Winter Walk-Off

This year, I stayed in Old Town Alexandria again where my office is located. There are more interesting things to photo. I took most of my walk on the south side of our main street -- King Street. The streets through the town center are named after royalty: King, Queen, Princess, Duke, and Prince Streets. Oddly, there is no Duchess Street.

Mostly historic architecture is included this year (taking a cue from our walk-off host), on what was the more affluent side of town, where homes are brick (instead of wood), and are three stories (instead of two). All photos were taken with my cellphone -- a first (and a test) for this blog.

To be well read, visit this local dress shop before your next dinner party.

Stabler Leadbeater Apothecary Shop is now a museum, but provided compounds and cures for years -- like to George Washington. Love the unique curved glass in the windows. On a tour, I remember seeing containers labeled "Dragon's Blood" and "Hound's Tooth." (I could not find eye of newt or wing of bat.) A curator mentioned that some compounds were unknown or labeled with strange names, and that no one today knows what they are, where they came from, or what they were used for. This 'drug' company operated until the 1900s when the newly formed FDA began requiring disclosure and regulation of ingredients in pharmaceuticals (and proof that they were effective.)

Someone lost his head outside an antique store (in the hell strip).

Fire fighting was very important in an urban early America. Fire fighting companies were private and in competition. The one-bay station house to the left of the main fire station was home to the "Relief Fire Company." This was one of several fire companies in town.

This plaque tells the story ... of a building across from the firehouse. The building is in the left-center of the photo below.


Two blocks away, another firehouse, the Friendship Firehouse is now a museum.

This was building was entrance to (what else) the Elks Club, and is now full of condos.

Fawcett-Reeder House, privately owned, with the rural-like setting, might have been built before the more urban townhomes in town. (Can't get the blasted street signs or cars out of the photos.)

And here is another spite house. The most famous one in town was profiled in a previous year's walk-off. Look for the door to the basement ice chamber.

Examples of the wealthy homes built in the 1800s. Most are in an Italianate style -- fitting the more conservative residents.

This is one of my favorites -- but the owners were probably outcasts and snubbed for building such a highly decorative, flamboyant house - a MacMansion of the time.


Gentry Row is a block of townhomes built by wealthy merchants. Brick paving in the street is cool.

Captain's Row is a block with many homes built by wealthy sea captains. This street, a bit older, is paved with cobblestones.

This museum is a stunner. It was originally a bank, right in the middle of a residential neighborhood at the end of Gentry Row -- before zoning regulations.

Stinky, dirty, smelly warehouses were found down near the river near the docks and wharfs.

They are now full of restaurants and shops.




A newer building near the river marks the water elevation. The river is at sea level, and does flood. When severe, water comes up into the lower streets and buildings. In recent years, this happens more frequently.
2015 Walk-Off
2014 Walk-Off
2013 Walk-Off

Hope you enjoyed your history lesson and tourist promo. Visit other winter walk-offs with Les at A Tidewater Gardener.

Spring Survivor or Rescue Plant?

As mentioned in a few past posts, I discovered a few landscape plants that peppered the yard when I bought this house back in 1986. Most were of a poor quality: roses that had little form or fragrance, smallish bearded iris with no discerning form and washed-out color, flowering crabapple with few flowers. Maybe these things were big on the market back when the house was built in the mid 1950s. One of these leftovers is the species crocus in the photo.

These crocuses were growing along the east-facing foundation in the back of the house back in the day. They had a concrete air conditioner pad covering some. The air conditioner was eventually moved. They were growing in a crowded clump from years of neglect. They were eventually divided. Then, I built a deck above them eight years ago, and they never saw direct sunlight again.

Two years ago after not blooming (gee, I wonder why), they were dug up, and the largest corms were thrown into a sunnier spot on my hillside garden. They were forgotten with no more thought.

With a little warm weather to end February this year, they sprang to life. They surprised me -- was that lavender color along the walk a piece of trash that blew in?

I now remember moving them and hoping they would come back. I like the species more than the hybrids because of their earlier arrival, their willingness to multiply, and their apparent tenacity. I am looking forward to a growing population and will certainly give them more care. They've earned it.

October At Powell Gardens

The annual convention I have been attending took me to Kansas City, Missouri this past October. A sunny afternoon drive lead me to Powell Gardens just outside the city - (well, a long ways outside the city.) This land has a history that goes back a century, but its life as a botanical garden began fairly recently in 1988. Photos follow.

The main building was in a compelling prairie style, right off Frank Lloyd Wright's drafting board it seemed. Informal details, lighting, and materials were very familiar. Low slung roofs with wide overhangs, natural stone, skylights, and clean flush details where materials met were employed.

Container plantings were full at the end of summer.

Coleus were also full and the size of shrubs.

It was time for Colchicum.

I am not a big fan of succulents, but this pumpkin-colored guy was something I could live with.

A prairie style chapel sits at the edge of a meadow overlooking the lake.

The stone podium continues past the glass back wall toward the lake.



The wall detail where the glass slides into the stone and wood without a frame.

I missed the colorful Jatropha podagrica blooming but not by much.

Powell Gardens had several extensive water gardens, but wading out into the water to read the plant tags was not encouraged.

The lake is a central element with themed gardens arranged around it, and on islands in it.

Christmas Wreaths of Old Town

The row houses in Old Town Alexandria do not have much front area to decorate. As a result, attention is paid to what decorations there are. They can be quite unique with beautiful details, since they are viewed by pedestrians up close from the brick sidewalks. These are some of my favorite creative door wreaths found this year. Four of them, I have heard, are from a former White House floral decorator. Leave a comment at the end and guess which ones.

Mmmm. Delicious. Red delicious. Fruit are a popular material.

Red, green, gold and white make a nice contrast on a dark colored door.

New meaning to the term "box"wood. Square wreaths are more and more popular each year.

And even fruit is boxed. Love the red against the navy blue. What are those leaves?

Who thought sweet potatoes and nandina were companions.

Staying with the root crops theme, red potatoes, nandina, pachysandra, and who knows what else all tied together with purple ribbon.

Berry Christmas. Using nothing but all kinds of berries for the wreath instead of just for accents.

Not enough holly forces some into using brussels sprouts.

Magnolia leaves with the brown undersides combined alongside the more popular green top sides.

How does the song go ... "Marshmallows roasting on an open fire..." A very sweet design for a black door. I did a triple take when I saw this one, needing to verify that these were real marshmallows.

Show us your favorite wreath creativity.

Colorado Wildflowers In August

An early August trip to Colorado featured biking, kayaking, a drive through a mountaintop snow squall, and some hiking. In a day hike along the mountain full of trails, the camera caught the blooming meadows that come alive at that time of year. This is the vegetation that I found along the trail hike. Many of these are not familiar to me, so these are without many labels.



Something familiar along the trail.





And these are probably asters





I don't know why these were here.

Yes, that is snow in the distant mountains.

Boozing Up The Indoor Bulbs

My paperwhites tied to the stake

When it's cold and snowing outside, some of us appreciate a nip of rum or Irish Whiskey added to our drink, providing warmth and comfort. It has been found that paperwhite narcissus also would respond favorably to this libation.

It is common for amaryllis and paperwhites to need support or stakes to keep them from flopping over. I usually used the green wire (that everyone has for wreaths during the holidays) to form a ring that kept the paperwhites together. Each plant leaned on each other for support. This usually worked for a while until one decided it had enough and flopped over, pulling down the entire brood with it.

Cornell University found that giving them alcohol after they began growing tended to reduce this long, leggy growth and prevented the need for stakes and supports. This has worked (so far) on amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus, according to the researchers.

Cornell's results

There was no effect on the blooms -- only the leaves and stems were affected. The belief is that a 5-8% solution of alcohol in water (rubbing alcohol also works) reduces uptake of water, limiting the green growth. Alcohols with sugars like cordials, rums, and wines are not advised, as the sugars negatively affect the plants. Something with more pure alcohol probably works best, like gin or vodka. An alcohol concentration over 10% is also not advised -- everything in moderation applies to paperwhites, too.

I have heard about this, but never tried it. Giving it a go this year with tequila and vodka, and will post the results next month.

So in the cold winter months, take a little hooch, and share some with your indoor bulbs, too. You will both be happy.

The Cornell University report: Pickling Your Paperwhites