MAY

This is the time of year when the inside of the house becomes neglected.  When you live in a region that gives you less than 6 "good" months in the garden you can't mess around.  My hands and shoulders are sore and my garden boots are muddy.  After the beans go down for the night I retreat to the work room to get to work on several garden designs I have been working on for some folks.

I've been delivering plans in metal buckets for my clients with a bag of organic Bio-Tone Starter for their new plants.

Lungwort and Dwarf Solomon's Seal

Creeping Jenny along my newly lined beds. Things popping in this bed include Lady's Mantle, Catmint, False Indigo, Anise Hyssop, Dark Towers Penstemon, Autumn Joy, Joe-Pye Weed and I sowed some Poppies in this area for a splash of red.   

I recently bought three wired lanterns to hang above the deck...they add a bit of whimsy for those summer nights to come.

Blooms that I cut from my new David Austin Rose bush.  After I planted my rose I noticed that it was floppy perhaps from shock so I cut it back in hopes that it would lighten the load as it settled in. 

And some more blooms from my bleeding heart.

other blooms around the garden include.....

Foam Flowers

Geums

Lungwort

Hellebores

Anemone Sylvestris 

May is also the wind down of school.  We are really looking forward to some slower days ahead like this one we had a few days ago when we released our painted lady butterflies that the beans raised.

With the wind down I also hope to get kicking with my posts to show you all some projects that I've been plugging away at!  Until then......Happy MAY!!!!

stepping into spring this week...

It's kinda been a really neat week.  In-between normal life duties I've been running into the most interesting people.  Take the shop I stopped into on Monday.  The salesclerk and I just started chatting and wouldn't you know that she is setting up a local garden walk.  I gave her some information about permaculture and she was so excited that she wants to do a workshop about it at her event.   When visiting the nursery I struck up a conversation with a nice woman as I was loading the beans into the car.  She asked if we could use a log cabin doll house that she was going to donate to Goodwill.  I said YES and then we continued to talk about the nature school she works at and how she keeps bees.   Then there was my kind neighbor who has gotten me into essential oils.  There are many uses for these plant derived oils and after soccer practice this week she gave me a large reference book so that I can learn more about how to use the oils.  And then there was the nice couple who walked by when I was outside gardening and let my bean play with their dogs.  They gave me some tips for keeping chickens as they have a few and told me where to get our permit and how to set things up. 

There have been a few more things but I think you catch my drift!  It was like everywhere I turned people were talking about what they were doing to get back to nature.  Making more conscious choices in their everyday lives to do better.  Pretty cool eh?

My favorite part about stepping into the spring garden is seeing growth.  When I can divide a plant or create a new bed that's when the magic sets in.  I'm still cleaning up beds, laying compost, and tearing out grass to widen different areas.  Our peas and lettuce are coming up and I finished laying all the brick for my back garden border.  This week I have been planting shrubs in different beds for more interest as I wait "patiently" to plant veggies, flower seeds and dahlia tubers.  

Shrubs that have gone in....

Calycanthus Floridus...Allspice

~known for its large waterlily like blooms~

via-Fine Gardening  

Clethra Alnifolia, North American native “Sweet Pepperbush"

~attracts bees and butterflies~

Itea Virginica "Little Henry-Sweetspire"

~small shrub for mixed borders ~

via-Fine Gardening

Ninebark "Amber Jubilee"

~chosen for its striking foliage~

I hope that whatever the season...you're enjoying the beauty that comes with it.  Have a great weekend folks!   

doing things different...Permaculture

Hi everyone!  How are you all?  I really should be sleeping as I have not had a good nights rest in several nights due to some sick little beans but I am so excited about spring!  Flowers are blooming, compost and veggies are going in and we are officially back in the garden!!!  


I recently took a class at McDonald Farm with my gardening pal Sue about permaculture.  To say that we were inspired was an understatement.  With California's severe drought and the environment shifting, permaculture is changing the way we think about growing food and our relationship with the environment.

PERMACULTURE....Permaculture is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.

Here we are standing in front of a garden that was created to handle excess runoff water from the farm.  The water used for cleaning farm equipment and washing crops would just spill out into the field causing major erosion issues.

Now the water has been routed into a little creek where it feeds a natural forest garden full of fruit trees and edible perennials.  Nothing is wasted.

Below is a diagram of a small garden formed around a fruit tree that can be used for a residential garden.  A fruit tree planted with several layers of plants that not only help pollinate the tree but create a perennial garden full of low maintenance edibles.

Currently the folks here at the farm are working on creating gardens such as these at local shelters and schools.

Benefits...

*Provides fresh local food to the community

*Demonstrates a commitment to food security and ecological restoration

*reduces or eliminates lawn maintenance costs

*Creates a community park

*Serves as an outdoor classroom or educational resource

*Connects people to food and nature

*Inspires the growth of individual edible forest gardens

It was an unbelievable day at the farm to begin to think about what is possible and what is already taking place around the world.  A movement is happening!  

Won't you join in? 

Happy gardening my friends I will be around soon to check in with you all!  

designing

When I was a little kid I would spend hours drawing houses and gardens.  Nothing has changed when it comes to this.  If I'm on a walk, I am constantly looking at peoples' yards and thinking about what plants I would add to their space to enhance it.  That is until one of the beans runs off and I am on the chase!  I'm currently working on a few design projects for people that have been keeping me busy at night.  This one is in the works right now....

 

I look for inspiration everywhere.  Colors and textures in interior spaces.....

Magazines when sitting in waiting rooms...

Simple things like messy easter eggs....

And music, there must be music!  Benny Goodman has been playing while I work....

All and all it has been a pretty busy start to spring.

Just wanted to check in and wish you all a creative week with bits of inspiration along the way!   

Happy Making, Baking, and Growing!  

seeds and eggs

There is so much information out there on gardening.  Sometimes it's just best if you put the books down, go out and buy yourself a pack of seeds, throw them in the dirt and see if they grow.  Don't make it so hard but I guess that's just our nature.  We started some of our seeds.  I'm not an expert on the subject but I do know that I like saving money on the garden and this is one way to do it.  Plus the beans like to watch them grow.

They each picked out their packs and then we put them in some little cups for a soak overnight.  

Play in-between of course.

Me busy reusing the millions of old bricks from the old patio to line the back bed.  I figure if I lay 10 a day I may be done by July!

 Again my little station isn't fancy.  This is the kids art table.  I put command hooks on top and attach a shop light to hang under the table for my seeds.  We are growing all kinds of things from flowers to veggies.  Whatever takes is a bonus.  

Zinnias are starting to say hi!  

And because Easter is near we have started working on some eggs.  Washi tape and paper strips.  A fun and easy one!  

So there you have it!  Check out this fantastic lady for some organic seed companies....

VIA~Empress Of Dirt

Happy Making, Baking, and Growing Friends!

getting the beans IN the garden

I watched today as my beans jumped in mud puddles all over the backyard.  The melting snow coupled with warmer temperatures (finally) created the perfect day of mud jumping.  One of those sweet moments that I will have ingrained in my mind forever.

The beans are great.  

They each have their own favorite plants and are fantastic at caring for the garden.  They take time to look in the soil and explore as we go and they care if someone is careless with our plants.  Like when the tree trimmers were cutting back some branches from our gigantic ash tree and my son was concerned that they smashed our flowers.  He actually told one of the men that he hurt one of his mom's plants.  For me, it doesn't get sweeter! 

My ideas about the garden have changed.  LIVING in a garden with children is much more fulfilling than wanting a perfect space.  It has become more of an experiment with them working by my side rather than a museum of plants.

I hope to capture and encourage even more exploration this season.  Here are a few finds I thought were neat to get kids excited about being active players in the garden....

I found these organic seed collection boxes HERE  They carried many different boxes ranging from flower assortments to veggies.  

And I've been hunting for books.  This one is adorable.  It walks kids through planning and mapping out their space.  I have zinnia seeds I saved from last year to go along with the book.

We are going to be doing a little bit of journaling this season as well.  Probably just in note pads but this journal by Creative Kids caught me eye.  It has some great writing/drawing prompts for little ones.

And I think we may be trying some fun art projects like....

VIA

via-justinablakeney

Here is to getting people IN the garden!  Happy week everyone!