A New Year Tradition - The Pickle

Remember the tradition of the pickle in the Christmas Tree?  There are some unusual New Year's traditions. The most famous ritual in the U.S. is the dropping of a giant ball in New York City's Times Square. Dillsburg Pennsylvania drops a pickle in celebration of the stroke of midnight.  

Tropical Interlude

These bougainvillea images were taken in Florida in the Four Arts Garden in Palm Beach.  They are our visual interlude while we travel the Christmas journey learning all sorts of  things about food traditions at Christmas. 

In Japan, a food associated with Christmas is the Christmas cake.  It is a sponge cake with whipped cream, chocolate and strawberries.  Any cake that is not sold after the 25th is unwanted.  This idea was applied to single Japanese women over the age of 25: they used to be called Christmas Cakes.

Part of Spain's celebration of December 28th as a fool's day is to put salt in their cakes in place of sugar to 'fool' children. 

An Italian tradition is Carbone dolce.  This is a rock candy that looks like coal.  It is intended for bad children, and is left behind in place of toys on January 6th, Epiphany the last day of Christmas.

A number of countries have a Christmas Pickle tradition.  It is most attributed to a German tradition of hiding a glass pickle ornament in the Christmas tree.  Ground Zero for this, though, is Berrien Springs, Michigan.  It bills itself as the Christmas Pickle Capital of the World.  Thy have a parade in early December with the Grand 'Dill' meister giving out fresh pickles along the parade route. 

Between Christmas and New Year's

Here we are at the holiday between the holidays, starting with Boxing Day.  This has become a secular holiday that seems to have extended into Boxing Week with the advertising that goes with this.  

The tradition started in the UK about 800 years ago. It was the day when the alms box for the poor was opened so that the contents could be distributed to the poor.

In the 1600's we would be servants and tradespeople and would receive gifts today, known as a "Christmas box".  Our Christmas Day would have been busy, waiting on our masters.  This is the day that Good King Wenceslas looked upon the Feast of Stephen.  St. Stephen's Day is celebrated as the 2nd day of Christmas.  The Germans had an original tradition - horses would be ridden around the inside of the church during the St. Stephen's Day service. 

We are into the Twelve Days of Christmas.  This is the twelve day period that starts with Christmas day and ends on Epiphaby (Jan 6th).The 'true love' who gave the gifts was meant to represent God, the true love of the world.  On the "first day", the partridge in a pear tree is Jesus who died on the cross.  The two turtle doves of the "second day", are the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.  The three French hens are faith, hope and love - the three gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Today's image explores the countdown of the 12 days through the language of urban grunge.  

Charles Daley Park Winter Fun

Charles Daley Park is located in St. Catharines and is one of the best beaches and dynamic lagoons along the south shore of Lake Ontario.  It also has excellent hills for tobogganing in the winter. so is a great place to visit when there's snow.

Today's images show some of the  winter scenes of tobogganing and play.  

Signs of Winter

This is Charles Daley Park in St. Catharines.  It has the distinction of a long shoreline with dynamic lagoons at each end.  This gazebo stands at the edge of the high embankment between the shoreline and the parking lot. Because of its height, the parking lot has excellent views of the lake. People come by in their cars and have a coffee overlooking the great expanse, or just stop by to take a look at what the lake is up to with its waves and changing shoreline.  You can stop in any time and there will be at least a car or two.  People do get out of their cars.  In winter there are families tobogganing down the slopes on the sunny days.  And there are usually dogs - they have a great time on the beach and trails, so there is a dog or two to meet and greet. 
This is the moment in the year when we welcome snow.  Christmas and snow seem to be the perfect match.  Our image today shows the two sides of snow -  the windy stormy day and then what typically follows for us in Ontario - a blue sky and sunny day for tobogganing.

Feature in eMagazine Garden Tripod - December 2014

I am a regular contributor to the eMagazine Garden Tripod.  It's website is:

http://www.gardentripod.com

This month's edition can be found at:

http://issuu.com/gardentripod/docs/garden_tripod_27/1


The magazine has a strong association with Redbubble artists and groups.  I am both an artist on Redbubble and a group host.  I run challenges on garden topics and then the winners are featured in the Garden Tripod eMagazine.

This month's edition include two articles.  One of them showcases the Redbubble All Glorious Gardens challenge which asked artists to choose their favourite garden image and then to indicate what made it their favourite.   The second article is one of mine on the theme of botanical garden interpretations of Christmas Trees.

The cover of this month's edition is particularly spell-binding.  It is the work of Toronto artist Janis Zroback.  Her work can be seen at:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/paintability?ref=artist_title_name

Water Lily with Friend

Digital photography can be a challenge and a privilege.  I was able to bring two images together for this Water Lily with Friend image.  The water lily is at Longwood Gardens Water Gardens and the Koi lives at the Royal Botanical Gardens.  So these two botanical gardens could be brought together through the techniques of photo manipulation.

The Blue of Snow

I was in Toronto yesterday and was in the core of the financial district walking in the underground paths along King Street between Yonge and University.  It's a familiar area for me, but at Christmas it takes on the frenzy of crowds shopping.  In the underground shopping areas, there were line-ups outside some stores. As one person left the next could enter.  Everywhere the Christmas decorations and trees were magical and elegant. 

Today's image is a contrast to yesterday's experience. It comes from the Beamer Memorial Park above the escarpment.  This was one of the big snow falls last year where the air was calm so the snow stayed stuck to the trees.

The image is naturally black and white.  When one 'turns' it black and white, there's no difference.  Blue seemed the way to go as it is one of the alternates for Christmas colours.  It is a nice contrast from the traditional red and green. 

 

Koi, The Living Art

I posted the images of Koi on the Marilyn Cornwell blog, and they seem a match for Open Gardens Niagara, too.  Koi often are residents of botanic gardens where they create magic for children in the garden.  These Koi are residents of the Royal Botanical Garden in Burlington Ontario.  They live in the greenhouse conservatory so are used to people every day.  They swim to people rather than away from them.

Here are more pictures from the Series: Koi, The Living Art, available on Redbubble and Fine Art America

Countdown to Christmas - the Landscape in December

It is the countdown to Christmas and everyone is busy shopping, going to concerts, baking, and going to special events.  These activities seem to be excellent distractions from the loss of our beautiful fall colours and glowing landscapes.  

These two pictures show the entrance to one of the Royal Botanical Gardens hiking trails.  They were taken just over a month apart, and with similar light in the sky.  But how the autumn colours make everything glow and how the winter sky and sombre reduced colour palatte makes for a stark comparison.

Of course, we will next experience Winter in Niagara.  The colour palette will reduce to the point where the images are black and white naturally.  It is a significant contrast to the many colours and hues of summer and autumn.  Of course, we then experience the cycle anew and our glorious spring returns.

Christmas Greetings Countdown

Hi everyone,
It's the countdown to Christmas with 10 days to go.  I thought I'd start the countdown with a season's greeting card.  It's one of the species likes with a twist to give it the traditional Christmas colours.  It is one of my favourite lilies.

This is the same image that asked whether there might be a blue lily, which we know is highly unlikely with our current knowledge and techniques.   This one has more Topaz filter effects, which I enjoy using.

All my best to everyone during this memorable season.

The Glow of Snow

Hi everyone,

This is Beamer Park, on the escarpment, where the hawk count is done in the spring and fall.  It is considered to be the best vantage point in the Niagara Peninsula to observe the hawks and the view over Grimsby and the lake is panoramic.  As a natural escarpment property this area has an old forest with Sugar Maple and Red Oak as well as some old Hemlock and White Cedar. 

This was last year's big snow fall with lens effects by Topaz.

Grand Christmases

Longwood Gardens puts on the biggest Christmas show on the east coast, that I know of.  Here are some of the images from a few years ago, inside the conservatory.

Blue Lilies - Can there ever be?

I gather the genes aren't in a Lilium lily for there to be blue flowers.  I did this one in Photoshop to see what a blue lily might be like.  This lily was at Lilycrest Gardens, my brother, Brian Bergman's hybridizing field in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Lotus - How Beautiful!

I find the Lotus flower to be amazing and magical.  Its centre is what makes it so wonderful - all the stamens around the dinner plate centre, and then petals in beautiful colours.

Here's an interpretation of the last image.

Turn Around and It's All Different

Something I notice in Niagara is how different the weather is from place to place. Yesterday I was in St. Catharines with pretty skies of a sun behind transparent clouds, and when I got back to Grimsby it was stormy clouds crowding the horizon and speeding along.

I was in Niagara Falls a few weeks ago and at Queenston Heights took some pictures of Brock's Monument.  You can see how different the sky and clouds are from these two opposite angles.

Poinsettia Countdown - Who's the Favourite?

Grimsby is very close to the Vineland Research Station and it had its Poinsettia evaluation open house yesterday.  They grow poinsettias for evaluation by the commercial trade to find new and better poinsettias for market.  There are only a few places where the poinsettia trials take place, so it great to be invited to vote on our favourites so that they get a sense of what is popular with the public.

What would make a better poinsettia?  It would be things like: One that grows straight up so that the branches don't break off when you take it out of the plastic sleeve.  One that has lots of coloured petals to make a big show.  One that grows quickly to come to market sooner.  

So there I was with Brian, my brother, who is the lily hybridizer, going from plant to plant looking at the differences and improvements.  I saw so many fellow gardeners too - it was a wonderful event.  

Check out Vineland Research at: 

http://www.vinelandresearch.com

There's a cogeco video at:

http://www.vinelandresearch.com/news/poinsettias-research

Here are some of the highlights:

Christmas Means Gingerbread

I can remember making Gingerbread Houses as part of Christmas.  Definitely, there were Gingerbread men galore Christmas cookies.  We would put them in tins with a piece of cut apple and they would soften up along with gaining some of the apple flavour.

Here are two of Longwood's trees created with rows of gingerbread men to form a tree shape.   The trees in the lower pool seem to be dusted with icing sugar to go with the gingerbread cookie decorations on them.  

The little sign at the bottom of the left tree reads: "These gingerbread men are fragile.  Please enjoy this display with your eyes only".

Countdown to Christmas - Entering Longwood's Christmas Conservatory

At Christmas, Longwood Garden announces the celebration to come at the entrance to the Conservatory with its Winterberry branches.  Winterberry bushes are everywhere outside and in.  They are intensely red with their berries on bare branches.  Once inside, the showstopper display stops people right there.  It's a brilliant design - there's so much to take in - the foreground has the splashing pool with gardens around it.  Then in the middle ground, the leading line of the watercourse takes one's eye far out to the background display.   A promise of lots more to come.   The Conservatory always has a Romantic sensibility.  For Christmas, with its exuberant colour scheme, it is maintained through a limited colour palate.  Here we see underneath, white carnations as decorations in the trees, red amaryllis beneath the trees, and then red winterberries along the watercourse.  It resounds with elegance.

Countdown to Christmas - Dec 1 - Weird and Wonderful Christmas Trees

As a gardener, I am interested in the natural Christmas tree.  My own Christmas tree is decorated with Poinsettias, birds, leaves, holly berries and similar plant-like material.  I realize it is artificial and not real, and yet it seems like a vertical garden when I look at it.  I have two sides to the tree - the sun-filled side with red as the major colour theme, and then the moon-lit side, with silver and white as the colour theme.

Well, today's 2 trees come from Longwood Gardens a few years ago.  These Christmas trees are alive and living plants.  They are wonderfully creative and imaginative.

Can you see what this first one is made of?  It is parsley!  Beautifully done.

And how about this second tree with its distinctive shape and beautiful branches - all made out of tropical succulent hens and chicks, set in Spanish moss.

Longwood's Christmas has started, so there's time to plan, schedule and get there for a visit of a Christmas lifetime.

When Autumn Met Winter

We had snow, cold and winds 2 weeks ago.  Last week, I stopped at the beautiful Bloodgood Japanese Maple around the corner.  It's the largest that I've seen in Niagara.  The red leaves carpet the driveway when they fall.  Here they are with snow and grass below the trunk.

Stormy Skies Up on the Escarpment

I experience a different landscape up on the escarpment in Grimsby.  There are some orchards and vineyards, but the corn fields in these pictures seem more common.  And does the wind blow!  A storm came in earlier this week with high winds.  These bold, cloudy skies forewarned us.  

Where the Mind Turns to in Winter

Last week was a week of winter winds and snow with chilling temperatures.  My mind turns to the beautiful flowers of spring and I found myself in Wisteria Heaven.  

This is the longest wisteria in Niagara - it's in Jordan Village and is more than 100 feet long.  This panorama was stitched together with more than 10 pictures.

One of the most famous Wisteria gardens is at Longwood, near Philadelphia PA.  The wisterias are trained into graceful trees.