Gardening June 2!

The best time for working in the garden for me is early morning - or after dinner when it has cooled back down a little bit.  On Friday (June 2) I put in two solid hours early in the morning, deadheading, weeding, planting, watering and in general enjoying the garden.  I am going to share some photos of how things are progressing now.  First, however, is a little poem of sorts that came to mind when I sat down to have some lunch after working out there all morning and just looked at the garden out the kitchen window.  It made me happy.  

Here are my thoughts.

I hear you ask, is your garden growing?
The roses bloom.  The grass needs mowing.
The coneflowers, veronica, and thyme do thrive,
The phlox, the daisies, hosta are alive.

The bees are buzzing and the finches sing,
There is color and beauty in everything.
It's almost like walking in Eden again,
God is present here as He's always been.

* * * * *

Pretty little pink Veronica Speedwell.

Here's a very fragrant heirloom David Austin rose called Graham Thomas.

Cranesbill geranium nestled next to pygmy barberry.

 Another view of the oh-so-fragrant Graham Thomas roses.

And here is another David Austin rose - extremely sweet fragrance.  It is called Abraham Darby.  If you love roses, the David Austin roses are full, robust, fragrant and real beauties in the garden.

 The bees really like this yellow blossom.  This plant is a St. John's Wart.

Ladies' Mantle.  I should not have taken this photo at noon when the sun was blazing down on it.  This plant is so pretty in the morning when the leaves have big droplets of dew on them.   This photo doesn't do justice to the special charm of Ladies' Mantle.

This is a photo of Wally looking out the window three weeks ago when the garden was just beginning to grow.  He spends hours sitting at this window watching birds and critters scurrying around the yard!!!!  I just realized that the people who own the farm behind the fence really need to cut their grass, don't they????  It has been cut and trimmed nicely since this photo was taken!

 I will close with another early May photo of the Bleeding Hearts and an amazing ground cover called Variegatum Yellow Archangel.  This is along the west side of the house, where it gets little sun due to the position of the house and a line of trees and mini forest that keep it very cool and shady.  The Archangel , ferns, hostas and Bleeding Hearts thrive along this side.

I hope to be disciplined enough and dedicated enough to keep this blog going.  I have been so slack lately.  If I can grab my camera and document the garden as the summer progresses and share what is going on, I may be diligent and post.

Enjoy!  Blessings,
Janet

RECIPE FOR THE YEAR

Here is a recipe for the New Year

Take twelve fine, full grown months.  See that these are thoroughly free from all old memories of bitterness, rancor, hate and jealousy; cleanse them completely from every clinging spite.

Pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are free from all the past negative habits.  Keep them as fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of time.

This batch will  keep for just ONE YEAR.  Do not attempt to make a whole batch at once, but prepare one day at a time as follows:

24 parts of faith
23 parts of patience
20 of courage
18 of work
8 of prayer
6 of meditation
1 well-thought out resolution

If you have no conscientious scruples, add these four parts (highly recommended):
A dash of fun
A pinch of folly
A sprinkling of play
A heaping cupful of good humor

May you make a good year.

I found that among old papers and clippings.  This one is from a newspaper article in the 1960's.  

* * * * *

The Monday night sewing/quilting ladies have been together now for about eleven years. We have solved many world issues (no one else listens to us) and have had a great deal of fun together. We have cried together over family deaths, laughed over funny antics, changed jobs, traveled together, retired, moved our homes, seen grandbabies born, prayed together, shared deep hurts as well as profound happiness .... and have created LOTS OF FABRIC SCRAPS in the process of sewing quilts.  Wonderfully Kind is very practical.  She wanted us to use up our scraps making some new quilts.  First we shared squares and made friendship quilts which we kept and treasure as memories of each other and the various creations we put together.  Now Wonderfully Kind has been cutting (for a year or so!!!!) scraps into six inch long strips of one to two inch widths which we put together in patterns.  
Here are a few examples:

And.......

A local quilt shop had contacts in Tennessee, and they arranged for a truckload (maybe more) to transport handmade quilts to the people who lost homes and possessions in the Appalachian Fires.  Guess what? We were able to send four of our quilts on the truck. Even better .... we have four more in the works.  We will begin a new pattern for our scraps soon and send more to people who NEED to be kept warm and to know they are cared for and loved.  

We feel that is a good way to start 2017.

I wish you blessings, love and much happiness in the coming year .... and a warm cup of tea too!

Janet

Indiana Christmas at Home

It has been MONTHS since I have blogged, and I am duly ashamed of myself.  I am not even sure why!  Anyway, I resolved to go through the house and take pictures of the Christmas decorations and show you some things here.

It is such a beautiful and special time of the year.  Lights twinkle everywhere, and people seem just to be happier for some reason.  The hustle and bustle....packages .... children all excited .... stunning music .... the word that comes to mind is 'twinkling.' Everything seems to twinkle.  Houses smell like cookies in the oven.  Outside is the aroma of woodsmoke.  

This morning, it was so COLD and the radio reports were warning people not to go out because it was snowing lightly over a sheet of ice that had formed last night.  Scary.  I stayed in, much to my disappointment.  When I trudged down to the mailbox yesterday, it was so treacherously slippery that I ended up taking baby steps wherever I could find some crunchy snow. I was reminded of Tim Conway and his hilarious skits with Mrs. Wiggins!!!!  That pretty much clinched it in my mind not to go out today, especially with warnings over the media not to venture outside.

 This darling tin house, lighted inside with a fragrant candle was a gift from a former next-door neighbor.  We have both since moved, but thankfully, we keep in touch.

Precious little live poinsettia was also a gift from a dear friend at church.  It seems to add just the right bright touch to the arrangement in the front hallway.

 I tried to catch the snow falling this morning that looked exactly like thousands of miniature diamonds falling from the sky.  Sparkling.  This photo only looks like specks, but believe me, it was magical.  I tried again with the photo below, but the snow flakes still only looks like white fuzz in the picture!

 Knitting daughter made all kinds of ornaments 40+ years ago.  I cherish these.  She was just learning how to knit!!!  This, in the event you don't recognize it, is a star.

 And Beekeeper daughter made dozens of shrink art (remember that?) ornaments that go proudly on the tree every year these 40+ years.  Love them.

 Of course, Brownie, who has been in the family for generations, is well loved and makes his appearance every Christmas.  This year he stands guard beside the mantle clock.

 Absolutely wouldn't be a truly trimmed tree without the elementary school ornament with the glitter and photograph!

 More shrink art creations.

 This is Wally's second Christmas, and he is very good about not 're-trimming' the tree.  He just makes cuddly beds under the tree and dreams out the window at all the critters and fluttering birds.

Another knitted bell creation.

Wally is good about leaving the tree alone (other than making a bed under it) but he has a love of strings, ribbons, pieces of fabric, and even has a favorite 'toy' that is basically a large piece of felt scrap.  So, rather than take a chance that he would try to eat ribbon and get himself in an intestinal emergency situation, I have been keeping all the wrapped presents on the dining room table and cabinet tops.

A gorgeous hand crafted ornament from a real artist friend.  I love it.

A fresh bright arrangements for the library glass door.

I will close with the newest watercolor.  I liked the colors so I bought a cheap frame at Michael's and hung it in the kitchen.

I resolve to blog AT LEAST once a week and to keep in touch, take more photographs, and share with you the love of home and family.  It isn't a Christmassy picture, but it is bright and happy.... good things!

Merry Christmas and love to each of you,
Janet

English Garden - in Indiana

Year Two in the Garden

This is the second summer for the backyard garden.  It is beginning to fill in and fill out!  Several new plants have been added, as well as a little stone pathway to make it easier to walk through, pick flowers, and weed.  Always the weeds!!!!!  

It is far from ideal, but I thought you might like to see pictures of the garden and the beehive as they are this year.  Presently it is terribly hot and humid, so spending time tending the plants is not a pleasant task.  I've been staying inside more than is good for garden growth, but I am hoping the heat spell will break, and I can get back out there and do some pruning and weeding and possibly some moving and transplanting of things that may do better in another spot.

The above photo is a Passion Flower, an unusual vine I have always liked.  I was able to locate one at the local nursery here and planted it along a little iron fence on the side of the house.

I also splurged this year and purchased two of the David Austin Heirloom roses.  Graham Thomas and Abraham Darby were the two I selected - extremely fragrant with very abundant full blossoms.  Here is a little bouquet from the first picking of these roses.  So far, they are doing well.

Blackberries are getting ripe - plump, juicy, tasty!

I will close with Wally sitting on the windowsill, one of his favorite viewing spots!!!!

Stay cool.  Enjoy the summer.  Blessings!

Janet