Kiku aka Mums for autumn plus central WA colors

All the same. A mum is a Kiku in Japanese. They’re ancient flowers, all stemming from a Beloved flower growing on the wayside in Japan long long ago. Beloved for its colorful yellow bloom in autumn Man has created every mum from this ordinary ragged wayside flower. My newest ones I’ll add more later.

Chrysanthemums Aka Kiku

Really spectacular flowers to brighten the dark longer days of the year. 

 

Kiku, Chrysanthemums, A Love of my Life.

Kiku is quite an art. For 12-14 years I grew them and I’m Still far from expert. It’s the climate here  requires patience but they last longer,  anyway some of the arts I’ve pursued are these and ceramic art too, of course, and for awhile now I’ve researched Silk Road Textiles.   I collect and show them, in the past I showed my ceramics in competitions and international shows. I also miss ceramic art and pottery  and who knows? 

I changed from sculptural work to tile design and tiles are very interesting  small tiles in relief. 

The world is varied and has many things to learn about though. What’s next? 

I’m still involved in the Silk Road research, collections and writing. 

Anyway I’m still in love with mums  the emperor of Japans seal is the chrysanthemum, Kiku  

Colorful and beautiful flowers  

 

Recent chrysanthemums from the garden, Japanese mums. Kiku.

Time to order Kiku starts

New couple owns Kings Mums. 

I'm glad they'll be available once again. 

I think they need a program ppl can use online to order efficiently. 

I can give them the information but not sure they'll have time or resources to do it. They're very busy and may not have enough hands to manage it all. So I hope help will just show up. 

Anything can happen. 

Call them to order a paper catalogue. 

I'll pick

Mine out eventually. 

Let the planning begin!!

 *** UPDATE Jan 27, 2015

The  new owners are having some difficulties getting  licenses for selling the patented mums. It seems the organization responsible, (I'm guessing), hasn't been very responsible. 

The new owners sent out catalogues thinking they only required an inspection. I  am curious about this patent business, who is selling them if the cost is to sell 33,333 cuttings a year? And how will those holding patents make any money if they have such a high policy for sales?

 These certain mums are patented cultivars, and the list is not short, of what they will be unable to sell. I wonder if the past owners knew about this or if they grandfathered in  or what? But the organization that own the patents I guess require annual sals of 33,333 plants a year. (isn't that an odd number?)

I hope for the sake of these young people that there's a misunderstanding. They have bought Greenhouses and etc and set up a big business only to come so far as to be excluded this way.

 It is really a shame.

If you can help, please lend a hand.

 These flowers are very important. Thanks..

A very few things I'd do if I had money to work with...

For myself, a few coming up. 

The mums btw were saved, if you read about Kings problem with the mums last year. 

A couple bought out Kings mums, so I will begin ordering plants soon after all, this year.
I really missed doing them
Last year. I was learning so much more each year. Surely I have it down now^^!

I could use a greenhouse but have made do.
Here we don't get the sun and warmth to dry the ground to force feed the plants the phosphrous they need for blooms. However, due to the coolness, the blooms last much longer.
Everything's a trade off.
Nothing wrong with making do.
I put my Kiku under the back porch to protect them from damage on the delicate petals because the rain disturbs the bloom.
You learn other ways of accomplishing things, as you do with glazes and throwing pots or designing tiles or sculpting, as the process goes along.

I'd hoped Paul Allen would get involved and save the day for Kings mums. I was sure a man like him  interested. I couldn't think of anyone else in the area who would care one way or the other. I had a hunch, but things worked out. But the nursery has been moved to Oklahoma.

I was hoping he would hear of their plight and get involved, but he is a busy man,

 a fellow Intp plus born a day after me. Amazing man I think. 

I'll be receiving new suzani's this week. 

This isn't one. The palak is not in my budget.
But it's beautiful isn't it. 

My museum will need a few palaks..
I will be posting suzani's as they arrive and after I have them cleaned and pressed...
My daughter gave me one for Christmas!

Below: A silkscreen I got for Christmas, "Finefish", koi, in the shop being framed. 

Remind me of Japan and how much I love that country and admire the esthetic 

And how I'd love to go this spring to view the cherry blossoms. 

I miss my friends in Japan and especially miss Nagaoka in the fall. I'd love to have my own Japanese 16th century style home complete with garden and koi pond. Mums and peonies.

This pillow top arrives Tuesday. 

I got some money for Christmas and temporarily forgot I need a new computer I'm saving for, among other things, and I bought Suzani's  and stuff. Stay tuned. 

Had a nice trip searching for snow over Christmas and New Years I did find some colorful snowy places. The earth is a miracle of beauty and amazement. 

I've had friends, ( men I dated) tell me they'd give me half their lottery winnings just to see what I'd do with the money. 

I have to laugh. 

I do believe most of them meant it. Darn they didn't win! 

As a strong conceptualist, I have an inventive mind. 

 I download ideas like people download facebook. 

It can be frustrating but usually another interesting idea comes along, so I'm always entertained and happy within myself. 

But I do have great ideas arrive that would serve community. Many of them have already.

My strength is in conception. And I see answers to problems. 

Not necessarily in incorporating things which would take a lot of energy with institutions etc like banks, to accomplish them. I've had businesses before and they were successful but I always have to move on to the next idea. 

Still...my library ideas are so unconventional. I wish I wish someone would lend an ear. One library was started when I introduced the idea at a public forum years ago but I moved away and didn't get to oversee it. The wrong person in charge. Changes everything. 

My traveling yurt museum of art. 

Drooling over this incredible proposition. 

Making a difference begins with children, and art. Art anyway isn't what is made. It's a way of thinking. The thought is first. 

BTW Hello Fairbanks Alaska!

These are some of my tiles...

Each tile is 1"x1 1/4"

In relief

Terracotta clay with terrasig. Fired in primitive fire after extensive burnishing by hand. 

Each one is handmade. 

I loved designing tiles.
I realized in that time it was what I most liked to do in clay, above sculpture.
That if conceptualizing and inventing were prohibited, I'd like to have commissions to put these on walls of  museums and  places where they could be enjoyed. Even made by others so they could be part of the process of creation.  They're quite labor intensive.
Therefore expensive.

Then life did it's famous turn around and it was reality therapy time.

I couldn't make art again.
It drifted into years. And maybe someday there will be a comeback.

But you can't always go back to the art you created before.
My designs were stolen from a storage unit, along with family photos etc

No rhyme or reason. Just that what is, is.

But I'm happy to post these terracotta tiles here. Apparently made for a brief showing.
The ones made on porcelain at least made their way into an important collection.

That's nice. And I prefer those over these.

Nothing lasts, is the lesson.

This year there will be no mums cultivated, unless Paul Allen reads my plea to assist Kings Mums in Oregon. It's the only grower in the US.
And I've grown these 4 years only.
Now I don't know. Theirs died due to a new pesticide.
These Kiku, works of art won't grow in my pots this year :-(
Unless Paul Allen or someone else sees the value in helping out.

That's how life is.
Fleeting.
Just like this.
And no one escapes this fact.

The very best anyone can do is trust the heart and be kind.
Having empathy is the greatest gift.
Staying soft.
And not lying to oneself.
Becoming crazed from that.

Grace doesn't encourage thievery.
There are ways love is not loving.
Much has been taken away here.
But much has been given.

What any of us are, is not what we think. Some limited
Thing that needs to grasp and steal and project.
What we are has value intrinsic to itself.

Be Mindful, think before speaking, before acting, before rationalizing, or reacting..

We will wait and see.
What will rise from the ashes of this Phoenix?

These tiles were aptly named.
Burnt Offerings. 

Kokono Waza, Rebecca Walker, Don't Start, and Prom King, Kiku from our garden this year.

 Kiku, Japanese mums...

Prom King is the butterscotch cushion mum.

The light yellow round is Rebecca Walker the other bright yellows are Kokono Waza,
The Pink is called Don't Start.

This is our 3rd year of  cultivating these mums
Which are considerable work.
We are away some too so they aren't always
treated just right.

I buy these from
Kings Mums in Oregon City.
They're small starts that require heavy feeding, pruning
and constant dis-budding.
Not all have opened yet. In fact less than half.

I have 21 plants this year I believe.
Stay Tuned!

In addition to cultivating these mums I have other gardens
and I work with clay and sculpt.
Pretty busy here.
 Just back from a week away
 (to buy stones to sculpt, and hammers and chisels).. in Vancouver  BC
We had a really good time there stayed at The Sylvia Hotel.

I started on some short stories as well.
Maybe a screen play?

Life is good if you don't have certain interferences and menaces to contend with.
Oh well, life is full of bugs, eh?

Postponed a trip to The East Coast due to a virus.

But all's well now. Take Care!

The Little artist in Vancouver looking at Houseboats, buying rocks to sculpt and fabric to quilt etc .

 

Kiku Apricot Alexis fully open now.

It's been nice having flowers to cut into late fall

Ha! Can't get away from flowers. Well no, not everyone has kiku!!