Our Little Acre

A New Website and a Giveaway!

2009-11-07T14:49:00.001-05:00

If you're a regular reader of this blog (thank you!), you know from time to time I post a review of a gardening-related book that I've read. My purpose in sharing these books with you is threefold:

To bring your attention to a new publication

To share my opinion of some of the available books on different aspects of gardening

To give you a possible gift idea for the gardeners on your gift list

Books are just one way of learning more about so many subjects, including gardening. I've always loved reading and I love gardening as well, so book reviews are my way of sharing two of my favorite pastimes with you.

Our Little Acre has evolved over the last three years (where did that time go??) in that it originally was started as a way for me to journal my gardening adventures and share what I was doing with family and friends. It soon found its way into the reading list of many others and has led to some wonderful opportunities, one of which has been doing more book reviews.

There are now a number of books sitting beside me for review, and since I want to keep this blog true to its original intent, I decided to launch a companion site to this one, called Gardening by the Book. This will allow me to do many more reviews without flooding this blog with them. I will still post an occasional book review here on Our Little Acre, with cross-posting to the new site, but for all my book reviews, you'll want to follow Gardening by the Book.

I have quite a library of gardening books, which I will draw from for reviews in between the new releases. Some are collections of gardening essays, a few are garden-themed fiction, there are coffee table books with stunning garden photography, and many are reference books. All will be related to gardening in some way, including those on insects, birds, and butterflies.

Now here's the best part...

To celebrate my new website, I'm giving away a copy of the book featured in my latest review: Bulb by Anna Pavord. This is a meaty hardcover book with 544 pages, full of valuable and fascinating information on over 600 bulbs. There's a lot of that stunning photography I was talking about, too.

For an entry into the giveaway, you must go to Gardening by the Book, and become a follower in one of the following ways:

Subscribe by Email
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow on Twitter
Follow with Google Friend Connect (found on the sidebar of Gardening by the Book)

You can do all four (yay!), but only one is required to be eligible to win the book. Once you've done that, come back here and leave a comment, telling me you're following and if you'd like to be entered to win the book. Non-entry comments are always welcome, too! I'll accept entries here through Wednesday night, November 11th, at 12:00 midnight EST, at which time I'll draw a name from the eligible entries.

I know that's a little more work than some giveaways require, but this book is worth the effort, due to all the invaluable information it contains. The book weighs 4 pounds and while Amazon.com ships it for free, I don't have that luxury. So yes, this is a bribe to get more readers of the new website. I want to say thanks to those of my fellow bloggers that have already mentioned the new site on their blogs, on Facebook, and through Twitter.

Anyway, I hope you will continue to read Our Little Acre (we have kitties! LOL) as well as becoming a new reader of Gardening by the Book. Good luck in the giveaway!

Bren and Kylee On the Loose Again!

2009-11-06T23:15:00.005-05:00

In June, I traveled to near Bowling Green to visit my gardening and blogging friend, Bren of BG_Garden. We spent a delightful day just generally wreaking havoc in the gardening world and today she came my way so we could do it all over again. No buying of plants this time, since we're in the latter days of fall and the garden centers don't have a whole lot anyway.

So what kind of trouble did we manage to get into today?

After a tour of Our Little Acre, we jumped in the Beetle and headed south to Van Wert. We picked up my mom and we went to DeShia's for their Christmas Open House and lunch. DeShia's is a quaint gift shop located south of Van Wert on US 127 (of World's Longest Yard Sale fame).

They were quite busy, and our table for lunch wasn't quite ready for us, so we browsed the rooms of the shop. Gift of all sorts were available, including Yankee Candles and Vera Bradley items. There were lots of rustic items for decorating any time of the year, but since this was a Christmas open house, the focus was on Christmas decor.

It really put us in the Christmas spirit, seeing all the decorations and smelling those Christmasy fragrances.

We had a nice conversation with the owners, Bob and Karen Miller, which was especially fun for me, since Mr. Miller was my guidance counselor when I was in high school and I hadn't seen him in quite some time. Isn't it funny how your teachers in school never manage to really have a first name, no matter how old you get?

We had a lovely lunch in The Gathering Room Café consisting of a sandwich (I had ham and cheese), potato soup, lettuce salad with strawberries, and Red Velvet cake with raspberry sauce! It was all very good and after we got our tummies full, we went on our way to our next destination.

Laurie's Naturescapes is a favorite of mine, not only because they have all kinds of fun plant material during the growing season, but because they have an amazing gift shop, too. Laurie carries unusual decorator items and I always find something I can't live without when I go there.

She's also Romie's first cousin and I've known her since she was a little girl. People don't come any nicer than Laurie. (Are you feeling the love, Laurie?)

When we walked into the shop, we were met with an overload of color and sparkle and all things Christmas. Laurie carries many things in her store that you won't easily find anywhere else in the area. It's that uniqueness that keeps people coming back for "just the thing."

We walked outside where the nursery plants are usually kept and while Laurie still had a few things left, we didn't find anything we couldn't live without, except a beautiful dwarf crabapple from the Round Table Series, wearing beautiful yellow berries. This one was planted in the ground, but Laurie told me she will carry these trees for sale in the spring.

Malus 'Lanzam' a.k.a. 'Lancelot'

Scenes from the gift shop:

These trees have a Dr. Seuss feel to them, don't you think?

Since Mom had had neck and back surgery just a month ago, she was getting pretty tired, so we returned to her house.

Mom showed Bren around her yard and gardens and we visited with her a little, before heading to the Smiley Park Children's Garden.

Bren had already heard about the garden from me and while it too has been put to rest for the winter, she could still see all the amazing sections of it. I briefly shared with her some of the stories behind each of the smaller gardens contained within, before chilly winds sent us scurrying for the car.

We arrived back at Our Little Acre, where it was nearing nightfall and since Bren had a bit of a drive back home, we said our goodbyes and made plans for getting together again soon. It's so much fun spending time with friends, and meeting Bren is just one of the many great things that has come my way as a result of blogging. *Hugs* to you, Bren!

Better Than Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-05T13:53:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again. The Jack-O'-Lanterns' lights have gone out and pumpkins can once again be used for their original purpose: making us fat. Okay, just kidding. Only we make us fat and pumpkins are great sources of Vitamin A and fiber.

Every year, I get requests for my recipe for pumpkin torte. I don't remember now how I got this recipe myself years ago, but my family insists I make it every Thanksgiving. They're nearly delirious with joy if it happens to turn up at other times of the year as well.

I wish I could have a dollar for every time someone asked me for this recipe. I could hire someone to make it for me. But it's not difficult. Here it is. Enjoy!

Kylee's Pumpkin Torte

1 yellow cake mix (take out 1 cup)
3 eggs
1¼ cup white sugar
¾ cup butter
¾ cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large can pumpkin pie mix

Crust: Mix the cake mix (less 1 cup) with one egg and ½ cup butter. Press into the bottom of a greased jelly roll pan (10½ x 15½ x 1).
Filling: Mix until smooth - pumpkin pie mix, 2 eggs, and evaporated milk. Pour on top of the crust.
Topping: Mix 1 cup cake mix, sugar, cinnamon and ¼ cup butter. Sprinkle on top of the pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

Colchicums - The Other Fall Crocus

2009-11-04T23:59:00.000-05:00

When Mom and I first visited Schedel Arboretum and Gardens in the fall of 2007, we came upon a beautiful ground flower that resembled giant crocuses. We'd not seen any like them in person before, but I'd recently seen photos of and read about Colchicums, and was pretty sure that's what they were.

Colchicums are sometimes known as "Fall Crocus," though they aren't crocuses at all. While I do have a true fall crocus growing and blooming here (Crocus kotschyanus), I'd not ever invested in Colchicums. I say "invested" because they aren't the cheapest bulb you can buy for the garden. But this fall, Park Seed had some for about four dollars each (including shipping), so I bought nine.

The ideal time for planting Colchicums is late in August, but I wasn't passing up this opportunity to own these beauties. (Plant them 5" deep in a dry location and give them good drainage.) The 'Water Lily' bulbs arrived at the end of September and I got them planted. Some had anemic buds beginning, but I didn't expect to see those finish out by blooming in my garden this fall.

A few weeks ago, I was walking through the garden and don't you know, those Colchicums were blooming!

Colchicum 'Water Lily'

They've been an attention-getter as more leaves fall and their glowing lavender petals shine through the drab brown carpet of leaves. Each bloom measures 4-5 inches across. I'd say my money was well-spent and next year the show should be even better.

Oh, and there's one more thing to like about Colchicums: Squirrels, rabbits and deer don't like them.

What's Wrong With My Plant? - A Book Review

2009-11-03T01:32:00.005-05:00

What's Wrong With My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?): A Visual Guide to Easy Diagnosis and Organic Remedies
by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth

452 pages
Timber Press (December 2, 2009)
List price: $24.95

I don't care how long you've been gardening, even if you do everything right, plants won't be healthy 100% of the time. Some new bug or spot eventually finds its way to your garden and then what?

You put your plant detective hat on and get to work at finding out just what the problem is. So the leaves are yellow and it's not fall. There are little green specks on the stems and leaves. And they're moving.

Thankfully, you don't have to be an entymologist with a degree in horticulture to figure this out, because David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth have done the work for you. Their collaboration to bring gardeners a simple method of diagnosing a plant's problems leaves this gardener grateful for the immense amount of labor that has gone into this book.

With easy-to-follow flow charts, you are taken through a series of identifications by both illustrations and photographs that eventually lead you to the problem and the solution. If a pesticide or fungicide is required, there's an organic remedy described. They've also provided a list of resources for locating recommended products.

For years, we've wondered what the strange, pointy growths were on the leaves of some of our maple trees. I now know they're infected by bladder gall mites for which the solution is insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or Neem oil. It took me no more than five minutes to find this out, using the flow charts.

This is one reference book that no gardener's library should be without.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David Deardorff, Ph.D., is a plant pathologist and botanist who uses public speaking, writing, and photography to explain the science and beauty of the natural world. Naturalist Kathryn Wadsworth shares her love for gardening and the outdoors through writing and photography. Together, David and Kathryn (www.ddandkw.com) present classes and workshops with a focus on diagnosing and curing plant problems. They live and garden in Port Townsend, Washington.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The product or merchandise being reviewed in this blog post was the sole compensation for testing and reviewing the product. All opinions expressed here are mine, with no suggestions whatsoever by the manufacturer or distributor. If I like it, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that, too.

Pretty Pink Petunias

2009-11-02T13:52:00.005-05:00

This past summer, Mom and I visited the trial gardens at Michigan State University. That was like walking through a candy store, with the colorful array of annuals in full bloom laid before us in strips like aisles in a floral supermarket. The thought that kept running through my head was, "I'll take three of those, six of those, and ALL of those!"

Some of the plants that really caught my eye were, of all things, petunias. Even though I've grown them every year in some variety or another, I was still somewhat of the mind that petunias were overused, boring, and a grandma flower. But I kept returning to look at them here and by the time we left, so had my previous stereotypical thoughts about them.

First, there was 'Antique Shades.'

And then I was smitten with 'Lime Bicolor.'

I took note of them and will look for them next spring. In the meantime, a lovely pink petunia came up volunteer on our front brick walk here at Our Little Acre.

While I don't know exactly which one it is, it's most likely an offspring of a pink Wave variety that I had in my flower boxes on the front porch two summers ago. They bloomed like crazy and no doubt thousands, maybe even millions, of its seeds fell to the ground below.

When my parents came to help spruce things up before the garden walk in August, Dad wanted to pull it out. He thought I wouldn't want it growing in the brick walk, but I was perfectly content to let it remain and do its thing. How could anyone destroy something as lovely as this?

Today, the latest issue of Horticulture magazine arrived in the mail and there was yet another petunia staring me in the face that is now on my want list for next spring:

Photo by Proven Winners

Supertunia 'Pretty Much Picasso' is brought to us by Proven Winners.

With their ease of growing and the great new varieties there are to choose from these days, petunias aren't just for grandmas anymore!

Something New, Something Old, Something Silver and Gold

2009-11-01T23:31:00.004-05:00

What's new to me is sometimes old to someone else, especially in the plant world, because I'm so new to it. I just completed my fifth summer of gardening and though I've learned a heck of a lot in that time, it's but a drop in the bucket, considering the whole. But this isn't a bad thing.

When you find a pastime that is as big and varied as gardening, there isn't a chance for boredom to set in. Your world is only limited by your time or space or energy. There are times when we're hit with all three, but even then, it seems there's always something new on the horizon to capture our interest.

The garden is winding down for the year, but there are a few tough plants that soldier on, bursting out with new blooms of color. There's the 'Clara Curtis' daisy mum (Dendranthemum) that laughs in the face of Jack Frost. Who would think there would be so much pink in the garden now? There are other mums too, and a few roses, like these minis:

And imagine my surprise at finding a non-Stella daylily in bloom:

Hemerocallis 'Penny's Worth'

But what I'm really enjoying right now is the Silver and Gold Mum.

That's what it's commonly called, and while it used to be in the genus Chrysanthemum, now it's Ajania pacifica 'Silver and Gold.' I purchased it in June, at Bench's Greenhouse, when I visited Bren of BG_Garden. I wish I'd bought more than one, although I do see small signs of it spreading already.

It's a perennial, suitable for zones 5-9, and it blooms September through November. The plant is about 12-15 inches tall and its blooms stay as tight little buttons that seem as if they'll never open up further, but they eventually do. The foliage has a sheen to it and at first glance its perfect form looks artificial.

Is this a commonly grown plant, or is it new just to me?

New Website For Your Reading Pleasure!

2009-11-01T18:42:00.004-05:00

As the colder months are breathing down our necks, and the holidays are edging their way into our periphery, it's the perfect time to hunker down with a good book or two. In most climates, gardening is a three-season endeavor, so we can use the off-season to garden by way of wonderful books.

I love reading. I love gardening. So it was just natural that I create a site that joins both. Gardening by the Book came about as a result of these two loves plus the fact that more and more review copies of gardening books are coming my way. I didn't want Our Little Acre to become something other than what it is, which is more or less a journal of my experiences in our northwest Ohio gardens. Yet, as I said, I love reading and want to share what's been on my bookshelf and what is arriving in my mailbox.

I will still post some book reviews here, but there will be more of them on Gardening by the Book.

If you're the author or publisher of a book on gardening or a related subject and would like me to review your book, please contact me through my profile here or the contact link on Gardening By the Book.

If you're a reader of Our Little Acre, I urge you to visit my new companion site. It's on Facebook, too!

Mexico Welcomes the Monarchs

2009-10-30T17:54:00.005-04:00

We've long passed the peak migration period for the Monarch butterflies in our area (mid-September), even though we saw one in the garden earlier this week. The straggler had better get on his way before daytime temperatures become too cold. Monarchs can't fly in temperatures below 50° F, which is why they flock in trees overnight until it's warm enough to continue on their long journey to Mexico.

Just about now, the first Monarchs are arriving at their winter roosts in central Mexico, completing one of the most amazing migration trips in the insect world.

In case you've never heard the story of the Monarch's life cycle and how they deal with northern winters, Nova has done a wonderful piece for PBS called The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies. It's shown periodically, but you can watch the 50-minute program online at your own convenience.

I urge you to take the time to see it:

(Click on the graphic)

WANTED: Apple Tree

2009-10-29T22:02:00.003-04:00

We live in the land of Johnny Appleseed. To our east, not far from here, is Defiance, where he established one of his nurseries on the north bank of the Maumee River. Most of the early apple orchards in our county (Paulding) were started with seedlings from that nursery. Just a short distance west of us, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, lie his remains.

I've always thought that it was cool to think about, that this American icon once walked where I walk today, spreading seeds as he went. And it is an interesting thought, but I learned something last night, while watching The Botany of Desire on PBS. The trees he planted by seed were largely inedible as a snack. Good for cider, though.

When we moved to our house here at Our Little Acre in 1977, my parents bought two apple trees for us to plant. They were both 'Red Delicious,' which I recently learned is probably the best kind to plant here, as they are most resistant to cedar-apple rust.

Those two trees have given us many apples over the last 32 years. One of the trees has always been smaller than the other and has produced less fruit. In recent years, it's declined in health and we've gotten very few apples from it. About two years ago, the tree began to lean considerably and we had to prop it to keep it from falling over altogether. Finally, we decided the time had come to cut it down and plant a new one.

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day and I suggested to Romie that we take care of the ailing apple tree. No chain saw or axe was necessary. Because we'd had plenty of rain recently, the ground was pretty soft. All it took was a good hard shove and the tree fell over as the roots gave no resistance.

Those roots held the key as to why the tree was both not producing much fruit and could not stand up straight. They were shallow and rotting.

We want to plant another apple tree and would like to have 'Golden Delicious.' However, it is one of the varieties that is highly susceptible to cedar-apple rust, which is common around here. The search is on for a suitable replacement.

Bloom-Again Orchids - A Book Review

2009-10-29T13:52:00.002-04:00

Bloom-Again Orchids: 50 Easy-Care Orchids that Flower Again and Again and Again
by judywhite

132 pages
Timber Press (November 28, 2009)
List price $14.95

Who thinks orchids are scary plants, hard to grow, and expensive? *raises hand* Judy White is here to tell you it's not true!

In her new book, Bloom-Again Orchids: 50 Easy-Care Orchids that Flower Again and Again and Again, she attempts to debunk the common myths about growing orchids. As one who has grown orchids for about three years now and has encountered some of the difficulties commonly associated with them, I was really interested in what Ms. White had to say.

Her book is easy to understand, with the guidelines for growing orchids laid out in a concise, simple manner. She lists 50 orchids for growing that are easy to find, easier to grow, and relatively inexpensive, with information specific for each one.

When one is an expert in their field, with years of experience behind them, it's easy to say that something is...well...easy. Much of what is learned becomes instinct. After awhile, you just know. And while I'll agree that her tips for orchids aren't difficult, following them does require a bit of vigilance and effort above and beyond that of the ordinary, everyday keeper of houseplants.

Most gardeners know that orchids aren't the kind of plants that you simply water once a week and expect to produce those exotic, luscious blooms. There are many things to consider, such as soil type, amount of light, amount of water, how to water, fertilizing, etc. Different types of orchids have different requirements.

But with this book at your side and a little effort, you too can grow orchids that will be the envy of the neighborhood.

judywhite is author and photographer of the award-winning Taylor's Guide to Orchids (Houghton Mifflin 1996). Her photography has graced many books and publications, and has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution. A former research biologist and past editor-in-chief of one of the world's first mega-gardening Web sites, Time-Life's Virtual Garden, judywhite is married to British garden writer Graham Rice. She is proud to say she has killed orchids on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Our Little Acre on Facebook

2009-10-26T21:42:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed that I added what's called a "Facebook Fan Box" in the column on the right. It's likely that you've heard of Facebook before, and perhaps you're a registered user. Good for you!

I'm a huge fan of the site, though I wasn't always. When I first signed up, I wasn't sure it was something I would even use very much.

I was wrong.

Facebook has put me in touch with former high school and college classmates, friends I'd lost contact with, and people with whom I have a common interest. It's just one of many social networking sites available to internet users.

So what is a social network anyway? Here's a short video that gives a pretty good explanation:

I use several social networking sites and each has their own unique way of providing me with the tools to connect with those who share a particular interest. Like gardening!

Blotanical has put me in touch with so many wonderful gardeners around the planet, I can't begin to even list the people I've met there. Twitter is another social networking site that I didn't think I'd use much, and although I don't frequent it as much now as I did at first, it too put me in touch with a number of wonderful gardeners. I met Shawna Coronado (The Casual Gardener) on Twitter.

Then along came Facebook. I used it for staying in touch with people that I've known for many years - people that I've met and are relatives or friends in my personal life. Then I found some of my online garden blogger friends were there and some of them found me. My friend list grew.

I started posting updates to my blog on my personal Facebook page, then as more and more businesses and organizations began to have Fan Pages, I thought it would be nice if Our Little Acre had a Facebook page of its own. There I could post updates from my blog as well as photos from the garden and random happenings related to gardening without cluttering up my non-gardening friends' updates.

So the Our Little Acre fan page was born.

As of right now, the page has 100 fans and I'd be happy if that number continued to grow. If you become a fan, any updates to the blog or random comments and photos concerning the garden will show up on your Home page right along with your friends' updates.

Won't you join me on Facebook by becoming a fan of Our Little Acre?

News From Lola!

2009-10-25T23:37:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, Lola has a new home. She spent her last full day here at Our Little Acre on Friday and her new owners came to fetch her on Saturday. They were excited to meet her and take her home to be part of their family and we were happy that she was finally going to live the life she deserved.

She is now a Hoosier kitty, living in Indiana, as is Cocoa, the kitten we adopted out a few weeks ago. I guess we can't be too picky about the homes they go to. (Just kidding!) Actually, when asked whether it made us sad to see Lola go, we could truthfully answer no, because we knew she would be pampered and treasured as an "only" kitty, inside.

We always figured that Lola was an inside cat before she showed up here last fall as skin and bones. She had already been spayed at some point, and she never showed much interest in being outside of either the garage or the pool house. Today, we received the kind of note from Lola's new family that makes us happy as can be:

"Lola's doing great. Took a couple of hours for her to figure out there was no other cat. She's figured out how to get in from the back porch, kittie door, but is still working on going back out. She enjoys being where the action is and she is lovable. If one of us moves, she's right there. Absolutely loves being brushed! Favorite place to sleep at the moment is my closet. Has no interest in going outside which is good because we live in town. I think she knows she's home. Thanks for Lola!!"

Now, hearing that makes my eyes misty from joy over another successful adoption!

Photo Journal: Autumn Color at Our Little Acre

2009-10-23T22:47:00.010-04:00

The morning greeted me with downpours of rain and continued until mid-afternoon. This put an end to the nicer days of our Indian Summer, but for several brief shining moments, the sun returned long enough for me to capture some colorful fall images here in Zone 5b.

Washington Hawthorn tree (Crataegus phaenopyrum)
The birds love the little red berries!

Clockwise, starting at bottom left:
Fothergilla 'Mt. Airy', Spearmint (Mentha spicata), Weigela florida 'Wine and Roses', and Mountain Bluet (Centaurea montana)

Green Bottle Fly on Verbena bonariensis

Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' (back) and Pennisetum alepocuroides 'Hameln' (front), with yellowing daylily foliage on the right

Dendranthema 'Rhumba' sits in the shadow of the Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa)

Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa)

'Prophet Series' Mum and Hosta

A hard rain with no wind causes leaves to simply drop at this Ginkgo's feet, among the hardy Geranium 'Firefly' and Lily Turf (Liriope muscari).

Someone needs to do some raking!

Unknown Crabapple species (Malus sp.)

Luna (and the other cats) thinks this bird bath is a fancy drinking dish just for them. Astilbe 'Color Flash' is living up to its name, in the background.

Max's Garden entrance is awash in golden fall colors. In the foreground is Arkansas Blue Star (Amsonia hubrichtii)

Japanese Maple 'Harp Strings' (Acer palmatum 'Koto no ito'), purchased at this year's Cincinnati Flower Show, is small and will eventually reach 6-8 feet.

Boo pauses between sips of water from a terra cotta saucer.

The maple tree's falling leaves are caught by the ground cover below it, Ajuga reptans or Bugleweed.

Unknown Viburnum, with yellowing Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria sp.) and blooming Colchicum 'Waterlily'

Join Dave at The Home Garden for more fall color around the world.

Adopt a Skunk?

2009-10-22T09:33:00.004-04:00

It's a fairly well-known fact that we are kitty magnets. We don't seek them out, but somehow a considerable number of cats have found their way to our place. At present, our feline population is officially ten. Our neighbors have this unique trait as well, perhaps even more so than we do, because their total at the moment is fifteen.

On Saturday, we'll drop by one when Lola will be adopted out. We're so happy for her, because after living in a cupboard for months, she'll be an "only" cat, inside! Here, she rarely ventures outside and has lived the entire summer inside a cupboard in the pool house. She has never liked being outside, which leads us to believe she was a house cat before she showed up here last fall.

She started out living in the garage all winter, then moved to the pool house for the summer. Whenever one of the other cats shows up in her range of vision (quite often), she opens a cupboard door and stays inside the cupboard for hours until she decides it's safe to come out. Poor thing. The other cats never bother her, but she just isn't taking any chances. Now she'll be able to live the good life.

Last night, we had a "kitty" of a different kind in the pool house. Romie had gone out to put the cats in for the night and immediately came running back to the house and told me to come quickly and bring my camera. There was a skunk in the pool house.

Okay, not really a huge deal, except that four of the cats were also in there. OH NOOOO!! I was freaking out about the other cats, thinking they were going to get it since every single one of them was within spraying distance, but the skunk totally ignored them. The cats must have known to leave him alone, because they watched him warily and kept very quiet. All except Lola.

Of all the times for Lola to come out of the cupboard, it had to be when a skunk was in there. I could hear her growling and when she jumped up on the bucket and perched herself just above the skunk, I cringed. If that wasn't bad enough, she swatted at his tail and I thought it was going to be all over but the crying (by me).

Mr. Skunk was unconcerned. He was on a mission. After eating all the cat food in the dish, he located the large bucket where we keep it and set to work at getting the lid off.

Romie and I were watching outside the pool house while all this was going on. Romie was tall enough to peek in the window and see beyond Sunny and Boo who were sitting up on the window shelf. I kept a safe distance of about fifteen feet from the door and had my "fight or flight" mode engaged. I can tell you it was going to be "flight" if it came to that.

It was actually kind of fun watching the skunk trying to get that lid off. He used his tiny paws and his snooty nose and eventually popped it off. He ate some of the food while the cats continued to watch.

At some point, both Jack and Lola walked out of the pool house, so I took them and put them into the garage. We worked at getting all the other cats put into the garage as well, so that they wouldn't let their curiosity get the better of them and wander into the pool house to see what was going on.

What happened next surprised us both.

The skunk, having had his fill of food, waddled over to a corner and curled up on the floor and WENT TO SLEEP!

Sunny and Boo were still in the pool house, up on the shelf, so we (carefully and quietly) took that opportunity to walk in and grab them so we could put them in the garage, too. Mr. Skunk slept on.

Eventually, he woke up and walked out of the pool house, over to the neighbor's. Romie saw him and once he was gone, closed the pool house door. Whew! Disaster averted. But a short time later, when we turned the outside light on, just to check if he'd come back, what do you think we saw?

A different skunk, sniffing around. This one had a black tail. We're just going to have to make sure we get that door shut before dark. We were lucky this time, but we might not be so fortunate again!

侘寂 (Wabi-sabi)

2009-10-18T21:04:00.007-04:00

Prior to today, I'd not heard of wabi-sabi (侘寂). It sounds a bit like wasabi, and I do know that that is a Japanese sauce made from the root of the wasabi plant. But this wabi-sabi thing...

Debra Lee Baldwin, book author and contributing writer at Gardening Gone Wild, introduced me to the concept in her recent post, Wabi-sabi in the garden. If you break the word down into its literal translation, it is something like this: Wabi is something that evokes a feeling of rustic simplicity and understated elegance. Sabi is that which can be seen as beautiful and serene by virtue of its visible imperfections due to natural aging or necessary repair.

"It (wabi-sabi) nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect." - Richard R. Powell

While I can think of many things this can be applied to, I'll be honest in saying the first thing that comes to mind to me personally are those crow's feet that decorate my eyes. The youthful look to my skin didn't last, my skin is not done wrinkling, and my skin sure isn't perfect. But I like this idea of using the term wabi-sabi to describe it. Makes it sound it's a desirable characteristic that I've now achieved. Yay me!

Back to the garden though...

Debra shows what wabi-sabi means to her in the provocative photos she posted and she challenged her readers to slow down and see the imperfect, yet beautiful, in our fading gardens. On this lovely, sunny fall day, I welcomed the opportunity to look beyond the brown leaves and bare spots.

The first killing frost of the season came early this morning. Two light frosts earlier didn't faze anything in the gardens except for newly emerging Elephant Ear leaves, but this one was more than the remaining annuals could take. Yet the shades of pink and orange remaining in this 'California Giants' Zinnia are nearly as stunning as they were in their prime.

Another Zinnia, 'Chippendale,' has long been dried on the stem, but it still serves a useful purpose to our spidery friends and the seeds contained in the head will be food for birds. If I collect the seeds, it means these Zinnias will live on next year, when I plant them again. It's the circle of life portrayed in many ways. You thought it was a dead flower.

Little Bluestem Grass (Schyzachirium scoparium) was planted last fall and has really done well this year. There is such grace and beauty in its flaxen feathers, wafting to and fro in the breezes of autumn.

Amazingly, the 'Mars' grape (Vitis vinifera) vines turn a deep wine shade in the fall, echoing the color of the grapes it bore earlier in the season. Hmmm...do leaves have crow's feet, too?

The blue bird bath is used more by the cats for a drink than for bathing birds. In the fall, the leaves from the oak and maple trees find their way into it, making cleaning a regular task. The contrast of the cobalt with the browns of oak catch my eye, but my thoughts also turn to the rich organic nutrients in the water, which I'll pour on the plants below when I clean it once again.

Though the Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra) tree remains evergreen through the winter, it always loses some needles along the main trunk when autumn comes. In just days, these will fall, providing a soft bed of mulch at its feet.

In the dry summers, I struggle to keep the Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) moist enough to sustain their large fronds. By fall, no amount of water will keep them from turning brown and going to sleep for the winter. Still, they're graceful and elegant with their zig-zaggy form.

The Milkweed (Ascepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow') erupts into glorious silken seeds that become airborne when the dried pods burst open. The Monarch butterflies will be happy to see the new plants that will result next summer and be home to their offspring.

Thank you, Debra, for introducing me to wabi-sabi and compelling me to search out and find it in my own garden. It was a good day.

What's Blooming in October?

2009-10-15T00:03:00.003-04:00

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day once again and thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens, we get to see what's blooming in gardens around the world. Here at Our Little Acre, in Zone 5b, you might think the garden is finished with its color display, but not quite yet...

The Delphiniums are reblooming, and have been for the last couple of weeks. Over a month ago, I cut the spent flower stalks down to the ground while noticing new growth at the base of the plants. They rewarded us with several new flower stalks that make it seem like summer again. The white ones are especially frilly, but the purple ones are my favorites, with their white bees.

In her new book, The Perennial Care Manual, Nan Ondra says Delphiniums will rebloom if conditions are ideal. I guess they like it here, because these Delphinium x elata 'Magic Fountain Series' semi-dwarf plants have done well for me from Day One, unlike other varieties I'd tried previously.

The mums, of course, are still blooming beautifully. I'm kind of on again/off again, as far as mums are concerned, but we've got some in such luscious shades that sometimes I just stand and stare, drinking in the pure hues of salmon, brick red, and deep rose.

'Amor Coral'

'Clara Curtis'

'Red Dandy'

'Matchsticks'

As I posted Tuesday, the Toad Lilies (Tricyrtis sp.) are in all their glory, while the Asters (Symphyotrichum sp.) are winding down.

Endless Summer® Hydrangeas are loaded with blooms, but they're a bit darker in color than they were earlier in the season. Now would be the time to snip their heads off and bring them inside to dry. They'll keep for years like that.

The Gaillardias and Geranium 'Rozanne' are all still blooming strongly, as are the annual Zinnias, Calendulas, Cosmos, and Marigolds (Tagetes sp.). The Marguerite Daisies (Argyranthemum) are still in full pinky goodness, too.

Coreopsis 'Redshift' has become much more red than its 'shifted' color of summer, pale yellow. Likely the cooler fall weather accounts for this.

Several other Coreopsis are still blooming, such as 'Full Moon,' 'Moonbeam,' 'Limerock Dream,' and 'American Dream.'

Several of the Coneflowers (Echinacea sp.) are still pushing out blooms. 'Coconut Lime' has nice, full blooms as does 'Purity.'

Echinacea 'Purity'

New to the garden this summer was Eupatorium altissimum 'Prairie Jewel.' It's got misty, speckled foliage, started blooming its white flowers a few weeks ago, and is still going strong.

Eupatorium altissimum 'Prairie Jewel'

Sedums are still in bloom, but none more beautiful than October Daphne (Hylotelephium sieboldii). Stems sprouting from a single point are a spray of rose-tinged succulent leaves with typical deep pink blooms.

Sedum, October Daphne (Hylotelephium sieboldii)

One of my favorite summer bulbs is what used to be called Acidanthera bicolor. The taxonomists really outdid themselves with this one when they renamed it Gladiolus callianthus. Notice the similarities? Me neither. Let's just call it a Peacock Orchid, which is what its common name is, even though it's not really an orchid. Whatever it is, it sure smells nice.

Peacock Orchid (Gladiolus callianthus)

Several of the roses have been putting on some of their most beautiful blooms of the year in the coolness of fall. 'Joseph's Coat' Climbing Rose, which was planted earlier in the spring and seemed to stagnate most of the summer has really taken off this fall. I'm anxious to see how it does next year. If it grows as quickly as one of our other climbers, 'Morning Magic,' we'll have a real show from it. I failed to take a photo today, but its blooms look just like the one shown here from August.

Rosa 'Joseph's Coat'

Last week, I had to bring plants inside so they wouldn't be damaged by frost and many of those are still blooming, in fact, the Brugmansias are loaded with blooms. Those are still in our garage, because they need to be sprayed with Neem Oil before I bring them inside. White flies seem to always be a problem, so hopefully I'll keep that to a minimum by spraying before they come in for good.

Others blooming are Alstroemeria 'Princess Zavina,' (that's the coral bloom seen in the photo at right), several Pelargoniums, Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost,' and one of the Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) I dug up last week is putting up a flower scape.

While we're currently experiencing temperatures that are 15-20 degrees below normal for this time of year, the garden seems to be unfazed by it.

Toad Lilies Glitter in the Fall Garden

2009-10-13T11:33:00.004-04:00

I discovered Toad Lilies (Tricyrtis sp.) early in my foray into the gardening world. Before Max's Garden even existed, I ordered some from Bluestone Perennials. I was enamored with their orchid-like blooms that came at a time when not much else was going on in the garden. That first purchase was 'Sinonome' and it still grows and blooms here in the shaded Trellis Garden, four years later.

Tricyrtis 'Sinonome'

As I visited various nurseries over the last few years, anytime I encountered Toad Lilies, I came to a full stop and usually picked one out to take home, if it was a variety I didn't already have. That's exactly what I did a couple of weeks ago, when Marsha and I visited Carolee's Herb Farm, where I found 'Samurai.'

Tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai'

Tricyrtis 'Tojen'

When the plants were young, the blooms were only at the upper few inches, but now that they are more mature and established, they are blooming all along the leaf axils of the stems.

Tricyrtis hirta 'Miyazaki'

Tricyrtis 'Lightning Strike'

They still make me stop in my tracks when I walk by them. They're one of the highlights of the fall garden.

Tricyrtis

Zone: 4-8
Water: Average
Soil: Neutral to Acidic
Sun: Part to Full Shade
Bloom: Late Summer to Mid-Fall

A Tale of Two Kittens

2009-10-11T11:20:00.002-04:00

Many of you will remember the two kittens that fate put in our path last month. So very young, and all on their own in a world where owls eat them as a snack and they don't know where their next meal will come from. Of course, we couldn't allow that to go on and the two little furballs came to stay at Our Little Acre.

This meant the cat count had reached an all-time high of 11 and if my reputation as the Crazy Cat Lady wasn't solidified around Cat Number Seven, it surely would be now. Like I care.

We have no grandchildren, but we do know those who do, and we have looked at our share of photos of cute kids and listened to stories of the adorable and genius things those kids do. Having cats - so many of them - can be much like having grandchildren. "You should have seen them last night! They were sooooo cute! They looked just like little angels, all curled up, sleeping together."

But still, eleven cats is more than enough and we are not a rescue shelter, in spite of how it might appear. So we have tried to find homes for some of them. It was decided (by me) that no amount of begging by anyone would get me to let go of Lily though. She won me over from the first time she rubbed her face on my chin that very first night we found her.

Nearly as endearing was her sister, Cocoa, whom we found the day after Lily came bounding across the field, away from the Great Horned Owl that was eyeing her for dinner. Cocoa was more docile than Lily, and we knew she would make a wonderful house cat for someone.

That someone came in the form of a co-worker whose son wanted a kitten.

Cocoa now lives as a pampered house cat in Northeast Indiana, having adopted Jonathan as her human. We couldn't be happier for her, as we could tell right from the moment Jonathan and his mom and brother arrived to pick her up a couple of weeks ago, that it was love at first sight for both of them.

I love happy endings!

Photo by Ellen Slattery

Then the Sun Came Out

2009-10-10T11:27:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, the rain fell softly upon the earth in Northwest Ohio. Since we'd had a dry summer, the rain was quite welcome.

Health issues kept me from going to work in the morning, so it was a day best spent inside where it was dry and warm, snuggling with a kitty and a blankie on the couch.

This morning, I awoke to a beautiful sight out the bedroom windows, which face east.

The sun was up, and shining through ground fog, giving everything a mystical, ethereal quality. I got out of bed and grabbed the camera so I could capture some images before the sun burned it all away.

Max's Garden presents so many wonderful opportunities for capturing fascinating garden images. It's at the back of our property and there's a lot going on. Of all the gardens we have here, it's my favorite. It's a retreat of sorts from the "real world."

The grape arbor and its resident "scare crow." This is the second year for the vines and we did have a few clusters of grapes (Vitis labrusca). We're growing white, red, and purple seedless varieties: Himrod, Reliance, and Mars.

The dead willow, covered by Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) growth, also holds various bird houses and feeders. If you look closely at this photo, you'll see a smaller work of art...

No sign of the creator of the dew-laden web though.

Native Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides) and foliage from Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus') and False Indigo (Baptisia 'Twilite Prairieblues') are silhouetted by the sun against the split-rail fence at the back of Max's Garden.

At the front of Max's Garden, near the arbor entrance, the grasses are turning their beautiful fall colors, as is the Staghorn Sumac (at the right edge of the photo). In the evening, during the "magical hour," these literally glow.

By the time I finished snapping these photos, the sun had burned off the fog and was lighting up the maple tree.

The day promises to be sunny, if a bit cool for this time of year (57°). The first hard freeze of the season is predicted for tonight, so we'll finish bringing the tender plants in the house today.

The Rainy Day

2009-10-09T16:07:00.005-04:00

Acer palmatum 'Emperor I'

The Rainy Day

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the moldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Black Plants - A Book Review

2009-10-08T19:54:00.004-04:00

A few years ago, it became fashionable to create a Chocolate Garden, a trend that continues to be popular. Plants grown in a Chocolate Garden have a chocolate fragrance and/or have very dark blooms or foliage in tones of deep purple, brown, burgundy, maroon, or near-black.

A great resource book for planning such a garden is the newly-published Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden by Paul Bonine. (Timber Press, September 2009) This little gem of a book packs a planter's punch by giving essential information on 75 stunning plants that would be appropriate for creating either a themed garden or a smaller pocket of attraction.

With each plant description, characteristics are provided that aid in making choices for the garden: soil conditions, hardiness zones, growth habits and light requirements. Suggestions are given for companion plantings that show off each plant's unique traits. On the page facing each description is a beautiful photograph of the plant.

Growing plants with such dark colors could be seen as gloomy and unexciting, but when paired with contrasting colors such as lime green, a very dramatic effect can be obtained. Black Plants provides the necessary information to create such drama, but if you never grow a single plant highlighted in this book, it's still a fascinating read.

Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden
by Paul Bonine
$14.95

Paul Bonine is co-owner of the wholesale nursery Xera Plants in Sherwood, OR, and has worked in the nursery industry in Oregon for almost two decades. In addition to consulting for NPR, assorted newspapers, and television, Paul has written for various gardening publications. This is his first book.

_________________
The product or merchandise being reviewed in this blog post was the sole compensation for testing and reviewing the product. All opinions expressed here are mine, with no suggestions whatsoever by the manufacturer or distributor. If I like it, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that, too.

Persistence With Poppies

2009-10-04T22:10:00.004-04:00

Poppies fascinate me. Their colorful blooms blowing in the wind remind me of stretched-out cupcake papers. Orange ones make me think of The Wizard of Oz, one of my favorite childhood movies. They grow en masse along the ditch bank at the end of our road in early summer.

Oh, if I could only grow them in my garden.

Even back when I wasn't really a gardener, I tried to grow some here. Romie and I dug some from the ditch bank and transplanted them into our garden. That was unsuccessful, as were more recent attempts of digging them. I've bought them from a garden center and planted them in what I thought were ideal conditions.

All of them died.

But we gardeners are a persistent lot and we love a challenge. So, did I give up? Of course not! I responded to the poppy challenge by planting Meconopsis betonicifolia - the elusive and much-coveted Himalayan Blue Poppy. If you're going to fail, fail big, I say.

It should come as no surprise that I couldn't grow blue poppies either. But you just never know. Sometimes what is hard for one is easy for others and vice versa. Blue poppies are difficult for just about everyone, it seems, so I'm in good company with this one. But surely there was a poppy I could grow, wasn't there?

Shirley Poppies
Papaver rhoeas

YES! The annual Shirley Poppies (Papaver rhoeas) are a breeze to grow from seed and not only that, they self-seed readily. They aren't as large as the Papaver orientale, but are charming in that papery poppy way.

But I wanted perennial poppies.

So when I found some at a great price at Petitti's in May, I couldn't resist trying again. I bought four pots of 'Carnaeum.' I asked one of the employees what the secret was to growing poppies successfully. "Full sun and good drainage," he said.

Before we got home from that Cleveland trip, I asked the head gardener at Schedel Arboretum & Gardens what advice she could give me to better my chances of growing poppies successfully. "Full sun and good drainage," she said.

Mom came up with a great idea. She suggested I mix orchid medium in with our heavy clay soil to help with the drainage. I did just that when planting my newly purchased poppies (in full sun) and I made sure they were elevated a bit to further aid with drainage. A couple of months later, since the 'Carnaeum' still had some green leaves, I purchased a 'Harlem' Oriental Poppy at Garden Crossings and planted it the same way.

Now it's October and you know what? All the poppies are alive and well. I know, because they are still green, in spite of the fact that poppies are supposed to go dormant after blooming. None of these ever have. I'm hoping this is a good thing and that it bodes well for this attempt at growing Papaver orientale.

I'll mulch well and see what next spring brings!

Road Trip to Carolee's Herb Farm

2009-10-02T16:34:00.001-04:00

My good friend Marsha and I were supposed to teach a class on geocaching for a local Women in the Outdoors event scheduled for October 3rd. We taught it last year and had fun both introducing this activity to several women as well as partaking of other classes held that day. I got to ride a zip line for the first time in my life!

Unfortunately, the whole event was canceled due to lack of enough women registering, which really surprised both Marsha and me. Last year was well attended, so we wondered why this year had experienced such a lack of response. In any case, Marsha and I had planned to finalize our preparations for the class on Thursday, but now had the day free for other things.

Road trip!

I'd wanted to visit Carolee's Herb Farm just outside of Hartford City, Indiana, back in the spring when Susan Wittig Albert was there for a day of book signing. Not only did I want to see the herb farm, but looked forward to meeting Susan, a fellow garden blogger and author of the China Bayles series of books. Other family events prevented that visit, so Marsha and I decided to go yesterday.

It's late in the season, so when we arrived at Carolee's, we had the place pretty much to ourselves. Carolee greeted us right away and apologized for the gardens, but I assured her that as a gardener, I totally understood as my own gardens were on the down side of the season.

Marsha and I spent quite a bit of time in the large gift shop, where the delightful scent of lavender accompanied us as we looked at the varied items Carolee offers for purchase in several rooms. We both chose lovely embroidered linen refillable sachets and scoops of lavender for in them. There were other matching linen accessories that tempted me, if I only had a room where they'd be appropriate. They were the nicest of their type that I'd ever seen and very reasonably priced.

After we'd checked out all the lovely gift items, Marsha and I walked through the gardens, where we spotted many unusual plants. Centaurea cineraria 'Colchester White' was a real eye catcher with its whitish-gray foliage, but Carolee informed us that it's not hardy for us (only in zones 7-11). It greatly resembles Artemisia ludoviciana, that Dusty Miller that's so common, yet it has something about its appearance that makes it different.

Another silvery plant whose foliage caught my attention was one commonly known as Horned Poppy (Glaucium flavum 'Extra'). It's not a true poppy, but its yellow bloom resembles an Icelandic Poppy in the spring. This one is hardy in zones 4-11, so I took one up to the counter for purchase.

Our final stop in our meanderings through the various gardens was the lavender field. It stretched out a long way, with more kinds of lavender growing than I knew even existed. Only a few varieties were blooming, but I can imagine how beautiful the field must be when in full bloom. A photo of that can be found on Carolee's website here.

Marsha and I then looked through the many plants for sale and I found a nice Toad Lily (Tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai'). Though I've already got four different kinds of Toad Lilies in the Trellis Garden, I have a soft spot for them, so I picked this one up for purchase. I especially like the white edging to the leaves and the deep plum color on the blooms.

Tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai'

Carolee and I had a discussion about whether it was truly 'Samurai' or possibly 'Gilt Edge' (which was also available). We decided it was 'Gilt Edge' by the time Marsha and I left, but after coming home and reading up on and comparing photos of each variety, I'm now thinking that its tag was correct after all. Both have nearly identical blooms and foliage, so it can be hard to distinguish between the two. When I planted it, the roots were circling the pot in their effort to spread out. They've now got plenty of room for that and I hope they do!

Several species of butterflies could be found flitting about, which isn't surprising, given the wide variety of plants growing here, many of them expressly for the butterflies' pleasure. While we were perusing the large assortment of plants for sale in the perennial area, I saw a Buckeye for the first time in my life. Unfortunately, it flew away before I could get a photo of it. A Painted Lady sat still for a little bit though.

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

As I was to speak to the Evergreen Garden Club in Van Wert that evening (about garden blogging!), we needed to start home. Carolee began ringing up my purchases and surprised me by not charging me for the Horned Poppy because she "wanted me to try it." It was a nice gesture and much appreciated. Thanks again, Carolee!

We had a delightful visit to the farm and with Carolee. She was quite personable and several times during our visit, we engaged in lengthy conversations about gardening and blogging. She'd just returned from the GWA (Garden Writers Association) Symposium in Raleigh, NC, and we discovered we knew some of the same people. She told how Carol of May Dreams Gardens tried to convert her to a user of technology (you GO, Carol!), which Carolee admits is not her strong point. But it doesn't take long before you realize that plants are.

If you're ever in the Hartford City area - it's not far off Interstate 69 - you should take the time to see Carolee's Herb Farm. It's unique and you'll enjoy your time there. We did!

With Thanks and Gratitude

2009-10-02T11:03:00.004-04:00

Many of you are familiar with Blotanical, the website "where garden blogs bloom." For the past few weeks, nominations and voting were carried out for their annual Blotanical Awards for excellence in many aspects of garden blogging.

On Wednesday, the votes were in and the winners announced. I was surprised and thrilled to find out that Our Little Acre was voted "Best Ohio Blog" by my fellow Blotanists! Nothing makes one feel happier than to know that your peers like what you do and choose to express that by taking the time to vote.

Thank you.

Gardening is a great love of mine and so is writing about it. Perhaps that shines through each time I publish another entry here. In any case, I'm grateful for the honor that's been bestowed upon me and will endeavor to continue to bring you information and updates on what we grow and do here at Our Little Acre in a way that keeps you coming back for more. I truly enjoy your comments and have learned so much from you.

For those that have never visited the other Ohio blogs that were nominated with me in this category, you're missing out. There's some quality writing, photography and overall good stuff contained within the pages of A Hocking Hills Garden, Life in Robin's Nest, Chiot's Run, and A Study in Contrasts. Check them out, as well as the winners in other categories.

Congratulations to all!