Winter Arrives, Steam Train and a Snowperson

Yesterday morning shortly after waking up and while doing my Tai chi, the snows of winter arrived. This was the scene from our deck. More snow fell during the day. We received nearly six inches of snow. Before retiring for the day, I heard the grader clearing the Knickerbocker parking lot across the street. In a few weeks Roman Candle Pizza will be opening just across the street from our apartment building. 

About 2:45 pm and after a heartwarming Holiday concert at our church, First Unitarian Society, a quick shopping trip, and a telephone call with our daughter, I bundled up and headed to the Prospect Gardens. I anticipated enjoying how snow transforms the Gardens while being grateful that a blanket of snow now protects the plants.


Yesterday's snow and winter is a new beginning. Without the pause of winter and the protecting snow, there would be no spring here in Wisconsin.  I wish the Gardens a peaceful rest. The next five pictures show some of what I enjoyed during my pleasant visit to the snowy Gardens.

A snow covered path goes through the Gardens. This is a view towards the west. The city usually plows the path early because of bikers and pedestrians. I met both during my walk. I watched as a father and two young sons skied by. One, about eleven, took a tumble and with the assistance of Dad, got back up on his skis.  A biker, dressed for the elements, passed me by, following tracks made by another biker. A bike with wide balloon tires plowed through the snow with the rider bent over and peddling with a determined expression on his face.

 

 Here's the lacy remnants of a Rudbeckia (Black Eye Susan). The snow now shelters its roots. May this protective blanket remain until the spring thaw.

 Here is one of the birdhouses with its snowy mantel on the roof. A species of staghorn sumac (Tiger Eyes) is in the forefront. Hopefully, birds will move into the house, build a nest and bring forth a new generation.

This little house is a spring and summer shelter for butterflies.  I noticed the circular mantel of snow perched on the roof.The snow adds beauty to the old picket fence in the background.  The fence is showing its age. It was here when trains rumbled by on what now is a commuter path.

When Emily, our daughter, was a fifth grader at nearby Randall School, she along with a small group of students and I interviewed former students of Randall. We interviewed former students form each decade since the school was opened, which at the time of interviewing totaled nine decades.  A women told us about the steam powered trains that would rumble through the neighborhood. When she and her friends would hear the train's whistle, they ran to the bridges over Harrison or Edgewood to experience the thrill of being engulfed by the bellowing steam pouring from the roaring engine.

Yesterday I heard no steam trains or roaring sounds as I walked through the Gardens and followed the commuter path. Just memories of them along with the stillness of snow and this enchanting snowperson. The accessories, except for the buttons, are plant remnants from the Gardens.

Note the sprigs of hair.  I'm imagining that a child, with the assistance of a parent or grandparent, made this wonderful winter symbol. May the joy and laughter of the creators, whoever they are, continue as we celebrate the holidays.  

Election Day 2016 and Fall

 On this historic election day and after voting this morning, I found my way to the Prospect Gardens.  My visit prompts thoughts of this Wendell Barry poem.

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethoughts

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

The Gardens are cultivated by humans and a place where one would not find a wood drake, yet visiting them on this beautiful, sunny fall day gave me peace as I wait for election returns.  In the meantime, I share these seven Garden scenes with the aspiration that we experience moments of peace as we move further into what is now unfolding.

Black Eye Susan still in bloom; a testimony to this warm fall.  Below is another hearty clump in a different section of the Prospect Garden. Surely in the next few weeks both will feel the effects of the inevitable frost and cold winds of approaching winter.                                          

No, this is not a replica of Mother Earth. It sure looks like our blue boat home.  It's a bowling ball given to Ann and I by Steve, our former next door neighbor. Ann and I returned from an out-of-town trip and found the blue orb in one of our front yard flower beds of our Keyes Avenue home.  After we moved, Earth was moved to the Gardens.

 Brilliant yellow trees that provide shade for the Hosta garden.  The Hosta plants have also turned a golden yellow, as the leaves from the trees drop to the floor of the garden. Yesterday, on my walk through the UW Arboretum, I felt the leaves from the oak trees, lazily falling around me as I strolled underneath the trees. Watching the leaves drop to the Garden made me think of the impermanence of all things while feeling a soothing calm. 

The grasses have turned a delightful brown.  These were gently swaying in the wind as I snapped the picture.

A view towards the East and the Capitol and Camp Randall. The dome of the Capitol can be seen from here.  The sculpture-like object in the foreground is seed pods from a shrub. 

 I end with Hydrangea blooms. April, an incredible gardener, from about a half block east of the Gardens,  gave me the plant from her spectacular garden. When I planted the Hydrangea about a month ago, I never expected to enjoy its blooms on election day.

Darkness now lies outside of my windows. In a few hours, I will tune in to the election reports with the intent of maintaining peace experienced this morning while visiting the Gardens.  May you also experience moments of peace during the aftermath of this chaotic election season.

 

2016 Season Ends and Days Ahead

The 2016 Prospect Gardening season ended last Saturday, October 22nd.  The day started with clouds and temperatures that required a stocking cap and extra layers of clothes.

Here's Bob weeding one of the beds in a section of the Garden that borders the Regent Neighborhood. The Gardens straddle the Regent and Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhoods.

Thanks, Bob, for your help. Love that stocking cap!

About ten o'clock the sun came out, warming all of us.  Temperatures reached the upper sixties by noon, as the magnificent fall day continued to unfold.  

 Here's Ann sweeping the steps, after working hard weeding, cutting back plants and hauling plant material up the ramps. Cleaning up, I think, is her favorite task. Thanks, Ann, for a being a loyal and dedicated volunteer.   

A final task is to put up the orange plastic snow fences; hopefully to signal the city snow blowers that snow should not be pushed into the Gardens. The fences have accomplished this goal since we have erected them.

Here's me, along with Bob, putting in place the first of three sections of fencing.  Bob is a Boy Scout leader and knows his knots.  He attempted to teach me how to tie a square knot supplementing my usual granny knot.  The lesson really didn't stick. After the first attempt, I returned to my favorite granny knot.

 Throughout the 2016 season, Ann always provided a homemade treat for the crew. Here's Bob, Laura and Ken enjoying delicious lemon bars. After finishing work, everybody left with bars to enjoy later.

 A closeup of Bob enjoying a lemon bar. Bob once joked that the major reason he volunteers is because of Ann's treats. So indeed food could be one way to a volunteer's heart and motivate gardening behaviors.

Gardening always includes opportunities to connect with neighbors and friends.  Here's Laura and her dog, Esther, approaching the crew during the break.

Esther loves Ann. The two bonded the first time they met. Esther becomes so excited when she hears and sees Ann.  Ann scoops Esther into her arms, and Esther enthusiastically expresses her love.

Shortly after noon,  Ann, Laura and I returned our wheelbarrow full of tools back to a small shed near Ernie's  backyard. The shed is on city property bordering the bike path and has been there for years.   I covered the wheelbarrow and the contents with a tarp, in anticipation of the snow that will most likely find its way through the shed's cracks.

We said goodbye to Laura, a wonderful hardworking, steady volunteer gardener, and walked to our car.  Ann and I felt the physical effects of gardening while being grateful for Bob's, Laura's and Ken's companionship, diligence, and assistance today.  Thanks, Ken, too for your hard work as a volunteer on many work days.

In the afternoon, Ann and I enjoyed lunch at the next door German restaurant, the Freiburg. We intended to lunch at Colectivo, about a quarter block further east. On our way, we changed our minds. This behavior indicates the choices we have within walking distance.  Urban living has its advantages. 

Now I anticipate winter while enjoying the remaining days of fall. Yesterday included a long walk in the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. On Thursday, I will travel to another beautiful Wisconsin location, Pine Lake, near Westfield, for a meditation retreat concluding with a Sunday lunch. I look forward to the solitude of the retreat, the beauty of the grounds and being disconnected from the media, email and from my cell phone.  Ann enjoys her own kind of retreat at home.     

 

Fall Clean-Up

Last Saturday, October 15th, volunteers began the fall clean-up of the Prospect Gardens. Pictured to the right is the mammoth pile after the three hour work session. Ann and I are enjoying the results of a productive morning with everyone.  The pile almost comes up to Ann's shoulders.  Laura, who frequently volunteers, took the picture.

This upcoming Saturday, October 22nd (9 to noon), we will most likely have the final work session of the season. We will finish cutting back plants, remove Creeping Charlie from a section of the Garden, and put up the orange snow fences. If time allows, the dead raspberry canes will be removed.

A few days ago, the Madison Water Department disconnected and removed the water meter from the fire hydrant. Yesterday, I returned the key to the Department and finally met in person, Amy, who is responsible for garden water accounts throughout the city. She told me we only used 105 gallons of water;  another indication of this season's plentiful rain.

Dave, pictured to the right and a student at the nearby Edgewood College, pitched in. Dave's hard work is greatly appreciated.  Thanks for coming. 

 Here's Dave in action.  He diligently cut down plants for over two hours. Without his help, we would have never accomplished as much as we did.  
  

Ken, another frequent volunteer, is working his way through a section of the Gardens bordering the Dudgeon-Monroe Neighborhood. Ken is using Laura's Fiskar pruning shears. Fiskar shears are an amazing tool with adjustable, long handles that make cutting so much easier than the cheaper ones I was using. Thanks, Laura, for lending them. Fiskars are now on my list of things that must be purchased for next year.

  Here I am with those well-designed Fiskars, before turning them over to Ken.  While this picture was taken, I was doing a poor impersonation of Edward Scissorhands --- not even close.

Back to work weeding the Columbine bed. Weeding is such a challenge because of the rocks.  The roots of the weeds are under the rocks, which requires picking up each stone to get at the roots.  Persistence and patience are required.

Ann provided homemade pumpkin bread for a tasty treat; enjoyed during a break. I kid her that as the "union steward", she ensures that breaks are provided.

Laura, along with Ann, also swept the ramps, removing slippery leaves and pine needles. Bike riders should appreciate their efforts.

Another gardening season is ending. Volunteers, some pictured in this posting, make these Gardens possible. Without their vigilance and diligence, the Gardens would be overrun with weeds and invasive plants.  Thanks to all who have pitched in.  





   

Autumn and Thoughts of Winter

Greetings to you. Ann and I continue with settling-in nicely into our new home and apartment living while enjoying Autumn.  The leaves of several trees across the street are gone, exposing the lattice-like branches.  Soon we will be able to see Lake Wingra from our living room windows and deck.

The tree to the right is west of our deck and still has its yellow garment. Note the blue sky. Hardly a cloud in the sky on this perfect Fall day. This will be a good day for another Autumnal walk.


To the left is a tree I noticed while walking through the UW Arboretum, a short drive from our apartment. I can walk to the Arboretum from our apartment as well, which I did a few weeks ago.  It's nearly a two hour walk, which loops around Lake Wingra.

Usually I walk through the adjoining neighborhoods.To my surprise, I encountered two young Sandhill Cranes, near Midvale on playing fields of an elementary school. Both birds leisurely enjoyed the sun while paying little attention to me, and to the thirty or so children playing soccer, about twenty feet from me and the birds. Here's hoping the two become more concerned about "us humans". 

On the same day, and along the bike path, I met this reminder that Halloween is fast approaching.  The homeowners always hang this one and two others goblins in a tree bordering the path.  I will miss all the young trick-or-treaters who knocked on the door of our home on Keyes Avenue. Our securely locked building prevents any ghost, goblins, etc.  from making their way to our apartment door.

Fall is also evident in the Prospect Gardens as the following four pictures reveal. Tomorrow, we will continue cutting back the plants and getting the gardens ready for winter. We also have another work session scheduled for October 22nd, both 9am to noon. If you live in Madison, please join us.


The blooming Purple Asters, pictured to the right, announce that Autumn is once again with us. A last splash of color before the browns and tans totally take over the Gardens.

Another late bloomer is the Saw Tooth Daisy. Like the Aster, these plants spread easily.  In the last few years, Saw Tooth Daisies have spread east and west of the Gardens, including a large patch about a half block east towards Camp Randall and the football stadium. 

This picture shows the transition underway in the Gardens. There still are green plants; more than usual because of the rainy Summer and Fall.  The splash of yellow reminds me of the passing summer while browns of the mature plants underscore the arrival of Autumn and the inevitable Winter.

I am pleasingly anticipating Winter more than usual this year.  No longer will I be removing snow with the trusted "Snow Commander" snowblower.  I enjoyed this task and often found myself clearing neighbor's sidewalks with the powerful Snow Commander. Get that machine going and sometimes I just couldn't stop myself!

Now Ann and I can sit back and enjoy the falling snow as it piles up on our deck.  Being on the third floor and watching the snow fall surely will be a pleasant experience.

Enjoy this transitional season, as Ann and I are doing. Fall is a reminder that life indeed is made up of seasons and transitions.

   




 
 

Summer Ending,a "New/Old Home" and Bird Houses

Balmy summer days are slipping away as the official first day of autumn is on the horizon.  I captured this scene a few days ago while walking through Wingra Park. The park is a half block from our apartment and just across the street.  Trees with their full canopies now obstruct our view of the lake. When the leaves drop, now turning a pale yellow, we will see Lake Wingra from our deck.  

The scene captures the lingering days of summer. The ducks have reclaimed the shoreline, basking in the sunlight. Some look like they are meditating. They hardly gave me a glance as they continued their relaxed posture. A young man sits alone on the dock enjoying a custard from nearby Michael's custard. I saw him as he approached the dock and watched as he sat down. He and I, along with the ducks, shared the solitude of Wingra Park on a lingering summer day. 

 Summer continues to linger across Prospect Gardens as autumn approaches. As I said in my last blog entry, colorful birdhouses now add more beauty to the gardens. Last Sunday, three more were installed, for a total of four located throughout the gardens. 

Nick, pictured here, along with his teenage son, built the birdhouses. Thanks so much for these delightful splashes of color. Hopefully next year, birds will take up residency. A friend shared a picture of one of the houses on Facebook, saying that if she was a bird this is the kind of house she would want. 

 Another house ready and waiting for birds. I doubt the birds realize that these fine homes are in some of Madison's most desirable neighborhoods.  Location! Location! Location!

Here is a third beauty available for immediate occupancy. Note the brown stems from the surrounding day lilies.  Next season this gem will be surrounded by blooming day lilies. 

The human house in the background is a recently totally renovated home plus addition. A few years ago, we watched while the original home was almost totally demolished. Left standing were the floors and two perpendicular walls, facing west and north. That's it.... roof completely gone, as well as the east and south walls. Several neighbors and I would gather and watch as the old home disappeared and the new one emerged. We wondered why the entire original house was not totally demolished.   

The "new/old house" is quite pleasing.  From the front of the house, you can easily recognize the design of the old home built during the 1920s.    

Here is the final birdhouse. All together, the four birdhouses are delightful additions to the gardens. If you are in the Madison area, peddle by on your bike or walk, and check them out.  Also there still are late raspberries to pick and enjoy.

Enjoy these remaining summer days and this season of change and transition. 

Raspberries,the Return, Birdhouses and Urban Living

 A beautiful late summer day is moving from dusk into night as one of my favorite collections of classical music plays in the background and blue-gray clouds hang in the southern sky. Living on the third floor provides a different perspective than the ground level one at our former home. Now I have views of the ever changing skies, swallows that perch on the nearby electric wires and occasionally witness geese as they fly over the deck of our apartment. 

Meanwhile back at the Prospect Gardens, the summer raspberries are plentiful. Notice the bug on the upper leaf. Could it be the Japanese Beetle? As you probably know, they have a voracious appetite, stripping leaves until only the veins stand out. The resulting lace-like pattern is actually quite pleasing to the eye but not to the plant.


 Last week Ann and I returned for the first time to work in the Gardens since our move. All the necessary tools are now stored in this shed located on the property adjoining the path. The shed has been there for years and  borders Ernie's lot. Here's hoping Ernie and his wife, Jeanne, remain in their home for several more years.Otherwise, we will need another storage place for the tools.
Thank you, Ernie, for providing this access.  

While working several former neighbors stopped by to say hello.  We were especially pleased to visit with Andres and his two young sons.  The family, including Jen, returned from a year long sabbatical in Spain in mid-August.


Here I am, looking a little like the stern man in the "American Gothic" painting. Ann and I already worked nearly three hours.  I achieved my goal of completing mulching that began early this summer after removing very tall weeds. Our focus was on the hosta garden underneath the trees in back of me.

Ann's help and company is greatly appreciated. Beside hauling away weeds I pulled, she cut away the brown stems of the Daily Lilies and weeded. One of her favorite tasks is cleaning the debris from the ramps, making them safer for all the bicyclists.

A very special thank you to Laura who weeded on her own time. She is a faithful volunteer. 

Here's the first of five birdhouse that will be installed in the garden this upcoming Sunday. A neighbor, Nick and his son, are the builders. I love the bright colors and I am eager to see the other four.


Darkness now accentuates the view out of my office window with the "Open" neon sign of Taste of India inviting late dinners. Taste of India is just one of  eight current choices within easy walking distance. Included in this list are the Laurel Tavern,Michael's Frozen Custard and Colectivo Coffee. Bluephies is now under renovation and Roman Candle is moving across the street. Infusion Chocolate will also be our neighbors.

I mention the eight not to suggest that Ann and I are go out frequently. Instead, the list underscores our new urban environment and how this part of Monroe Street is fast becoming restaurant row.        

Transitions and Summer Bliss

Many of you know that Ann and I sold our home, located a few blocks from the Prospect Gardens, and moved six blocks west to an apartment. A thirty year era ended. We are transitioning into a more urban street environment with the traffic of Monroe Street a reminder of the busy world surrounding our new refuge. We will maintain contact with the Gardens and good neighbors who live nearby as we continue to enjoy and experience anew the Dudgeon-Monroe Neighborhood.

Our apartment, even with an expansive 30 foot deck, couldn't accommodate the butterfly house in this picture. So now the house is part of the Gardens. Several years ago Emily, my daughter, gave me the house as a birthday gift. I could not totally let go of this precious gift. Like me, it is showing its age while still being strong and sturdy.  I will watch if butterflies make this a temporary refuge, which never happened when the house was in the backyard of our former home. Monarchs visit the Prospect  Gardens, as do Yellow Tails and delicate cream-colored butterflies. How do you conduct an open house for butterflies? 

Pictured here are a few more garden mementos that I couldn't part with. The round wheel is a grinding stone once used to sharpen knives and farm tools. I found it several years ago, buried in our flower bed. It now is a reminder of time gone by and that even stones wear away. Once there was a wooden frame that cradled the stone with an axle going through the square hole and at the end of the axle, a crank. Turning the crank spun the wheel and sometimes sparks would fly, depending on how hard you pressed the metal tool against the stone.

 A complete grinding stone sat idly in an old granary, one of the out-buildings on our family farm in Pulaski, WI.  The stone, along with other old farm implements, such as a hand-held sickle for cutting grain, were artifacts of a vanished farming era when horse power and human labor were the norm.  

The two ornaments in the upper right hand quarter of the picture are gifts from relatives. All are now part of the hosta garden, adding some additional beauty.

The following pictures show the summer bliss of the Gardens with yellows being the predominate color. Pictured are Joe Pye mixed with Tall Coreoposis. These grace the south side of the Gardens, spilling over the old picket fence.

 In the background are Rhus typhina Tiger Eyes, which are in the staghorn sumac family. Tiger Eyes, while adding beauty and texture to the Gardens, are rather aggressive, sending out runners in an effort to propagate.  Tiger Eyes were among the first shrubs planted nearly seven years ago. The shrubs are the Garden's backbone providing an overall design framework. 

In the upper portion of this picture is another Tiger Eyes, one of the originally planted ones. It's smaller because of being accidentally pruned several years ago by the city snow removal crew as they pushed snow into the Garden . We thought the plant died and as you can see, we were wrong. Mark Twain's statement applies:  “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” 

The red blooms in the center of the picture are of a Cardinal plant, installed this spring.  Several Cardinal plants, located in other sections, did not survive the winter. I miss a spectacular one, bushy and rather tall for a Cardinal plant. Last summer, two representatives from a Wisconsin native plant association, while visiting the Gardens, admired the plant and took its picture. Little did I know, at that time, the admired plant was in its last season. This spring I searched for its shoots. As time passed, I let go of my expectations that the beautiful plant would magically reappear. Another lesson in the impermanence of life.   

This slightly out-of-focus picture (reminds me of Renoir; just a little) shows the transitions happening in the Gardens. On the right hand side of the picture are the Queen of the Prairie with its once deep and fluffy pink blossoms, now with golden brown hard seeds waiting to mature and spread.

Still vibrant are the pink phlox and the yellow Ox-Eye. The Ox-Eye's large yellow heads signal the blissful months of late summer. Initially, these came from a neighbor's rain garden.

During the past seven years of tending the Prospect Gardens, its been fascinating to watch how some plants spread to different locations. The Ox-Eyes are one of those that like to relocate, as do the Columbines and Queen of the Prairie.


Bunches of ripe Black Elderberries, pictured to the right, are another sign of transition and late summer. These will be picked by Janice, a neighbor, and turned into juices, sauces and maybe a pie. Enjoying pie made of summer fruit generates in me a blissful state.

As we move from summer to fall, the Gardens and our worlds will continue to change. We will once again feel the cool breezes of fall and experience the bliss of colorful leaves and the serenity of  purple blooming Asters. The Asters are the last to bloom before they too let go as the cold, invigorating winds of winter envelope the Gardens. 

This anticipation of more transitions brings me to a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, a Bohemian- Austrian Poet and novelist (1875-1926). 

"I live my life in widening circles

that reach out across the world.

I may not ever complete the last one,

but I give myself to it.”