Love Notes

Or more specifically, birds, bees, butterflies & Bunny - with a dash of Oscar.  

Lucky me spent this past Saturday at Bunny Mellon's Oak Spring Garden in Upperville, Virginia.     I was there for an embroidery class, but also to drink in all the loveliness that exudes from every nook and cranny of this aesthete's oasis nestled in Virginia's Hunt Country.  Mrs. Mellon was an accomplished and avid collector, and we were treated to a tour of her library, with a special focus on needlework-related books and objects.  In all things Mrs. Mellon touched, she left beauty.  And that's before we even begin to talk about her garden.  READ MORE

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I've learned a lot about native plants and pollinators through my 29 years in the Garden Club of Virginia and the Garden Club of America.  Perhaps most importantly, I've learned how much I don't know.  

Pollinators are essential for maintaining vibrant ecosystems, and for the health of many of our food crops.   Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, birds, bats and other insects visit flowers in search of food, found in nectar and pollen.  While these small creatures feed, they transfer pollen from one plant to another.  From this, *cue the fireworks*, comes fertilization, leading to the formation of fruit and seeds.   As much as three fourths of the world's flowering plants and 35 percent of our food supply depend on pollinators.  READ MORE

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