Wall Flower Studio Seeds

The lovely Rose - Herb of the Year - 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:36:00 +0000

Considering just how valued and coveted this flower has been to humanity over the centuries, it's no surprise that it has earned the esteemed title, "Herb of the Year".

Talk about your versatile flowers...

Not only do roses look good in the garden, but really, who wouldn't like to bathe in Rose Water? That just seems beyond luxurious! Rose water has been used by the reigning beauties of the day as a natural skincare product, pretty much since the beginning of time. Think Cleopatra! - Shown above are rose petals combined with lavender, submerged and soaking in vodka. - By letting this mixture sit for a few weeks tightly sealed in a jar, and in a dark closet to percolate, by straining it and adding it to a spray bottle, one has an eco-friendly room spray. - Much better than that horrible chemical stuff being promoted ad nauseam on television. But I digress...
Roses are a perennial (pardon the pun), favourite of Brides, and with good reason! They're quite simply the perfect cut flower for bouquets, (an example in my painting below), and, dried petals tucked in sachets, (above), makes for excellent wedding favors!

So, my hardy congratulations to the beautiful Rose. By any other name, I'm thinking it would still smell as sweet.

Native Plants - A Continuing Trend in the Garden - 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:41:00 +0000

Native Plants in the Garden

2012 looks to be an exciting year for our gardens! In fact, every year brings new and exciting trends worthy of following. There are always new or interesting plant varieties to look forward to collecting, or sharing, as we gardeners seem to do, and of course, many garden designs we see in magazines are worthy of emulating in our own garden!
It’s very tempting to jump on many a gardening band wagon, however, most encouraging of all would be the commitment many individuals are making towards growing native plants in the garden. This is usually done in partnership with organic practices, as one does indeed compliment the other.
Aesthetical interest combined with an ecological mindset, especially with respect to the natural landscapes of our shorelines, woodlands, meadows, and even the wetlands, our native plants are a wonderful addition to our gardens, and in some cases, with respect to soil stabilization, highly effective. All this is especially true here in Haliburton County, where we witness and live amongst the beauty of the natural environment every day.
Native plants, including trees, flowers and shrubs, increase the biodiversity of our region. To some degree, they provided food and refuge for our native creatures, including butterflies, birds, pollinators, and small creatures. More importantly, this means our gardens also become a sanctuary of sorts for the many native plants increasingly becoming rare in their natural habitats.
Using native plants helps to conserve water and eliminates the need for pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals that we are realizing are unhealthy practices on our planet. They also create less work in the garden, by being for the most part, drought tolerant, so even part time residents can be away for weeks at a time and need not worry that their garden won’t be alive when they return!
Native plants evolved here and adapted to the environment in which they grow. That means the weather patterns and the other flora and fauna that have evolved with them are equally comfortable together. These variations of adaptability to our regional environment are what make native plants so desirable and effortless to grow. So, consider adding more Native plants to your plot! These gems make a great addition to any garden on so many levels!

Some hardy Native Species for central Ontario:

Aronia melanocarpa - Black Chokeberry - Zone 2

Potentilla fruticosa - Potentilla - Zone 2

Aquilegia canadensis - Wild Columbine - Zone 3

Arisaema triphyllum - Jack in the Pulpit - Zone 3

Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower - zone 3

Quercus rubra - Red Oak - Zone 3

Happy Gardening!

V for Victory ~ Stand up for yourself and your work - It means something

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:22:00 +0000

Well, I just want to thank everyone for the support I was given yesterday, here on my blog, with regards to copyrighted work of mine being used without permission.

Many of you were kind enough to share your own hideous experiences, which only added fuel to my fire. I'm grateful for that offering. It really helped me want to do what was right, not just for me, but anyone else this has happened to.

We're talking about principle here, and I hope anyone else who goes through this will stand up for themselves as well. Your work is important and it means something. That's not to do with ego, either. It's just about what is right and ethical, and holding people accountable for actions they make.

Even if it hadn't worked out this way, I would have known that I did my best for what was right, as some of you have also done for yourselves.

So, I'm happy to say that my painting has since been removed from the site that did not ask to use it, and did not have the right to use it.

I am very pleased that the person who did this was gracious enough to apologize even, and has removed my work from their site. Now I can put an end to this matter and get on with a new year!

I am also grateful that this ended well because when a person confronts someone else's wrongdoing, there can be many different outcomes, and it's not always the desired one either. Life lessons abound!

To everyone who posted a comment or read about what happened and supported me, I just want to thank you.

I'm still absolutely amazed, to say the least, at how many people have had this happen to them. A real eye opener for sure and you certainly have my support. I would think it would only be common sense to ask permission to use someone else's work first, but, that's something that seems to be rather lacking in our society these days. But no need to get into a rant about that here.

So, V for Victory!.... Which leads me back to the garden. Victory garden. Perhaps a planting idea for the coming season. : )

Happy New Year, Everyone. All the best for 2012,

Karen

A note of importance to fellow bloggers, writers, photographers and readers

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:24:00 +0000

I am posting this due to the interest it might have for my fellow creators, artists, photographers, writers, bloggers, authors, or anyone who can claim their own copyrighted images or text.

Don't assume your work is safe from unscrupulous organizations/publishers on the WWW.

Like many people, once in a while, I search my name on Google to see how high my blog is ranked and how it’s measuring up in search engines. It gives me an idea of how many hits I get on my blog, and what people are looking at. It’s a part of marketing I’m curious about.
Once in a while, I also see that someone has added a link to me on their blog. I usually reciprocate by adding their links to mine.

However this time, I found something of a darker note; Use of my copyrighted work on a site, used without my permission.

My painting, the one you see above, “Creature Comforts”, an image owned soley by me the artist and creator of this work, under international copyright laws, has been used in a post written by a certain Mr. Ohlman without my permission.

It’s located a site called “Wonder of Creation”, (have a look), an affiliate of RBC Ministry out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Now this parent company, RBC Ministry is a publishing company. That’s right! A publishing company! And a religious publishing company at that. Irony abounds! Do they feel that those pesky little 10 Commandments don’t apply to them?

Are they above that one in particular? Ie: THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.

They are completely aware of the legalities surrounding the use of images or text that doesn’t belong to them! I know this because they have a whole page devoted to Rights & Permissions regarding the use of their material.

The rules listed on their website, which are likely made up by well paid lawyers, pertaining to gaining permission first before using any of the information on their site, and I'm betting that if the roles were reversed here, they'd be suing me or anyone who infringed on their rights.

Yet here they are using my work, without my permission. - Do as I say, not as I do???? Hmmm?

Obviously RBC and Mr. Ohlman should know better than to take something that doesn’t belong to them.

That my friends, simply put, is theft.

Mr. Ohlman, nor anyone representing RBC Ministries has ever contacted me about using my copyrighted image on their site.

Here’s the kicker... Even though I’ve politely asked him to remove my work immediately, first on Facebook because I didn’t want to sign up on their blog in order to post my ire, and have since written RBC at their Abuses page, as of writing this post, my appeals have gone unanswered. So far this organization has refused to comply the law and my rights within the law.

So, if you’re an artist, publisher, photographer, writer, blogger, painter, author, poet, or anyone who owns their own copyrighted material reading this post. Be warned. It would seem that even organizations, ones that preach things, things they obviously don’t feel they need to put them into practice themselves, might just choose to use your work next.

Feel free to share this with anyone you think might care.

Thank you,

Karen Sloan ~ Wall Flower Studio

Happy New Year Wishes to All : )

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:20:00 +0000

Wishing all of my gardening friends much joy & prosperity for 2012. May all your seeds sprout and your harvest be bountiful.

- Lets all collectively wish for an early Spring, too! ; ) -

Cheers! - Karen

Happy Holidays from Wall Flower Studio - Christmas Greetings in Different Languages!

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:13:00 +0000

All the best to you and your's!

- No matter what you celebrate, I wish all the best to everyone for a healthy and happy 2012 -

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Wordless Wednesday Wishes for a Happy Holiday @ Wall Flower Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:15:00 +0000

DIY Terrarium - Creating Indoor Gardens - Holiday Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Lots of moss in your garden or property? Have a nice apothecary jar hanging around, and perhaps a little 4" tropical plant? Here's something to make as a gift for that gardening friend!
The only thing that one might need to purchase is charcoal. You can get this at any pet supply store. Charcoal filters the terrarium's ecosystem, keeping bacteria and other nasty things from growing in the soil, especially if the terrarium ever happens to get overwatered.

Line the bottom of the jar with small rocks or pebbles.

I picked mine from off of the driveway! (Rinsed them off, first!).

Add a couple teaspoons of charcoal Add some soilAdd the plant. Tuck it in well.

Add moss around the plant. Different types are great and offer more visual interest.

Add little sculptures to it if you like. Water but not too much!

If the lid is on, and there's lots of moisture, take the lid off and let it escape.

Ease back on watering. These are easy care gardens that don't require that much water, once you find the right balance.

Don't keep them in direct sunlight. I learned the hard way one warm sunny day, that this will cook the plants.

Enjoy and share with friends! Have a very Happy Holiday! : )

DIY Natural Hostess Gifts from the Garden @ Wall Flower Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:50:00 +0000

Dried Rose Petals in an organza bag. Perfect for that top drawer! If you're having the family for dinner, put one on each plate with name tags. The recipients get to take it home. : )
Dried Lavender in a muslin bag. Great for throwing in the dryer. They lightly scent towels, sheets, and all laundry, and can be used over and over. They're completely natural, too! No chemicals at all, and eco-minded friends will really appreciate that.

Kindling Bundles - aka: Herbal Firestarters - A wonderful way to start the fire in the holiday hearth, while surrounded by friends & family!

All of these are all really fun & easy to make, if you have dried some flowers hanging about from the previous growing season. They're perfect as little hostess gifts. Try tying the sachets on a wine bottle, or add the kindling bundle on top of a gift, instead of using plastic bows. I just think most people really appreciate, and of course, love to recieve a handmade, thoughtful gift like these! They're great to dress gifts with, and it looks like you really put a whole lot of effort in, when nothing could be farther from the truth!

Enjoy! : )

Orchids for the Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:55:00 +0000

As much as I like Poinsettias, and it sure is the season for them, I'd have to say, flowering plants that might seem a little non-traditional to some people, like these Orchids, can be a really great alternative. Happy Holidays from Wall Flower Studio!

Pollinating Saving Harvesting Amaryllis Seeds & basic Botany 101 too!

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:40:00 +0000

Saving Seeds from an Amaryllis is easy to do!
All I do is dab my finger on the pollen from the anther. The Anther is the male part of the flower. Then I gently rub it on the stigma of another flower. The Stigma is what gets fertilized, which in turn eventually creates the seeds. (We're getting into real flower reproduction territory, now. See the link I've provided below. It has a diagram with names & descriptions of plant parts needed for doing this. Its basic botany, and very helpful to anyone not familliar with these titles!). Next step... After the flowers are pollinated, the waiting begins. Many pods are developing. It doesn't take long. A couple weeks at the most. At this point, I'm still hand pollinating the flowers.

This is a nice plump seed pod developing. You can see where the flower has dried & turned into the seed pod. It's almost like an ambilical cord!

The seeds pod dries naturally and has now split open on it's own. Harvest time!

Finally, the seeds are free of the pod. Keep them in a dry place where it's not too hot. I have mine in a glass jar in the cupboard. Next post. Planting and sowing the seeds! That's very easy, too!

Diagram of a flower's anatomy: Enchanted Learning - You'll find an excellent printout. Great for teachers and anyone else who'd like to know more about flower reproduction & Basic Botany.

I hope you have fun trying this at home. It's very easy to do, and rewarding for any gardener!

#DIY - Outdoor Decor - Windowboxes & Containers with Natural Materials

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:56:00 +0000

Windowboxes & containers are a great way to welcome friends and family with a splash of color.

The materials used here are various evergreens, red dogwood. eucalyptus, pinecones, and native ilex berries. You can use a little, or a lot! Depending on taste. If you have access to some property where any of the items I've mentioned grow freely, then budget isn't an issue!

If you don't have access to florist sponge, (Oasis), just fill the container with wet cedar mulch. It does a great job holding all the stems in place.

The berries pictured above are Ilex mucronata. (Formerly Nemopanthus mucronatus.)

They're native to north eastern North America, and as you likely guessed are in the Holly family. Funny thing is, they have a deciduous leaf, which they drop over the winter, which is different from the Holly we recognize for the holidays, and is what you'd call a broad-leafed evergreen. This Ilex likes to grow in marshy areas, and seems to like wet feet! You may need hip waders to collect them!

Have fun decorating! It doesn't have to cost a fortune when using some of nature's gifts!

Happy Holidays!

Blooming Now - Amaryllis & Paperwhites @ WallFlowerStudio

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:25:00 +0000

My last Paperwhite Narcissus is blooming now. I have it strategically placed between the kitchen & dining room, so I can smell it's lovely scent! Most people are very definite about the perfume from this flower. I've found people either love it or hate it. There doesn't seem to be an in between opinion!

My Amaryllis vittatum is blooming like mad. This has been ongoing for 3 months, now, since I brought it indoors for the winter. It's not hardy here in Ontario, so I do baby it! I've hand pollinated the flowers again, and already collected many seeds from it. What gifts it offers me! I have several seedlings started from this heirloom plant, which is over 120 years old.

A close up of the Amaryllis flower. It has a really pretty sheen about it. The flowers are a bit smaller than the large hybrids bred today. I'm just happy to have something blooming now. We have snow outside, blanketing the garden, and Like many people in the northern hemisphere, I'm impatiently awaiting next Spring! Thanks for visiting!

Kindling Bundles & Wreaths - DIY Dried Herbs - Create Garden Gifts for the Holiday!

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:26:00 +0000

Kindling Bundles (aka: Herbal Firestarters). This one has 3 braided together with raffia, and can be hung on the wall until they're ready to be used. The lovely scent when lit, is nice to incorporate them into a holiday tradition!
A single Kindling Bundle. All kinds of herbs and dried plant material can be incorporated. Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Marjoram, Oregano, Mints, Tansy, Savory, Artemesia, and even added dried licorice plant, (an annual here in Canada), from my hanging baskets.
Sage - I just dry it flat when there's no place to hang it. I flip it over every couple of days to prevent any spoilage.

Grapevine wreath bases are great for adding all sorts of herbs and dried flowers. This one is a simple wreath using Artemesia, which is very easy to dry.

Here, I've wrap Bind weed, ( but any assorted vining weed will do), for wreath making. They dry easily, just left like this, flat, and can be used as a simple base to create a pretty wreath. Who says weeds are useless!Variegated Lemon Thyme is perfect for Kindling bundles. It smells so nice! I just dry it flat on an old tray. Well, I hope you have fun! I just like to use these goodies, as it seems like a bit of a waste to just throw them into the composter in the fall.

Have a great week! Thanks for visiting : )

As Time Goes By... Autumn In the Garden - Where did Summer go??

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:59:00 +0000

My booth at the local farmers market. It sure is a great way to meet the locals, and see friends, as well! What a busy summer it's been. And all of a sudden, it's Autumn in the Haliburton Highlands. How'd that happen??!
Changing leaves. The Maple trees are stunning right now. Just on the verge of exploding with colour!
Well, it's been a while since I've been on here. I've missed all of my gardening friends and fellow bloggers! Hope everyone had a good summer. I honestly don't know where the time has gone!! You know it's Autumn when the Pee Gee Hydrangeas are putting on such a good show. (Above) My hubbie built me a trellis, and let me tell you, a hurricane wouldn't knock it over, he built it so well, altho' I'm not trying to tempt fate with that comment! ; )

Finally got a photo of one of the Hummers that visits every year. I'll be planting more Monarda in my garden. They love it, and so do the bees!

One more item to mention. I'd really like to thank The Sage Butterfly, Connie, Rebecca & Helen at Summerhouse garden for such nice comments on past posts. Again, with the dial-up connection, it's been really difficult replying and even getting on this blog. My thanks to you ladies, and apologies for such a long reply. xx

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Happy first day of Autumn, everyone! 'Til next time!

Blooming Friday - Wildlife & Pollinators visit the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:01:00 +0000

A lovely little Hummingbird visits the Bee Balm. If you want pollinators in the garden, this plant is one of the best for attracting them!
The Deer was visiting my veggie garden, but thankfully she has not been around for a while. Although I like the deer, I don't like her eating everything I'm trying to grow!

Lots of pretty Tiger Swallowtail butterflies have been visiting, but still no Monarchs in sight.

Pollinators on the Coreopsis. I let them go to seed, and that brings in the Goldfinches!

This butterfly really loved the Sweet William. I had a Hummingbird Moth visit, too, but he was too quick, and a bit camera shy!

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I've been a little lax with my posts this summer. Working in the garden, orders on Etsy to fill, plus I have a booth at our local farmers market. Hope everyone has had a great summer! Where has it gone?! Can't believe we're already into the second half of August.

Happy Friday!

In and Around the June Garden @ Wall Flower Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:40:00 +0000

I love Sweet William. Likely my most favourite flower of all! It would seem as tho' the butterflies agree with me! But I do have to mention, I'm very concerned because, so far this year, I've only seen one Monarch butterfly in my garden. The Tiger Swallowtails are fairly abundant, but it does worry me, these lack of sightings.
I've been busy preparing things for the 2 farmers markets I'm currently participating in. One is in Kinmount, Ontario, which is about a 45 minute drive, and the other is here in Haliburton, which is nice and close! (I have links on the side of the page here, if you're interested in learning more about either market). Anyhow, I've been making wreaths, lavender sachets, and below is a picture of some hand-tied bouquets of fresh flowers for my garden. They went pretty quick at today's market!

Sweet William, Oenothera, herbs, hosta leaves, among other things in the bouquets. It was fun to put them together because it's been a few years since I worked at a flower shop. I kind of miss it sometimes!

Some wildflowers and a visiting Tiger Swallowtail. I can't get enough of them.

Blue Flag Iris. My husband, son and I went for a boat ride last week up the river near our home. The irises were everywhere! I took way too many pictures. It was a nice day, tho', and we saw several Beavers swimming along the banks, as well as a Kingfisher, Ducks, and a beautiful Great Blue Heron. They are such a majestic looking bird, in a prehistoric kind of way!

Well, that's about it for now. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks out there, and best wishes to my American friends for the upcoming Fourth Of July Celebrations!

Happy Gardening! : )

Flowers For Friday - June Blooms and Seedlings

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:14:00 +0000

Allium - Purple Sensation
Vinca

Borage seedlings

Pretty Irises

Alliums are just about done for the year.

So that's it for now. I've got lots more to put on here, but I'll save them for another post.

And just to add, I'd like to thank Jenn, Connie, Donna, Bernie, The Sage Butterfly, Garden Hoard, Fishtail Cottage for your lovely comments on previous posts, and for visiting my blog. Unfortunately, being on dial up, I sometimes have trouble replying, due to a really slow internet connection. (Sometimes it's no more than what you'd get for sending a fax, 14.4 kbps. Feel free to pity me! ; )

My apologies for that, and as always, I'm totally grateful for your comments. I can usually get into the "dashboard" here on Blogger to post things, but can't always get on my blog to respond in the comment box. Drives me crazy! I guess that's the not so good part about country living. We're in what you might call a black hole, and it's even hard to get cell phone service at times.

I would love to visit my friends blogs more often, too, but it's just impossible sometimes to do that with such a slow connection and downloading pictures makes me want to pull my hair out.

Anyhow, these folks I've listed are all linked here on the side bar of my blog. Please feel free to visit their wonderful gardens, too!

So, hopefully someday soon, a hi-speed internet connection will find my wee hoose.

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Anyhow, I hope everyone has a bloomin' good weekend.

I'm off to the farmers market tomorrow, and here's hoping for good weather for everyone out there.

Cheers!

Flowering Friday - A Garden Overview @ Wall Flower Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:57:00 +0000

Luna. One of my 2 girls.
Irises are about to flower. They're a soft yellow colour. My husband built me the obelisk/trellis seen above, and the garden arbour, both seen below.

An overview of the North part of the garden.

The front porch. Hostas coming along nicely.

The Alpine Clematis, "Constance". A really good show this year

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Thanks for visiting my garden! Have a great weekend. : )

A Shade Loving Native Woodland Plant - Foamflower

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Mon, 30 May 2011 01:57:00 +0000

This is another pretty little native flower blooming right now.

It's common name in Ontario is Foamflower, and it's botanical name is Tiarella,

T. cordifolia.

It's only about 6 - 8 inches tall, with soft green leaves that are reminiscent of a geranium.

It's lovely dainty white flowers certainly make it suit it's name! They almost look like a ton of tiny orchids!

The pollinators love it, possibly because there's not much blooming yet, hence not much choice, with the exception of other native plants blooming now, and of course, my perennials are very slow to show themselves this year, due to so much rain and lack of hot weather. I think many people out there can relate.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by! Here's hoping for lots of sunshine and warm temps this week for all of us.

Happy Gardening : )

Plant Tags for seedlings - When you're in a pinch : )

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Sat, 28 May 2011 02:43:00 +0000

As I started potting up some seeds tonight, I realized I didn't have anything to tag them with. I'm starting some Teddy Bear Sunflowers, Genovese Basil, Cilantro, and a few other herbs, which I'd like to sell at the farmers market eventually, so I looked high and low for my popsicle sticks but couldn't find them anywhere.

What I did find were some clothes pins. I'm not using them right now, since presently, it's bloody awful weather to hang clothes out on the line, so I improvised and used them as labels instead!

Many people have likely already came up with this idea, but if not, and you're in a pinch, pardon the pun, they work just great! I've read that many people use old window blinds, which are cut up and used as labels, too. That's another good idea which I saw on Twitter during #gardenchat.

Have a good weekend, and Happy Gardening!

Starflower - A Native for Flowering Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Fri, 27 May 2011 19:26:00 +0000

This little flower is growing alongside my driveway, in a very shady spot. Some dappled sunlight later in the afternoon, but that's about it. It's called a Starflower, Trientalis borealis. A really pretty bloom!
It's growing in a little clump in a few areas around the garden, wherever it's shady. It's a member of the Primrose family. I really like the foliage, too! A very pretty bright green, as you can see. It's about 5 inches tall, and the span from one leaf tip to the other is about 8 or so inches across. One of my favourite native species!
Happy Flowering Friday!

Wordless Wednesday - Heirloom Tomato Plants

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:34:00 +0000

Blooming Friday @ Wall Flower Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:45:00 +0000

Clematis alpina "Constance'. Taking over the tree. But I don't mind!

Pretty Red Trillums - Ontario's Provincial flower. Well, the white ones are, but I just love this colour! Something has been eating it, too.

This Columbine is just about to bloom. It's seeded itself in our driveway, just beside the rock garden. The variety is "Coral Star". Every year the clump gets larger.

Pretty Blue Muscari.
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That's it for today! The bugs (blackflies) are out for blood, so I'm staying inside for a while, packing seeds for tomorrow's opening of the Kinmount Farmers Market, where I have a booth to pedal my garden wares! If you're in the area, drop by and say hello! Lots of great local vendors. Have a great weekend! : )

Heirloom Peas Sprouting

noreply@blogger.com (Wall Flower Studio) — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:40:00 +0000

Happy to see these heirloom peas coming up! The variety is "Golden Sweet" and they've been around since the 1600's. I think they're quite rare, too. And talk about your old varieties! One of my favourites, and they taste really good. Perfect fresh or dried for use in soups. They have a pretty light purple flower, too. The Hummingbirds and other pollinators love them. : )

It may seem a bit late in some parts of North America to just have peas sprouting now, but it's been a cool, wet Spring here in Ontario. They should do really well! Fingers crossed!
Thanks for visiting & Happy Gardening!