After much research (ok I read an article in a gardening magazine) and waiting for the first frost, I have planted half a pound of garlic. If it all grows I will have a stall at the end of my drive or I can be a French lady with a striped shirt and a string of garlic around my neck (stereotype? Moi? Never!). I even have a bale of hay at the ready for when the ground gets chilly and it needs a straw blanket, I also have a snack if any horses pop over! Happy Tuesday x
One good thing about the summer in the MidWest – it is growing time in the garden! To begin the growing process I start plants like tomatoes and chili peppers around now. I like to browse the seed aisle and pick out some new varieties. Last year I was not mad about the beefsteak tomatoes I grew, so I went for a smaller size this year along with the always popular mini tomatoes. I honed my chili needs down and chose just one variety. Eggplant/aubergines were a surprise success a couple of years ago, so I grabbed some seeds this year and last but not least I picked some cucumber seeds. Fresh cucumber, tomatoes and some feta cheese is one of my favorite summer dishes, especially when the cukes and toms are off the plant and still warm from the sun. How could I resist ‘Brad’s Atomic Grape’ tomatoes or ‘Sunrise Bumblebee’ or even ‘Pink Love Apple’? All of the seeds I chose are from Missouri businesses, so I am hoping that will make them …
1. The tomatoes are coming along nicely, I am still picking a handful of ripe ones every day. It has rained heavily over the past few days so the plants have tilted slightly, but the tomatoes are all growing and ripening. 2. We got a Sno Cone lunch this week. I had a coconut cream sno cone and a ‘Chicago’ hot dog. Not the healthiest of lunches, but it was good! 3. The trees are starting to drop a few leaves. We have had a cooler few days and it has been so lovely. 4. The dining table during the summer, G.I. Joes and paints in harmony! I paint and sketch in my journal while my 11 year old sorts out his G.I. Joe accessories. 5. The caterpillars are making kale lace in the garden. 6. I spotted the most beautiful colour palette in these berries. They are growing on a vine which is all along the fence in my back garden. So I had to pick a few off and paint them and …
A few things that I have been liking this week of thunderstorms, sunshine, pea soup humidity and humidity. Midori sketchbooks. I was admiring the work of Hey Hooray Design and her sketchbooks looked pretty cool. I noticed the Midori hashtag and went to investigate. I found the Traveler Notebook inserts with blank pages at Jetpens and ordered a couple. They are a great size 8″x 4″, tall and skinny! The paper is not very thick but for pen and pencil drawings and notes, they will be perfect. Puzzle markers. Of course while I was on the JetPens site I could not help but have a browse and I came across these cuties. Teeny tiny animal markers, they are like tiny post-its. To be honest I thought they would be bigger (always read the measurement information folks!), but they are just adorable, so I was not disappointed. Neon highlighters and brush pens. I haven’t used my brush pens in a while so I was pleased to roll them out for the Creative Bug Draw a Day class …
1. I planted a mixed seed pack from Seedgeeks in the Spring and they are growing very nicely. This bright red poppy is a fabulous thing! 2. I keep spotting these pretty flowers when I am out walking the dog, there is a tree full along the trail and they are all over the ground under the tree. 3. When I take the dog for a walk at 7am to try and beat the heat, I always take my mug of tea with me. On Friday when I had finished my drink, I gathered various natural bits and bobs. Flowers, leaves, seed pods, bark and a small branch of bamboo! Once I got home I laid it all out to take a photo or two and do some sketches and painting. A productive morning was had. 4-7. At the weekend we visited our friends who lives out in the sticks and I enjoyed having a poke around in their garden. The boys got to ride on the old tractor and we made a bonfire to …
Last week saw the arrival of May which is one of my favourite months of the year, the weather is usually lovely, gracefully welcoming summer and by the end of the month school is out. For the photo selection this week we have: Storm clouds and treetops. Impending storms always seem to make the light glow and these trees look so bright. As soon as I snapped this, I got rather wet as I had forgotten an umberella! A pretty two tone seed. Someone had left a spade in the volleyball court. Massive sheet of safety glass and me. The cloud factory. School field day. The sunflowers are 5cm tall. I hope this week has started well for you, let’s see what it brings. Happy Monday!
As yesterday was Earth Day, we planted our Sunflower seeds. Some were arranged nicely in pots to get them started and some were chucked into the dirt and see how they do! We are growing ‘mammoth’ sunflowers this year to see how tall we can get them. Mr Y is having a race with Grandma and Grandad who also have ‘mammoth’ sunflowers to grow across the pond in England. Seeds have all been planted at around the same time, so let the races begin! Grow sunflowers grow! How tall will they get I wonder? Rest assured I will keep you updated on the sunflower growings, photos and measurements, no details spared. Betcha can’t wait! We only planted them yesterday and I am already looking out for sprouts… Are you racing sunflowers? You should!
A gorgeous Spring day, hurrah! It is amazing how mood boosting a spot of sunshine and warm air is. For ten on the 10th this month, I have all sorts of things to show you! It has been a lovely sunny and warm day and even though the dastardly clocks went back an hour over the weekend, everyone is in a good mood. Today I have been admiring the flowers I bought last week. Wondering what I should do with the treasures I found at the antiques mall? I bought a perfume bottle stopper and some chiffon ribbon which by coincidence is the same colour almost exactly as the stopper, so pretty. Pablo has been enjoying the sunshine too. Chasing his tennis ball up and down the garden! I made and listed a couple of new bracelets, I think they are both beauties! If you want, click on the image to magically fly over to my Etsy shop. My new notebook and my favourite scarf. The garlic is starting to peek through. Remember when I …
Today was warm enough to give the soil in this raised bed a little dig over. In the Spring, I plan to fill it up with lavender, our own mini lavender farm! Happy Weekend.
I bought a single cucumber plant back in April, popped it in one of the raised beds next to the garlic in our back garden and left it to it’s growing thing. Then the weather got cold and rained and rained and the little cuke was looking a little droopy. I harvested my garlic and left the cucumber plant the run of the bed and now it is growing like a crazy plant. Cucumbers all over the place getting big and green and fat! The garlic is being stored in the basement and is drying nicely. Of course the mint is on a garden take over mission which I really don’t mind, it is contained to one end of the garden so it can grow and grow and I can make tea and tzatziki. Tzatziki is calling the mint and garlic and cucumber tonight. Here is how I make it. A bunch of mint (mine is starting to seed but that just makes the bunch pretty! I only need the leaves) Half a big fat …
Clare Davis Etheridge 