Green Garden Diary

 

Welcome Spring!

The Greening Of Spring

It's amazing how green really shines this time of year. Slowly but surely, the landscape is turning. Yesterday, I discovered the first daffodils in bloom. And our garlic. For a while there, I thought we lost all of it. The temps were below zero and I wasn't sure that the garlic would make it. But 2 out of 3 varieties are growing strong. They don't look as good as they usually do this time of year, but I'll take it.

Pretty soon everything will be green and growing. But for now I'll sit back and enjoy the greening of Spring.
Until next time.....

Hearts and Flowers and Arrows

My Valentine's Day section is complete. I've been working on it since my last post. I'm always trying to come up with something different. Click here to see my selection of hearts and flowers and arrows.
Hope to see you there!
Until next time.....

Welcome July

I'm sitting here this morning wearing flip flops, shorts and a LONG sleeve shirt. It is almost cool outside and I love it. The weather has been incredible lately. Mid 80's, low humidity, afternoon showers. The windows are open. The gardens look fabulous. The perfect southern summer.

I haven't seen the chicken snake since the day I removed it from the bluebird house, but I did see a garter snake in the corn patch yesterday. And this morning I saw another chicken snake in the squash bed.

I thought I'd welcome July in with flowers.
Daylily.
Echinacea.
Daylily.
A double Rose of Sharon.
Purple morning glory.
Vitex with sleeping bumble bee.

We have a busy week ahead. Our pickling cukes are coming in, so I'll begin making batches of dill pickles. The garlic needs to be braided. The beets are ready to be dug, steamed and frozen. The last of the sugar snap peas need to be put up. The squash plants are producing like crazy. We've been eating a lot of squash for dinner. Grilled zukes are my current favorite. I need to head outside and dig potatoes and
I want to till and prepare a new bed for potatoes and onions. Best get a move on.
Until next time.....

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Signs of Spring

Talk about a stormy Monday! We have some wicked storms passing through TN today. Our power has flickered on and off, but so far things have not been that bad. Fingers and paws crossed. The rain let up for a bit, so I have the windows open. Outside I hear a chorus of birds, light rain and thunder. All signs of spring.
A few photos from around the place this past weekend.
Pansies and spring onions
Lilac buds
Phlox
Day Lillies

Until next time.....

March Comes In Like A Lion

I'm sitting here drinking a mug of Red Miso, warming my bones from this chilly March morn. Occasional snowflakes slowly fall from a grey sky. Rumour has it that we're going to get snow tonight, so I headed outside and picked a bouquet of mini daffodils.

I listed the necklace that I made with the beet dyed beads that I posted about yesterday. It can be found here. I would like to dye some of the beads blue and have been reading up on it. I don't really want to buy indigo, but I may if I can't find another alternative; preferably something that I already have on hand.

Well, I hope we wake up to a bit of snow in the south land.
Enjoy your weekend.
Until next time.....

Industrial Flora Part 2

Here's more jewelry from my Industrial Flora collection that I wrote about here. It's too early to work in the gardens and we only have crocus blooming now, so it's been a real joy working with my other flowers. I went through all of my supplies and pulled out any flowers, leaves and bits that I thought would work well in this line. I've been busy at work, enjoying every minute of it.
Until next time.....

Winter Greens

Winter greens. Good for a gardener's soul.
Enjoy your weekend.
Until next time.....

Industrial Flora

I've always decorated my gardens with found objects. The thing finder in me is always bringing something home. Driftwood and shells from a walk at the beach. Fossils and rocks from a stroll down the creek. Rusty wagon wheels. Old milk jugs. Cedar posts. I can't help but peek inside the metal dumpster at the recycling center, in hopes that there will be something good in there that I can bring home.

I have a new jewelry line that reflects my love of mixing rusty and forgotten treasures in with my flowers and veggies. I named it Industrial Flora and it's starting to bloom in my shop. Click here and you'll be taken to my Etsy garden.

It's going to be a warm week, with no rain expected. I may be able to turn some of the garden. Perennials are coming back to life. Beds need to be weeded. Leaves and compost spread. All of a sudden there's so much to do. And just when I was enjoying my hibernation.
Until next time.....

Just A Splash Of Color

It's been raining for days. The ground is supersaturated. Perfect weather to stay indoors and do some of the many things on my 'to do' list for winter. I started cleaning the studio. Bags and boxes of unwanted supplies, ready to send off to Goodwill. I know that someone(s)out there will love them.

The garden catalogs are pouring in. It has me dreaming of Spring and all the flowers that will pop up from the now supersaturated earth. Above are a few of the flowers from the Sprng gardens.
Until next time.....

This Week

It's been a busy week 'round here.

1. Our tomatoes are coming in. I have to pick them early. VERY early. Our mockingbirds are up to their old tricks. As soon as the tomatoes start to turn, the birds start to peck them.
2. I harvested basil and made a batch of pesto. I need to head downstairs and make a second batch as soon as I'm finished here.
3. The Crepe Myrtle is in full bloom. Color. Glorious Color.
4. Black Eyed Susans. Need I say more?
5. Toad pool. I made a home for the toad and frog that hang out around the front door garden. 

We've been watching a lot of Olympics. I can't wait for the track and field to begin. That's my sport.
Until next time.....

'Round Here

1. Blue Hydrangea. Sweet Blue Hydrangea. How I love thee!
2. Sugar snap peas are in! They have to be my favorite spring vegetable. My favorite 'while gardening' snack. I eat them by the handful when I'm out working in the garden. We've been eating a lot of stir fries with peas, green onions, carrots and garlic from the garden. This weekend I'll freeze some, so we can have them this winter.
3. Lavender. I wish I had scratch 'n sniff, so you could smell these blossoms. Some of the dried flowers will be making their way into my Etsy shop in the form of jewelry in the near future.
4. Garlic circle. I harvested our garlic yesterday. It's early this year, but so if everything else. They spent the day outside, in the shade of the umbrella.
5. The Jackmanii Clematis is in full bloom. I love, love, love this plant.

We haven't had much rain lately, although it's supposed to rain this afternoon and evening. Hopefully we won't get the high winds and hail that they mentioned. Fingers crossed. As soon as we do get the rain, I'll be tilling and planting the rest of the summer garden. And I'll be munching on sugar snaps as I do it.

'Round Here

This week in the gardens:
1. Lettuce. Broccoli. Lemon Balm. And a white rose peaking through the trellis.
2. Clematis in full bloom. I love this variety.
3. Chamomile and Oregano.
4. Solomon Seal.
5. Variegated Ivy.
6. Columbine.

'Round Here

1. Columbine
2. Blue Rose
3. Clematis
4. Another variety of clematis
5. Spiderwort, solomon seal and columbine
6. Rose and chamomile