State of Your Studio Saturday...

Over on BOC I create a monthly post on the 2nd saturday where artists that blog can link up their post about the current State of your Studio.

The state of my clay studio right now - well, I couldn't even tell you what it looks like. I have some porcelain rolled out into slabs from about a month ago, covered in plastic - waiting to be made into cutout flowers. And I just came across my glaze tests on the dining room table (the place where I put the tray last month after photographing the test tiles for my monthly glaze post).

My mind and hands have been in the garden. I have been dividing plants and donating a number of them to non-profit organization plant sales in the last month. My interests in gardening with sustainability in mind is at the forefront.

August 2010 Main Hill Garden

The lack of an overall "design" in my garden is bugging the crap out of me. Maybe it is just impatience and lack of funds to buy more plants (Yes - I have a plant addiction, much like my bead addiction). Wish the plant center would trade beads or jewelry with my beads for plants… Maybe they will - hmmm…

For now, I continue to divide my perennials and plant more plants to help increase the availability of pollen, nectar, seed, and habitat for the wildlife. But it is getting to be too much of the same thing repeated around in the different garden areas. So it need to focus more on design to be balanced for that human aspect that is incorporated within the idea of garden sustainability.

Blood-root in amongst vines. These were transplanted after flowering.

I'm irked at all the vines growing at the edge of my garden and woods. I am strongly considering having a contractor come in and clear that area, leaving only one oak tree in place. Just to get a bit of control back and to make sense of that area and to get rid of those invasive vines that are choking out the trees and fragmented woodland understory plants. 

Some early vines and plants that will soon take over this area.

So little by little, I am digging up the native plants that I can get to and moving them to a better location so when we have the funds, and it is the right time of the year (fall I believe - after bird nesting season), I can say - take it all, except that oak, out…

Oh, and one project that I am working on for my Native Teaching Garden for Master Gardeners is a list of native plants for shade gardens that can actually be found at local nurseries around here. There is already a list of native plants for the demonstration garden. Not that it will be used, but I think a list of native plants, that are usually available to the general public is quite helpful to have. At this point of my education, I get so confused with all the names being thrown about.

So the next step will be me taking my camera and photographing the plant in prime growth season, with a label in front of it so I can get some things straight in my head. Learning a whole new language here…

I wonder if I'll get into the studio (other than for orders) between now and next month's post for the BOC State of Your Studio Saturday… 

Somehow, I doubt it. I'll be back in there once we arrive at 80 degree days and I can't stand to be outside in the heat...