Whimsical highlights of the Outagamie County Master Gardener 2015 Garden Walk

 

Andersons

A "pest" for gardeners in the Low Country ?

While alligators are not normally aggressive to humans, they can become dangerous if approached or provoked.  There have been reports of a number of attacks, including atacks on gardeners, in recent decades, resulting in loss of limb and even death.

A mother alligator protecting its nest in wooded or brushy areas near a lagoons might attack without provocation.  Nesting is May through August.  The mother protects its hatchlings for one to three years.

Alligators fed by humans come to expect food with each human encounter, and if they don't get it, may act aggressively.

Alligators are considered "keystone species", influencing the types of species that live in a ecosystem. On barrier islands like Hilton Head Island, alligators provide fresh water for other wildlife to drink during droughts by digging "gator holes" that bring groundwater to the surface, while providing alligators with a cool, wet place to rest. They help to control the numbers of many of the species they eat.

Note the attractive pine needle mulch which is an excellent mulch for acid-loving trees and shrubs such as azaleas and evergreens. Pine needles tend to interlock and stay in place better than most mulches, especially on a slope. A 2" layer of pine needle mulch  allows air, water and nutrients to penetrate easily to the soil surface, while retaining soil moisture and reducing the growth weeds.

Southern Peaches

Fortunately for those of us in Wisconsin who crave juicy peaches, Tree Ripe Citrus, drives refrigerated trucks loaded with cases of peaches from Pearson Farms in Georgia to over 140 locations in the Midwest. (Tree-Ripe also offers Michigan blueberries in the summer and  citrus and Georgia pecans in the winter).  Half bushel boxes hold almost 25 pounds of freestone peaches for $37 this season. 

http://www.tree-ripe.com/flyer/

Peach a Berry Cobbler

2 c. sliced peaches
1

        c.+ blueberries

1/3 c. brown sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1/2 c. water

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. butter

1 C. sifted flour

1 c. sugar

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. melted butter

1/2 c. milk

2 T. sugar

1 1/4t. nutmeg

Place sliced peaches and blueberries in a baking dish.  Cook brown sugar, cornstarch, and water until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.  Add lemon juice and butter.  Spoon mixture over fruit in baking dish.  Make a topping of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, melted butter, and milk.  Drop by spoonfuls onto fruit mixture.   Sprinkle mixture of sugar and nutmeg on top.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or more.

 Almond Peach Torte with Apricot Glaze

1/2 c. butter or margarine

1 1/4 c. flour

1/3 c. sugar

8 oz. cream cheese

2 eggs

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

5 large firm, ripe peaches, in 1/2" wedges

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 c. sliced almonds

1/2 c. apricot preserves

Mix butter, flour, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer.  Pat into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.  Bake in 400 degree oven 5-10 minutes, then cool 5 minutes.

With an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.  Pour into partially cooled crust.  

Combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Toss peach wedges in sugar mixture.  Arrange peach wedges atop filling.  Top with sliced almonds.  Bake on lower shelf at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Serves 8.

To glaze torte:  Melt apricot preserves with a teaspoon of water and brush top when torte is cool.

Ina Garten's Fresh Peach Cake

1/4    lb. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 c.  sugar, divided
2            extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1       c. sour cream, at room temperature
1       t.  pure vanilla extract
2       c. all-purpose flour
1       t.  baking soda
1       t.  baking powder
1/2    t. kosher salt
1       t. ground cinnamon
3          large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2    c. chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.
Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.
Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Visiting Bluffton Farmers Market

Heading down Calhoun Street to the weekly Farmers Market on in Bluffton, South Carolina, a Little Free Library offers books to pick up peruse along the way.

The Farmers Market is held in Old Town Bluffton with many unique boutiques and art galleries to explore.  Many shops offered sculptures that would make nice additions to the yard.

Firepit container inspiration

A few flame-orange and fiery-red Celosias inside
and add charcoal briquettes as “mulch"  - Debra Prinzing

After seeing photos of a few fire pits filled with colorful floral "flames" when not if use, I planted an old enamel roasting pan with holes poked in the bottom for drainage placing split logs in tee pee fashion across the top to mimic the fires we build during colder fall days.

Summer Garden in St Petersburg

1. Neva entrance.

2. Fontanka Entrance.

3. “Peace and Victory”, the only remaining original marble sculpture.

4. “The Habanero”.

5. Krylov Monument.

6. Bird House and Sable Cages.

7. Central Alley.

8. Pond.

9. Wi-Fi Zone.

10. Lacoste Fountain.

11. Small Winter Garden and Apothecary Garden.

12. Coffee House.

13. Peter the Great’s Summer Palace

The Garden has three parallel alleys leading from the Neva river into the Garden, crossed by several perpendicular paths. To the north and the east, the Garden is naturally bordered by Neva and Fontanka rivers. To the south and west, the Garden is bordered by the Swan Canal and the canal connecting Fontanka to the Moika river.

The northern part of the Garden, which adjoins the Palace and is decorated more richly, was the First Summer Garden. The southern part, with garden amusement facilities, administrative buildings and a fruit orchard, was the Second Summer Garden.

The sides of the alleys in the Summer Garden, were planted with evenly edged bushes creating  green walls known as espaliers.

Four bosquets bounded by the walls of espaliers contained various garden amusement facilities. In one of the bosquets, was oval Menazhery pond, with a small island with an arbor. 

Another bosquet contained a Poultry-yard, with a dovecote and houses for birds.

The Cross Walking Place bosquet was crossed by criss-cross enveloping roads, and a single-steam fountain with sculpture in the centre. 

The French Parterre bosquet was adorned with gilt sculpture, a cascade, and a flower garden.

The alleys of the First Summer Garden were decorated with marble statues and busts brought from Italy. Fountains gushed on the grounds of the central path. At the Fontanka bank, a Grotto pavilion was built.

A large part of the Second Summer Garden was occupied with the Labyrinth, with fountains decorated with gilt leaden sculpture groups depicting the plots of Aesop's fables.

The flood of 1777 caused serious damage to plantings, statues, and fountains in the Summer Garden.  Catherine II employed architect Y. Felten to created new decoration for the Garden including the railing placed along the Neva embankment.

In the nineteenth century, the Garden continued to develop as a public city park "for decently dressed public". By order of Emperor Nicolas I, impressive changes were introduced. In 1826, Carlo Rossi transformed the remains of the Grotto into the Coffee House. In 1827, the Tea House was built not far away from it.

 In 1839, the porphyry Elfdahlen Vase, a present from the Swedish King Carl Johann XIV to Nicolas I, was placed at the south entrance.

The last major restoration work on the Summer Garden was carried out between 2009 and 2012, restoring its geometrically regular layout and strict symmetry.  Espaliered linden shrubs appeared in 2009, with the support structures removed three years later, in 2012. Today, the garden is mainly planted with linden, maple, elm, oak, and ash, with about 30% of them over 100 years old. Ninety out of ninety one sculptures were replaced with copies made of marble chips and polyester resin because marble busts and statues were getting damaged by dripping linden tree juice.

Moscow's Muzeon Park of Arts

The open-air museum of sculpture now known as Muzeon Park of Arts is located on the Krymsky Val (Crimean quay), outside the House of Artists and the modern art division of Tretyakov Gallery.  It was created by Government of Moscow and Committee on culture of Moscow in 1992.  Originally called “the Park of the Fallen Heroes” and later well known as “Fallen Monument Park”, it is the final resting place for the many Soviet statues removed from Russia’s parks and squares following the collapse of Communism.  It now contains more than 700 works made of a stone, bronze, wood and other materials, including some notable pieces by Vera Mukhina, Ivan Shadr, Yevgeny Vuchetich, Yevgeny Chubarov. Highlights include the huge steel sculpture of the Soviet world, innumerable giant pedestal-less Lenins, monuments to the Red Army, and a de-nosed Stalin. In 2013 the Krymskaya embankment became a pedestrian zone and part of the Muzeon park.

Working Woman's Portrait

Oleg Garkushenko, "The Return of the Prodigal Son", 1998

"Gather stones", Oleg Garkushenko, 1995, metal, granite

More than 80 works of liimestone created between 2000 and 2011
 in open air sculpture workshops. 

BustS of Joseph Stalin (left) and Vladimir Lenin (right),Soviet emblems in the background.

Dedicated to the victims of the totalitarian regime of Stalin,
consisting of 283 carved stone heads,

Starbucks raised planting beds filled with edibles.