Hello —
— and welcome to new subscribers and anybody who might be ducking in and looking around this corner of the internet. I began publishing this weekly newsletter on Substack back in August 2022, that’s nearly 75 issues (chapters?). This community is growing so I thought I’d freshen my introduction and spell out everything that
offers. But first, a bit about me:I’m Lorene Edwards Forkner, a gardener who writes and a writer who gardens. I’m always exploring the wonders and colors of the natural world. Color is my sweet spot! I’m the author of Color In and Out of the Garden, a compilation of nearly 100 color studies and short essays.
All subscribers receive a weekly round up of my daily color studies (like this one). Once a month I send an expanded newsletter with seasonal ramblings, recent writing, reading recommendations, information about upcoming classes and workshops, and special discount offers for goods in my store and online classes.
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xo Lorene
Colors
January 3, 2024
A thriving colony of lichen is a sign of healthy conditions. Lichen grow very slowly but have the ability to turn off and go dormant in dry conditions and revive when moisture returns.
I gathered this little tuft of tree moss on a walk in the Winter Garden on New Years Day, an annual tradition my husband and I have followed for nearly 15 years.
January 4, 2024
A shed scrap of exfoliated bark from Chinese red birch (Betula albosinensis var. septentrionalis).
The world gets bigger when you look at small things. Although in this instance I had to bump up to 8 by 8-inch watercolor paper.
January 5, 2023
Why yes — I do paint a lot of shells, specifically oysters. Here’s the thing, the point is not what I paint but that I paint at all. A midden of shells on my art desk is an easy lift on days when I’m not inclined to think much. Yet I always learn something.
Today’s observation - purple pigment is strong - even a bit of a bully truth be known. Searching for a subtle warm blue-grey like the striations of this shell, I added a smidge — a mere titch — of deep violet, game over. Missed it by a long shot. But that’s ok… I know I’ll get another chance when I paint it again.
January 6, 2024
After reading about an alarming deep freeze forecast for the coming week, I took a wander in the back garden wondering how my plants will fare.
Plus, I knew I’d find a precocious sweet violet. Sure enough, one tiny bloom among the mostly slug eaten foliage. So fragrant!!! Sweet violets are definitely on my list of delights.
Little known fact about me, I love violets so much that I named my calico cat Violet. I loved her so!
January 7, 2024
Algerian iris has a terrible botanical name — Iris unguicularis. Evergreen foliage looks great all year, but the best part is when the lovely, fragrant blooms show up in winter when everything looks tired.
Ive grown this plant for years and years and years. Periodically I dig up a clump and divide it so that I have plants to share with others. Generosity grows in a garden.
January 8, 2024
After a long stretch of very mild weather, real winter is due to arrive this week. Depending on who you ask, it will be a cold snap, a deep freeze, or the first blizzard warning in the Puget Sound area in more than 100 years. So over the next few days our dance card will be occupied with the seasonal shuffle as we (and by “we” I mean my dear husband) move all my container plants, including my lemon tree, a gardenia, and this lovely pelargonium into the garage and basement.
I can’t help wondering what plants in the garden might be affected or killed, but with so much actual loss in the world these days, it doesn’t seem appropriate to get too exercised about my plants.
January 9, 2024
Update: my container plants are now snug in the basement, which almost ensures that the worst of the weather will be a no-show. Already the forecast is moderating. It wouldn’t be winter without at least one scramble to protect my treasures.
In and of themselves these plant companions may not be “special” to anyone but me. Seed saved and grown out to replace a lost Rumex flexuosa (it has brown foliage!!), a cutting of a succulent pelargonium rooted 10+ years ago and cared for ever since, a motley collection of scented geraniums, a “hardy” gardenia, my Meyer lemon with its single fruit… the list goes on and on.
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Cultivating Wonder
Anticipating the first glorious blooms on an Amaryllis is, in my eyes, one of the best parts of winter. The beefy bulbs, about the size of a small grapefruit, are typically available through nurseries and mail order catalogs around the holidays. I’m committed to keeping my beauties going from year to year. Last year was my first growing ‘La Paz’, pictured above, a lithe and elegant bloom compared to other blooms that look like taffeta party dresses.
Every year I purchase a few bulbs to add to my collection. Here’s how I tend to my amaryllis and get them to rebloom. It’s not an exact science, but I' have pretty good luck.
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