turkey feathers

Scoundrels & Scallywags

I'm glad my bunny tales are giving you all a good laugh.  Reading your comments has helped me keep a sense of humor over this silly situation.  That last post is just a small example of what’s been going on around here.  All these furry rabbits are cute, but it can be alarming to see so many of them running amok and grazing everything in the garden, and knowing that the gestation period for these critters is only about a month. 

 

By summertime most of the rabbits are gone due to predators of one kind or another, but in the meantime, I’ve been covering a few plants with cages and spraying the magic concoction (deer repellent recipe) again this weekend, which also deters rabbits.  Yesterday, we were somewhat relieved to see a falcon surveying the backyard. 

 

 

And fortunately, there are ‘volunteers like this borage plant that need "natural pruning".  Isn't it amazing how borage (and other plants) can spring up like this from a tiny crack? 

 

 

I am also on the hunt for this tree spotted in a park over the weekend. 

 

Anyone recognize this variety of dogwood tree?  So pretty!

Peter Rabbit Pays a Visit

Apparently I'm not the only one who likes borage flowers. 

I'd better pick a few before they're all gone! 

 

Garden Rhythm

Spring came bearing gifts this weekend. 

Sunshine and warmer temperatures being one of them, which was a wonderful surprise as we'd been expecting more rain.  Naturally, we dropped everything and bounced out the door.  The moment had finally arrived to spruce up the the garden and plant a few things. 

Birds like to plant things too.  So lovely to find little surprises like this.

To see the fresh glow of  little morning faces.

Buds on the crabapple trees ready to burst. 

The next sunny day may bring an explosion of fireworks. 

Marching Out

So, it's the last day of March already!   "In like a Lion, Out like a Lamb"...as the saying goes, with winter and spring in a transitional tussle. Our weather, here in the northwest, was a mixture of hail and sunshine that alternated about every fifteen minutes for most of the weekend.  I don't know how these flowers survived all the battering they got, but I'm glad they did.  I know some peeps out there, that are just dying for a glimpse of spring too, so here's a little peek.This group of Hyacinth emerge early from the ground in the middle of a 'dead zone' of other plants and shrubbery in the backyard, and are quite spectacular-looking standing out there on their own. I appreciate these tiny grape-Hyacinth varieties too, the blues mix so well with the daffodils and other bulbs. The Mister (bless him) cooked all our meals this weekend (with a little help), giving me time to (1) get caught up on some pattern orders, (2) dedicate time to the wool project book, and (3) get reacquainted with my beloved sewing machine.  I've missed the long quiet interludes of contemplative sewing and had some new ideas I was excited to explore.  (More about that later.) It was just what I needed.

Bird Watching

The sun peeks out from behind the clouds illuminating the landscape of emerging green, reminding us that Spring is finally here. Flower bulbs pop up and wave 'hello'.

  Birdsong is in the air. 

Our kitty is enjoying a new bustle of activity outside the window too.

Our friend John, recently made bird houses from recycled wood (using crate packaging), and kindly gave us a couple of them.  They are primarily for the preservation of the Western Bluebird, which is considered a sensitive species due to loss of natural habitat.  They are darling little birds, part of the thrush family related to the Robin, and primarily eat insects--making them beneficial to the garden. 

These nesting boxes are made with optimal specifications to attract them, but the English Sparrows sometimes take up residence too. There's a hatch on the side that can be opened to evict them if need be.  I'm not sure I could ever do that though.

Within half-an-hour of erecting the first one in our backyard a pair of chickadees was already checking it out.  I started getting nervous.  Fortunately, and to my relief, they didn't move in.     

Still, no sign of bluebirds, but we will keep watching.

Garden Shade

The bean tee-pee makes a great hiding place. I think this is the nicest looking one we've ever grown.   And of course, there's all those the scrumptious green beans that magically appear, seemingly overnight. 

But what I really love, are the herbs!

The colors and textures are at their peak right now. 

I tried to weave the subtle shades of the garden into a crazy quilt.  This has been a long work in progress--but it's almost to the "finish line".  Will share more pictures soon. 

Rearranging the Refridgerator

Somehow, all seems right with the world in a blueberry field.  It's peaceful.  There's birdsong.  And the berries seem to taste the sweetest.  As summer draws to a close, we've been enjoying the last of its seasonal gifts.

We've made our share of muffins, jams, and pies this season, so these will be frozen, to revisit summer, all winter long.  Yum.

Update on our backyard garden: SUNFLOWERS! 

Each day seems to yield new surprises.  We've learned that there's nothing quite as wonderful as keeping a little garden just steps away from the back door.  The girls have especially loved tending it and picking their homegrown vegetables to prepare for our meals.  I watch them from the window, gathering baskets in hand, and it all makes me so happy. 

As the September harvest peaks and a new season sneaks in, I realize, somewhat sadly, that soon our sunny garden days will be over. 

However, that can be a good thing.  Especially when "zucchini watch" is waning. 

Jolly Green Giants

We are still on zucchini watch, which has been like non-stop for three weeks now. You do not want to turn your back on these dudes.  They seem to turn into giant clubs in no time. 

The girls think it's hilarious every time one gets away from us.   Usually it's only a matter of hours since we last checked on them.

How can something grow so fast? 

I'm quickly running out of new and delicious recipes, not to mention friends and neighbors, to give them to. 

Our postal carrier is in for a surprise . . . um, I mean TREAT, when he opens the mailbox tomorrow. 

Yes, I'm afraid it's come to that. 

If I hadn't lost my momentum with the A-Z Quiche recipes, I could've wrapped it all up neat and tidy with a nice Zucchini Quiche about now.  Maybe there's still time.  .  . 

It's A Wrap

All crazy activity and excitement over secret "project 503", (aka x-treme m.o.h.e.) in our neighboring area has come to an end and things are slowly returning to normal.  I believe the show will air in October. 

Over here on this homefront...we're having barrels of fun in the garden.  Run your mouse over the above two photos for a sneak peek and a backward glance.

Dream

Summer is clearly here and it is keeping me so very busy.  A good kind of busy, puttering in the yard and visiting places that inspire fun gardening.

The Thyme Garden is such a place, as it demonstrates so beautifully the evolution of a dream come true, or how seeds when planted, will grow.  Read the backstory here.

We visited the Thyme Garden recently--and I am still giddy.  The coastal range weather was mild and misty and everything seemed to be at its peak bloom.

Who knew there were so many shades of green?

 

Did you know that there are over 400 species of thyme recorded?  Thymon means 'courage' in Greek, and was thought to impart strength and fortitude.  Ladies in Medieval Europe gave scarves embroidered with springs of thyme to knights as tokens of bravery. 

At one time gardeners thought a thyme garden provided a home for fairies, so they planted one just for them.   

I didn't see any fairies, only a small mouse that zipped by.

An incredible 80 acres.  Including streams, forest trails, and a small pond which supports their current 'stream project' that provides habitat for the salmon that return to spawn in the fall. 

It all just makes me smile.  And dream. 

Rose Garden Update

Deer are coming and going without a nibble! 

That deer repellent rocks. 

All Or Nothing

This is the hanging berry basket i bought from the farm stand a few weeks ago.  I love it and have been fussing over it, moving it around to various sunny spots under the trees on the patio.  Yesterday it was really loaded with ripe strawberries and this morning I went out to pick them. 

Every berry was gone, and half the plant.  Yep.  You guessed it.  We had visitors.  Two bucks.  And they even had the gall to lounge around on the grass afterwards patting their bellies and licking their chops.

Talk about wearing out your welcome.

But (sniff) there's still a bit of GOOD NEWS:  the roses have not been touched.  Not a single bud or flower has been munched.  So it's not all bad. And that can only be attributed to the Mister's magic concoction.   I truly hope so anyway, because several people have been asking for the recipe, which we are happy to share--I just don't want to make any wild claims.  You know, just in case.  Here it is:

Deer Repellent Mixture

To 1 quart spray bottle add:

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teas. dish soap liquid

1/4 teas. vegetable oil

5 drops clove oil (available at craft or health food store)

Water to fill container after all ingredients have been added.

It's recommended to spray this mixture once a month, but I have been misting a few times a week, because I'm still not totally convinced this is all it takes.  So far it does seem to be working though.  Just for fun, I'd love for anyone else to give it a try and tell us what your experience is with repelling deer, bugs, slugs, aphids, or whatever you discover it's good for. 

So dear ones, that concludes our garden tour for this week.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Thanks for coming along and drying my tears.  

Experimentals

Our garden tour continues with a stomping cute birdbath or maybe it's for squirrels.  Either way, I wish it was mine. 

And yes, I definitely think I need to plant a snowball bush now.  Thank you for sharing your thoughts and information about it.  I've been doing a little more research and was surprised to learn that it's a distant cousin of the hydrangea.  Which would explain a lot of things, in my mind anyway, like size and shape similarities.  I've always been fascinated by how you can enrich the soil and change hydrangea blossoms from pink to blue.  Our soil is on the acid side, so I see a lot of blue ones around our area.  Last year, I planted a hydrangea start as an experiment.  So far, it's not going that well.  It faces west and gets too much late sun, to the point where it faints--and I have to revive it with a cool drink of water, and hold it's leafy hand and encourage it to hang on. Oh, the drama!  I plan to move it to another location.  Right now, it looks rather pitiful surrounded by chicken wire, sometimes draped with a wet sheet, which is even more ridiculous looking.  Maybe when its all grown up it will thank me one day with a few glorious blooms.

There are 3 kinds of flower varieties at my house: annuals, perennials, and experimentals.  When something survives around here, I feel like throwing a party.  It's not easy.  Weather aside, we have deer.

Even the lupine, which the deer have never bothered, have become a target.  I just happened to catch these spires standing tall and graceful in our backyard this morning.  Then looked over and saw a bunch on the other side of the path that were eaten down to the ground. 

Oh the sorrow and utter horror of it all.  It hurts, it hurts! 

Especially because these flowers are friends to endangered butterflies.  Like our Fender's Blue Butterfly, particularly.  Although it prefers the Kincaid's lupine for laying eggs.  I actually spotted it twice (for the first time), in the last week now.  It made me so happy to see it! 

So, I'm thinking I need to mix up some deer repellant, some of the "magic concoction". 

And quick too!!  I think I hear rustling in the trees.

Snowballs & Cottontails

I keep seeing these snowball trees everywhere lately.  Their fluffy little flower globes are hard to miss.  Apparently they attract bees & butterflies.  All the more reason to plant one, I say.    This one was growing in a neighbor's yard we visited over the weekend.   It was twenty years old and about ten feet tall.  I just stood right here staring up at it for the longest time.

But it was only one of many mesmerizing wonders that were growing over there. 

The entire garden had deer fencing around it.  Something I found very encouraging as we continue to work on our own fortress.   .  .

. . . which is coming along nicely, despite a few small fuzzy distractions. 

Tickled Pink

I was outside puttering around in the warm sunshine this morning, and did a double-take when I saw this rose. 

Yes, I do believe I'm seeing a rose growing happily.  Out in the open.  In MY backyard.  With all the deer roaming around, this is a miracle.

It's almost too good to be true.  I really do want to believe that The Mister's "magic" concoction works, but I have to admit that I'm a bit dubious when it comes to the roses.   

See how shiny the leaves are?  They've been sprayed about a dozen times now--total overkill I know, but I am not quite convinced this works yet. 

The spray mixture is a simple one using harmless ingredients from the kitchen: milk, egg, cooking oil, dish liquid, and clove oil. 

It smells something awful and probably tastes even worse, which is why the deer possibly haven't eaten these yet.   

Will wait and see though and report back on the success or failure of this experiment.

Another solution for marauding munchers: hanging baskets.  We got a pair of these over the weekend to hang on the porch.  (An early Mother's Day present!)  They are just gorgeous.  The petunias smell heavenly sweet and the white flowers are the cutest, most perfectly shaped little things, called Barcopa.   

Well, that's all from the home front for now.  Need to get back outside and enjoy this supreme spring weather while it lasts.  Even if it means another day spent on my hands and knees pulling weeds. 

Like Bookends

Yesterday's visitors made themselves right at home.  There were six that I counted wandering around throughout the day grazing on things they're not supposed to like.  They sense, of course, that my roses are about to bloom.  Or maybe they've just heard the news, about the fortress, and have come to check it out for themselves.  Hey!  Shoo! Get away from those flowers!  (Note the terror I inspire?)  Sometimes it all seems quite hopeless.

But then, there's a knock at the backdoor.  And The Mister is standing there, looking bashful as a schoolboy, with a most wonderful surprise!

So Far, Sew Good

Things are taking shape and looking good around here.

We are so excited to finally have a dry and sunny weekend.  Hoping to make lots of progress on the BIG things...

...and the small.

Backyard Inspiration

Sometimes you don't have to look any further than your own surroundings to find inspiration.  I was delighted when Ginger came to the backdoor this afternoon in rapt wonderment over finding the remains of a newly hatched robin's egg.   I pulled my sweater from the hook, slipped my camera in my pocket, and followed her back out into the yard to see what else we might discover.  Quite a lot was happening, as you can see.  These pictures tell only part of the story.  They also provided the inspiration for a new spring theme and blog-banner.  (Can you spot the beetle on the lilac blossom?)

Awe Inspired

Will you just look at the kind of thing that happens when you're not paying attention?  Oh my.  Like a watched pot that never boils. This lone tulip poked its gorgeous head up and made an unexpected appearance.  Well, well, well.  When it comes to flowers of any kind, better late---than never, I say.  I happened to notice it yesterday as I was passing by with the weed cart.  The sun was shining on it like a spotlight and set the petals all a-glow.  I stopped in my tracks to stare.  Quickly skipped inside to grab my camera.  Glad I did too, because its cold and drippy today, a far cry from this scene, but one that I can now continue to enjoy here. I don't recall planting this bulb, or seeing it before.  Maybe a squirrel carried it over from another's yard and buried it at the base of the tree.  What a wonderful surprise!  It's the only tulip growing out in the open here, and it appears to have escaped the attention of the deer, who are still lurking. Could. it. be. the deer don't actually eat this one?  Or possibly, they're just put-off by the daffodils and grape hyacinth that surround it, which they don't care for.  I was once told that deer don't eat red tulips, so on that advice, big red tulips we planted with abandon.  However, to my horror, their lovely heads were promptly and thoroughly chomped-off at the neck before they'd even had a chance to bloom.  (OK, I thought, so much for that theory.)  But now I'm wondering.  Maybe there's some truth to that, and this is the red tulip they don't go for.  I can only hope and dream that's true, because oh, the loveliness of it is beyond description.  Must find out more about it so I can plant some companions.  In the meantime though, I'm keeping my eye on this one to be sure.  Be brave my darling.

Anyway, after being tagged by several people this month to list my five fave blogs, and finding it impossible to narrow it down to only five, I decided instead, to share those that have *inspired me the most* this past week (and even that wasn't easy), but here they are...in alphabetical order with links so you can be inspired too:

Calamity Kim: Incredible collage quilts and aprons.

Echoes of a Dream: Simmy's fabulous felt dandelions, along with a tutorial for making them. 

Molly Chicken: Lynn's "grumpy" doll Hattie and more links to amazing things.

Peace & Serenknitty:  Whimsical handmade Shoes, Victoria's gift from her mother.

Tales from Pixiewood: Cherry Menlove's interview with Susan Branch.

Ok that's it. Now I'm tagging these five bloggers to share their fave five: Isabelle, Tatania, Dannielle, Sabine, and Tracy.

And a grand parting-shot of my lovely, unfurling garden gift here.  Hope you all find inspiration today!

Don't Look Now. . .

. . . but, there's gonna be a few changes around here.

You Make My Heart Sing

This amazing applique fabric post card from Mimi Kirchner just arrived and it's singing "Spring Spring"!  I love it so much.  I wish you could see the detail on this, it's so perfectly done.  The sweet face is painted on and she's signed it on the back.  I already have the perfect frame for it.  Mimi also makes some of the MOST beautiful cloth textile dolls I've ever seen--some are sold here.  Take a peek, if you dare.  Um.  Maybe a warning is in order: Entering adorable doll zone; possible point of no return.

Ok, you can go now, but don't say I didn't warn ya.

 

Blackberry Ramble

When it's hot like it has been, you can smell the blackberries from the kitchen door.      

Anyone will tell you that blackberries are the scourge of the northwest...except when it's berry picking time.  Then we all sing a different tune. There's a little corner behind our house that is taken over by bramble that offers up the most choice berries every summer.  It can be tricky getting in there to pick them.  Even dangerous.  There's always that persistent poison oak entwined amongst the thorny vines to be wary of.  But still we forge on until we are scratched bloody and stained with juice, triumphant with our bounty as we return to the house with baskets brimming.    At that point, it always feels like we've just won a battle.  I guess in a way we have.  Survived one anyway.   We try not to eat all the spoils but it's so hard.  I insist on a triple rinse, and it's a bit of a production that takes time.  While the girls do that,  I get the pie crusts ready.  We ended up with two pies; one for dessert and one for the freezer, for later.  Much later.  Like when we've been chased back inside by the cold and want to taste summer again.  Or have company over for an old fashioned Sunday supper and want to spoil them with something special.  Pies are such homey little things.  Especially one wearing a fancy lattice crust hat.  My little pastry wheel makes these lovely pinked edges without much effort.  Some strips were a bit thin as I was running short on pie dough.  But in the end, it didn't really matter one bit.  No one even noticed or cared when it finally came out of the oven and the aroma hit them.   

Sunshine & Shadow

It's a little cloudy and cooler today.  Nice for a morning stroll and a little meandering around the backyard.  The wind whipped through here last night, the evidence of which I found brought down the badminton net, one wasp trap, and the yard waste can, partially dumping all the tree branches we trimmed over the weekend.    No real harm done though.  Checking in here on the enchanted garden, everything looks fine.  The pincushion flowers and the clematis have recovered after a deer intruded and nipped all their heads off.   Including some of the roses.  How it managed to get in here is beyond me.  What I thought was safe temporary fencing, turned out not to be so deer-proof after all.  Quelle supris!  Considering my options again before another raid.    The Corsican mint has filled in it's little square plot nicely.  I like to run my hand over it to release the strong scent which is like no other.   It not only looks and smells wonderful but it also keeps the clematis roots damp and cool.  And of coarse, makes a wonderful carpet for frolicking fairies.

The blue spirea is sending out lovely long spires that harmonize well with the pink roses which really don't get enough sun in this corner, so whatever bloom they manage to produce makes me happy.  And at least one of us is happy.

Oh dear.

Just look at this sad face.  This rag-tag fellow has been visiting for a couple of weeks now, with little encouragement from us, other than a friendly pat and a kind word, but still I think he's decided to stay.  He's taken to sleeping on the porch now.  I'm not sure where he belongs, if his family is on vacation or if he was just dropped off in the middle of the night, but he doesn't appear to be hungry or suffering although his eyes look a little runny which has me concerned.  No collar, no tags.  We've walked up and down the street inquiring on his behalf without any luck. 

He's a mellow fellow, quite gentle and good mannered.  Seems well taken care of.   

But Miss Lily is NOT happy about this at all.  She's been in a huff ever since he showed up.   

He wants to come in, and sit on laps.  She wants to come out, and box his ears. 

Lily's strictly an indoor cat so I'm not sure how this situation is going to play out but in the meantime, she's keeping a close eye on him.   

A very close eye.

Flower Charm

"One of the secrets of a happy life is small treats."~Iris Murdoch My Mother's Day bouquet needed a little freshening up so I went out in the back yard and picked wild daisies, chive flowers, and orange mint from the garden.   Perfectly cheerful for the breakfast table this morning. Making progress on the lavender quilt.

Mother's Helper

"Adopt the pace of nature: Her secret is patience." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson I don't think anything teaches patience more gently and naturally to a child than tending one's own little spot of earth.   So, back in the enchanted garden to check up on things.  All's well-watered... mostly thanks to the Mister placing auto-drip irrigation around.  Flowers are growing.  Had to stop and make a garden smock for my dear little helper here.  Had this lovely fabric called, Language of the (from Susan Branch) that was perfect for it.  I'm not sure if it's available anymore, purchased it through mail-order when it first came out quite a few years ago.  By coincidence, this project falls on the heels of the 'Heart of the Home' store opening in California, this Mother's Day Weekend.  Looks like it will be a fun event!

Planting a Vision

I really love this rainbow river rock.  It's gray when its dry but turns vivid colors when its wet.   To an eight year-old this is magical.  We're using it to define the pathways in our new "enchanted garden".  There was also the making of a moss basket that was planted with candytuft, so the candytuft fairy will have a place to rest. 

Here's how things are shaping up.  I planted some Corsican mint around the clematis to add a little natural protection from cottontails who've been seen visiting.   We found the pair of antique iron, child-sized shoe forms buried in the yard; this seems like the perfect place to display them now.  Still lots more to do! 

Garden Dreams

I finally put my sewing down and went outside for awhile yesterday just before a thunderous lightening storm blew in and abruptly changed this sunny scene.  We've been brainstorming ideas and planning the next phase of the backyard garden; making notes, flipping through back issues of favorite gardening magazines, and dreaming BIG!  (It always starts out that way doesn't it?)  Conversations about it actually started mid-winter, but there are stakes in the ground now and sketched diagrams.  As I was filling the bird feeders I noticed a few tulips emerging out of the ground.   Sadly though, I never hold out much hope for them.  Their leaves get nibbled by rabbits, and as soon as the flowers appear the deer sneak in and nip them off before they ever get a chance to bloom.  I tell ya, this is somewhat heart-wrenching for me, so I remain detached and try not to coo over them too much.  This is as good as it gets.  A ladybug's point of view perhaps, against an undecided March sky. 

Looking Closer

These glorious little daffodils, which seem to serve no other purpose than to bring joy to all that behold them, have been calling to me for days to take their picture. By angling the camera a few inches from the ground I was able to get a nice portrait of them with the sky as a background. A neat trick.

And the natural view from a few feet away. Insert "birdsong" for the full effect and enjoy a little bit of early spring from my backyard.

Pumpkin Vase

I just left the kitchen where we've spent most of the day preparing an abundance of side-dishes for our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow. Grace (bless her heart), was still standing at the sink peeling the last of a ten pound sack of potatoes when I ducked out to give my feet a rest. We'll leave the spuds to soak in cold water, and throw them in the pressure cooker later (in batches) for the best mashed potatoes ever. 

This pumpkin vase table arrangement was so easy to make and really turned out cute.  I bought a small bouquet of flowers from the market and filled in with clippings from my backyard garden. The variegated sage and artemesia herbs added a nice contrast to the flowers.  I placed a small jelly jar (filled with water) inside the hollowed-out pumpkin, to poke all the stems into.  Voila!

Rosemary Sachet

The herb garden is drifting off to sleep now. Here's how it looked this morning when I went out to cut a few springs of sage and thyme to dry for turkey day. Earlier, from the kitchen window I watched a flock of wild finches peck the remaining seeds from stems. I never cut anything down after summer, but leave it all to the birds. We really do enjoy watching them and the other animals that wander by searching for a small tidbit or crumb.   I think Rosemary is my favorite herb. It's an evergreen and therefore always available. Mine has grown into a big woody shrub. The leaves are heavily aromatic and I use them in cooking, but it can also be used to make interesting sachet pillows.  This one is stuffed with several handfuls of dried rosemary leaves (which deter moths and other insects), and will be going into my sweater drawer.

Garden Bug Inspiration

It was a great day to get outside and enjoy the mild weather and the herb garden was a-buzz with insect activity.

The colors and the textures really inspire me.

Look at these fennel seed heads ready to explode! Only a few more weeks of this garden bliss left.

I tried to capture the essence of the herb garden in a small quilt I began making a few years ago.  Every summer it gets pulled out and I put a few more stitches in it.

 

Probably should finish it, right?