Now HERE is a patch of dandelions.  Aren't they great?  I love them.  OK, it's true, I don't let ALL dandelions stay.  When they are in the garden paths they have to go, but these near the front door can definitely stay.  

 

They are so cheerful, and the bees and butterflies love them too.  

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

We are trying something new this year:  this is German Chamomile.  Of course, we've all had chamomile tea, but I've never seen it growing.  So I splurged and spent $2.35 for a pack of 800 seeds.  Boy were they tiny!!!  

 

They germinated within a couple days, and the seedlings were so tiny that I transplanted them in clumps.  We will see...

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

 

 

Tis the season for the return Rhubarb.  I noticed that ours is coming back, and it is gorgeous!!!  We've had this rhubarb for over ten years, and we just keep dividing it, and passing it along to our gardening friends.  I hang on to one or two plants.

 

When you buy rhubarb at the farmers market or in the grocery store, you don't get to see the leaves.   The LEAVES get tossed  because they are TOXIC.  They contain enough oxalic acid that in the past they were used to scour burned pots and pans.  Yeah, no thanks.  I will stick to SOS.

 

Anyway, the red or green stems are delicious cooked down like apple or cranberry sauce, or turned into rhubarb pie.   I hope you get to try it sometime.  

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went out to the garden last week to see what's happening out there, and look who I saw coming up:  cilantro.  There are about 20 tiny seedlings out there.  Fingers crossed that March doesn't decide to "go out like a lion."

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

Hahaha!!!  I seeded the Arugula bed on February 17, the new moon, the same day I planted tomato, pepper, kale, and lettuce seeds.  See the bigger leaves?  Well, after that cold spell a couple weeks ago, they looked kinda sad, so I overseeded the bed with more arugula seeds.  Now look what we've got!!!  TONS of arugula.  Old and new.

 

But I've heard (from more than one source) that you can't have too much arugula.  

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

I thought you would like to see the Clematis.  I trimmed out the dead stuff from last year, and it has leafed out beautifully.  There are lots of flower buds too.  Last year it bloomed on my birthday, so we still have about a month until we see blooms.  I will be sure to show you when it blooms, because it is fabulous.

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

Here is one of the Dogwood trees that we planted a few years ago, and it is starting to bloom!!!  Everything else in the picture looks like winter, but those white blossoms tell me that Spring is here.  The other two trees are just getting started, but all three look healthy and strong.  Yay!!!

 

 

HAPPPY SPRING!!!

 

I guess I shoulda shown you what I've done so far.  This is the basic pattern.  Next I have to sew on three sets of borders to finish the quilt top.  

 

If you look to the left, you can see the true colors in the sunlight.  The fabrics really are gorgeous.  Even the background white is cool.  It is white on white, and it sparkles against the blues and reds.  It is way prettier in real life than the picture in the catalog.  

 

I am so happy with it so far.  I'll let you know how it works with the borders.  Stay tuned.  I'm on a roll.

 

 

HAPPY QUILTING!!!

 

Well, my seedlings are growing, but they are not ready to put out in the garden, so what shall we do now?  

 

I can't think of anything better than spending my days in the sewing room.  So that's what I do.  Here is my latest project.  It's called Sails at Sunset.  I got a quilt kit:  complete with fabric for the quilt top and the pattern created by Phoebe Moon Designs.  All I had to do was cut out the pieces and put them together.  Easier said than done.

 

So far I have 20 hours invested, and I still have more cutting and the borders to go. After that I will take it to my friend, Russ to have it machine quilted, then bring it back to the sewing room for binding and finishing.  In the end, I will probably have 30 hours in it.  But it is great fun, good mental exercise, and it makes me happy.  And isn't THAT the point?

 

 

HAPPY QUILTING!!!

 

Here we are transplanting the tomato seedlings that were seeds just one month ago.  I planted 15 seeds of 10 different varieties of tomatoes.  "Wait!!!"  you say.  That's 150 tomato plants.  And you are right.  Who needs 150 tomato plants?

 

So here's the thing:  I plant 15 seeds, then transplant them into six-packs.  That's 2 six-packs of each variety.  One for us, and one to share.  And just in case the germination rate isn't that great (for whatever reason) we have back ups.  Because once you get started, it's hard to catch up on time.  I can't bear to get into April and May when it's time to plant in the garden, and not have enough.  So I make sure by having extras.  

 

And Miss Gerry's Garden Center always has plenty of tomato plants for her gardening friends, for the excellent price of FREE!!!

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!