Crocous, Snowdrops, and Make Do

We are so Blessed in the Northwest to have a few sunny days! I wish I could send some of it to the east coast. Instead, here are a few cheery spring flowers to warm you hearts. The back yard is a carpet of snowdrops.

With so many cloudy days here, the vibrant, clear colors of spring flowers are a stimulating contrast to much of the weather. This carpet of heirloom crocus is a welcome to visitors walking to the side door.

The crocus pop up between rocks and bricks, multiplying each year.
I've seen some camellias starting to bloom. The lilacs are starting to leaf out and will soon blossom. When stepping outside today, into the sunshine, without a sweater I might add, I could feel the energy of a new season vibrating around me. Everywhere I looked I could see growth. The swelling of branches getting ready to have leaves burst forth from them. Brushing back some leaves, deposited from last year to nurture another year of life, I could see light green shoots pushing upward toward the warmth and sunshine, growing to "live" again. Yes, we will have more winter. But the cold is loosening it's hold, giving way to spring and life. Soon, I'll be spending most of my time outside. For now, well, I better finish projects that I have started. Soon the garden will call......And I will go.

One project is a bag from this book. I've made several projects from With These Hands during the winter. My mind has been full and occupied. I haven't been able to settle and design a project from start to finish this winter. Finding a project in a book that I love and working on it allows me to enjoy the occupation, yet not have to "think" much about design. Leaving my mind open to go other places. It really helps me to sort things out mentally, having my hands busy.

I'll sit, and beside me is a low stool, upon the stool in an old berry carrier. An old lace edged table scarf in draped across the carrier. I'll set my tea, embroidery, or whatever in the carrier. The stool can be moved out of the way, or to another chair easily. It's my portable "coffee" table. Using things in this manner it part of my make do life. Taking things I love, using them in my life in a purposeful way, seeing beauty in the ordinary, in the simple. I'm getting ready to say "good bye" to winter, feeling the creative life stir within. Ready to grow.

Enjoying Life,

Debbie

Too Much Basil?

Did I plant enough? I knew I wanted lots. Two plants last year just didn't make enough. Back in May each plant was so small. Twelve plants, two different kinds. That should be enough to dry some and make pesto, I thought. Maybe I should have gotten one more six pack of plants. Ha!This year the plants are sooooo much bigger. They are growing and growing. Maybe it is do to the chicken contribution. I've cut bunches to dry. Yesterday I harvested more. I made 18 batches of pesto to add to what I made earlier. The basil plants are still healthy and growing. I'm sure I will have much more in the end. Did I mention, there have been basil give aways too. There will be more. Anyone live close by??

Then there are the cucumbers. I haven't made pickles in years. I unearthed my old recipes and "put up" a few jars.

The green beans are still going strong. 32 pints. I made a few pints of dilly beans too. The peaches are yummy! Quarts and quarts of peaches are waiting in the pantry for the time in the winter when we want to bring back the taste of summer. Then I've made peach jam and syrup. Maybe I'm doing more this year because most of the kids are gone. Wow, they took up a lot of energy! There will be food in the pantry when they come visiting.

I've been enjoying "putting food up". Each day I've wanted to do something has been a cooler day, in between our heat waves. So it has been enjoyable. There is still lot to do in the garden. It's satisfying.

Warm Hellos!

I know. It's been a while. I don't really have an excuse........ Well.. the computer did die, we finally gave it complete transplants and revived it. It has been working well for some time now.....but then life has been ...... well...... life. I've missed you! While I've been gone things have been busy! One daughter and one niece have been married. A son-in-law has graduated from nursing school. Now he and my daughter are moving across the country. Another daughter is moving to Panama with her husband to teach. My oldest son, wife and two grandchildren were visiting from Quebec most of the summer. I finally got to play with my youngest grand kids!!! My youngest son just went off to Marine Boot Camp. (I'm proud and sad). Now I have one daughter left at home. She is into distance running. By the time cross country starts next week, she will have run 300 miles this summer. That's just a few high points. Meanwhile....I'll share a little of what has been going on in the gardens. The top picture is our side entrance in late June.

This is a view from the same entrance looking towards my mom's garden. She is soo talented! Her garden always looks fantastic!

One of my favorites in the back is "Love lies bleeding" aka "Kiss my over the garden fence". It's not what you see in every ones garden. The color is so vibrant. It also dries well.

We have gone from mostly shade in the back to almost full sun. This tree in the reason.

We spent a couple of days in spring cutting it down. It was such a lovely tree, shading the house during the summer and keeping it cool. Unfortunately, it had rotted inside and was mostly hollow. So it had to come down before it fell.

Now we are using the wood for evening fires outside.

Matilda was loving having the garden to herself. We thought she needed some company. And I know I need more eggs. So we have a total of five chickens now. They are almost grown. For the longest time they stayed away from the veggies. Then one day I went out and almost all my greens were gone, and damage to other veggies. I didn't want them to spend all their time in the coop, although it is very roomy.

I took lots of sticks from the tree we cut and pushed them along the edges of the beds. They were easy to move when I needed to work in the beds. It actually worked keeping them out. There were enough bugs and other yummy plants for them to eat in other parts of the yard.

Now I'm harvesting broccoli, cabbage, and beans. It's a busy time canning, freezing, pickling, etc. It's something I really enjoy. I'll share more.

Oh, of course we've had some time camping and enjoying my favorite beach, Oceanside too.

Surprise Snowdrops

I was taking a "walk" around the back yard. Just noting what I need to start on before Spring. Here in the Northwest, Spring seems to come all at once. One day it's winter and freezing, the next day it's Spring. Not really, it just seems that way. The change is gradual. If we look closely we can see the signs. It's still cold in Spring, but we have more and more days of warmth. I was also pondering the change in our country. Change has been coming gradually. Yesterday, we saw it happen. It almost seems like it happened overnight, or just this year. But the change has been happening. We just haven't been looking. Just like seeing the first unexpected snowdrops. I saw the tops of spring bulbs starting to push through the dirt. Then, in another bed there they were - beautiful snowdrops. I hadn't been out in the garden to see them growing. It seem like they were suddenly there.
Right now, the garden is rather bleak. Just these few snowdrops. They are small. Think of how strong they are growing in the cold and snow, the weeks of freezing weather when many plants die. To me they are beauty. Also a reminder, of how, with nurturing, much will grow here in the warming months. So thinking about our country - we are in a "cold time" right now. But we know how to nurture, we know it will take us getting out in the "garden" and working. We can't have this place of bounty, without giving to it what it needs to grow. It's work to weed, fertilize, plant, and water. Soon, "Spring" will be here - our "garden" will be a place of beauty and bounty.

Transitions

This is a transitions time. From outside to inside. Getting that warm and cozy feeling in the home. I never really stop doing things outside. My focus just changes more to inside. In the fall, I tend to bring more flowers inside to enjoy than during the summer months. When it is warm, I enjoy the flowers and plants as they grow. This year, we have had a warmer fall, so the flowers keep blooming. They are so bright and cheerful these chilly mornings.
One of the transitions is having a warm spicy drink in the mornings. Homemade chai tea is so yummy! The making becomes a little ritual. The aroma of cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, nutmeg, and ginger fills the house. I spend a few moments contemplating the day ahead, and enjoying memories of "before".
My dear friend, Hannah, grew up making this tea in Kenya. It's a recipe to play around with and adjust to your taste.
3 C whole milk
2 T black Tea
2 3" sticks of cinnamon
4 whole cloves
several cardamon seeds, ground
1/2 t nutmeg
slice of fresh ginger
2 peppercorns
3 C water
Put it all in a pan and bring to a boil. Watch out! Don't let it boil over. Simmer the tea for about 30 seconds. Strain.
Add honey to taste.
Yum. Mum mm.
A wonderful way to wake in the morning.

Still Life in the Garden

There is still life in the garden. The tomatoes are finally producing. I don't know about where you live, but the beginning of summer was so slow here that crops like tomatoes are very late in ripening. We've been wondering how many we would get before the first frost.
Really, I have quite a few. Tonight I'll make some sauce and can it.
I have about 20 pounds. The squash are producing nicely too.
There are still bright spots around the back. The snapdragons never stop.
The Rudbecka are still lovely. Even the spent blossoms are interesting texture.
Asters.
Cosmos.

Borage. All swaying in the gentle, fall breeze. All blooming the hearts out till the first frost. The crispness is in the air. I need to pay attention to each one everyday. Soon their cheerful faces will be a memory that I dream about in the cold of winter.

Intoxicating Aromas

The first evening of July, a day of intense heat, sitting of the porch, relaxing, cooling off, smell that wonderful aroma. Mmmmm! Only a very sunny day will convince the plants to release their volatile oils, that heady smell that intoxicates. I love that about summer. It's part of what keeps me gardening. So I'm sitting on the porch and look around, what plants are making themselves known this evening? Not the daisies, They look great, but have you gotten a nose full of their odor? God certainly has a sense of humor.
Yes this is it. The bells. They are a heirloom variety. Their aroma is very strong at night. Yum!
This is one of the porches we sit and relax. Soaking up July, sharing with family and friends.
I'll be gone, visiting family over the 4th. Barbecuing, watching the fire works being shot off a barge, laughing, and loving our friends and family. This is what it's about, July.

Farm Day

Saturday, Apifera Farm held a Pino Pie Farm Day. Beth and I went to join the fun. We drove into the wine and lavender country of Yamhill County with high expectations of finally seeing the farm and artist we had read about for months. Finally we saw the farm sign. "We're finally here!" we laughed. "MMMM! Smell the lavender!" We drove by the field Katherine and Martyn grow. It's a lovely haze of varying shades of lavender. We parked and walked to the party.
Right there in front of everything is a table of pies. Katherine and her donkey, Pino, encourage us to take pies to ones in need of cheer. So many brought pies in Pino's honor. Pino and company were on hand to pet. The children hugged and pet the donkeys. They stood for hours receiving their tribute.
Hanging on the fences were all the aprons people have sent, some from as far away as France. Beth bought the French Laundry Bag Apron.
Katherine is using the money from the sale of aprons and art to help in her work with caring for animals and helping people. Read her blog to find out all she does.
How often do you get to see the studio of an artist? What kind of magical place would it be?
A small peek. Your have to come to the next farm day to see. People from as far away as New York Kentucky, and Washington, came to enjoy the art and lavender. The studio was very inspiring. Art everywhere. It is very evident that Katherine derives her inspiration from what is outside the studio door. The connection between plant, animal, and person, and the messages she sees come through in her art.


They are creating drought tolerant gardens around their home. They are lush and vibrant. Martyn was a great resource about gardening. I could have talked for hours.
Thank you Katherine and Martyn for a wonderful day. We enjoyed it so much. It was a day that has lasting impressions. The nurturing care that you freely give is something to emulate.

Garden Visitor

Each spring the Crone Lady makes her appearance in the herb garden. Her arrival is a little later than usual this year. She prefers warmer weather, and likes to stay here after most of the rain is over. This year she is standing in the back corner, guarding her garden, by the blackberries, feverfew, Lemon balm, Valerian, and oregano. One day soon, she will start carrying a basket of flowers and herbs.
She looks out over the sage rosemary, fennel, marshmallow, and lavender.
The view from our back door is flagstone and brick path under the broad leaf Maple tree. The tree shades the house from the morning sun and keeps everything cool with it's far reaching branches. Unfortunately, disease has attacked the tree. I think this is it's last year. I'm saddened, it's a lovely tree and over 100 years old.
The walk on the other side of the tree goes by the raised beds, grapes, blueberries, red raspberries, and lovage. It's a rather wild place. The Crone Lady feels at home in this Wild Herbalist's garden.