a gypsy caravan

happenings in the gardens

"Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water-bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud-turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb, brooks to wade in, water-lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hay-fields, pine-cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets; and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of his education."

-Luther Burbank

There has been much time spent in the out of doors lately.  We have taken a break from unpacking to work in the yard planting perennials, building and preparing vegetable gardens, hauling soil and readying bee boxes for their future inhabitants.

 

Mike and Ben spent a day building the raised vegetable beds. They turned out so nicely. 

(Lazy woman's method of weed control and grass removal.  Simply load soil on top and you're finished.)  

We have one 4x12 foot bed devoted to strawberries.  The remaining 3 beds will be vegetables. 

We also planted three blueberry bushes in the yard near the gardens. 

(I thought about cropping the car out of this photo.  And the garbage can.  And trying to touch up the paint on the house (it will be painted this summer), and moving the extra stone from the doorway but then I figured, it is what it is right now.)

Above is one of the perennial beds that the children planted.  It still needs to be mulched but they've done a fabulous job getting all of the flowers in the ground. As you can see, we are working on a little flagstone walkway as well. This perennial bed will be a cut flower garden to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. So far we have planted peonies, bleeding hearts (both white and pink), lupine, poppies, foxglove, daisies, coneflower, aster, pussytoes, clematis, columbine, black eyed susan, phlox, violets, lavender and veronica. There are also two rose bushes that were there when we moved in.  The rest we have added ourselves. I'll take a photo of the bed when its completely finished. 

Here are all of the plants the children chose...

I added this little flower arrangement on the door at the end of the stone walkway. 

I will post some photos of the bee equipment, possibly tomorrow. Until then, I hope you have a happy day today and that you are able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine! 

fairy houses

The girls and I had a wonderful time making fairy houses in the woods the other day.  We had only recently spent a lovely afternoon at Mary's godmother's home making tiny wooden and felt fairies.  The girls decided that those little dolls ought to have somewhere to live.  So the fairy homes were lovingly constructed.That project occupied Mary and Annie for several hours.  They built the homes from rocks, bark, lichen, moss, much mud and many flowers.  I thought you might like to see them.  

and even a fairy pond with lily pads. :) When given creative materials and a little inspiration, children can make such lovely things!

(Many thanks to Barbara, her daughter Rebecca and friends who provided such wonderful materials for the fairy dolls.)

parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

 

I have always found it to be very therapeutic to dig in the dirt.  I have a great love of gardening in general, whether it be perennial flowers, vegetables or little pots of pansies on the front porch.  Yesterday, Christopher spent quite a while planting herbs in a divided basket.  I used to have an herb garden at a previous home but the soil here is fairly shallow with a thick layer of shale beneath.  There are a large number of tree roots to work around so we thought pots might be a better choice. 

 Parsley, sage, rosemary, lemon thyme, chives and cilantro

Benjamin took care of planting several sweet basil plants in pots for me.  I have a favorite recipe for basil pesto that I make quite often in the summertime. 

  
Mary chose a flower to plant that she could care for.  We picked a sunny spot in the yard where she could watch it grow.  She planted in memory of two goldfish pets that have died since we moved here.

  Seashell and Treasure Box's little grave that Mary made.

Annie chose a Dahlia to plant.

 As I mentioned, the property is rocky so we have pots anywhere we can find a bit of sun.  I kind of like the way the yard is beginning to look, kind of whimsical and colorful with little niches and growing spots.   There is a beautiful, magical garden center/family farm nearby that has tiny flower fairies to put in the pots and little teeny dollhouse sized wheelbarrows and garden tools for only a couple of dollars.  I may try to sneak over there on the sly and get a couple to put in the girls' pots to surprise them.  I think they would like that.

Have a beautiful day! 

Corners of My Garden--Perennial Blossoms

Ben's First Harvest

This summer as well as last, Ben has worked a garden plot in the backyard.  Last year, he impressed me by asking whether he could prepare the soil after it had been allowed to grow over for the previous five years.  I was surprised when he turned over the entire plot himself, paid for seeds and seedlings and took care of the watering and weeding.   

This year he has extended the size a bit and is working on some of the requirements for the Plant Science Merit Badge.  In the spring, he planted green beans, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, Big Boy tomatoes, green bell peppers and Gypsy peppers. :)  Here is his first harvest.

The green beans are coming along nicely and should yield much more in the next couple of weeks.  We have some rabbits with insatiable appetites that have made off with the lettuce, spinach and all but three of the carrots but Ben is not discouraged.  He is paying his sister to watch out the window and chase the rabbits away.  :)

Corners of My Garden: Annabelle Hydrangeas

When we moved here eight years ago, we put in several large perennial beds.  I have always loved hydrangeas and planted several different varieties.  One of my favorites is the Annabelle hydrangea which produces creamy white snowball flowers.  We have four such bushes throughout the yard.  The blossoms turn a pale green as they age and keep their beauty into early fall.   I think they look so pretty in a milk glass vase.

Corners of My Garden--the Kousa Dogwood

When my father passed away a few years ago, two of Mike's aunts sent a gift of a Kousa Dogwood by which to remember him.  The Kousa Dogwood is sometimes called a Japanese Flowering Dogwood.  It is different from other dogwoods which blossom before getting their leaves.  The Kousa blooms much later, well after the other dogwoods are finished blooming and after the tree has already grown its foliage.  I thought you might enjoy seeing its pretty blossoms.

My friend Jackie had sent a little garden angel when we planted the tree and I placed it at the base of the trunk. 

I think the variegated green and white hosta look so nice next to this tree.  Right now the dogwood is about twelve feet tall, though very thin.  I understand they begin to branch out horizontally as they age.  I hope to be able to sit in its shade someday when I am much older and watch the world go by.   

Peonies in a Milk Glass Vase

I am so happy that my peonies are blooming.  Last week, I thrifted the milk glass vase and antique hand-knit doily.  It always makes me smile when I find something for only a few cents that makes my home look more lovely.

Lily of the Valley

Under a shady area in one of my backyard flower beds, my grandmother's Lily of the Valley grows alongside variegated hosta and Annabelle Hydrangea to make a pretty scene of green and white.  Grandma always had a bunch to give to anyone who visited her home around Mother's Day.  This flower is so cheery with its pretty white bells and it smells Oh-So-Heavenly.  Just looking at it makes me smile.  :)

Two summers ago I was at a yard sale where the hostess was selling plants from her lovingly tended perennial gardens.  She had a single pink Lily of the Valley plant in a pot for sale.  I had never heard of pink Lily of the Valley, much less seen one, so I purchased it on the spot.  This year there were quite a few pink blossoms in amongst my grandmother's white.  I thought you might enjoy seeing them.

Flowers in Bloom

Our yard is growing in color with each passing day!  Here are some of the plants ready that have been blooming or are ready to burst into color.

Bleeding Hearts

Violets

White lilacs

Pink Azalea

White Azalea

Peony buds

Lily of the Valley--almost ready!  Should be open just in time for Mother's Day.

What's blooming in your yard? :)

April Showers

"April showers bring May flowers."

We have had our share of April showers this past week!  Our May flowers are always beautiful so I am not going to complain about the rain. :)

The children always have such a fun time in the temporary pond that fills our backyard.  A few times a year we get rain heavy enough to cause most of the backyard to be covered in water.  Our soil is composed mostly of clay, as our backyard used to be a streambed, way back when. 

The other morning we awoke to find some new visitors in our yard, a mallard couple!  I had hoped to get a better photo of them but they were a bit camera shy the first time I tried to take their picture so I kept my distance.

The mallard couple stopped by last year for a short stint but have been here three days this week.  It is so funny to see ducks floating around in the huge puddle that is our backyard.  :)

Here are some other signs that Spring has arrived in Northeast Ohio.

Snow Drops or as my little Grandma used to call them, Snow Peeps.

Speaking of my grandma, her Lenten Roses (or Hellebore) that are growing in my yard have begun to blossom!  I am anxious to see the opened buds in the upcoming days.

As a side note, I thought I had re-uploaded all of the photos from my previous blog to this one but a  kind visitor reminded me that I am missing all the photos in my Nature Study category.  I will try to upload them  sometime this week.  Thanks for noticing!

I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing Sunday with your family. 

Autumn is here!

Unfortunately, I did not compile a post in time for Michele's Loveliness of Autumn fair.  Please, do stop by to read  the wonderful posts and ideas that are shared there!   

There are so many ways that we can make our homes welcoming with each season change.  I really enjoy the change from Summer to Autumn, not only because the latter is my favorite season to be out of doors but because the changes within my home are the simplest for me as well. 

Our previous home, which was a rental, had gorgeous woodwork and leaded glass windows with built in china cabinets and window seats.  We now live in a 1940's bungalow which has small rooms that do not have a whole lot of character.   This home really relies on its decorating colors and furniture to make it interesting.   I have painted most of the rooms in warm tones so Autumn decorations really work well here. 

This is the view into our front door.  The wood burning fireplace gets a lot of use in the colder months.  I try to decorate the mantel and the area above it for the season at hand.  I purchased this wheat wreath from a small, family-owned company several years ago.  I hang it from the beginning of Autumn until Advent.   The mantel is decorated with some silk autumn leaves and small artificial pumpkins/gourds.  These, I purchased at a Dollar Tree store.  The entire mantel's decorations cost $5, excluding the candles which I bought many years ago.

Some other ways to highlight the seasons are by using interesting photo frames around the house.  I often purchase these after the season is over and they are much less expensive.  Added to a table with some other photos, it gives a little touch of Autumn for a small amount of money.  This one, of iron leaves, adds a little character to the table alongside the vase of fall flowers and foliage that I change each season.

Also in the living room is the piano which just asks to be decorated!  It is here that we place our Advent log during Advent, decorated with greens and berries.  During the fall, we use fall candles, seasonal photo frames and other decorations to bring it to life.   

The view from this room into the dining room...

My dining room is our only eating area in the house.  It is home to a table and six chairs.  There is no room for anything else.  I keep the decorations simple in there, just a runner (also used at Christmastime) and small basket of leaves and gourds.  Once again, the basket and gourds were less than $5 at the dollar store. 

Here is a shelf in my little sunroom, which is joined to my dining room.  My mother likes to bring fresh flowers for me now and then (which I really love! ) This time she brought mums to brighten my day.  They really add a nice fall flair to the room. 

On the outside of our home, we have a couple of these fellows hanging around the mums and pumpkins.  The littles really like them .  When it is dark in the evening and I have come back from being out, I have been known to jump pretty high, thinking they are a real person by my door! 

Thanks for letting me share these few, simple ways that I have tried to bring Autumn to my home.

Perhaps your home has a season that looks just right within its walls.  My mother-in-love's home is a wonderful, festive place in the winter with all of its decorations for Christmas.  For which season do you most enjoy decorating your home?

My Herb Garden

I love to have herbs growing in the yard.  It is much less expensive than buying them at the grocery store and it's also nice to have the quick access when cooking.  Here is a photo of my herb garden, which is doing well this season, with the exception of the lavender (center) that got far too much rain.

Growing are chives, peppermint, spearmint, sweet basil, cilantro, sage, rosemary, lemon balm, chamomile, and parsley.  Do you keep fresh herbs on hand for cooking?  If so, do you grown them in pots or inground? 

And the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down…

We have had such heavy rains this Spring and Summer. As of yet, I have not had to water my flower beds at all!  They have remained wet and often are boggy.  My Annabelle hydrangeas have reached to the heavens this year, doubling and in one case, tripling, their usual height. Many of the flower heads are as large as a soccer ball, instead of the usual softball-sized blossoms.

The astilbe is flourishing due to the wet conditions.

And the children have been quite creative in their play, adapting our backyard into a water fun park.

Who needs a pool when we've got our own pond? :)   

Grandma’s Grandma’s Peonies

The peonies are in bloom in my yard.  I  wanted to show them to you and tell you how special they are to me. 

When I was a little girl, my grandma used to walk me around her yard and show me all of her flowers, tell me their names and pick some for me to take home in a vase.  The peonies were my favorites.  She showed me how the ants crawled about on the peonies, helping them to open.  She once told me that the peonies growing in her yard belonged to her own grandmother. My grandmother had dug some out of her grandmother's yard to start her own flower garden as a young bride. 

After my grandma passed away and her home was up for sale, I dug up many of her flowers to transplant in my own yard as a living memory of her.  Year after year they bloom and bring a smile to my face as I remember my grandma and her love of flowers.

Woody and Other Garden Delights

Thanks to inspiration from Dawn and her good friend Birdy, our family has a new friend.  "Woody" joined our gardens a few days ago and the children are delighted!   

He must share his tree with our suet holder that has been attracting many Downy and Red- Bellied woodpeckers, as well as the usual squirrels that attempt each day to carry the whole thing away.    At Woody's base are some signs that Spring is progressing nicely. The Lily of the Valley are beginning to bud, hosta is greening up and the ferns are peeping their heads out of the soil.  These are a few of the plants growing in the shady areas of our flower beds. 

We will be making our May baskets ala Alice this afternoon to deliver to friends and relatives. I'll post some photos of the baskets when they are finished. Included in our baskets will be some of the lilac blossoms that are growing in our yard

as well as some sprigs of Sand Cherry.

In bird news, we are excited to have an Eastern Screech Owl living in one of our maple trees.  Early in the evening, about a half hour after sunset, she has been emerging from the hole and flying around the yard.  Two summers ago, we had a family of 5 screech owls that emerged from the same hole.  I am anxiously waiting to see whether there will be a new family this Spring.

I am going to try to see if I can catch her on film.  The combination of darkness and elusiveness of the owl makes it an improbability but I will give it my best "shot".

Some Signs of Spring

In addition to today's 67 degree heatwave, here are some sure signs from my flower beds that winter is behind us!   The Lenten roses and "snow peeps" once grew in my grandmother's yard.

  So many of the flowers in my beds are transplants from my grandma's home which makes them all the more precious to me.