Washington-Willow Historic District - grace grits and gardening

The Bearded Ladies of Fayetteville

May 13, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

I love bearded ladies and by that I mean irises and not women with beards. (And yes, that’s a thing, too.) Irises are sometimes called bearded ladies because of the thick, bushy “beards” on the lower petals of the blooms. In our Washington-Willow historic neighborhood of Fayetteville, and all over the South, irises are in full bloom. They are my favorite flower because they remind me of my Nana who always grew them. One whiff of that sweet smell transports me back to the home place every time.

Here are a few pictures I took only steps from our porch.

Just wow. I love this apricot/rose color. If I knew the name, I’d tell you, but there are hundreds of varieties, and I’m certainly no expert.

These deep dark purple irises look like velvet. This might possibly be Superstition or Red Velvet Cake, but don’t hold me to it. Regardless, they are stunning.

This purple and white iris got her beard wet in the storm, but she sure smells nice.

This one came from my own garden. It’s called Decadence. A name that fits, for sure.

This black iris came from my garden too. Love.Her.

Purchased recently at Westwood Gardens. A prolific bloomer!

Check out this pale lavender and yellow. So delicate.

Another classic below. This one’s called Accent (I think).

Snowy white. What a beauty.

Of all the bearded ladies of Fayetteville, here are my personal favorites:

the Annabelle…

and Lucy.

Ha.

Are you an iris fan? Do you have a favorite?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“If you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for a moment.”
― Georgia O’Keeffe

[tweetthis]Bearded ladies of #Fayetteville. #Iris #Spring #SmellsSoSweet #WestwoodGardens [/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Goo Goo Dolls – Iris

Seeds, glorious seeds! (Little Free Library update)

March 13, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Just a quick update on our Little Free Library! Yesterday morning I added seeds (glorious seeds) to the seed exchange box. If you’re like me, spring fever has arrived. Wednesday’s seventy degree afternoon pushed me over the edge. Plus, spring break is around the corner, so I deemed it time to break out the seeds for my Fayetteville friends who are planting cool weather veggies and planning their spring and summer gardens.

I owe a big thank you to my friend Debbie Arnold (Dining with Debbie) who shared several of her heirloom tomato varieties from her Little Rock garden. And there are a few seeds from Promise of Peace Community Garden in Dallas.

Sharing is the whole point. Sharing seeds and food and growing as a community.

Since we “opened” our Little Free Library, an interesting, varied selection of books has cycled in and out. Seeing people stop and look and take books or leave books is very cool. The books change daily, and I find myself reading more. The dogs like it too because they have more opportunity to bark. Winner, winner all around.

Today’s offerings. Little Free Library & Seed Exchange, Fayetteville, Ar

Happy planting, happy reading!

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Take what you need. Seed exchange in our #LittleFreeLibrary! @LtlFreeLibrary @DiningwithDeb [/tweetthis]

For more information about the Little Free Library program, click HERE.

“Underground, pale seeds roll over in their sleep. Starting to get restless. Starting to dream green.”
― Laurie Halse Anderson

Musical Pairing:

Oliver! Food Glorious Food

I should have been an archeologist?

January 29, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

I should have been an archeologist or geologist. I may have missed my calling.

I took several geology classes at Baylor—as many as I could and still graduate on time with a business degree. Daddy wouldn’t hear of any major other than business even though history and rocks and things buried beneath the earth’s crust always held a special interest for me. Who knows why certain people are drawn to certain things, but as I think back, there is a common thread in many of my memories.

I grew up living on the New Madrid Fault where earthquakes were a way of life. My best summer days were spent exploring the streams and trails in the Ozark Mountains and jumping from the rocky cliffs around Lake Norfork. Our delta fields often presented treasures such as arrowheads and other Indian artifacts.

And there are related snippets too, like buying a jar of rocks in Hot Springs and digging up pearly shells and pieces of rusty tin on the banks of Little River.

Obviously the Earth was filled with mystery. Literally.

Today as we install a sprinkler system and churn up dirt in our new backyard, I’ve been finding shards of creamware and pottery and chunks of heavy glass. Much like the sugary Florida beaches where a fresh batch of seashells wash up each morning, pieces of old stoneware and glass work themselves up from the ground daily. Okay, I’m sure most people prefer seashells to broken glass, but this sort of thing fascinates me.

I found this collection (below) during a five minute stroll through the backyard.

To most, this may only look like trash, and back in the early 1900s, it probably was. Without city trash pickup, garbage was often tossed out the back yard to the pigs or dumped in low spots near streams. Paper and food items disintegrated but glass and pottery waits to be discovered.

To me, these broken pieces are treasures. Bits of history left behind. I enjoy these shards not only because of the unique craftsmanship represented, but I like to imagine the family who used the dinner plates etched with faint blue flowers. What were the people like who lived in these hills at the turn of the century?

This next piece was completely covered in mud. I didn’t realize there was a design until I rinsed it off.

And what a thrill to find a piece with preserved words. A few keystrokes later, I discovered this stamp was the mark of china manufacturer Edwin M. Knowles China Company. The three numbers indicate the date of this piece as 1918.