had a fruitful professional and personal relationship for many years.

Owner Christine Laikind, like so many businesses, was hit hard by the economic downturn, coupled with an eight-month, wall-to-wall renovation of Main Street. Christine is a marketing genius - partnering with other businesses in the area for art openings and charitable causes (her Empty Bowls Fundraiser was a yearly highlight). She also provided eclectic and varied creative opportunities, from painting workshops to studio memberships. We were able to put together a series of very successful pottery workshops in the fall of 2012 which brought in record enrollments and we were planning an additional series for 2013.

Although those opportunities will no longer exist for us in Rochester, Christine and I are still working together to keep the energy going at Black Cat Pottery. We are looking forward to doing some printing workshops in conjunction with the two annual Garden Tours (June 1 and August 17, 2013) as well as stand-alone pottery workshops. If you were interested in doing a Beer Stein Party with Christine - don't give up! We're going to try to make that happen, if folks are interested.

So, the lesson for 2013: There is a silver lining to every cloud. I am excited about developing more programming here at Black Cat Pottery, in addition to our annual Pruning Workshop, Garden Tours and Holiday Open House. I will be doing much, much more on my Etsy shop - look for us there at TheBlackCatPottery. If you see something you like - or don't see something you'd like to see there - let us know!

I'll also have an article on non-vining Clematis in Michigan Gardener this year as well as an article on native plants in that same publication in 2014 - and I'm still working on my adult fairytale, The Raccoon's Bride. I will also be speaking on the restoration of a typical urban lot at the upcoming Wildflower Association of Michigan conference at Michigan State University in March (where I'll also be sharing Black Cat Pottery and Notable Greetings notecards and prints), as well as various other speaking engagements (and even the occasional conference) throughout the state. Check the calendar to the left for current information.

If all goes well, I'll be at Royal Oak Clay, Glass and Metal in June and Art and Sole in Grosse Pointe come September. If you miss me at one of those events, I'm always happy to meet with customers at the studio. And I'm hoping to push the boundaries and work on getting my work out of state. So, if you know of a really great gallery or shop where you'd like to see some Black Cat Pottery - in Michigan or points beyond, let me know!

Thank you so much for your support in 2012 and best to you all for 2013!

2013 Calendar of Events at Black Cat Pottery (Tentative)

Clematis pitcherii

Clematis Pruning Workshop


Saturday, April 27, 2013, 10:00am-12:00n

Long perceived as “difficult” or “temperamental”, Clematis are actually proven performers that can give years of gardening delight. Join us for a hands-on workshop to learn about the care and culture of these garden gems and specific pruning techniques and concerns for various species and hybrids. Bring your favorite (by-pass) pruners and a chair. $10 pre-paid/nonrefundable registration includes one hour of instruction, an hour of supervised hands-on experience, refreshments and a comprehensive hand-out . Pre-enrollment required, including your name and contact information in case of inclement weather. Limited enrollment. Two hours of education for Master Gardeners. Contact Cheryl at cenglish@blackcatpottery.com for additional information and to register.

Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs leading

the hypertufa planter workshop at the

2012 Summer Garden Tour

Annual Spring/Summer Garden Tours

Saturday, June 1, 2013, 10:00am-2:00pm

Saturday, August 17, 2013, 10am-2:00pm

Free and open to the public!

Cheryl's life-long love of Clematis and more recent obsession with native plants are both immediately apparent as you arrive at her garden.  Designed as a teaching and learning space rather than a design show-stopper, her garden includes over 50 Clematis, representing over 10 species as well as large-flowering hybrids, and over 180 species of native plants, ranging from Spring ephemerals to large trees.  Take advantage of this opportunity to become acquainted with some of the lesser-known small-flowering species Clematis varieties and the beauties of our native flora.  Cheryl's garden was featured in the July 2009 issue of Michigan Gardener and she penned the first article on native plants to appear in that publication, in May 2012. She has an upcoming article on Clematis in 2013 and another article on natives slated for 2014. We also feature local garden art, live music and refreshments, possibly chair massage "samples", as well as at least one hands-on workshop - last year's hypertufa planter workshop, led by Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs, was a huge success, so we'll be offering it again; we may also be offering the opportunity to work with local artist Christine Laikind to create a botanical monoprint or cyanoprint using plants from the garden. (There is a charge for the workshops. The rest of the event is free and open to the public.) The 2012 Summer Garden Tour was a great party, with over 100 folks enjoying the gardens, art and programs. Stay tuned for further developments! Contact Cheryl at cenglish@blackcatpottery.com for additional information and to register for the workshops.

Hot Pepper Tile Table with
Black Cat Pottery Manager,
Pandora Grace Diane ("Dora")

4th Annual Holiday Open House

December 7, 2013 (Saturday), 10:00am-4:00pm

Free and open to the public!

Join Cheryl English’s Black Cat Pottery and other Michigan-based artists for a day of holiday cheer. Meet the artists, enjoy holiday goodies and take care of your last-minute gift-giving needs with handmade art for the home and garden! In addition to Black Cat Pottery's garden-inspired creations, we’ll be sharing our studio space with five other local artists, including Don Schulte of Notable Greetings with his line of exquisite note cards and prints (many of them featuring images photographed in Cheryl English's garden) and Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs with his beautiful hypertufa lanterns, fountains, planters and other garden accoutrements, as well as a local author joining us for a book signing. Locally-sourced refreshments and musical accompaniment round out the day. Join us for some holiday cheer, get to meet and chat with the artists and take care of those last few special folks on your list with unique locally-made creations!  Bring a friend and spread the word! Contact Cheryl at cenglish@blackcatpottery.com for additional information.

Workshops

Various projects and dates to be announced
We are also planning a series of creative workshops throughout the year featuring not only pottery projects but also other art forms, led by local talent. Stay tuned for further developments! Contact Cheryl at cenglish@blackcatpottery.com for additional information.

Garden Tour Today!

Come one, come all, to the 2012 Annual Spring Black Cat Pottery/English Landscape Garden Tour, open to the public, free of charge, 10a-2p, today, Saturday, June 2. Come see a unique, small urban garden incorporating usual numbers of Clematis (40+) and native plants (150+), observe alternative methods for growing marginal plants as well as green gardening solutions in action.

Visit with the gardener (me) - author of a recent article on native plants which appeared in Michigan Gardener magazine - as well as local garden artisans; enjoy locally-made refreshments; and possibly some live music (keep your fingers crossed that Charlie Palazzola can make it and brings at least one of his guitars)! (I've also invited my friend/massage therapist Justin Phipps to come do chair massage - not sure he can make it.) Call either of the numbers in the information block listed to the left for location and directions.

A shout out here to Sharon Bass (terrific basin installation assistant), Stephen Hulbert (lawnmower extraordinaire) and Chelsea Martin and Chris Hopp (for perfect trough delivery, fountain reassembly and large pot relocation efforts) for helping me get it done. I may do most of the work but I certainly don't to it all!

Can't make it today? Book a private tour for your garden club or other group or come visit on August 18, same time, same place, for the 2012 Annual Summer Black Cat Pottery/ English Landscape Garden Tour - with even more attractions!

Remember - every day is a different day in a garden!

Hope to see you - soon!

Upcoming Events for 2012

I wanted to take a moment to let folks know about upcoming events at Black Cat Pottery/My English Landscape for 2012.

Clematis heraclifolia
"Mrs. Robert Brydon"

April 28, 2012 (Saturday), 10:00am-12:00n:  Clematis Pruning Workshop. Long perceived as “difficult” or “temperamental”, Clematis are actually proven performers that can give years of gardening delight. Join us for a hands-on workshop to learn about the care and culture of these garden gems and specific pruning techniques and concerns. Bring your favorite (by-pass) pruners and chair. $10 at the event, refreshments and comprehensive hand out provided. Pre-enrollment required, including your name and contact information in case of inclement weather. Limited enrollment; the program was booked in 2010 and 2011.

Polygonatum biflorum
(Small Solomon's Seal)

June 2 and August 18, 2012 (Saturday), 10:00am-2:00pm:  Annual Spring/Summer Garden Tours.  Cheryl's life-long love of Clematis and more recent obsession with native plants are both immediately apparent as you arrive at her garden.  Designed as a teaching and learning space rather than a design show-stopper, her garden includes over 50 Clematis, representing over 10 species as well as large-flowering hybrids, and over 130 species of native plants, ranging from Spring ephemerals to large trees.  Take advantage of this opportunity to become acquainted with some of the lesser-known small-flowering species Clematis varieties and the beauties of our native flora.  Cheryl's garden was featured in the July 2009 issue of Michigan Gardener.  We will also feature local garden art and refreshments.

December 8, 2012 (Saturday), 10:00am-4:00pm:  Holiday Open House.  Join Cheryl English’s Black Cat Pottery and other Michigan artists for a day of holiday cheer.  Meet the artists, enjoy holiday goodies and take care of your last-minute gift needs with handmade art for the home and garden!  In addition to our garden-inspired pottery creations, we’ll be sharing our studio space with Don Schulte of Notable Greetings with his line of exquisite note cards and prints; Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs with his beautiful hypertufa lanterns, fountains, planters and other garden accoutrements; Tim Hanks of Bird Homes by Tim sharing his unique bird houses; Glenda Hopp of So Many Colors with her one-of-a-kind hand-dyed cotton wearables; and Cathy Dossin’s selection of whimsical hand-painted furnishings and garden accents; all made right here in Michigan!  Refreshments created by Jennifer Flynn of Urban Attic and musical accompaniment provided by Charlie Palazzola.  Join us for some Christmas cheer, get to know the artists and take care of your last minute gift-giving needs!  Bring a friend, and pass on the word!

Don't forget that you can book a private tour for your group, as well! Visit the blog for news on other pottery events and garden insights throughout the season. We hope to see you in 2012!

Native Plants - Permutations and Combinations

I've been out in the garden working today, getting things as ready as I can for the Garden Tour tomorrow, and realized there's some pretty cool stuff going on right now, even though it's the end of the summer.  With over 100 species of native plants, as well as some traditional garden plants, some interesting combinations and permutations have evolved over the past few years.  You can see them all - and more - in the garden during the Garden Tour.

One of my favorite parts of my garden these days is in the front, near my neighbor's, Darryl Kelley, driveway.  A huge specimen of exotic (remember, "exotic" here means "not native"!) Clematis heraclifolia 'Mrs. Robert Brydon' grows there, partly through an obelisk, spilling over right to the edge of the driveway and the sidewalk.  Nearby are clumps of Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower - also exotic, as it's native only to the southwestern corner of Michigan) and Lobelia syphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia).  I love how the Clematis spills through the Coneflower and Lobelia, knitting the diverse plants together into a beautiful tapestry.  I think it also helps that the texture and form of the Clematis and Echinacea leaves are very similar, so the various flowers really get to strut their stuff, from the clusters of tiny blue Clematis to the taller spikes of Blue Lobelia, punctuated by the pink daisy-like flowers of the Coneflower.  This is an excellent example of exotic and native plants can be successfully combined in any garden.

The best of the action is definitely going on in the back yard, though.  Just one vignette consists of all natives, a small section of which I was able to capture in another image this morning.  I think it's pretty interesting, as the season declines, that Mother Nature seems to dress herself in the purple of Asters (various species, now that they've decided our Asters are not actually Asters, although the plants still belong to the Asteracea family) and Ironweed (Vernonia spp.) and the yellow of Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) and Rosinweed (S. integrifolium) and the Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) that are still coming along.  Pretty neat that these colors are complements on the color wheel, intensifying one another when in close juxtaposition.  Here it's Rosinweed and Ironweed (neither of which, in my opinion, are weedy at all!) topped by the delicate white flower spires of wandering of Wild Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) - another neat combination.

I'm also liking some of the smaller stuff in the back, including Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis) combined with some sort of exotic sedum and the foliage of Japanese Roof Iris (Iris tectorum alba).  The contrast in foliage texture and color is just great here, as the petite spires of the Wild Petunia rise above the sprawling sedum and the iris foliage (not as glaucus as German Iris (I. germanica)) contrasts in texture and color.  You can see the first of the Downy Sunflowers (Helianthus mollis) just to the back, adding its cheerful yellow to a composition otherwise dominated by cooler tones.

I had some avian visitors today - not the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) I saw a couple days ago but the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) was here this afternoon (the first I've seen it this season, although I'm sure it's been here before - and will hopefully return!) and a beautiful brilliantly-yellow male Gold Finch (Carduelis tristis - I wonder why it's "sad"?) was having a great time in the flowers of the Cut-leaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata).  I did get a photo of him (left) but it's pretty tough to capture a yellow bird in the middle of a bunch of yellow flowers in a bit of a breeze; I did my best!

I hope you can join us tomorrow to share in some of the wonders of my garden during this season!  Garden Tour is 10a-2p - hope to see you!

Farmbrook Designs - Custom Planters

Late last November I had the brilliant idea of hosting an Open House in my studio, inviting folks to sample the artwork of a number of local, Michigan-based artists, many of whom do work relating in some way to gardening.  One of the featured artists was my friend Chris Hopp, of Farmbrook Designs.

One of the folks who came to the Open House was my good friend Barb Radtke.  Barb, and her husband Ray, have been long-time pottery customers, having purchased a number of my flowers, which they have placed to great effect around the patio in the back of their house.  Barb and Ray eventually purchased a couple pieces from Chris, including a lantern and a fountain.

Like many artists, Chris has a series of pieces he produces on spec, including lanterns, some fountains, tables, benches, monoliths and, of course, many types of planters, small and large, including footed pieces.  Like many artists, Chris also does commission work, as he did my troughs and fountain over the past year or so.  Barb and Ray wanted two very tall, large hypertufa planters for their front porch, one quite rectilinear and the other egg-shaped and commissioned Chris to produce them.

It took Chris a while to work through the details.  I actually had the opportunity to see Chris's shop in recent trip to the Lansing area and the work that goes into making the molds for these types of pieces is significant.  Chris has to create different sections of each mold, keying them to fit together properly.  Seeing the pieces in the shop and hearing his explanation of the manner in which he made the sections gave me a fresh appreciation for the work Chris does; the guy could be an engineer, for goodness sake - and I guess he really is, when you get down to it.

These are images of the final pieces.  Apparently, Barb had the same response when she saw them as I did - WOW!  "WOW!" indeed.

Don't forget our Garden Tour, tomorrow, Saturday, August 20, 10a-2p!

Native Plants - Little Gems

Ruellia humilis (Wild Petunia)

Don's been hard at work again, shooting some outstanding images of native plants from the garden, which is looking downright amazing right now.  I know a lot of folks struggle this time of year to have something interesting to look at in their gardens but mine little private paradise is positively bursting with beauty, from the giants (Vernonia missourica, Silphium perfoliatium and S. integrifolium, Helianthius giganteus and Rudbeckia laciniata, to name just a few!) to the tiniest gems tickling their feet.

Ruellia humilis (Wild Petunia) is such a gem, a delicate lavender flower, each of which lasts only one day.  I purchased these plants from my friend Trish last year and they did flower a bit, but only a few and always one at a time.  This year was a bit challenging, as my resident bunny (who may have moved on, but we're still not sure - he or she certainly did have an eclectic palate, and plenty of opportunity to try lots of tasty tidbits in my yard!) thought these were a nice salad green early in the year.  Maybe the rogue pruning did it some good because it is blooming like gangbusters right now, and has been for a few weeks.  This is a smallish plant, rather prone to the ground with flowering stems that do rise from the basal foliage.  As the flowers fade, they just fall off the plant, so it maintains a tidy appearance.  It looks great near my purply-green-foliaged short sedum and my Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), making a nice contrast of glaucus foliage, even when most of the composition isn't even in flower.

 Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)

One of my goals in creating a haven of native plants has been to provide nectar and host plants for our butterflies.  Obviously, I'd love to have lots of the charismatic species coming through - the Monarchs and Swallowtails - but I'm also interested in providing for the less... prestigious species.  One such is the American Lady butterfly (Vanessa virginiensis).  The larvae for this butterfly are pretty interesting - all spiky black and orange - and very messy - they weave little webby nests to protect themselves while feeding.  They also host on a range of plants, including Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta), Sweet Everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium) and Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea).  All are characterized by pale green foliage with lots of white fuzzy hairs but otherwise vary rather widely in habit - Pussytoes (perennial) is quite prone to the ground while Sweet Everlasting (annual or biennial) is quite tall as it matures, over 18 inches.  Pearly Everlasting (perennial) comes in right in the middle.  I received my colony of these plants from my friend Michelle Wysocki when I visited her earlier this year.  It's settled in very nicely in the ensuing months.  A word to the wise:  Although butterfly larvae may seem to decimate your plants, fear not:  They have evolved the ability to rebound completely after having been eaten to the ground!

Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens)

There is a subsection of my garden I refer to as my "Zoo Garden", an idea I've borrowed from my friend Trish.  She has a playhouse for her girls (now all grown up) on her property where she put in a garden of plants with animal names, many of which are actually native plants - Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Dotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata), Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta); I used to have Goat's Rue (Tephrosia virginiana) and hope to have it again some day.  One of my favorites in my "zoo" is Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens), so called because the flowers look a bit like a monkey's face, or so I'm told.  This, like Turtlehead and Cardinal Flower (funny how that works), likes  it on the moister side, so I keep all of these guys on the side of my garden that does not get quite as much burning hot sun and, by keeping them all together, it's easier for me to water them when necessary.  Like the Wild Petunia, this plant went in last year, from a single pot I purchased from Val and her friends at the Wild Ones booth at the Marshall Area Garden Tour in 2010.  This Spring, when transplanting, I was able to divide that one clump into nine or ten individual plants, making a nice little mass in the garden.  The plant sends up tallish flower spikes which can flop a bit - but then seem to do OK with a bit of staking, if you're so inclined.  I'm hoping to be able to share in 2012 or '13!

Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa)

Finally, I wanted to share what is probably a plant oddity for most folks in this part of the country.  I know most of us associate cacti to the desert Southwest of North America, but there is a member of the cactus family native to the Upper Midwest, the Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa).  I received my first few pads from my friend (and former gardening associate) Andrew Lathrup.  For some reason, the squirrels thought they would be good to eat, or bury, or something, but would - shortly - decide such was not the case.  Meanwhile, the damage was pretty much done; maybe one little pad survived from that attempt.  I was able to augment the plant later that year with a gift from my friend Karen Bovio of Specialty Growers of Howell, Michigan.  As The plant grows, it sends out new pads, which include all of the thorns the mature pad will possess; in fact, it was difficult for me, at first, to tell what was a pad and not a flower bud.  Now, two years later, the cactus flowered for the first time with seven flowers, each of which did not last even a whole day.  They usually open in the late morning and are closing as the sun begins its decline.  This made it quite a challenge for Don to get a picture - lots of last-minute e-mails and phone calls on this one!  We finally got our selves coordinated and managed to capture the sixth flower.  This plant does bear edible fruit but I don't think any of mine were pollinated.  Maybe next year!

All photos by Don Schulte of Notable Greetings, notablegreetings.com.

Garden Tour - More Bird Homes By Tim

Don't forget about our upcoming Garden Tour, this Saturday, August 20, 10a-2p.  We'll be featuring a garden chock full of amazing, blooming native plants and Clematis, the work of Michigan-based garden artists and some delicious locally-prepared refreshments as well!

Wren House

I wanted to take some time to share some more about the work of my friend and fellow artist Tim Hanks, one of the artists who will be featured at our Garden Tour this coming Saturday.  I've written about his work before but wanted to "fill in the gaps" about Tim's background, vision and current path.

Tim is formally educated as an artist, with a Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University.  I can say without any hesitation and complete conviction that Tim loves birds, especially songbirds.  I can mimic a couple bird calls but Tim far outstrips me, reflecting a life-long interest, an interest channeled into a desire to make the world a better place for songbirds by creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind bird houses designed to the most exacting specifications.

Unlike many of the shoddily-made, mass produced (I won't even mention country of origin here) bird houses available at most mass-marketers, Tim's creations are constructed of top-grade California redwood.  He uses stainless steel finishing nails to ensure the houses' long-term performance.  And he incorporates refurbished antique hardware - much of it brass - which he has painstakingly collected, conserved and preserved.  Time also treats the surface of the wood with a safe, non-toxic, natural oil to enhance its natural luster and grain, as well as to create and maintain a water-resistant surface.

In line with specifications established by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (great organization - join today!), the entrance holes in Tim's creations are 1-1/8" and 1-1/4", allowing access for a variety of cavity-nesting birds, including Chickadees (one of my favorites); he also makes homes with 1-1/2" entrance holes suitable for Eastern Blue Birds.  The antique metal escutcheons and other hardware framing the entrances are not only decorative - they also provide protection from larger avian invaders and possible predators, who are unable to make their way through the small entrance or make it any larger.

Tim's Feline Supervisor-in-Charge, Jack

Each Bird Home is equipped with mounting hardware for ease of installation.  (I know this.  The hardest part of installing my new Bird Home was getting out the ladder and pruning the dead wood out of my yew; once we did that, all we needed was a strategically-placed screw, and voila!)  As would any artist, Tim signs and dates every piece with a burning stylus.  Although he works as efficiently as possible, with Tim's attention to detail, the time required to create these unique works of art varies from piece to piece; regardless, he takes the time to make sure each piece is meticulously designed for maximum utility as well as reflecting a timeless beauty.

(When Tim sent me these images of recent work a couple weeks ago, I was especially grateful to see the image of his most ardent and severe critic, Jack, the company's Feline Supervisor-in-Charge.  And although Jack is not always impressed with Tim's work - perhaps due to the sophisticated security measure built into each Bird Home,  you can be certain that quality standards are always rigorously enforced with his ongoing oversight.  At least I'm not alone with my crew of Feline Managers!)

Tim's life-long appreciation for nature, an ongoing inspiration for his music and art, is exquisitely reflected in every Bird Home by Tim.

Farmbrook Designs - Fountain

The addition of a fountain, depending on its design, can genuinely enhance your garden space, not just for you but for native birds, insects and other creatures.

My friend Chris Hopp, of Farmbrook Designs, does some beautiful fountains, including millstone, ball, birdbath and urn fountains.  I had known for a while that I wanted to have one of Chris's fountains but I didn't know which one; more importantly, I wasn't sure where I wanted to place it for maximum benefit in the garden.

I solved the first issue at the Franklin Garden Tour in 2010.  I was next to Chris and he had with him a gorgeous fountain design his Mom, Glenda, had done using a five-gallon plastic bucket as a mold.  After removing the hypertufa from the mold, Glenda had cut into it using a flat chisel, making an irregular surface over which the water would break in an ever-changing pattern.  I was - quite literally - mesmerized by the play of light over the water, as well as the soothing sounds as it bubbled up out of the fountain and spilled over the side.  I asked that it be adapted to have a shallow basin in which the water could pool (Chris has what he calls his "Bird Bath Fountain" which has this very same feature) so the birds could enjoy it as well.

I finally figured out the location issue this Spring.  I had toyed with placing it in the back of the garden, near the bench under the yew tree; and I may still do that.  I decided, however, that by placing it near the front of the back yard, near the seating area and my bedroom window, I could enjoy it as much as possible.

So, the same day Chris delivered my two large troughs, he also delivered the fountain.  I was expecting the same five-gallon-bucket size, but he had outdone himself (he tends to do that fairly consistently, truth be told):  this fountain was huge!

These large fountains come with a large basin which is sunk into the ground, with a plastic insert through which the pump (included) is fed.  The fountain itself rests on a support under the insert and Chris puts a layer of screening (to minimize debris) between the plastic insert and the fountain, which is then covered by decorative rock.  Chris installed the entire piece, digging out the space for the basin and assembling everything for me that day.  We finished up the piece with black river rock.

I do have to watch to make sure the water doesn't get too low, especially if we have a run of really hot days.  For the first few days, the water ran brown due to the peat moss in the hypertufa mixture.  Now it's taken on a nice greenish cast from a bit of slow-growing algae; Chris has suggested we put a bit of bleach in the water to clean that up but I don't want to do that because the birds wouldn't like that one bit.

Because the birds love the fountain!  I have tons of Robins and (unfortunately) Cowbirds bathing in the fountain and the other day a beautiful male Gold Finch paused for a brief drink.  And my kitty Rameses has taken to hanging out in the bedroom on those days which are cool enough to have the windows open - he loves the sound of the water for his daily series of naps - as do I, when I have trouble sleeping at night.

Come to our Garden Tour on August 20, 2011, 10a-2p and see more of Chris's beautiful work, as well as a brief planting demonstration!

Bird Homes by Tim - Cheryl's Bird House

Anyone who knows me at all knows that, once I find something I like and value, I won't settle.  (This is part of the reason I'm still single....)  If I can't afford what I want, I'll wait and save up until I can.  This was the case with my friend Tim's bird houses.  I had seen his work for a few years but the budget just didn't really permit the investment rightly required.  So, when I finally could afford the investment in a fine bird home, I made the drive to his home/studio, where I spent a lovely visit with Tim, his wife Barb, their cat Jack and the various Love Birds (sorry guys, I can't remember your names).

Tim had thoughtfully rigged up a display in his garage just for me to view all his available pieces so I could choose the one I wanted.  This was difficult.  Nearly impossible.  So, I worked backward, so to speak, eliminating those that were least desirable; not easy, by any means, but easier.  Tim did his best to help me out by describing the materials used, the decision-making process that had gone into the composition of each bird house.  He shared his knowledge about design, process, style, materials, from the periods to which a particular piece of hardware belonged, where or how he had come by it, how it had influenced his creative decisions, basically sharing a biography of each piece, as if each were a person and not an inanimate object intended to house a family of birds.

I finally settled on a fairly austere design featuring fittings made of marine brass, a type of brass typified by higher content of copper, giving it a rosier color than most conventional brass.  As it was the end of September, he agreed to help me hang it the next Spring, in time for my first garden tour; in the meantime it would be kept in storage in my basement.

This Spring, Tim came over and we conferred as to where the house should be placed.  The types of birds it is intended to attract (cavity nesters, including chickadees) have specific criteria:  the house should be at least 10 feet above ground; there should be no other houses within 50 feet; and any bird feeders or bird baths should be 25 feet away.  (These criteria are based on studies of native songbirds.)  I only have one tree of sufficient size in my back yard, my yew (which is the only plant that remains of those that were on the property when I moved in), so we decided to hang it in there.  (Tim was concerned because the bird house I got from my friend Marie was in the tree as well - less than 50 feet away - but I said this way the birds could choose.)  I got up on the ladder and pruned out some dead branches; then Tim got up and set a screw in the tree and hung the bird house.  I haven't seen any indications of residency but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Native Plants - There Be Giants!

Silphium perfoliatum
(Cup Plant)

Haven't had a lot of time to get out in my garden, not least of all because I've been spending most of garden time taking care of client's gardens, or doing pottery-related stuff.  If I do get out there, it's usually for a few minutes in the morning to make sure everyone has enough water (although that really wasn't an issue this morning!)  So, when I actually do have the chance to take moment and see what's really going on out there, it's pretty amazing to see the changes since the last time I had such a moment.

Eupatorium purpureum
(Sweet Joe Pye)

When I started converting my garden over to more and more natives, part of my "agenda" was to embrace the native plants for what they are instead of going the way of "well-behaved" cultivars.  (I have a philosophical objection to anything "well behaved," as most folks who know me would agree.)  I figured that, if the species could work, I'd grow it; if not, I'd give it a pass but not without at least trying to make it work.  So, no 'Little Joe Pye Weed' or 'Miss Manners' for me; give me the real deal and I'll see what I can do with it.

Rudbeckia laciniata
Cutleaf Coneflower

When my friend Don sends me a photo he's taken of a Monarch butterfly nectaring on my nine-foot-tall Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum), I'm reminded of how it serves as a critical water source for small animal species,  When I see swarms of pollinators working over my six-foot-tall Sweet Joe Pye anchoring my big central bed in my back yard - so many insects, the efflorescences are positively vibrating with their activity, I know I'm also helping my neighbors who raise food crops in the area by spreading a complementary repast for the folks who help their tomatoes, squash and peppers bear fruit.  And even though the Cutleaf Coneflower is running rampant and is well over the three to six feet that William Cullina attributes to it (try eight to nine, Bill!), I can't help but be impressed with its scale - and I know it's visible to anyone looking for a little nectar!

So the next time you're out in your garden, think about how you might be able to fit in just one native plant species, even - maybe - one of these giants.

(Photos courtesy of Don Schulte at notablegreetings@gmail.com.)

Farmbrook Designs - Large Troughs

For our upcoming Garden Tour on August 20 (10a-2p), we'll be featuring the work of Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs.

I started to get to know Chris about four years ago when both of us were vendors at the Master Gardener Conference at Michigan State University.  It was my first time there with my pottery and it was a pretty heady experience (not least because it was held in East Lansing on March 17; amazing what people are up to on the highways of Detroit in the early hours of St. Patrick's Day!)  I had seen Chris's work at previous conferences when I had been an attendee but only then had the opportunity to start getting to know him better.  In the intervening four years, Chris, his girlfriend Chelsea, his Mom Glenda and Grandmother Mildred and Chelsea's parents Gar and Gerry have definitely become part of my family.

Trough #1 (Tallest)

From the get-go, I had really liked Chris's work - beautifully designed, high-quality, climate-proof garden enhancements, ranging from small planters and larger troughs (empty or planted with winter hardy Sedums, Sempervivums and other plants, with carefully-selected rocks and gravel to complete the piece) to fountains, lanterns, candleholders, mushrooms and Inukshucks (go towww.inukshukgallery.com/inukshuk.html), many of which are also suitable for indoors or out.  I certainly wanted (at least ) one of his pieces but wasn't quite seeing what I wanted - I wanted something... bigger.  We were doing an event together at in Saginaw in the Fall of 2009 and I asked him if there was anything he had wanted to try but hadn't had the opportunity to do so.  He mentioned he had wanted to try doing a really big trough on legs.  So, I asked him about how much it would cost (so I could start saving) and said, "Go to it!"

Trough #1 and Trough #3 (Shortest)

Chris delivered that first trough just before my Garden Tour in May 2010.  It was actually pretty funny, the day he delivered it, as we were deciding where to put it.  I was concerned that the lawn mower could knock it over (during one of the three times per year when I actually do mow); Chris patiently explained to me that the trough, alone, unplanted, without the legs, was about 200 lbs.  So, no worries about the trough being tipped over.  Ever.  Three days later he made it back to plant while I was teaching class off-site; I rushed home and turned on the outside light and was just delighted with the composition of plants, larger stones and gravel Chris had used.  Hey, the guy's a natural-born designer!

So I loved the trough.  I ordered two more.  Thought I'd make a "wall" between the grassy, seating area and the driveway (which will someday go away for more garden space; Chris has already offered to supply the beer when we tear out the lawn, as well).  It didn't hurt that, when I had my Clematis Pruning Workshop in April this year, the attendees were absolutely swooning over the first trough, even though it was still coming out of its winter dormancy and looked a bit worse for wear.

I tend to leave the concept stuff up to Chris and he came back with two more troughs, same size, with different heights for the legs.  These he delivered just before our Garden Tour June of this year and, despite a rough start with some early hot weather, they've done beautifully.  We've since decided to move them closer together to make more of a wall and give more space at each end for traffic.  I'll let Chris take care of that, too....

(Photos courtesy of Don Schulte at notablegreetings@gmail.com.)

Butterflies!

Danaus plexippus on Silphium perfoliatum

 My friend Don was over in my yard yesterday, responding to a request to do some "professional quality" photos of my friend Chris Hopp's (of Farmbrook Designs) hypertufa designs and maybe check out some native plants in bloom as well.  Don stops by every few days as things are happening pretty fast in the garden these days - especially with the heat and the rain (can you believe it - in July?!?!?)

Anyway, I received an e-mail from Don yesterday evening with photos of the beautiful troughs and fountain I've gotten from Chris (I think a lantern is in my future, by the way) and included in the e-mail were two images of butterflies, one of a Monarch (Danaus plexippus) in my Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) and an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) in my Joe Pye (Eupatorium purpureum).  Don didn't mention anything about where they were taken and I'm always hesitant to get too excited (it seems to have been a rough year for butterflies - I just haven't seen as many of the monarchs and have not found any to raise, unlike this time last year).  So, when I got the e-mail this morning that, yes, indeed, these were photographed in my garden, I was ecstatic.

Papilio glaucus on Eupatorium purpureum

Although they're beautiful, butterflies, both as caterpillars and adults, are important players in our natural system.  They, along with moths, bees, flies, bats and other animals, are critical pollinators, especially for native plants.  As caterpillars, they are an important food source for our native birds, which, regardless as to whether they're insect, fruit or seed eaters as adults, are feeding their young on native insects.  One caterpillar is packed with more protein and other key nutrients than a similar mass of ground beef, which makes it a pretty good meal for a baby Robin.

Nor is it enough to have lots of great nectaring plants for the butterflies; you also have to have the host plants on which the caterpillars can feed.  Whereas a butterfly can nectar on pretty much anything, they are very exclusive in terms of their host plants.  For Monarchs, it's native milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)  For Eastern Tiger Swallowtail it's Wild Cherry, Hop Tree, Ash and Tulip Tree - again, all native plants.  Although I have five species of native milkweed, I've lost my Ash tree to Emerald Ash Borer and don't have any of the other species at this time.

I'm not home much during the day this time of year, as I'm frequently gardening for clients.  Or running around on other business for my various enterprises.  So I don't often have the time to see who might be hanging around in the garden.  So, considering all this, I guess it makes some sense that I was so excited about the members of Lepidoptera (the insect class to which all butterflies and moths belong) visiting my yard yesterday afternoon.

Bird Homes by Tim - New Work!

In preparation for our upcoming Garden Tour, I wanted to share images of some of Tim Hanks's more recent Bird Homes.

Tim, of course, can speak much more knowledgeably than I about his work.  He uses sustainably harvested redwood for his work and follows the guidelines set out by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in his work so these bird homes are designed according to the very highest specifications.  All materials are non-toxic for the birds and the homes are designed to provide secure, comfortable nesting locations for our smaller songbirds, which are under so much stress from invasive avian species and other predators.

Tim spends a part of his creative time tracking down the vintage hardware he uses to enhance his designs, including antique door plates, doorknobs, keys and other features.  All are carefully cleaned and prepared for inclusion in his designs.  He goes to a great deal of trouble to combine elements into cohesive designs, in terms of style  and materials.  The bird home I purchased from him last year features hardware manufactured from what is called "marine brass", a higher copper-content brass with a rosier hue that is not often seen anymore.

By using metal doorplates, with holes cut to the specifications set by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for smaller birds, Tim's bird homes cannot be damaged by chewing squirrels or pecking birds.  He also uses pyrography, or wood burning, to enhance many of his designs (the top and bottom images), drawing on motifs in the hardware included in his designs.

Come to our Garden Tour on August 20 and have a chat with Tim about his bird homes, what makes them special, and other things you can do to help our native avian friends thrive in your garden!

Garden Tour, August 20, 10a-2p

We'll be having our Annual Late Summer Garden Tour on August 20, 2011, 10a-2p.  We'll be featuring the work of Black Cat Pottery, Notable Greetings (floral/botanical notecards and prints), Farmbrook Designs (hypertufa garden enhancements) and Bird Homes by Tim.  We're hoping Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs may be able to do a demonstration (we were hoping to do a planting workshop but haven't ben able to pull it together -maybe next year!) and Don Schulte of Notable Greetings will be shooting in the gardens as well.

I wanted to share some of Don's recent work in the garden.  He's quite passionate about his work, showing up here on the hottest day (so far) of the year to get some critical images before plants got blasted by the heat.  We had just missed the Wild Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) last year so I think he felt particularly compelled to capture it this time 'round.  This lovely wild member of the onion family is particularly delicate in form, although it's got a tough constitution.  I had originally planted it out in the middle of my "Pink and White Bed" but, when I saw it planted under an ornamental tree during one of my winter-time walks through my neighborhood, I decided to move it under my dogwood.  It has done beautifully there, helped along by supplemental water from emptying and refilling a nearby birdbath.  It has beautiful grassy foliage and typical onion-type flowers.  Keep in mind that Don shoots in situ - he can only work with what's available, in terms of the plants themselves and existing lighting conditions.  He does use reflectors and I do sometimes lend a hand holding something for him, but more often than not, he's doing all of this on his own.

We've learned that Don's better images tend to have some context with the subject plant.  You can see in the allium shot a bud in the background, just forming, as well as parts of three efflorescences.  He followed this model in a recent image of Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata).  This was a tough one for Don - or anyone - as this giant is well over seven feet tall!  Luckily, I have a six-foot ladder, which we carefully placed in the bed.  I offered to spot for him but, when I went out to check on him (I was working in the studio - much cooler in the basement!), he was up on that ladder, camera in one hand (and keep in mind, this is a heavy camera, with a macro lens!) and reflector in the other.  In this case, he had used a handy little twist tie to tame the wind the plants were picking up to get the shot.  He did three superb images but this is my favorite, as I like the tension of the flower emerging from the lower left of the frame.  Notice all four corners, and borders, of the image - Don emphasizes for his audiences (he does presentations on "making" good photos of your garden flowers) the importance of checking these key areas for distractions.  This image captures the main flower (also called "Greenheaded Coneflower" for the green cone of disk flowers), as well as another flower in the background in the upper left corner.

According to Don, the most challenging forms for him to capture are spiky flowers - Verbenas, Lobelias, Culver's Root, etc.  Spiraea tomentosa (Steeplebush) certainly continued the challenge.  In this case, to defeat the wind and keep things in context, Don tied the plant's boughs off onto slim rods I had in my garage for pottery display.  The plant's common name refers to its very upright growth habit, unlike the more popular Spiraea alba (which is not, contrary to popular belief, native to this part of the country).  I had had a Physocarpus opulifolia (Common Ninebark) cultivar growing in this location near my faucet but this plant's smaller footprint and upright habit works better with the hose's interference.  The challenge with the spiky plants has a bit to do with Don's format - they don't lend themselves very well to a square frame.  But, despite these inherent structural conflicts and a dearth of natural light (this plant is still in the shade until about noon, by which time the contrasts are so high, a good photo is all but impossible), Don captured a superb image of a plant which is less common than it should be.