Garden tripod 17

garden tripod Horticultural Science Technology & Art

Cover Image

Fractal Abstract Mixed Media art with Leaves and Trees by walstraasart

All The Materials Contained May Not Be Reproduced, Copied, Edited, Published, Transmitted Or Uploaded In Any Way Without the artist/photographers Permission. These Images/writings Do Not Belong To The Public Domain. All images and information within the Garden Tripod magazine are the responsibility of the owner/artist/writer/photographer & not the Garden Tripod magazine 2012-2013

GARDEN TRIPOD Horticultural Science Technology & Art

17 Issue

November 2013 Garden Tripod Web Site www.gardentripod.com

GARDEN TRIPOD Horticultural Science Technology & Art

www.gardentripod.com

10 Office News Hound 12 Exhibition & News 14 Creative Leaf Art, Catalogue & Challenge Results 62 Spotlight, Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch 80 Spotlight, Sandra Foster 97 Ramblings from the Office Temp 100 Cards and Art 116 Katie Freeth, Medicine or Witchcraft 88 Question Corner with Richard Fenwick

garden tripod Horticultural Science, Technology & Art Welcome to our 17th edition of the Garden Tripod.

Winter is upon us here in Scotland, cold sharp frosty mornings with crisp sunshine during the day. I expect it will not be too long before we have a layer of snow turning our landscape into a white wonderland.

Continuing from last month we are still showing text in the raw, as it has been written, rather than trimming and tidying. We felt we was loosing contact with the person. All spelling mistakes and grammatical errors are now all included for free, and we can meet the real people, unpolished, unaltered.

We are very proud to announce that the Country Gardens come grow with us group has at long last published its official calendar. its been a joy to assemble, and remember all the profits go back to the artists that have work featured in the calendar.

In this months Garden Tripod we have the Creative Leaf challenge catalog, and results, & two awesome spotlight features .. from last months I spy challenge As the festive Season rapidly approaches, we have a very small review of cards and art. How amazing would it be to receive a stunning looking card then to unwrap the image in a frame, or canvas print.

Latest news on the Australian Mount Wilson fire is that everything is safe now and the art exhibition that had to be canceled is now taking place on the 30th November to the 1st December, so if your in the area do drop in. Full details of this event is on page 12 in this publication.

In next months publication we have a bumper edition as we have joined forces with some of the members of Fine Art America and the Redbubble group All Glorious Lilies to bring a little romantic feeling to December.

In the meantime, do enjoy our November edition, and feed back is always welcome. One reader that has suggested the watermarks should be removed from the center of all the images. These watermarks are at the request of the artist/photographer, and while I do fully agree that it can spoil the impact and artistic view of the image, it is the Garden Tripods responsibility to respect the wishes of the owners of the images. So sorry to say that some images will still be show with center watermarks, until such a time when the magazine has sufficient funds to pay the artists/photographers to display their images without watermarks.

C.M

The Official Garden Tripod Magazine Calendar

Garden Tripod January Fay270 Looking Out February Bette Devine Prelude March Sandra Foster Clematis Seeds Macro April Sandra Fortier Anchors Away!

May bubblehex08 Vertical Garden June Celeste Mookherjee Pink fireworks tipped with gold July

vigor Garden Fence August Ludwig Wagner Still Life with Geraniums September CADavis Drops of Rain October

Qnita Autumn…

November João Figueiredo She didn’t know I was hunting her December TeresaB A Treasured Ornament

January Elaine Teague Catching the Sun February Joy Watson Shining Light - Daffodils March

lezvee OrchidÂ

April Morag Anderson Parsley flowers May MotherNature Chicory Wildflower - Cichorium intybus L. June Nicole W. Pink stands out July Rosehaven "Beautiful Ladies..."

August Bob Daalder Summer breeze...

September CountryGardens White Hydrangea October LoneAngel Yellow and Pink Rododendron November kalaryder Banksia Menzies December Lois Bryan Poinsettia

The Official Country Gardens come grow with us Group Calendar

Country Garden Flowers

A little word from our

Office News Hound

Hi Folks ..

I am officially the office dog for the Garden Tripod Magazine.

Last time I was thinking about water ...

How amazing is water !!

Well this time I a looking at an amazing watercolour painting..

How can a little colour pigment mixed with water and applied to a brush look so stunning when applied to paper. This is where the artist can turn a feeling of a subject into a view that we can all enjoy.

The Miracle by Š Janis Zroback is one of these paintings that make you stop and look again and again. (well it makes me stop and look again and again) The image is of a Stormy day painted in Watercolour, and for me is showing the very essence of a stormy day, colour and composition are joining together to show the storm in a way that a photograph could not achieve. So in my little dog brain I think a photograph can portray the snapshot of a time.. whereas some paintings can captures an emotion of the time....

Gosh, guess I am trying to say .. woof :) Stay Safe Princess Summer

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 10

The Miracle by © Janis Zroback Stormy day in Watercolour on Arches Not Paper

Exhibition News

AUSTRALIA Mt Wilson and Mt Irvine Photography and Art Exhibition Update News

You may all recall that the Mt Wilson and Mt Irvine Photography and Art Exhibition had to be postponed because of the bush fires that devastated the Blue Mountains region of NSW. Things have quietened down now and after discussions with the local community it has been decided to reschedule the event to: SATURDAY 30TH NOVEMBER and SUNDAY 1ST DECEMBER 2013 Mt Wilson Village Hall (opposite the fire station) 10 am to 4 pm Gold Coin Entry Open Gardens in Bisley, Nooroo, Merry Garth includes Photo walk on Saturday in Merry Garth at 11 am and Bisley at 2 pm – $20 entry. A huge thank you to Dianne and Ian English for hosting this event.

The Turkish Baths will be open both days 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm – $5 entry All work is for sale with a percentage being donated to the Mt Wilson & Mt Irvine Fire Brigade. This is a major fund raiser so please give generously and help say thank you for the hard work the crews did during the recent fires.

Food and drinks available at the Village Hall during the exhibition.

PLEASE help spread the word as we only have a few weeks to do what we initially did over six months. We are still taking entries if you are interested. If you would like to help out over the weekend then please also contact me for information.

More information on the community website at www.mtwilson.com.au or by contacting me at bevwoodman46@gmail.com

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 12

Creative Leaf Art Catalogue Garden Tripod Supports Country Gardens come grow with us group challenge

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 14

Red leaf with rain drops. Image shot in Washington State.

Autumn Rain by Dana Horne

16

Oak Leaf Dreams of a Colorful World by paintingsheep Within the veins of an oak leaf there is landscape of harvest and Autumn hues.

17

September red oak leaves, photographed in Oregon…added a bit of digital painting i Paint.Net… inspired by the colors within the leaves and the blue of the rain and the sky.

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November Ghosts by RC deWinter Fallen leaves slowly fade away in the November twilight.

Digital oils adapted from an original photograph hot November 2, 2010.

Leaf

by Brian Haslam Scanned leaf from the hothouse at Eden, no idea from which tree…

Scanner, hp psc 1215.

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My Rain ………..(SummerJade) Because I love to hear the rain pattering on the deck, pounding on the roof, blowing against the house, dripping from tree branches…

I’ve made sure that I live in a house where the windows can remain open when it rains.

The roof overhang is wide, and inside my house I’m sheltered and dry… listening…shhh…to the rain.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 18-55mm.

Listen to the Autumn Rain by SummerJade

Leaf Art Challenge (Indian Chief Head Dress) by ElsT Bits of leaves from my garden.

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 26

Taken in my garden Chester UK, from the heart of the tree, FUJI S200 EXR Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple is a species of maple native to central Europe and southwestern Asia, from France east to Ukraine, and south in mountains to northern Spain, northern Turkey, and the Caucasus. It is not related to other trees called sycamore or plane tree in the Platanus genus. Its apparent similarity to the species of that genus led to its being named pseudoplatanus, using the prefix pseudo- (from the Ancient Greek for “false”).

Sycamore Leaf by AnnDixon

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I love my Maple this time of the year, watching the greens turn to a deep red.

Just one small branch hangs like an Autumn Bouquet.

Taken with an Olympus E 520 DSLR

Autumn Colours - Maple by naturelover

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This is a red leaf I brought in and had a bit of fun with.

Taken with a SanyoVPCE2100.

Bi Color Leaf by WildestArt

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A leaf floating in water

Afloat by Lyn Evans

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Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Canon 5DMarkII Canon macro lens EF100mm 1:28 USM

Almost October... by EbyArts

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These beautiful leaves had fallen on a rainy window in Vancouver, BC Panasonix Lumix G1

Autumn Maple Leaves by Rae Tucker

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A fall leaf fallen on my yard with age spots

Autumn Eyes by Kathilee

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Young maple leaves taken in the Spring. Foilage is even more beautiful than in the Fall. Taken with Canon T2i and 100 mm macro lens: f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO 400.

Early Maple Leaves by Lynn Gedeon

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It's Autumn by Alexandra Lavizzari A withered leaf on a background of smaller withered leaves

Nature is perfect! by Qnita Location: Petrusburg, Free State, South Africa

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Taken in Pembroke, Ontario, Canada on May 28, 2011

Leaf Pattern - Springtime by goddarb

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Happy Adventure

by Sandra Foster Used my own fern image which I scanned with HP Scanjet G3110.

Sheet music from a music magazine dated 1914 titled “Happy Adventure”.

Background texture also from my own designed collection.

Processed all layers in Adobe CS5.

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These flame-colored leaves belong to a laceleaf Japanese maple tree at Descanso Gardens (La CaĂąada Flintridge, California, USA).

Impressions of autumn by Celeste Mookherjee

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Radioactive Frond by Margaret Stevens

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Floating in Fall by debraroffo

Entanglement (detail section 1c), On the Outer ~ Tree Trunk Extracts

by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch Symbology The leaf, symbol for a transporter/carrier (like a magic carpet) for transcending perceived body/mind/spiritual reality realms, is often used in my work in subtle ways. It serves like an icon. Here it is caught ‘in-between’.

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 58

Fun Challenge Entry by relayer51

Creative Leaf Challenge

Top Ten Results 11

9

9

6

5

5

4

4

3

3 GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 60

Creative Leaf Challenge

Clear Winner

Leaf by Brian Haslam

Joint W in n e r s in last mont hs cha l l enge and in t h e Spot l ight t his w e e k a re

W GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 62

Cong r a t ul a t i ons J oint W i nner s a re

Web

&

Wheel

Spot l i ght on l a s t M o nt hs w i n n e r s

Golden Silk Orb Weaver's Web Design near Innisfail, Far North Queensland, Australia.

by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch Vintage Wheel Garden Scene - Digital Oil Fort St John, BC, Canada

by Sandra Foster

63

Golden Silk Orb Weaver's Web Design near Innisfail, Far North Queensland, Australia.

by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

W

eb

Congratul a t i ons W inn e r Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 64

About

Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

My work and influences: Sometimes called an eclectic artist, work is expressed in both two and three dimensions across a range of mediums. Besides the multiple skills and knowledge built up over the many years as both artist and teacher, in one’s practice a heightened sense of awareness, flexibility and openness is always essential for creative outcomes.

In my art practice visual imagery, personal metaphors and symbols evolve through exploring influences that impact on my senses, memory and perception.

Although the surroundings of tropical North Queensland rainforest, mountains, beach and backyard are a constant and rich source for inspiration and materials to manipulate, my art practice is very much a spiritual practice, building upon one’s intuitive and creative powers. It is a fertile means of tapping into ones inner world and making sense of, and to, the outer world. It is a process and journey of creativity, revelation, transformation and personal interpretation.

Being ever mindful of dynamic forces, energies & thoughts that connect/disconnect all things visible and invisible, my current work focuses to reflect such interactions. The multifaceted aspect of human subconscious and conscious thought is complex and my visual language has become much more intimate, personal and satisfying. Art (thoughts, ideas and their physical manifestations) serves to feed those further down the river. © Copyright Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch All Rights Reserved

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Golden Silk Orb Weaver's Web Design near Innisfail, Far North Queensland, Australia.

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 66

Poised

Š Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

A moment captured in time when the early morning sunlight defines a golden silk web and another beautiful Golden Silk Orb Weaver Spider, one of many outside residents between house and garden.

Taken in tropical rural coastal country, near Innisfail, Far Northern Queensland , AU.

Bound & Unified In Contrast

by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch Original three dimensional fibre work (first design of its kind) – woven, coiled, stitched, assembled. .

Mediums: Fibres from various plants ~ banana, jacaranda, philodendron (Monstera Deliciosa), Dracaena, Queen palm (all grown and collected from my own Far North Queensland tropical backyard), linen thread and raffia. Estapol varnish.

Size Height 460 mm x Width 320 mm x Depth 320 mm.

Work in Artist’s Collection.

Exhibited in Solo Exhibition "Elevating the Spirit " (toured Townsville, April 24 – May 31, 2009).

View more on my home website Symbolism ■

X – vortex, physical/spiritual realms, “as is above, so is below”, zero point,

■

Vessel – containment, embodiment, alchemy, offering, inner/outer realms

■

Stitching – binding, unification, direction, attachment …

Extra note – Each large fibre receptacle is a unique one off design and physically they can take awhile to do, anywhere from 1 up to 3 weeks. These are focused for gallery exhibitions. For retail commercial/merchandise viability I make the smaller, including ‘miniature’ size banana fibre receptacles. It is very time consuming, anywhere from 1 to 5 hours for each one, depending on the size and design features.

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 68

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Circular Bound Banana fibre lidded receptacle, coiled and stitched.

Height 185 mm x Width 380 mm.

Work featured in ■

Pentax (8.03.11)

■

Contemporary Professional Painters and Sculptors

Background Working with fibres has been a passion since childhood. I learnt the coiling and stitching technique in 1992, at an Innisfail Summer Arts Fusion workshop. From this I evolved my own natural fibre form receptacles using local natural fibres.

Vessel symbology is for containment, embodiment, alchemy.

Work has been exhibited in Elevating the Spirit Exhibition at Cairns Regional Gallery, Sugarama Gallery, Mourilyan & Umbrella Studio, Townsville.

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 70

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Belly Bound Creative Fibre Receptacle Mixed media: Banana fibre, budda belly bamboo, gum nuts, raffia and linen thread.

Techniques: coiling, stitching, assemblage.

Height 200 mm x Width 200 mm x Depth 200 mm In Artist’s Collection Exhibited in Elevating the Spirit Exhibition

Contained (4 TPP Artist Books)

by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Display arrangement of the first four concertina artist books ‘contained’ in glass jars.

Medium: Gouache, ink, acrylic, rag paper, glass, plastic.

Jar Size: H. 27 x Dia. 11 cm Inspired by not wanting to follow the ‘norm’ of creating solid rectangular protective (box) covers which hide away the images, I wanted to be able to continually see the artwork on display while ‘in storage’ and this was my solution. It suited the perimeters and parameters exhibition theme very well indeed.

Work exhibited in Tablelands, Perimeters and Parameters shown at Tableland Regional Gallery Atherton, Far North Queensland from Feb. 5 to 28, 2010.

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 72

Fantail Palm Plateau (Installation View) by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch 3D concertina artist book.

Medium: gouache, rag paper.

Work exhibited Tablelands, Perimeters and Paramenters, Tableland Regional Gallery, Atherton, Feb.2010.

Photo taken with a Pentax K10D

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Multifaceted No.1

Multifaceted No.2

ARTIST STATEMENT ‘Light, Time and Façade’ discerns and depicts metaphorically, multifaceted aspects of one’s being in both mind and matter or existence and universe. The vessel (symbol for being), in light and time absorbs, holds, reflects, refracts and transmits information to and from those (surfaces) around.

Ellie Crystal states “Reality is a game of illusion, delusion, perception and deception”… “The trickster (an archetype, a boundary dweller) exists to question, to cause us to question and not accept things blindly.” In the light of spirit I reflect that the boundaries that separate us are not as real as they appear, that our personal distinctions are illusory and that we are connected with all in the sea of universal consciousness – a fusion, a melting point.

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 74

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Multifaceted No.3

Multifaceted No.4, Stones and Roses

A combination mix of mediums and processes have been used in compiling this multi-layered image. It is a work made up from ~ initial drawing imagery, lace material, making transparent prints of both scanned and digitally processed & manipulated imagery, acrylic painting on paper stencilling, layering, assemblage and re-assemblage processes.

This work consists of a combination mix of my own imagery/ art, ie. photography, acrylic painting, multiple vessel stencil.

A composed layered and assembled image was scanned and processed digitally for reproduction printing purposes.

Photographic source imagery/elements were combined for variables in contrasts and duality theme. Used were: a) roses (grown at home – Innisfail, F.N.Qld) ~ representing a ‘soft’ element b) pebbles/stones (photo images originally taken at the amazing Pebble Beach, just south of Port Douglas, Far North Queensland) ~ representing a ‘hard’ element.

LIGHT, TIME & FACADE Formal description for my ‘Multifaceted Series’ work, exhibited in the Light Time and Facade Group Exhibition at Sugarama Gallery, Mourilyan.

Š Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Tropical Essences Medium/support: Oil-based ink on a washi, (longfibred) rice paper called Tableau.

Technique: One colour lino-print.

Limited Edition of 50, hand-printed by the artist.

Plate Size 120 mm x 102 mm Paper Size 205 mm x 150 mm This work reflects on and is inspired from the many layers, rhythms and patterns in my tropical coastal land environment, Innisfail, Far North Queensland where the rainforest meets the sea.

Original limited edition prints available online via Artropica Innisfail Studio Gallery

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 76

Phase / Impressions

Š Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Unique State Print. Medium: Watercolour, 200g Arches rag paper. The image is printed, via an etching press, o a collograph type printing plate.

I was so inspired at first learning this unusual plate/ printing method and processes during a weekend workshop that I continued alone, well into the evenings, learning to grapple with/master this delicate, sensitive watercolour printing technique.

Phase (def.n): any of the major appearances or aspects in which a thing of varying modes or conditions manifests itself to the eye or mind.

Ref: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/phase

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Six of Hearts - Passion Play Medium: oil based ink & acrylic on AO size 640gsm Arches Rag Paper Technique: Painting, lino printing First original multiple lino print layout (of work in progress) using three different plates.

Symbolism – Heart as vessel for ‘Where Spirit Resides’ series of work – part of the work development in my recent solo exhibition.

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 78

© Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

Inspirit (Where Spirit Resides Series) Mixed-mediums: Collage, acrylic, oil based lino ink, linen thread.

Support: Stretched Canvas Height 766 mm x Width 572 mm x Depth 32 mm Exhibited: Solo Exhibition Elevating the Spirit, 2007. Toured 2009 April 24 – May 31 Umbrella Studio,Townsville Notes Guess we can all identify with the effects from the ravages of time, nature and events in our lives and how weary and worn and sometimes delusional we and everything around can become. Yet going deep inside ourselves with spirited determination, we can find ‘home’ – a place of hope, nuturance and a radiating energy source for renewal – a kind, faithful and loving heart and of course where spirit resides.

Symbols ■ ■

the heart butterfly wings

W

heel

Cong ratulat ions W inner Sandra Foster

Vintage Wheel Garden Scene - Digital Oil Fort St John, BC, Canada by Sandra Foster

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 80

About Sandra Foster

I am finding photography as another way to express my creativity. I enjoy capturing time and beauty in a photo and creatively editing it if necessary with Photoshop. I think and play outside the box. I welcome you to view my Portfolio to see my photo’s and artwork.

The rest of my creative life is archived here: lavendulaloveliness.blogspot rusticpixelbackgrounds.blogspot yardencollections.blogspot I live in British Columbia, Canada.

My Images Do Not Belong To The Public Domain.

© Sandra Foster

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Vintage Wheel Garden Scene - Digital Oil

Daisies, Silhouette and Music Scraps

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© Sandra Foster

Lilac And Silver

© Sandra Foster

Three Asters - Tray

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© Sandra Foster

Sunshine Under The Petals

© Sandra Foster

Mother's Clivia Lily

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A Road Half Way There

"For Rent"

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 90

© Sandra Foster

Drawers Of Dahlias

© Sandra Foster

Nasturtiums In The Breeze - Selective Color

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 92

© Sandra Foster

Hand Stitched Swag Lamp Shade

© Sandra Foster

Pulse Of Spring

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© Sandra Foster

Blue Vase And Damask

Ramblings from the Office Temp ~ Nicole W.

~

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 96

Macro in the garden People sometimes ask me, where I find the insects for macro photography. They all get the same answer: in my garden! So what’s the trick? Flowers, of course, but there’s more.

I used to find just a few different species of insects around, and I never cared for them much. Until I got my first macro lens. Suddenly, all kinds of insects seem to be very interesting! But oh boy…capturing them wasn’t as easy as I thought. They move around a lot, well, most of them, and they are so tiny! The first few hundred pics I shot, I had to delete right away. So I decided to focus on flowers, water drops and other details first, until I started to get the hang of macro a little bit. Especially the little water drops hanging from leaves after a good bit of rain were very attractive, because they are shiny and can reflect something else.

Still, I wanted to capture bees and hover fly`s, because they are cute in a way. I wasn’t sure how to go about that, because they kept flying away. I chased them around for hours and hours, but never managed to get a good shot. And then it hit me….I was doing it all wrong. Chasing them didn’t give me any results, and I decided to go sit on the ground, in front of the bees` favorite flowers, and just wait! It wasn’t long before the bees decided I’m not a threat, and did their relaxed flower to flowers trips, right in front of me. It wasn’t long before I started to get the results I wanted. I learned about patience.

After getting some results, I got a little bit tired of shooting the bees on those same flowers, and I started to look around for other insects. I found loads, once I was in the mood for crawling through the garden, investigate plants and leaves and get mud all over me. I found a whole world that was unknown to me before.

Caterpillars, all kinds of flies in all kinds of colours, weird looking tiny little beetles, ladybugs and… butterflies! The next spring I planted some plants that are known for their ability to attract insects, and I got even more species.

As my interest grew I was attracted to the most beautiful species of insects of all: butterflies. But I live in a cold country, and there’s not too many species around here in the wild. So I decided to visit butterfly farms and found out we have a lot of them in the country. Tropical indoor gardens with many species of butterflies in it, not behind glass, but flying around you, sit on you, feed in front of you and even mate. Needless to tell you, I had a blast, and I can recommend it to everyone with a macro lens.

But back to my garden, at some point my investigation

took me to the plants around the pond. I noticed a lot of insects like being around the water and in the high grasses. I found crickets, dragonflies, mosquitos that walked on water, and all sorts of little creatures. I had never thought about this world of little critters, and a lot of you might not have either. But it’s out there, and you can find them if you try.

Macro photography isn’t the easiest thing in the world.

But if you are dedicated to it, spend the time and effort, you can get the hang of it. Im not an expert, I just learn as I go. But there are easier ways to learn, as there are all kinds of special courses for macro photography. It’s a fascinating world!

Wooly Bear Hover Fly

by Nicole W.

Untitled

end of the road

by Nicole W.

by Nicole W.

Butterfly macro

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 98

More butter, less fly by Nicole W.

56 Garden Tripod 16

butterfly macro II

Sending Cards ... can be so much more

Sending Art ... is so much more

So we have a tiny selection of cards that are available in Red Bubble

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Look into nature by  Elizabeth Kendall

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Wintersday

by Photography by Mathilde

A Tribute to Fall by ienemien

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Colourful Hydrangeas by  marens

Spotted Hellebore by  Maureen Sparling

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Survival in the African Bush by  Maree Clarkson

Windflower by Jacki Stokes

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Helleborus orientalis - Lenten Rose by Cheryl Hodges

Will It Be Ever Thus? by © Janis Zroback

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hanging loose by  metriognome

Poinsettia by Lois Bryan

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Hellebore

by Wendi Donaldson

Cascade Gardens in Autumn (Hobart) by  ShutterBuggz

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Pink Sedum

by  Astrid Ewing Photography

72 Garden Tripod 16

The Culture of Plants Medicine or Witchcraft Katie Freeth

I had planned to write some more about Biodynamics this month but a couple of things – well three in fact have sent me off on a different tack altogether.

Vipers’ bugloss and learning of a colleague’s dietary allergy to salicylates are two of the culprits. The third is Hallowe’en – or more accurately All Hallows Eve. Dipping into a tale of ghosts and magic, I came across Viper’s bugloss offered as a remedy for snakebite. The very name is mysterious – and indeed what a sinister plant it is. Echium vulgare is native to most of Europe and western and central Asia. The common name comes from Echis, a viper, and is believed to refer to the seed shape – resembling snake heads, together with markings on stems and leaves similar to the markings on a viper’s skin.

Consequently, folk medicine suggested it as cure for botanist and herbalist snakebite; 17th Century William Cole offered that "Viper's Bugloss hath its stalks all to be speckled like a snake or a viper, and is a most singular remedy against poison and the sting of scorpions" in his 1656 work The Art of Simpling 1 .

But sadly ingestion of a tincture or infusion prepared from Viper’s bugloss would more likely cause harm than good! In reality, the leaves contain a liverdamaging alkaloid and when eaten by livestock often poison, in particular horses. Sheep, goats and cattle are slightly less susceptible. The related Echium plantagineum is the more toxic to stock.

VIPER'S BUGLOSS ECHIUM VULGARE by jules572

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 116

In Australia, where both plants are introduced species, E. plantagineum is commonly known as Patterson’s Curse (or Salvation Jane in South Australia) and is declared a noxious weed, along with its cousin E. vulgare the Viper’s bugloss. Apart from the risk posed to grazing stock, the pollen and bristles may cause human allergic reactions and their presence impacts native biodiversity • they out-compete more nutritious and palatable plants and reduce soil fertility • they invade disturbed natural areas replacing native plants • some people are allergic to the pollen and bristles

We have become very much more aware of human food allergies in recent years. Whether it is an increase in our knowledge of science, or our ability to disrupt nature which is the trigger for this remains a subject for debate.

This past week, I was astonished to hear of an allergy to salicylates in food.

We commonly associate salicylates with pharmaceuticals and consequent drug allergies.

Salicylate is a term used to describe many common analgesic drugs; the best known is acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin. Although usually made synthetically t o d a y, s a l i c y l a t e s w e re o r i g i n a l l y d e r i v e d from salicin, a plant hormone extracted from willow bark, (Salix alba). Folk medicine has used extracts of willow bark for centuries in the treatment of pain and fever Methyl salicylate is the main component of wintergreen, (Gaultheria sp.) and sweet birch (Betula sp.) oils; compounds used in rubbing lineaments to soothe muscular aches.

VIPER'S BUGLOSS

by OldaSimek

But look a little deeper and find that methyl salicylate is used as a flavouring ingredient in many foods.

Strawberries, almonds, blueberries, dates, olives and tomatoes are some foods which have high levels of naturally occurring salicylate. Most of us can consume salicylate in the quantities occurring in these foods – but intolerance to it engenders serious reactions to even tiny amounts of this substance – both ingested and as topical applications for dermal therapies.

It is said that so-called Witches use willow to treat rheumatism and fever, and the old word for witches, "wicca", may be the origin of the term wicker, applied to baskets woven from willow twigs.

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 118

WILLOW CATKINS

by Stephen Thomas

This brings me finally to the third distraction; on 31 October many people of all ages will celebrate Halloween. This festival is believed to have its origins in ancient pagan commemorations of the end of harvest, or the end of summer and onset of winter darkness, which were celebrated in many countries in the Northern hemisphere. Later, it was then adopted as a Christian festival falling on the night before All Saints Day. The traditional celebrations commemorated the souls of the departed, who were thought to rise from their graves on this night; I was also believed that witches and faeries were most active on this night. Now, of course it is definitely associated with witches, witchcraft, spells, magic and ghosts or troubled souls.

An enduring symbol of Halloween involves yet another plant, the pumpkin (Cucurbita sp. usually C. pepo) – carved out to resemble a ghoulish face and illuminated from within by a

HAPPY PUMPKIN

by BigD

candle. The name is inspired by several stories which include ones with references to the strange flickering lights visible over ancient peat bogs, which were caused by the ignition of methane gas emitted from the peat; the lights were also known as will o’ the wisp or ignis fatuus – foolish lights!

How ironic then, that many herbalists, wise woman or healers were condemned to death as witches for using plants as a source of healing drugs.

Plants provide us with the roots of so many of our traditions and practices - pun intended!

Reference: 1 The Art of Simpling, or an Introduction to the Knowledge and Gathering of Plants,' William Cole; London, 1656

Katie Freeth

GARDEN TRIPOD WOULD LIKE TO THANK jules572

OldaSimek

Stephen Thomas

BigD

FOR ALLOWING THEIR IMAGES TO BE INCLUDED WITHIN

T C HE

ULTURE OF

P

ARTICLE

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 120

LANTS

Wild Parsnip by  Sandra Foster

Question Corner

Q. A.

with Richard Fenwick

What do you know about Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)

Invasive plant species The spread, the danger and the solution.

Life cycle: Pastinaca sativa lives for approx. two years.

In the first year the leaves form, they are close to the ground and are spindly [5-15 leaflets].

During this time the tap root is developing, forms a storage organ and can survive for a number of years at this stage. Once the weather conditions are favourable a hollow, grooved flower stalk develops approx 50-60 cm high.

This first holds the yellow flowers and then forms seeds which are flat and oval.

[June-September] Habitat: Roadsides, abandoned fields, un-mowed pastures, edges of woods.

The dangers: The plants have chemicals called furocoumarins that can cause skin inflammation.

The chemicals are absorbed by the skin and stimulated by ultraviolet light on sunny and cloudy days, destroying cells and skin.

Avoiding wild parsnip burns: Identify wild parsnip plant, flowers, seeds, roots, Educate children to recognise the plant at different stages.

Identify to children the potential dangers of poisonous plants.

Discourage children from picking wild flowers.

When working around wild parsnip wear personal protective clothing Individuals who are most exposed include; Anyone who works, hikes or are involved in outside activities, reduce exposure by wearing long sleeved shirts, trousers, gloves or personal protective clothing.

Control: 1. Use a mower to cut down the plants to ground level before the seed has set.

2. Collect all plant/seed material.

3. Clean all equipment of sap and seeds before moving the mower to another area.

4. Control will take a number of years but as the population decreases the seed bank will become depleted.

106 Garden Tripod 16

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 122

Wild Parsnip / Pastinaca Sativa by cherryannette

Question Corner

with Richard Fenwick

If you have a question for Richard Just send an e mail to gardentripod@yahoo.com Please say where in the world you are sending from, along with images you have taken yourself that may be shown as part of the reply.

Please label your email Question Corner Richard will reply to one question each month in the Garden Tripod

94 Garden Tripod 15

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 124

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Contributors: Editor & Treasurer TheAgency C Mclenahan Cover image Fractal Abstract Mixed Media art with Leaves and Trees by walstraasart

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by Sandra Foster

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The Culture of Plants with Katie Freeth

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Question Corner with Richard Fenwick

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Wild Parsnip by Sandra Foster Wild Parsnip / Pastinaca Sativa by cherryannette

GARDEN TRIPOD 17 page 126

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