Once more, I’ve been to the garden quite a few times and missed taking the camera. The photos here are two weeks old, so there is now even a larger profusion of blooms, plants are bigger, and I’m settling in for the garden season weeding.
It has been raining a lot here, often on the weekend. I stopped by the garden yesterday in light rain just to check on some plants and see whether some seeds I planted have come up. Things looked good.
It is possible the rabbits are eating my okra seedlings. I have chased them out of nearby gardens a number of times and the okra plants have been slow to emerge, or they have been eaten as sprouts by evil lagomorphs. It’s early enough that I can replant and cover them if necessary.
I love this time of year when everything is popping out of the ground and I get my first vegetables and greens and my first vase of cut flowers. At this point, I always think there’s enough room in the garden for everything. Then the plants get to full size, and it’s always bigger than I allowed for somehow. But all that lushness just makes me think the world has been set aright. And everyone needs to think this at some point every day.
I’ve also been making little felt mice. They are very nice mice from a free pattern by Ann Wood. There is a little sailboat as well, which I may also make for hanging up. We’ll see.
Earlier this year, I also made this little bee for a friend’s birthday. I think I got the pattern from the Snail of Happiness, but am not sure which post! In any event, I really enjoyed giving the bee translucent wings. And my friend, who got the bee because she is that busy, really liked it.
I also finally purchased a sewing machine. I had been wanting one for alterations and to make things, but did some extensive research to find a small one that will last. So far I am happy with the Janome Model 19. I hope to do more work using it–small quilts, bags, t-shirts and maybe some crafts. We’ll see.
But I’m back to reading and gardening and a little bit of writing here and there. I am trying to have a sensible, slow-paced life, at least intermittently! I’ve also been helping a friend decide how to deal with her tiny back garden. It looks as though we may be able to turn it from a weed patch into a nice little oasis. I was surprised at how many plants I could suggest for different purposes. We’ll see how it goes.
Meanwhile, Happy Mother’s Day to those of you celebrating it today! Have a good week!
Your felt mice (and bee) are adorable! The garden sounds like it is leaping forward. We, too, have had a lot of rain, but it has stayed cool, which is great for working in the garden, but not for growing plants. I expect it will turn warmer before too long.
LikeLike
I hope so. We’ve had some long cold springs the past few years–I think it was still cold in early June–Not good for the tomatoes or peppers, but in the end, they’ll come along!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You should create some felt lagomorphs! The Aquilegia over here are aka Granny Bonnets – and I guess it makes sense as only recently have I managed to spell the Aquil word. Your garden posts lift me out of the pre-winter doldrums!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Bruce! I’ll try to keep splashes of color coming all summer while you snug in for winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
so wonderful,
gardening
& helping
others do
so, also 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw, thanks! and thanks for the little poem.
LikeLike
I always enjoy watching your garden as it slowly but surely becomes a wonderful and lush overgrowth of vegetables and flowers. (I’m not drawn to those gardens that have neat rows of plants in measured strides with empty spaces of soil between.) I am sure you will be an invaluable aide to your friend with her garden – it’s always nice to have someone who knows work alongside when you don’t! The aquilegias are beautiful – am I the only person who calls them so? I had an aunt who liked to ‘call things by their proper names’ so I may have got it from her – though I believe they are commonly called so here. Your little mice are terribly cute! – Isn’t it fun having such little friends around. I see my flying pig every morning when I brush my hair 🙂 And the bee is very cute. I am glad to read you are taking life at a gentler pace – all this rushing about and being tense is highly overrated! Good on you for being sensible and doing research before buying – I’m not good at that! Still my machine is such a good one that ten years later I could recommend it heartily to my eldest when she decided to get one too. Good instruction books are key aren’t they – there’s also YouTube – there’s bound to be how-to’s on there if you ever get stuck. xoxo
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, Derrick calls them that, too–and that IS their Latin name, which makes it easier to tell what they actually are. It was you asking that time, though, that made me remember the name. Latin names are good–My bluebells are not the Snail of Happy’s, are not Spanish bluebells…so you’re right. I’m so glad you like seeing my garden take shape. Sometimes I wonder if people will get bored seeing very similar pictures from year to year. I do love the little mice and may have to make another bee. The mice will likely go to some children–along with a boat, but it will take a while as it’s hand sewing. I do hope the sewing machine works out. I think I just need to take my time to learn it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you do lots of little projects on your machine you will soon learn how it works – it’s when we leave a long time between projects that the new things never stick – it took me soooo long to have the new threading mechanism in my head and hands, simply because I wasn’t doing it often enough…….. It’s a great tool to have handy once you understand its vagaries 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! I have planned several small projects, hoping that it will work that way for me. A table runner, a wall hanging…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sensible woman! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great looking gardens! Looking forward to seeing how your growing season goes! The Columbine looks gorgeous!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey, thanks for coming by! I do love the Columbine and they reseed nicely, so I have multiple ones. They seem to like my garden.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You sound so mellow and content! I’m sure getting in the garden and doing the fun, small sewing projects contribute to that. I have friend who LOVES her Janome–I don’t know what model hers is but I think the brand is very good. Yours appears to have enough bells and whistles to keep you busy for a while!
LikeLike
Like my phone, the Janome likely has functions I will never use, but hey! You never know! I think my mellowness had to do with two rainy days in a row where I just kind of stayed home and baked and read and though about weeds that might have to be pulled when the sun comes out…
LikeLike
I love the very nice mice. They are adorable! And the little boat is wonderful too (I followed the link and now I’m thinking that this is something I might be able to do). Your columbine is beautiful. I agree with what KerryCan wrote. You DO sound mellow and content, like someone living a very good life. 🙂
LikeLike
I thought those little mice were really cute when I saw them–and the boat looks especially cute for them to sail. Let me know if you get the pattern and try it out!
LikeLike
Our aquilegias are wonderful too this year. Incidentally Columbine was Shakespeare’s word for them – maybe why US keeps it? Wonderful little felt creatures. I trust you are feeling much better now, Lisa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought those little mice were really cute when I saw them–and the boat looks especially cute for them to sail. Let me know if you get the pattern and try it out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Somehow, I’ve managed to send you my reply to Robin. A, the vagaries of WordPress inattention. I know Shakespeare talks about mallow and other plants, but I never noticed Columbine. There’s an island in the Chesapeake Bay, called Tangier, where people speak a very close approximation to 17th Century English. I do imagine things got called what they were similar to from home and the names carried down. It’s interesting, the naming of things.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Didn’t make the link between columbine and aquilegia so thanks for that. And I’m with Pauline on randomly planted gardens. A legacy of my mother who hated uniformity . She scoffed and rather sneeringly called it a park’s department mentality because our public parks tend to be planted in seried ranks. And the mice hit the cuteness button easily
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Geoff. I don’t see many gardens looking like a Beatrix Potter illustration. And when you DO see one that looks like that, the gardener is usually not someone you want to spend time with.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are emotionally constipated I’d surmise
LikeLike
Those columbines are absolutely gorgeous! Wowsah! And those mice and bees are adorable. Good luck with the gardening this year. If it’s not the critters and munching insects, it’s the weather. Always something. 😉
LikeLike
So true. In my case, inability to pull up volunteer flowers often means they just take over! I’m becoming a little more merciless as time goes by. We can only hope it’s a good year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fingers and toes crossed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
DANG! That columbine is RAD! We grow it only because the flowers are so distinctive. There is nothing profuse about the bloom though, and they do not often bloom a second year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They seed like crazy. One year I planted a wildflower mix along the fence and these plants are the only ones that took hold and seem to spread. I do love them. There’s the pink and some that are white.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t remember how many times I tried to grow them. We plated a few in four inch pots last year, but they mildewed right away. We tried larger #1 (1 gallon) potted specimens this year. They are doing better because it got cool and rainy again. When the weather gets warmer, they could mildew like the others if still damp, or they could roast if too dry. I hope the partial shade helps.
LikeLike
They’re very early bloomers, and come out before the other flowers. After that, they get shade from other plants and flowers, which I think helps them. They’re the flower equivalent of an understory tree…
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is the impression I get.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Flowery Prose and commented:
Spring is my favourite time of year! Over the next week or so, around my own posts, I’d like to showcase a few bloggers who are also celebrating the season! (This may also introduce you to some new blogs that you might enjoy as much as I do). Have fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve been busy, Lisa! I only like mice from a distance, but I like yours, close-up! Lovely, as are the columbines. My best wishes on your ambition to have “a sensible, slow-paced life”, at least intermittently!
LikeLike
Thanks, Cynthia. It will likely be intermittent!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad I’m not the only one with a slow start to the garden. It’s hard to put in so much work then have something eat away at it. Your mice are adorable and I assume eat very little of your garden. Gook choice of sewing machine. Not too complex to frustrate and hopefully will work well each time. I need to be in there sewing too but I’m avoiding by hanging out reading blogs. 😉 Hope you had a happy Mother’s Day too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! I spent time in it today and will have pictures of bigger plants in the next blog. I got some kale, radishes, and lettuces from it, not to mention a good bouquet of flowers. All that work in the beginning with the clean slate is fun, but yes, it does seem things get eaten by rabbits or bugs sometimes. I’m glad you like the mice. I haven’t been able to make their boat yet, but I will! So far so good with the sewing machine. I made a cover for it last weekend and with the instruction book nearby (thread tension!!!!!) did quite well with it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve been sewing for more than 40 years and the book is ALWAYS close to the machine. If you don’t use a feature often, you forget how it works. ;(
LikeLike
Yes! I had made a table runner a few weeks before and done some mending, and then I didn’t remember that the machine threads the needle for you…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a janome sewing machine too. I bought the model they use in schools because I was told they were robust and did not break easily. Exactly what I needed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So far, it’s done what I wanted–with the help of the manual, of course! What clinched it for me was that it had a 25 year warranty. That’s confidence on the part of the company.
LikeLike
That’s a very good sign, indeed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Columbine is lovely! What colors! The plots are so neat!
LikeLike
I look forward to that Columbine every year! So pink!
LikeLike
How cute it all that! I love it!
LikeLike