Blog entry
June morning
June morning
It's so fine to step outside barefoot,without a sweater, and get started right away. On most mornings,this means just wandering around in wonder and amazement.for awhile.
The backyard is not big, but the cherry tree doesn't seem to mind.
The blackbirds and squirrels .are ready to pounce!
A clothesline fiull of projects
Silk organza after soaking overnight in alum water
Another piece of organza dyed with indigo
Vintage linen napkins
Old fashioned
Both of the Grand daughters have arrived! Like flowers in the garden, they blossomed one at a time.
Their fresh new lives are a lovely unfolding of beauty, hope and mystery.
White peonies
The little ones have charming, old-fashioned names. Clara May and Ella Jane. This seems just right. The old-fashioned garden plants welcome them with soft perfume.
Magenta peonies (Paeonia officinalis)
Old peony bed
Dr, Huey (1914)
Mock orange (Philadelphus virginalis)
Sarah van Fleet (1922)
Service-berries ripening (Amelanchier alnifolia)
Madder roots and silk
Madder patch May 2017 (rubia tinctorum)
I've used and re-used all of last years' home-grown madder roots so many times that now there's barely a whisper of pink left. Although they still look rosy- red, I don't know if I can coax any more color from these roots. They're so pretty, I don't want to compost them yet. I might just dry them once more for a future experiment.
Old madder roots from last years' garden
Rain
Lately, the rain has been steady.. Explosive thunder, gushing downpours, then soft dripping from the branches.
Serviceberry
This weather isn't so good for taking pictures of textiles outdoors, but it's perfect for working in the garden if you don't mind being soaked.
The water does wonders for the garden
The alley is a lot better after a good wash.
The houseplants are rejoicing in the rain after the long, dry winter indoors
The water encourages the seedlings.
Somniferum poppies
Reflecting the elm tree
May color reminders
To celebrate the beautiful rich shades of the May garden, I've started a little purple, pink and indigo dyeing project.Yesterday I mordanted some silk scarves and wool with alum. After soaking overnight, they were ready to drink up the colors. I'm using madder, lac and indigo.
Pansies
This is my favorite weather for gardening and dyeing - fresh and damp without harsh sunlight.
Pink, purple,and indigo in layers of wet color
Baby Spiders
Baby spiders were born in the garden today. The sun was warm and the breeze was gentle.
I found the new spider babies on the edges of flowerpots, on old sticks and near the curls of last years' vines.
This group made a May Pole.
Lily flowered tulips
The elegant lily flowered tulips are the last variety of tulips to bloom in this garden.
wide open in sunshine
closed in rain
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Like bells
Super Seed Starting Containers
After years of experimenting, I've found the perfect containers for starting seeds. Grapes, strawberries, and tomatoes are sometimes packaged in small plastic boxes. These are excellent homes for germinating seeds.
They have holes for drainage in the bottom. I use a layer of broken clay flowerpot pieces, bits of styrofoam packing peanuts or little twigs first to prevent the potting mix from washing through the holes.
The lids can be closed to hold in moisture and offer a bit of protection from wind, and heavy rain, The lids have air holes providing some ventilation.
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