Presidential Flora

Happy President's Day! By the summer, we'll be seeing and/or enjoying the Obama flower. Royal van Zanten, a Dutch flower farm, is creating a special white chrysanthemum in honor of the current President. The farm has also made Reagan and Bush flowers. The latter did not do too well and was taken off the market. 

Nothing to do with gardening: Hawaiian Shirts

But something floral nonetheless... The man who brought the world Hawaiian shirts has passed on. From the LA Times, his life in review. 

Worth checking out: Food-related Christmas hopes for the President-Elect

From today's New York Times, 'Is a New Food Policy on Obama's list?' An illuminating breakdown of interests and an apt follow-up to Michael Pollan's earlier open letter to Obama ('Farmer in Chief') on fixing food policy in October. 

Outside Counsel: Giant pumpkin from the Namkung Orchard

Above is a giant pumpkin from the patch of one of my gardening muses, Joanne Namkung. 

"It weighed in 50lbs but I am going to go for 100lbs for next year!" says Joanne, who has a lush English garden, an impressive orchard and vegetable patch on the grounds of her lovely hilltop home in Orange County in California.  

My own pumpkin growing efforts have been a little less successful. Lots of blooms but hardly any fruit. I found this one below today. Fingers crossed it will be ready in time for Halloween! 

Nothing to do with gardening: Obama in front of No. 10 Downing Street

I first spotted this image plastered on a platform at London's Paddington station. It turns out that the ad (?) is all over London's Underground. The above is from today's Metro. No tagline. No product being advertised. Just a tantalizing image of Obama in front of No. 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister. 

Some especially fragrant English roses

Roses in Hyde Park in London. I've been on hiatus of sorts from the BK yard due to day job, which has kept me busy (and the weeds growing happily) and brought me over the pond. This was taken after a fashion show in the Crystal Palace in the park.

Conuco Farm Visit

                                                                 

                                                   

                                                   

                             

                                           

                                       

This past Sunday, I went to visit the Conuco Farm, which supplies to my Bed-Stuy CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. After a two hour drive to New Paltz in the Hudson Valley, we arrived and met Hector Tejada, Conuco's farmer-in-chief. After a tour of the farm, we picked cherry tomatoes, had lunch and then went on to an orchard nearby. I also managed to pick Hector's brains on the (slightly sorry) state of my farm/garden. More on that in another post. More pix: here.