Gerard Kreussling, 1931-2008

Update 2008-12-04 11:26PM:It's the end of a long day of a long week. We fly back home tomorrow. I am both anxious to be home, and dreading leaving, as it will be one more reminder of the finality of death.

The memorial service was today. I published my reading of my father's writing, How Old Will I Be?, and my eulogy, as their own posts.

Update 2008-12-03 10:50AM: His obituary appears in today's Asheville Citizen-Times and Hendersonvile Times-News, the text of which I've added below. The memorial service will be held tomorrow at 1pm at Thomas Shepherd and Sons; they're hosting an online register on their Web site.

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Holding the hand of my father on his deathbed at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday, November 29, 2008. He was on palliative care, only oxygen and pain medication to keep him comfortable. Except for a brief moment of recognition later that Saturday, he was already gone. His heart stopped at 5:15am this morning, December 1, 2008, after prolonged illness.

This image was used to illustrate the online article, From Pain to Palliative Care in the WBUR radio documentary "Quality of Death, End of Life Care in America".

He went into the hospital for the last time on Friday. He was never alone. My sister and I flew down first thing Saturday morning. Blog Widow John joined us last night.

I'll be staying in North Carolina through the week. We'll be making arrangements this afternoon for a local memorial service later this week.

2008 Western North Carolina Orchid Show and Sale, Part 2

Continued from Part 1.

Thwaitesara 'Angel Sound'


Here's the second round of photos from yesterday's visit to the 2008 Western North Carolina Orchid Show at the North Carolina Arboretum. There are the flower portraits, the closeups and other details, of the stars of the show.

I'm ignorant of orchids. I tried to take photos of labels so I could identify the flowers later. But the labels weren't always so obviously associated with the plants. I transcribed the names as best I could. So take any names provided here with heaping teaspoons of salt.

Unknown Moth Orchid


Some kind of ladyslipper


Pharg. 'Ashley Wilkes'


Detail, Flower Arrangement


Another unknown beauty, perhaps a Cattleya relative?


Moth Orchid, Dtps. 'Elmore's Pink Silk'


These little guys look just like Turkish dervish dancers to me


The name on the label was Paph. JulisRothschildianum 'Eureka' x Lowii 'Princehouse' AM/AOS. I guess this is a hybrid of two "Paph." (Paphiopedalum?) varieties. Anyone want to translate?


I'll close out with two detailed portraits of two amazing orchids.

This is a detail of Phrag. caudatum, some kind of ladyslipper orchid.


That's beautiful enough. But check out the lateral petals. They've evolved into straps hanging down over 18" on each side of the bloom.


Here's a view of the entire plant. I can't imagine how one would even transport such a thing


It's a little hard to pick out from the mass of foliage surrounding it, but the hanging basket (seated, in this setting) in the center of the photo contains a specimen of Chamaengis harotiana. You can see this won First Place in something.


It doesn't look like much at first glance. Let's take a closer look.


Hard to appreciate it, so I put my fingertip in the photo for scale. Ten of those flowers could fit on my fingernail.

Related Posts

2008 Western North Carolina Orchid Show and Sale, Part 1

2008 Western North Carolina Orchid Show and Sale, Part 1

Display Room of the Western North Carolina Orchid Show in the Education Center of the North Carolina Arboretum


This morning I attended the second day of the 2008 Western North Carolina Orchid Show and Sale at the North Carolina Arboretum. Although I've gardened outdoors for many years, I cannot keep a houseplant alive. I certainly haven't ventured into the Orchid world. My experience of an event like this is much like how I describe myself going to Sunday services: like a dog in church. I enjoy the sights and scents for their own sake, and have no interest in tapping into the deeper religion of the event.

So here is my report from today's visit, emphasizing the visual experience, which was more than satisfying to this orchid-ignorant gardener. This first part gives the overview and most of the exhibits. When I get home I'll be able to filter through the flower portraits for Part 2.



The event was sponsored by the Western North Carolina Orchid Society (WNCOS). The event was held in the Education Building of the North Carolina Arboretum. Specimens from WNCOS members occupied the central display. All of these photos are from the members exhibit, taken from different vantage points around the room.











Displays from vendors and other orchid societies covered the perimeter of the room. The vendors tables themselves occupied two other rooms.

Carolina Orchids


South Carolina Orchid Society Display


Ironwood Estates Orchids Display


Marble Branch Farms Displays


Elmore Orchids Display


Orchidview Orchids Display


Carter & Holmes Display


One thing that struck me - and I wonder if others have the same impression - is that orchid society seems to be disproportionately male. If one were to judge the demographics of gardeners by that of its bloggers, one might come up with a distribution like this:

• 70% women
  
• 30% men
  
  • 15% straight
    
  • 15%gay
    

It's hard to say what the breakdown would be at today's event. Men seemed to be in the majority, at least while I was there. As for the rest of it, I would not presume to infer. I'll just say that the orchids weren't the only eye-candy on hand today.

Links

Program and Exhibitors for the 2008 WNC Orchid Show and Sale [PDF]
North Carolina Arboretum
Western North Carolina Orchid Society (WNCOS) [Note: The site was completely unavailable when I wrote this post.]

Outside Clyde

Anemone blanda, Outside Clyde


This afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting with CC of Outside Clyde. I've been following his chronicles witnessing the succession of growth and bloom on the resident gardeners' hillside. This is just my small contribution.

There's no single vantage from which you can take in the entire hillside at once.

Daffodil Hill


The trails wander and intersect organically, having evolved over three decades of clearing, planting and gardening.

Over the hill, through the woods


The trails are rough, and steep at times. But it pays to stop often and look around, and up, and out.

Daffodil "Rip van Winkle"


Narcissus, cyclamineus tribe


Possibly "King Alfred"


Shelf fungus


Pulmonaria


The threatened thunderstorms never materialized. CC's site is adjacent, and we hiked along another trail to get there. There was only a sprinkle of rain.

Lichens


Old foundation


Last year's Goldenrod


Claytonia


A lovely afternoon.

The North Carolina Arboretum

Today was our day to visit the North Carolina Arboretum. CC accompanied me for about half of the photos I took. It was a pleasure to be able to explore the Arboretum with another plants-person. It's been too long since I had the opportunity to do so.

Here are some photographic highlights of my visit. You can see even more photos of my visit on Flickr.

Annuals in Container

This is a detail view of one of the many combinations of annuals and other tender plants in containers around the plazas and promenade at the Arboretum. The plants here are:

• Upper left: Golden Pineapple Sage, Salvia elegans "Golden Delicious"
  
• Upper right: Coleus, Solenostemon scutellarioides "Coco Loco"
  
• Lower center: Shamrock, Oxalis vulcanicola "Zinfandel"
  

It was interesting walking around with CC for this, since he's familiar with many of our "annuals" as year-round landscape plants. He recognized the Pineapple Sage immediately; I thought it was another Coleus.

Here's a full-on view of this container and its neighbors.


Detail, Rex Begonia Leaf.


And here's that Begonia with its companions.


Passion Flower


Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata), on the Nature Garden Walk.


Flower of Franklinia alatamaha in the parking lot.


Papyrus flowers.


Bark of Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica), on the Nature Garden Walk


Tiger Swallowtail on Hydrangea off the promenade.


Lichens on Rock, Nature Garden Walk


Three-lobed Coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba), handicapped parking area



The beauty above is Scolia dubia, also known as a Flower, Digger or Blue-winged Wasp. Thanks to nafensler (Flickr) for the ID! I photographed this in the parking lot as CC and I were leaving the Arboretum. NCSU's Center for Integrated Pest Management has an apt write-up from a couple years ago:

Scolia dubia is a black-colored insect with metallic blue highlights on the wings and thorax. The brownish abdomen has two yellow spots near the middle of the abdomen and the tip is a red-brown color. Scoliid wasps are considered beneficial insects because they help control the grubs of green June beetles and other beetles. They are present in North Carolina from June to October, but they are most abundant during August. The wasps are often seen hovering a few inches above lawns, flying in loops and Figure 8 patterns. The female wasp digs through the soil in search of grubs, burrowing her own tunnels or following those made by the grubs. These are not a stinging threat to humans and no control measures are suggested.

Related Posts

Quilt Garden
Baker Exhibit Center

Links

North Carolina Arboretum