In the Garden: Go Ahead, Laugh

It is that time of year again. Time for me to fight off the invading hordes of mosquitoes, no-see-um's, midges, blackflies and more. Time for gardeners everywhere to get back into the garden and restart the war on weeds. The crocuses are gone, so are most tulips and daffodils. The weather is more consistently nice, mild, and when it is breezy, the bugs don't make you want to run yourself off of a cliff.

I was going to post this photo first, but the Poet's Daffodils, top photo, are so pretty (they date from the 1500's originally), and so much less scary than me in all my bug-fighting glory. You see, I taste like Skittles to bugs. I am a gourmet feast. While others may be standing about, enjoying the weather and remarking how nice it is to be drinking and eating outside finally, how nice the weather is and lack of bugs are great, I am the one being feasted upon by every flying, biting insect out there, and then swelling up afterwards (and NO! I don't scratch them either, they just swell, it is SO unfair *stomps foot*). So I take precautions, frightened dogs and good looks be damned.

I end up having to wear a t shirt, sweater, bug jacket, light colored pants (my fat legs love that, ew), plenty of bug spray, shoes, and long gloves that can be unrolled up to my elbows if thorns threaten to tear my precious bug jacket. Still, I get bitten. Anywhere the mesh rests on my skin, they bite through. Heck, they even bite through my pants, and occasionally my sweater as well. So I dress like it is below freezing, even though it is short-shorts weather. And I WIN! Mwahahahaha! I only got about 3 bites in 45 minutes on Saturday when FINALLY getting into my gardens for the first time all year. I saw that my bleeding hearts (or dancing ladies, I really like that name much more) are doing very well (see above photo), and I even had a hummingbird around them (didn't have my camera for that one, and I'm still kicking my self for that!).

The weather has been warm, but totally rainy so it has been impossible to get into the yard for anything more than untangling doggies who insist on getting their leashes caught on things in the middle of the yard. In 45 minutes on Saturday I managed to get the dead branches out of one of the front gardens, and start the war on the weeds and grasses that insist on lodging in my gardens. The wheelbarrow was full, the deadwood gone, and I knew that was all I'd be able to manage for that day. I know it looks terrible to leave the dead stalks all winter, but the birds really enjoy the seed heads over the winter, in fact, you can often see them hiding behind the stalks during snowstorms, or eating the seeds all throughout the winter, so I leave the deadwood for them and remove it during spring, though I am sure it would be easier in the fall.

Here's the garden, beside the wheelbarrow. Yeah, I know, the garden still looks awful, but that is because the crocuses, tulips and yellow daffodils have all come and gone, and I'm still waiting for the balloon flowers, veronica, bee-balm and lilys to bloom yet. I think I need some more late-spring flowers to hold the garden over until the next flowering. I'm still learning all of this stuff, so if you have suggestions, I'd be more than happy to hear them! I also need to put down more soil and more mulch. And on that vein, what do I do with the old mulch? Do I mix it in with the new soil? Throw it in the compost pile? Mix it in with the new mulch? So many things to learn, and I'm researching SEO and Analytics, and so much more, all at the same time, oh my!

Soulful Sunday: Happy Stats

Inspired by The House of Mouse blog (http://lifecraftinessandeverythingelse.blogspot.com/) I thought that maybe each Sunday I should relate some happy things that went on in my life, to bring the happy back into a world that is sometimes not-so-happy. Between news reports of natural disasters, political instability and environmental disasters, it's easy to forget the little things that make each day worth living. So here goes my first attempt:
Happy stats:
-Finding an organic veggie garden a 10 minute walk from my house, full of the most delicious (and affordable) produce I've ever had (aside from home grown, of course), and run by very friendly people.
-Discovering that I do, in fact have one tiny pumpkin starting to grow after being worried that all the blooms I had previously found were male (ie, not pumpkin-producing). Now, if hte weather holds out, I'll have at least one pumpkin to bake with, mmmmmm pumpkin :)
-Making progress on the wedding gift front. I can't show you yet, but I will, and I hope it will be worth the wait.
-Using Arwen's shedding brush on her every other day, and thinking that she must be part sheep, not sheep-herding-dog, after all of the fur I got out of her. It's amazing she has any fur left!
That is all for now, I'll see you all soon. Arwen send you her little kisses (she has good breath I promise, I brush her teeth regularly!), and I send you all happy thoughts and prayers for a great week,
and Arwen

Tuesday's Treasures: Arwen's High 5's

Arwen loves to play Cheshire Cat, er, Dog, by sitting in the living room window to keep an eye out on things. Any time anyone tries to come onto her territory, she'll let everyone know with a little bark, a little growl, or a shake of her fluffy tail. A few days ago she spotted something lovely in the garden:
Raspberries! I had only planted the bush this year and had thought that I might have to wait a year or two, but here they are! I had 3 of the most delicious raspberries I'd ever tasted, and there are more on the little plant trying to grow! How spectacular!
Arwen was so happy she wanted to give me a high 5 to celebrate - with her lasers of course!

I haven't done much jewellery lately, but I crocheted myself a scarf and hat (the hat is a little small, but maybe I'll give it to someone with a smaller head and make another one) and I have plans to do some hand warmers and a few other things, as well as jewelry tutorials and a couple of pieces I'm really excited about. Stay tuned, there's always something happening here!

and Arwen

Thankful Thursday: A Strawberry and Bunnies

~The First Strawberry in My Gardens~

~Bunnies from Scotland!~

I have to say that, despite being very sick all summer and having the rainiest summer on record, I was absolutely delighted when I found a tiny strawberry in my gardens yesterday - the first strawberry of the year here and the first strawberry I've grown in my gardens! I gave it to Brennan, who devoured it and said it was yummy.

I was also dancing with joy when I received a package from Annette at DragonHouseofYuen with my newest baby hare, Phillip (left). What a surprise when out bounced a baby bunny Bouncer! I love them so much, I put them on my bedside table to see them as I fall asleep. I now have 3, including baby hare Sally, and I am so happy with them. They are so well made, and truly delight in bouncing around the house at night when they think I'm sleeping. I may just have to get a few more to add to my growing bunny family....I might have to wait a bit though...Brennan may look askance if I start getting them and hiding them all over the house!

My Back to School Sale is still going strong in my Etsy store, but it only lasts until the 31! Get your favorite jewelry and photography items now at 20% off while they last!!

Tuesday's Treasures - A Wee Garden Visit

I know I promised you a new bracelet inspired by Queen Victoria and I am working on it, I promise, but it is a new stitch and is taking a very long time to finish as I want to get it perfect the first time.
However, never wanting to disappoint, I bring you photos of my cotton candy colored lilies. They went from tiny buds to full-fledged open blooms in the space of about 24 hours and I love it! They also have very little smell, which is great if you have allergies. The bottom photo shows Arwen smelling the flowers before we took our walk :)
I will try to have the new bracelet up next Tuesday so please check back for that. Also, see tomorrow's post for a new segment I am doing, with the help of my wonderful grown-up puppy Arwen, called Wednesday's Walks with Arwen.

Remember to enter my monthly contest by adding your name and email to my monthly newsletter (You have to sign up for the newsletter first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here.

Magnificent Monday - The First Iris of the Year!

**UPDATE** When driving my dog to the vet today, I saw not one, not two, but THREE other houses with the same irises! I guess they aren't as rare as I thought, LOL!!
Years ago, when we first bought our house, there was nothing. Well, not nothing. To be precise, there was crappy back fill and weeds - 8 foot high weeds to be precise. But there weren't any flowers, and once the weeds were hacked down (we went through 2 industrial weed whackers before getting a house-duty one), there was just dirt and the carcasses of weeds. No color, no pretty things, just death.
Then a friend of mine came over with a feed sack full of dirt and stone-like things. She plopped it down, told me to get a few bags of topsoil, plant the little stone-like things with a sprinkling of soil over them and wait until next year. Next year! Yeesh, I thought, these had better be worth it! It was. Since then, I have eagerly awaited summer's arrival to see these giant irises, the color of which I seem to have a hard time finding in other places.
I believe these are German 'giant' bearded irises. They only bloom in late spring/the beginning of summer, but their size and beauty makes up for that. I hope you enjoy them :)

Wordless Wednesday: My Garden's Seedlings!

Almost time to plant!!

Sweet Saturday - Some Flowers for You From My Gardens!

Come with me and take a tour of my gardens! First is a purple tulip: They get about 2-1/2 feet tall and the flowers are about 3 inches high. They don't really open, but stay fairly closed like this throughout their blooming period.
Next is my Poet's Daffodil:
They are an heirloom bulb that dates from about the 1500's! I love these, and I always look forward to having a piece of history come up in my garden each spring.
They get about 1 foot tall and the flowers are about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter.

Thanks for visiting with me, I hope you have a great Saturday! I am still working on pieces for my new jewelry collection, so please keep checking back :)

Thankful Thursday - It's SPRING!

I spent a delightful hour in the garden yesterday, clearing away the old to get ready for the new and I have to say it was absolutely blissful: the sun was shining, the birds were singing, the dog was eating grass and vomiting (well, that wasn't so nice, but she seemed to enjoy it). Then I came in for a glass of water and realized how messy my house was. So I spent the rest of the day doing housework, when I found this beautiful bracelet I forgot to show last week after I made it!
This is made with a sterling silver chain with beautiful rainbow fluorite beads dangling like a charm bracelet evenly around the chain. I finished it with a custom sterling silver clasp and lots of love. I hope you like it!

Melodious Monday - Spring is HERE!

The first crocus in my garden, the first splash of colour this year, happened yesterday, and I had to share it with you! I hope it brightens your day :)
I also have more rings in the works, and I hope to show them to you soon!

Tuesday - Oh I Have Spring Fever!!!

~Yellow Crocus, Red Trillium, Purple Crocus~

~One of My Young Robins, Yellow Daffodil~

Oh I am in BIG need of spring - we've had warm weather interspersed with cold, snowy weather and I want spring to stop teasing me and get here already! I miss my flowers, I miss my big, fat bumble bees, my dragon flies, my butterflies and walking on my deck in the sunshine in bare feet and not freezing! I have such big plans (well, okay, maybe mediocre plans, as my budget will only allow mediocre spending!) and I really want to get out there and get my hands dirty with wonderful country dirt. I love that smell - fresh earth just after a good spring thaw....just inhale and ahhhhhhh! all your troubles are gone.....until you smell that other smell....ooh dear, I missed a few dog woggles during the winter.....okay, maybe I don't want that part of spring, but I will welcome the rest!! What are your plans for gardening this year? Balcony planters? Big country garden?? Small kitchen garden??? Photos of other people's gardens????