making memorials

In the olden days, people called Memorial Day Decoration Day. Families visited graves and memorials, paid their respects to the war dead and adorned these sites with flowers. We believe the date was chosen as so much of our country is in bloom in late May.

In the modern age (that's us), we also mark the official start of summer, we approve the wearing of whites and we fly the American flag at half mast from dawn until noon.

my maternal grandfather, floyd e. johnson, 1909-1999, charlottesville, virginia

I've come to think of the holiday as a time to recall our personal and national history.  I use the day to tell the children about their extended and distant family. I tell them the basics, the legends and the lies (let's don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!)  As a child, my father amused and taught with stories whose characters came straight out of Big Fish or The World's Largest Man; that's entertainment. And to pull all these sentiments together, last year, my sister sent me this New York Times article that suggests that families that tell family stories stick together longer and better.

In the last ten years, my husband and I start one selected project on or about Mother's Day. We garden, plant trees or flowers, build something.  Sometimes we finish in a day, but we often finish on or about Memorial Day. Then we go fishing as a family.

Of course, all the fish take our sorry, undersized bait as soon as it hits the water. We spend all day and half the night passing the pole between our muscle fatigued arms. The monster won't tire!  The sand gnats swarm in island sized clouds. We land the beast on deck just in time before the tidal waters disappear. We've narrowly escaped being beached and with a hearty supper that will feed all of Vernonburg! True story!

2010: springhouse roof redux, 2013, spring house "porch", 2014 springhouse vertical garden, 2015 potting bench, sink (wip)

Also true, it strikes me as I write this post that I am making memorials to my family, passed (in service to our country or simply in service to our family) and present. I pay homage to Savannah and to the life that I am carving out. I'm also creating a standing memorial that refers to the past, present and future. Our projects are informed by and honors those around us, some dear, some strangers. Both the making and the associated story helps us to create our own traditions and to recall some part of our past.

I'm looking forward to torturing my children with history and projects this entire month, but especially on Memorial Day. Whose story will you tell? Who will you honor and what form will that endeavor take?

plant in vertical garden adopted from lynn serualla + adam kuehl in turtle shell found by family in the georgia woods 

Blogging this week for The Paris Market, artist and collaborative designer katherine sandoz makes abstract paintings, fiber arts, illustration, portraits and collaborative works of art in a barn behind her home in Savannah, Georgia. The flora and fauna of the low-country serve as fodder for her imagery. Sandoz, a former service member herself, is moved and inspired by soldiers and warriors of all kinds and times.  

On the Shelf: Air Plants

One of our absolute favorite things about spring is when we get our shipment of air plants! There's just something so great about these quirky little plants & we love filling our shelves with them! And possibly what we love the most about them is that they're so easy to care for, especially if you have a busy schedule like us! They like bright, indirect sunlight and filtered water. They can be watered either by submerging them for several hours about every 10 days, or spraying them until dripping wet more regularly. They like temperatures from 50-80 degrees. Because they're so versatile, the possibilities are endless. A single suspended air plant is simple and beautiful, but they can also be arranged in any style and in any area. That's why it's so fun to design with air plants — they can bring nature to any space, indoors or out. Be sure to come by the store soon to pick up a selection of these truly amazing plants as they always seem to disappear just as soon as we get them!!

Currently Inspired: Botanicals of Another Era

One of the best ways to liven up any room is by adding a touch of the natural. Although these botanicals are far from being alive, they are nevertheless just as beautiful. Pressed and displayed in a natural wood frame, these plants look best when showcased together in groups. Dating back to the 1920s, each botanical comes with a card that describes various information about its origin. There's nothing like having a bit of natural history hanging on your wall and these framed botanicals are undoubtedly a beautiful piece of the past. 

Available at The Paris Market.

The Magic of Air Plants

Air plants are an incredible genus of plants with the ability to live without soil. Their
specially adapted leaves absorb water and nutrients from the air, allowing them to live anywhere in nature, including suspended from treetops and bare rock. Found in South America and the southern United States, air plants have an amazing variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.

Airplants like bright, indirect sunlight and filtered water. They can be watered either by submerging them for several hours about every 10 days, or spraying them until dripping wet more regularly. They like temperatures from 50-80 degrees. Because they're so versatile, the possibilities are endless. A single suspended air plant is simple and beautiful, but they can also be arranged in any style and in any area. That's why it's so fun to design with air plants — they can bring nature to any space, indoors or out.

Caring for you Air Plants in Glass Globes

Air Plants contained in Glass Globes have become quite popular, this calls for some important caring guidelines to keep your new airborne friends happy and healthy for many years.

1. The larger the globe the more care you can give your plant.
2. Water your plant when you first receive it by soaking 20-30 mins. Take note of the size and color and you should see how happy the plant is. Keep this "picture" in your mind.
3. Allow your plant to dry almost completely before placing in the globe.
4. Mist your plant every 4-5 days with ONE Spray for tiny globes, 2-3 sprays for globes 3-5 inches, more if the plant is in a large open globe. The key is to judge the drying time, the smaller the globe, the less circulation, the longer the plant will hold the moisture. If you over water the plant will die.
5. REMEMBER what your plant looked like after soaking? If it has lost that happy healthy look, take it out and soak it for 30 mins to an hour, shake, allow to almost completely dry and replace in globe.
6. Do not place your globes directly in front of a window where they get direct sun. Remember the glass will intensify the sunlight and the heat. Indirect light is best and some will even grow in low to moderate light.

 For those of us who have more of a black thumb than green, Air Plants are the perfect companion.

Swing by the Paris Market to see what our design girls have created with these incredible plants and take  home a few of your very own.

Happy (Not) Planting!