Tag Archives: Flowers

What’s Growing Around Here

Since July is coming to a close and it was a perfect day for taking photos (overcast) I wanted to capture some images of what is growing around our house. I spend very little time in the garden these days, so what is growing has started up by itself with little or no help from me.

Our apple tree has quite a few apples, but sadly they seem to be dropping before they can ripen. I don’t think we will get any this year. Last year for the first time in 6 seasons, we had some for eating. I wrote about it here.

The yellow jacket wasps will be very happy. They love the fruit.

The maple tree has these beautifully colored “helicopters”.

A bit of leaf lettuce is growing in clay pots. My daughter started some seeds for a biology experiment and this was extra. We couldn’t throw it out, so we put it into a couple of pots and hope to enjoy a salad soon.

My husband and daughter went to the greenhouse and purchased some beautiful herbs. Here is a dwarf purple basil and an orange mint.

I dried some jalapeño seeds (I eat LOTS and LOTS of jalapeños) and planted them as an experiment. Do you see the baby jalapeño? I have four plants growing and they are still in shallow containers. I REALLY need to take 20 minutes out of my day and get these poor little plants into deeper pots, nothing too big though. I want to be able to bring them inside and keep them going under florescent lights when it starts to get cold.

And here are cantaloupe plants that started out in our compost pile from cantaloupe seeds that came from a grocery store melon. I dug up a few and planted them in the sun near the house. I hope they have a chance to turn into ripe fruit before it gets cold.

The violas, pinks, and lobelia reseed every year without any help from me.

My hanging baskets that my husband and daughter planted for me on Mother’s Day are doing quite well. Aren’t the flowers colorful?

So, that’s it for out and around the house at the end of July. It was nice to get out today and observe nature even if it was only for a short while before I came in and got to work on my new project. Unlike the apples on our tree, the apples in this print are looking quite delectable. Hope you all had a great weekend!

This Past Week’s Odds & Ends

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Mother’s Day came and went so fast. Weather-wise, we had a doozy of a day: cold, damp, dark, and foggy—the entire day. No one wanted to do anything. I didn’t even feel like creating for my dolls, and that hardly ever happens. I guess that’s what those kind of days can do to you.

My husband and daughter secretly bought flowers and planted a large planter and two hanging baskets for me. They are so sweet. They remembered my absolute favorite flower for planters as well, lobelias. I love these tiny trailing flowers so much. Lobelias are the white and dark purple tiny blossoms. They also planted trailing tiny petunias, moss roses, and snapdragons in a rainbow of colors.

The feral cat that hangs around was patiently waiting for breakfast while I took pictures this morning.

We cannot touch this kitty; if we put our hand out she will bat (and scratch) us, but she will get fairly close to us. When we moved into this house 7 years ago, she wouldn’t let us even look at her. She comes around most days and has someplace to go when the weather is bad. We know this because the fur on her back gets trimmed by something she climbs under. It must be a tight fit. Since she has a corner of her ear clipped off, she probably was trapped and taken in for spaying years ago. There is a feral cat colony that a couple of ladies take care of down the block. We think that this kitty may not have gotten along with them and went out on her own.

Our crab apple tree is in its glory right now. Isn’t it beautiful? Our magnolia that I showed you (here) now is all leaves and the tiny honeysuckle to the right of it only has a few blossoms left. We still have a set of lilac bushes yet to bloom and another bush that blooms with light pink flowers. I don’t know what it is. I will share a photo of it and maybe someone can help me identify it. 🙂

Earlier in the week I went to reorder my bamboo thread and discovered that it is being discontinued. What???!!! There is nothing else out there to substitute for it, and it is the perfect weight and fiber for summery sweaters and dresses.

Well, I searched for what I needed (and lots more to make sure that I would never ever run out), and placed a couple of orders. This is what arrived! My husband asked me if I was opening a store. LOL!

Does this make me a hoarder?

What I’ve been working on this week… yesterday’s photo.

And today, I embroidered the cardigan. Any guesses as to who this is for? (The piece of lace knitting doesn’t go with the dress, hat, or cardigan set.)

I didn’t have the right color of ribbon or fabric for this ensemble, so I dyed rayon ribbon and some Lycra knit tonight. I hope to get this outfit finished up this weekend, I hope…

You all have a fabulous weekend!

This Past Week In & Out

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I managed to capture a few highlights of the week in my studio and outside the house.

Spring is progressing quite nicely here in northern Illinois. For the most part the trees are looking leafy green now except for a couple of varieties. Just today our honeysuckle bushes have started blooming. I brought a few branches in the house; their scent is heavenly.

Our lilac bush which has deep red violet blossoms is just starting to bloom as well, but the lilac bushes that we have around the house still have the tiniest beginnings of flower buds on their branches.

The forget-me-nots self sow every year. During the week I picked a few sprigs of phlox and forget-me-nots to put in a tiny vase in the house and they are still looking fresh.

One of the fabrics that I had in my online shopping cart was almost sold out, so I finally placed an order for more, yes more, fabric. Also, Knit Picks was offering a free skein of Lindy Chain and I had been wanting to try it, so I placed an order for yarn too. It’s always a bit like Christmas when a box of yummy supplies is delivered, and this week I had two of them.

I’ve no idea yet what the above panel will be for. I will probably (someday) use it for a quilt throw. It was too cute to pass up.

Lindy Chain is a pima cotton/linen blend yarn. Instead of the plies of yarn being twisted they are chained together. It is a very interesting yarn, but the reviews I read a while back made it sound like it would be hard to work with especially if you need to rip back. Has anyone tried knitting with this yarn?

I also just received my first skein of Diadem. It is so, so, so soft and silky! The fiber content is baby alpaca and mulberry silk, and it is a single ply yarn which I have never tried, so I have another “something new” to work with.