A Day at Westminster, and In the Garden

It was an incredibly sunny day in the greenhouse today, the sun is really is starting to feel hot under the glass, even though we have a foot of snow on the ground, and another foot on the way tomorrow. This Tropaeolum brachyceras started rambling up through a Meyer Lemon and an olive tree, so I just let it go wild. It grows like this in the wild, in the Andes in Chile, and its been interesting to see how much larger it grows, then when I allow it to just twirl on a trellis.

This is the moment, and we cannot complain. Our Irish Terrier ‘Weasley’ never made it onto the floor of Madison Square Garden tonight, but he did win best of Opposites at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show tonight, and we are very proud and honored. I won’t go on, as this is a plant blog, but here area  few shots for those of you who might be interested.

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Weasley with his Handler, Adam

Just a few non-plant photos from our journey to Westminster Dog Show last week, where we showed our male Irish Terrier, Weasley. Tied for third in his breed, we really don’t care, it was fun, and Joe is now officially exhausted after spending a half a week in the city. Weasley is only one year old, so he is just starting to fill in, so his placement here at Westminster is still impressive, we think! Either way, he will be chasing squirrels next week at home for most of the spring and summer.

Nerves were high, earlier today when Weasley was pulled to be  in the top 4 in his breed.

     As I had to stay home and watch my dad, and work on the computer, as I was “working from home’ which means, “never leave your computer and home office until 11:30 at night” out of guilt~, I almost forgot to feed the animals ( and my dad!).  With the Olympics on as background music, an occasional glimpse out of the office window to make sure that snow has gathered too deeply on the greenhouse roof, and that the electric heater was still glowing in the rear of the greenhouse, I finally took a break.
Doodles was so nervous that she needed some serious kibble therapy.

With four dogs home, and two in heat, I had to rotate girls from bedroom to bedroom, and from crate to crate. Doodles (Daphne) would get so excited with her hour of freedom, that it was often impossible to catch her again. It will all be over in a week, and hopeful, so will all of the terrier fighting! The dogs are Joe’s hobby, but when he takes one of his rare trips, I am left with both his chores, the poultry and the dogs – oh, and the canary room, plus mine – greenhouse. Oh, right, and my dad!

Primula malacoides coming into bloom – I’m photographing them a lot, since I have many! They will get better each week, but for now, just a few blossoms.
A detail of some seed raised  Primula malacoides

Some tuberous Oxalis beginning to bloom in the alpine plunge bed. Here is Oxalis obtusa ‘Elizabeth’, a bright yellow form with a color ringed eye. So far, the nicest of the O. obtuse selections I have.

Another new tuberous Oxalis in my collection is O. lasiorhiza, a species with a back petal which is nicer than the front.
The tiny alpine  Ornithogalum, O. fimbriatum ‘Oreandra’ Slightly damaged foliage from some insects, but still nice.

More alpine pots – ornithogalum fimbriatum and other small alpine bulbs in the pots, set into the sand plunge bed in the greenhouse. With more snow coming, these are the only glimpses of spring that we seem to have here in New England.

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