Yep.  It’s winter here.  We’ve had some warm days, some rainy days, some windy days, and now we are getting COLD!!  

 

We may even get some snow this week.  That would be OK with me.  

 

If we do, I’ll get you a couple good pictures of the garden and the mountains.

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

We woke up to snow on Wednesday, just a dusting here.  

 

By the afternoon it was warm enough to go for a walk, and all our snow was gone.  When we got to the top of the mountain we could see that Franklin got a bunch of snow.  See it in the distance?

 

Maybe we’ll get some more.  

 

 

HAPPY JANUARY!!!

 

Since I don’t save seeds from my hybrid plants, I had to order new seeds.  

 

So I ordered green, red and Savoy cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, and some new cherry tomato seeds.

 

I also ordered cumin and pink celery seeds to try for the first time this year.  I’m already getting excited about this year’s garden.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!! 

 

I’m just dreaming about my summer gardens.  Not wishing away the winter, just dreaming about summer.

 

Here’s a happy memory of Black eyed Susies growing wild in the garden.

 

HAPPY JANUARY!!!

 

 

 

I had a few scraps left from the apron project, so I made pot holders.  They match the yellow flower apron, and the pocket on the navy check one.  I’m going to surprise the giver of the tablecloths with them for her kitchen.

 

She is a quilter too, so I will also give her the paper piecing pattern for the hearts.

 

These remind me of the story of the little girl in my preschool class who made a puppet out of “arts and craps.”

 

 

HAPPY CRAFTING!!!!

 

My friend got a couple beautiful old tablecloths from her Mom in Ohio, and asked me to make her an apron.  

 

I made 8 aprons out of two tablecloths.  Four out of the pretty yellow flowered one, each with a different lining.  And four out of the navy check, again each one different.  

 

On the most special one:  I used the navy check and added a navy blue pocket with the yellow flowers appliquéd on it.  Sorry I didn’t take its picture.  

 

It was a really fun project for a few wintery days.  And made a bunch of my friends (and me) happy.

 

HAPPY CRAFTING!!!

 

Can you believe this arugula?  We have had a few nights of 30 degrees, and a couple days of rain, and the arugula is still hanging in there.  We just keep harvesting, and using it until it decides that winter is indeed here.

 

Love this bed.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I glanced over at the mushroom logs yesterday, and this is what I saw:  a couple Shiitakes and a big fat unknown mushroom.  So I got out the Seek app, and the mushroom field guide, and positively identified the shiitakes (because we plugged these logs with shiitake spores) but couldn’t identify the other one.

 

These were my thoughts:  first of all:  NEVER eat what you can’t positively identify.  Then:  is it an overripe shiitake?  Is it some other kind of mushroom that we plugged, like oyster, red reishi, or chicken of the woods?  So I looked up all those and saw nothing that looked like this.  Then promptly washed my hands. ;}. Don’t want to start out the new year dead.

 

We saved the shiitakes in a brown paper bag (best way to store mushrooms) and took the other one way out into the woods, far away from our mushroom logs.  

 

Wonder what it was…still unknown.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

Photo: compliments of the Farmers Almanac 

 

 

Can you believe it?  It is 2024!!!  

 

Wishing you ALL:  all the best in the new year.

 

 

HAPPY 2024!!!

 

Yippee!!!  New seed catalogs.  These are my favorites.

 

* Baker Creek sells only heirloom seeds, has the most gorgeous pictures, and free shipping.

 

* Sow True Seed, out of Asheville, NC, has a climate that is similar to ours, and lots of charts to help with garden planning.

 

* Pinetree has the best prices, even though I have to pay for shipping.

 

All three offer growing tips, telling me when to plant, how to plant, and even harvest information, which really helps in the garden.  They are more than just sales catalogs.  I learn a lot from them.  

 

Please notice the picture on the front of the Pinetree catalog.  Do you know this plant?  It is an heirloom PINK celery.  How beautiful!!!  Maybe we will try it this year.  I always like to try something new in the garden.  And what do I have to lose:  They sell 100 seeds for $2.50.  

 

My 2024 garden is still in the dream stage, and this is where I start.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!