Salvia officinalis (Tri-Colour Sage) Ready to Harvest

The herb, Salvia officinalis (Tri-Colour Sage) has aromatic foliage with white and pink streaks. It adds a nice touch to my urban (NYC) garden, even though it is not as hardy as types of sage, so it is a good idea to  harvest it to use it in omelets, soups, and bean dishes. The image posted above, Tri-Colour Sage Ready to Harvest, is seen rendered in invitation format, but the image is also available as a petite fold-out card.

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

I no longer actively produce event program covers, invitations and the types of greeting cards described here or on my website but arrangements might be able to be made under certain circumstances. My focus is on the Words In Our Beak book series, pictured below...

WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

...whose stories are told from the point of view of Cam, a female cardinal, whose photo is on the cover of each book. Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in my rooftop garden in NYC,  Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The books include hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

SUMMER 2020 ADDENDUM: 

                             

"Never say never," the saying goes, and I suppose that applies to saying, "I no longer....," which I did in my 2018 addendum and now I'm here to announce at the advice of Chris Deatherage, my book series formatter, who is also my web-master (for patriciayoungquist.com) I now have some versions of the greeting cards that are referenced in this blog post available via FAA, please click here to view them.

Happy Belated 1/2 Year: or July 4th Eve: Celebrating with Garden Sodas

Having herb-infused cocktails (or grown-up sodas) on a summer night in my urban (NYC) rooftop garden is a great way for us  to belatedly ring in the half-year (July 1st 2010). It is a tradition for us to celebrate a 1/2 year every July 1st, and tonight we are doing it belatedly on the eve of July 4th. 

My SODAS sign (seen in the photograph posted above), a thrift-shop find in the late 1970s, has been the center of many roof-top celebrations and is also the subject for some of my petite wrap-around cards as well as my large wrap-around cards.

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

I no longer actively produce event program covers, invitations and the types of greeting cards described here or on my website but arrangements might be able to be made under certain circumstances. My focus is on the Words In Our Beak book series, pictured below...

MY BOOK SERIES

...whose stories are told from the point of view of Cam, a female cardinal, whose photo is on the cover of each book. Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in my rooftop urban garden in New York City. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The books include hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

Additionally,  I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

Scarlett O'Hara and the wonderful herb, Aloysia triphylla (Lemon Verbena)

In Gone With The Wind, Aloysia triphylla (Lemon Verbena), is mentioned as Scarlett O'Hara's mother's favorite herb. The scent is a luscious addition to my urban terrace garden. It is not a showy plant, but it does have delicately textured white flowers that appear mid-summer. Its pointed leaves are great to put in an ice-cube tray before filling it with water. A single leaf looks lovely in the cube which in turn can be used in Gin and Tonics. I recommend using Blue Coat Gin with a splash - just a splash - of  "Q" tonic.

parsley, sage, rosemary and THYME

The scents from my herbs remind me that I have much more in my urban (NYC) garden than my Paeonia suffruitticosa, Clematis lanuginosa, and H.F. Young Clemantis. In fact, the number of my trees, shrubs, flowering plants and herbs totals a little over fifty. 

My variety of herbs grow with a sense of purpose, providing heavy aromas which often attract honey bees - especially the lavender and thyme. Thymus, the last of the "Simon and Garfunkel herbs" (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme) is certainly not last with me. I have three types of thyme in my garden. My Thymus vulgaris (English thyme) has small with gray green leaves. It is excellent in a liqueur.

Continus Coggygria

The above image is of a shrub that has been with me, in my urban terrace garden, since 2006. It is known as Continus Coggygria 'Royal Purple' and is also known as Smoke Bush or Grace. If you like garden texture, you will love this shrub's branches. 

The leaves are oval and measure 1.5" by 3.5" long. The standard is waxy green, but the variety that I have has purple leaves. In the fall, leaves turn shades of red, purple, and orange. Stay tuned to this blog, and in the fall, I'll show you photographs of the changed leaf color. 

Meanwhile, for the deep purple leaf, I have created a beautiful, single-sided note-card (posted below).

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

I no longer actively produce event program covers, invitations and the types of greeting cards described here or on my website but arrangements might be able to be made under certain circumstances. My focus is on the Words In Our Beak book series, pictured below...

MY BOOK SERIES

...whose stories are told from the point of view of Cam, a female cardinal, whose photo is on the cover of each book. Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in my rooftop urban garden in New York City. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The books include hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

Additionally,  I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' (Black Mondo Grass)

(oh-fee-oh-POE-gon-plan-iss-KAP-us)

The magnificent plant, an ornamental grass known as Ophinopogon planiscapus ('Nigrecens' or Black Mondo Grass,) has shiny black foliage which grows into precious little tufts where tiny bell shaped white flowers grow. I have a set of triplets in my urban (NYC) rooftop garden; each individual is growing in a beautiful container. They bring tremendous joy to me, and to those who visit my garden!