It Is Good To Be Back!

WHEW! 

What a whirlwind 2 months it has been. Filming finished over a week ago for "Killing Kennedy," and I am just now beginning to feel like myself again. I do apologize for the delay in posting since, but learning to reassimilate into normal life takes some getting used to. And by normal life I mean waking up at a decent hour (7:30 a.m. instead of 4:30 a.m.), enjoying breakfast at home with my beloved, having the time to shower once in a while. There hasn't been a free moment to pet the cat, let alone pick up a camera and document this gorgeous summer as it slips by.

Not working 16+ hours-a-day, 5 days-a-week has also left me no doubt exhausted, and today is the first day that I haven't felt an uncontrollable urge to nap by 11 a.m. Weary-legged and dreary-eyed, I find myself horizontal on the couch, watching period dramas on Netflix more often than I'd like to admit, but if you have never worked grueling hours on your feet all day, in a fast-paced, high-stress environment, then you just wouldn't know what it is like...So no judging, okay?

The truth is that I have been pretty bombarded with general house and health upkeep since we wrapped on the 12th. When I'm not napping or, errr, couch-sitting, my days are filled with chores like cleaning my way through the 2 months of dirty laundry acquired during my work stint, or treating the house as organically as possible for fleas since I neglected my indoor/outdoor cat and missed multiple Revolution applications. Then there is the garden, which is brimming with cucumbers and ready-to-ripen tomatoes, and, in this heat, they need to be watered twice a day to ensure maximum efficiency. ( I sure seem to be making a lot of excuses, don't I?) I have neglected my house, my health, my cat, my lover and our relationship on this film, despite my best efforts, and getting all those houses in order is my priority numero uno.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thoroughly enjoying re-assimilating into my awesome life, I just don't necessarily have the additional energy to document and edit them for your enjoyment...not until now anyhow. I've relished this time keeping house, hanging laundry out-of-doors and slow mornings and bountiful brunches with Ron. I've had several successful thrift store shopping adventures and eaten some delicioso foods including homemade pesto pasta, peach and blackberry cobbler, and tons, tons, of caprese.

Ah, Life... It is good to be back.




"Killing Kennedy," a National Geographic special capturing the unforgettable Kennedy and Oswald assassinations, will premiere in November. I was fortunate enough to work with an extraordinary cast and crew–including several friends, the gorgeous Ginnifer Goodwin, the sweet-as-apple-pie Will Rothhaar and the talented Amy Andrews Harrell, who was just nominated for an Emmy for her Costume Design on Killing Lincoln! (Congrats Amy!!!!)

Look out for my name in the credits (hehe). It is sure to be a gorgeous period piece and I am looking forward to seeing it all come together on screen!

"Killing Kennedy" Photos by Kent Eanes, National Geographic Channels. From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Ginnifer Goodwin as Jackie, Rob Lowe as Kennedy, Will Rothhaar as Oswald, and Michelle Trachtenberg as Marina Oswald.

Hiatus Highlights

“Yes, I will give to those who give of themselves, untold Joy and Bliss; and what is more, I will lead them by the hand along those petal strewn paths of Eternal Joy.” 

~Sri Sathya Sai Baba

I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I have severely fallen behind on my 2-3 posts a week goal here at oHo. Professional and popular bloggers will tell you the importance of sticking to your blog schedule when you first start out to build discipline and storyline, etc. It can be rough at first, with the inevitable doubts that arise. Does anyone even read this anyways? What is the point?

My absence here has less to do with those doubts and more to do with the slow takeover of my normal life. There have been doubts, yes, but there has also been part time jobs responsibilities, relationship crises, healing, and a TON of garden work. You cannot expect to have summer vegetables without back-breaking labor in spring, nor life without some stumbling blocks.

We've put in several gardens here at the house including a trellised front-yard bed, lush container gardens and a spontaneous alley garden that Ron has nicknamed "the ghetto garden" plus we've installed a full-fledged, fenced-in vegetable patch over at a friend's,  There have been so many great moments and highlights from the past several weeks that I just wasn't able to share with you all: al fresco dining, potting benches, drying herbs on our new herb rack, peonies in bloom, taco night, cupcakes and a strawberry pie surprise from my neighbor (Thanks Lyric!), thrift store treasures and the soon-to-be launching of my vintage etsy shop, The Fickle Fern.

Now, I am about to begin a two month job working as Costume Supervisor on National Geographic's Killing Kennedy. I am excited to be jumping back in to the film business and working with my friends again, but I have a feeling, from experience, that there won't be as much time for blogging. I will if I can, but chances are, by the time I am back, summer will be in full swing and I'll be super excited to document riverside picnics, grilling parties and tomato harvests.

See you all in July!

Be Good to Mama | Mother's Day Inspiration

Up until my mid-20's everything I knew about gardening I learned from my mother (pictured above snorkeling in the Bahamas). She's no expert by any means, but she did teach me how to correctly plant store-bought impatiens, and tomatoes and that knowledge will get you pretty far.

My mother catching a snooze.

You don't just plop them in the ground. Oh, no. You carefully remove them from their containers by turning them upside down and tapping the perimeter and bottom of the pot until it is jostled loose, making sure not to "tug" on the stem. You massage the roots and then place them in a hole twice the root-ball size with a 1:1 mix of garden soil/compost and the dirt that's already there, plus a pinch of fertilizer. The roots should be fully sub-merged and level with the rest of the garden. The plants get watered immediately and the dirt gently compressed around the plant, as you would tuck in a toddler.

Mom, fishing in Grandpa Dursch's canal.

Gardening requires a gentle touch, finesse and patience. From the first time helping her in the backyard plant annual flowers along the woodland border, I was hooked.

Eventually my love for gardening, landscaping and the outdoors led me to help found an urban garden collective, sow my home-grown vegetables from seeds, and experiment with all kinds of growth habitats and plant species from shade container gardening (I love my ferns), to raised bed vegetable patches. I've never owned a home or cultivated my own land, but I've always had an outdoor garden and sitting area of some sort wherever I've plopped my bags. 

I think our love of plants and pretty-manicured gardens is genetic; my great grandfather, Frank Dursch, was a landscaper and gardener who maintained the Dupont's estate in New England. I never met him, but I did get a chance to visit his lovely estate in Pennsylvania (that our family unfortunately sold) complete with a full English rose garden, a hand-diverted canal stream with waterfalls, and canoe dock.

In honor of my humble beginnings in horticulture, I pay homage to my mother each year by treating her to a garden-themed Mother's Day. It is something special we share, and my little way of showing her how much she means to me.

A few years back I bought tickets to the 2nd Annual Mother's Day garden tour. Last year we enjoyed Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden's spring plant sale and walked the grounds. This year, albeit early, I took her to Fredericksburg for Historic Home + Garden Week. Over the course of the day, we visited 5 historic sites including Belmont, Snowden, Chatham and Kenmore Plantation.

The first part of the day was overcast and chilly, but by 2 P.M. the clouds parted to reveal a brilliant blue sky and bright sun. We had so much fun walking the grounds and peeking into the past through guided tours. Living vicariously through others is priceless, and while only one of the properties we visited still remained a private home, it was a thrill to the imagination to picture life on one of these estates; definitely worth the $30 price tag!



Whether it is a delivered flower arrangement with a special note, Sunday brunch or handmade slippers, make sure you be good to your mama this year, and show her just how much you appreciate her. After all, we wouldn't be here without 'em.

Mother's Day is May 12th; do you have your gift procured, your plans figured out?

If you have the time and want to bypass the pre-arranged florals this year, plan something fun and unique! How about packing a stellar picnic and heading to Maymont (*Their annual Abbey Mother's Day Tea is already full) or lunch and a container gardening class at Lavender Field Farms? Splurge on champagne brunch at The Jefferson, or if you're short on dough, head to Agecroft Hall on May 12th for free admission and evening concert by the Richmond Concert Band.

Playlist | Songs for Driving Down an Old Country Lane

Spring is the perfect season for packing a picnic and heading into the great unknown.

Even better if you can take a quick jaunt to the countryside and relish in expansive views amid frolicking wildlife.

When you're a good distance from city-life and civilization, pick a road to turn down. Any road that screams at you in perfect quaint beauty will do, one with a rundown gas station on the corner perhaps, or a narrow winding dirt one lined with wild buttercups and thistle. Just take a chance and prepare for surprises at every turn.

This past Sunday, Ron and I did just that up in Nellysford, Virgina. The fist part of our country day-trip was prescribed by Virgina Garden Club's Historic Garden Week. After 4 hours of hiking the magnificent grounds of two woodland wonder-homes (Solliden + Knollwood), we picnic-ed on homemade sandwiches and Pickled Silly's Carrots (Check out their site; I did the cover photo styling and photography!) under a nearby Dogwood, then stopped off at Devils Backbone Brewery for celebratory libations and queso-smothered nachos (I just can't resist cheese!).

Ron obliged me on the journey back home–and we delighted our more adventurous sides–by turning  down an unmarked country lane. I spotted a deer, a woodchuck, a red squirrel, plenty of horses, pigs and cattle and a kity-kat that raced us a ways. The sun was beginning its descent and the mountains shone with a golden hue. I just wish I had this mix playing during the drive, then it would have been truly magical!

The Sunday drive inspired the completion of this playlist, and I share it with you lovingly, hoping at least you can enjoy the idyllic serenity of some country lane near you with it softly serenading the way. Some songs will fit the ambience of vast stretches of blue sky and green grass, others are meant for fast and furious curves through the holler.

Note: there will be banjoes, and whistling; it wouldn't be a true country mix without 'em.

Be Happy; Drive On!

You can also listen on Grooveshark.

DIY Burlap Tomato Planter

It's tomato-planting time here in central Virginia! I promise you, there is absolutely nothing better than biting into a ripe-from-the-vine tomato still warm from the sun that you grew yourself. And once you are heavily-laden with summer's bounty, there are all those homemade recipes to try, like Restaurant Style Salsa, Strawberry Tomato Bruschetta, Heirloom Caprese with Balsamic Syrup, and Spicy Marinara... And what about those Doris Day dreams of canning your own Ketchup? It is time to get started!

Luckily, if you've enough sun (6-8 hours+) anywhere in your yard, you can grow tomatoes yourself. Short on space? Does the idea of tilling the yard make your back ache just thinking about it? Well, I've got your solution: grow your tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets!

When I was a child, my mother grew her tomatoes in large terracotta pots lining the deck, interspersed between pots of marigolds and geraniums. She was most fond of Beefsteak tomatoes–because one thick slice perfectly covered her homemade burgers–but I don't think they produced well in the pots, so she eventually gave up.

Nowadays, however, there are a gazillion heirloom and hybrid varietals that are perfectly suited for container gardening, like Jet Star, Patio Hybrid and Bush Beefsteak, just to name a few. For your best harvest potential, look for determinate or "bush" varieties; they grow to a  certain size/height so are much easier to "contain." Here is a helpful heirloom list I came across.

Our yard is mostly shade, but our upstairs neighbor has generously donated portions of his deck for the cause (for a percentage of the harvest, of course). Because it wouldn't be like me to have unsightly 5 gallon pickle buckets ruining his second-story view, I'm dressing up the make-shift pots in up-cycled coffee bags and jute rope. I think they are rather beautiful, in a rustic, shabby sort-of-way.

I got the idea from an image I pinned on Pinterest, and followed the chain back to the source(?), a Scandinavian design inspiration blog called "Purple Area." (Thank heaven for Pinterest!) I was inspired to give this look a try considering I had all the materials already on hand.

Ron used his connections in the local food industry to score some old pickle buckets, but you could also purchase them new at your local hardware store for about $4 each (Make sure you get a light-colored, food-grade plastic; black buckets will cook the roots); still way cheaper than terracotta, and lighter and easier to move. I also had tons of burlap coffee bean bags left over from my Ernst & Thistle days and the rope from experiments in coiled rope basket-weaving. You could purchase coffee bags online or ask a local roaster if they could part with a few. Some roasters throw the bags out because they don't want to deal with the re-sell, but many eco-conscious ones already have a network of local crafters they sell to or even give out free. Check around in your area.

What you'll need

• Food-grade 5-gallon buckets
• Used coffee bean bag, one for each bucket
• Jute rope
• Scissors 
• Drill
• 3/8" drill bit 
• 18 quarts organic potting soil per bucket (NOT garden soil)
• Tomato plants
• Broken pot bits or newspaper to line bucket

 
I cleaned each bucket (mmm...pickle juice), drilled several holes in the bottom for water drainage and then plopped each bucket inside a coffee bag. (Don't worry, the back is supposed to be way wider and taller than the bucket; this is a no-fuss, no sew solution.) I then folded the coffee back down until about 6 inches was left hanging over the top of the bucket rim. At this point, I turned the bucket over on it's side and synched it to bottom and one side of the bag, folding the excess burlap over and around the perimeter of the bucket. Turn it right side up, keeping the excess burlap tight against the side of the bucket and carefully fold down the remaining 6 inches, which will hold the excess fabric in place. (The third photo above shows the back of the bucket, once these steps are completed.)

Last thing to do is tie a nice chunk of jute rope around the top of the bucket and line the bottom with newspaper or use broken pot pieces to lightly cover each drainage hole. Fill with organic potting soil and plant your tomato. Position your buckets in a full sun area and water regularly, fertilizing every 1-2 weeks. In no time you'll have a bevy of lush fruit to slice, dice, chop and chomp.

[ I'll share pictures of my planted tomatoes in position once my foot heals and I can finally carry them up the deck stairs! ]

April Flowers

Spring is in high form this year!

Despite a few unseasonably warm days, it looks like we are going to have a real, official and full season of Spring. Everything is late blooming but seems to be putting on more of a show than in years previous.

I like to take strolls through my neighborhood to admire gardens alive with color. On my block there are a profusion of plants putting forth their best effort to lure potential pollinators. Saucer magnolias' fuschia blooms, yellow forsythia sprays, creeping carpets of phlox, aromatic cherry blossoms and the varied green hues of brand new buds bursting towards the sun all pop against the tawny earth and dilapidated fences in afternoon sun.  It's no wonder Spring is my favorite season.

Below are my favorite shots from this past week. Enjoy!