Homemade Christmas Gifts

December 27, 2020December 27, 2020 ~ Brianne Turczynski ~ 2 Comments

Made my Christmas gifts this year!

The nativity and the angel were done in oak from a special family tree. I tried to keep the integrity of the tree as much as possible.

Then there is Neil Young, a couple of them, because I needed to practice. The one most like him is on the left. My brother asked me one day if I make anything other than religious people (my bro is not religious) so I made him his favorite musician. He laughed.

The saint in the middle was a practice one of St. Jane Francis de Chantel. The real one I gave away is below…

They’re all varnished in my homemade 18th century varnish.

Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens

December 19, 2019December 19, 2019 ~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens is a collection of three children’s stories: A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, & The Cricket on the Hearth. According to May Lamberton Becker who wrote the introduction for this collection,

“Night after night [Dickens] tramped the dark and silent streets of London, sometimes for as many as fifteen miles, while [A Christmas Carol] lived itself out, scene by scene, before his eyes. Often his eyes were filled with tears; sometimes he laughed aloud and made such extraordinary gestures it was a good thing that sober folks were all in bed.”

Reading Dickens one can tell he was an advocate for the poor. His father served time in a debtors’ prison, so as a result Dickens was very aware of his accounts and feared debt. He moved his family to Genoa, Italy for a time, because the cost of living was cheaper. I think his stories have helped many people emphasize with the poor and suffering, and in that alone he has done good for the world with his craft. We should all strive to do this.

Pictured are the first couple sentences of The Chimes—pulls me right in!

The Modest Christmas Cyclamen

December 16, 2016May 2, 2017 ~ Brianne Turczynski ~ 5 Comments

I went to a Christmas party given by a neighbor of mine…All the things appertaining to a cocktail party were standing about, on tables; but the thing that instantly caught my eye was a pot plant of cyclamen I had not seen for years.
Delicate in its quality, subtle in its scent, which resembles the scent of wood violets, it stood there in a corner by itself, looking so modest and Jane-Austen-like among its far grander companions. It had a freshness and an innocence about it, a sort of adolescent look, rather frightened at finding itself in company of orchids and choice azaleas and glasses filled with champagne cocktails.

-Vita Sackville-West
A Joy of Gardening; 1958

I thought that was an interesting glimpse from one of Vita’s many garden books. They are sometimes more like glimpses into her private life. Her garden books are quite a pleasure to read if you know someone who might like to take a little journey to Sissinghurst (figuratively speaking). I read this passage back in June and couldn’t wait to share the idea of giving cyclamen away at Christmas. It’s such a lovely idea! If I were ever the recipient of such a gift I would treasure it as I do all my other gifted plants.

My local greenhouse is full of color right now – so uplifting. I realize it’s almost Christmas and heaps of snow cover the ground, but the greenhouse will never fail its customer; bearing an open wallet and a generous nature. They have an abundance of different cyclamen right now, so go in and take your pick! If one takes good care of it, the corms will continue to flower for years. They can be taken outside in the spring and brought back in when the temperature drops.

Here is what Vita says about the care of indoor cyclamen:
“A pot of cyclamen is a favorite Christmas present, and very nice, too, but by this time (March) some recipients may be wondering what to do with it. Don’t throw it away. It will repeat its beauty for you year after year if you treat it right. Treating it right means (1) keeping it moist so long as it continues to flower and to carry leaves; (2) letting it dry off by degrees after the last buds have opened and faded away; (3) keeping it, still in its pot, un-watered, in a frost-proof place during the remaining cold weeks, and then standing it out of doors, still un-watered, still in its pot, throughout the spring and early summer in a shady place (4) starting it into life again in July or August. Staring it into life again merely means giving it water again – very simple.”

In addition to this she warns, if you see a yellowing leaf clip it with scissors, never pull the leaf as you might take a bit of the corm with it. Also if there is a withering flower cut this also, never pull.

They are beautiful flowers this time of year. I like the pure white myself. To me, they are reminiscent of white doves – an appropriate symbol for the Christmas season. They come in a variety of colors and the frilly ones have a citrus fragrance to them and are quite attractive- like little pink ballerinas.

Hardy cyclamen do exist of course, but I’ve been told in Michigan their success rate is low since the squirrels get after the corms. I don’t really see why this wouldn’t be a problem elsewhere, but perhaps our soil is easily penetrated, as opposed to the clay soil Vita complained about at Sissinghurst Castle?

Have a splendid holiday season, and do consider giving the gift that keeps on giving- you might just ignite a love for gardening in an unsuspecting relative or friend.

Winter Rebels

November 25, 2016May 2, 2017 ~ Brianne Turczynski ~ 2 Comments

It is amusing, and also useful as a record of what to plant now, looking forward to twelve months hence, to make a compact little bunch of what may be found flowering out of doors in this drear empty month. Prowling round through the drizzle with knife and secateurs, I collected quite a presentable tuzzy-muzzy.

-Vita Sackville-West
More For Your Garden
Nov. 15th, 1953

If you’ve read my post What Is A Tussie-Mussie? you’ll know Vita is referring to a small bouquet of mixed flowers – a sampling of one’s garden. Now, since the frost has come and gone and come again, it is almost impossible to find any flowers now. However, there are plenty of spent flowers remaining. Flowers which stand, brown and suspended on their stiff spikes will make striking displays for drying. I implore you to take up this challenge and see what you can find out of doors. It is a wonderful reminder as one hunkers down for the winter to gaze upon the little dried beauties with hope – it is but only three months away.

My mother is quite funny, sometimes she’ll come up with ideas that have us rolling with laughter. As we sat in the last blaze of summer sun at her cottage we contemplated the coming winter and she vowed, in jest, she would, “defy the seasons”. She came up with many hysterical instances on how she would do this and we had a good laugh. However, now it’s getting serious. It will snow soon! My mother’s ironic humor resonates and I think she was right; there is no better way to “defy the seasons” than by going out to pick a bouquet of flowers as the blistering icy wind blows.

As you take up this idea and venture out keep your eyes open and use your imagination. For instance, my uncle once made a sculpture out of our dried sunflowers and their incredibly sturdy stalks. As for me, for weeks I have passed by a grouping of dried garlic chives on my run. I soon got it in my head that I must have them. They were beautiful spikes with balls of delicate seeds that seemed to glisten in the sun. One morning I asked the owner of the property if I could have some. He said I could take what I needed.
With the holidays coming or rather in America, we have already begun, sometimes it’s fun to find spent blooms on the more woody stems or perhaps pine cones and spray paint them gold or silver. They look very good stuffed in a Christmas tree or placed in a table setting.
Don’t be shy. If you happen to walk by and see, for several weeks, spent blooms which are failing to be clipped, ask the owner if you can take some. It’s the holiday season after all; a season of giving. I’m sure they would love to share the wealth.