Backwoods Cottage

My Mega Millions Potting Bench

2013-05-18T14:47:00.001-07:00

Yep, my humble, lowly DIY cedar fence board Potting Bench is my #1 Pinned item on my Blogs.

Crazy! The photos pinned are rather bland looking but it is something people have taken a liking to, blasé or not.

Over the past couple of years I have decorated it and redecorated it. I was able to view it out my large sliding glass doors and I liked to see it all gussied up. (past tense something has now taken its place, more on that at a later date)

This is one of the inspirations for my potting bench, I did not get a good photo but it was enough for me to go from. This was taken at a garden show in Boise, Idaho in 2010. There were tons of vendors with unique and beautiful things for the garden, if you are ever in Boise when they have this show I would recommend going.

Potting Benches are one of the “Jack of all Trades” type piece of furniture. I use it in lieu of a mantel, I have a wonderful wood stove that provides comparatively inexpensive heat for our little cottage on the hill but there is no fancy smancy mantel to decorate upon. So my potting bench is transformed each season.

The creamy color is Annie Sloan Chalk paint and it has held up well for being outdoors for a couple years through all sorts of weather.

And I do mean “all” sorts of weather. (The dark streaks on the back is mildew, that sands right off once warm weather returns.)

I loved my pink roses with it last summer, it set off my hypertufa planters I had made and planted with succulents.

The top, in yellow, was not the chalk paint but a milk paint without the exterior additive. I am sure if I had used the additive it would’ve held up much better.

Styled for Autumn.

Now that you have seen all the ways to fancy up one of these babies, you probably would like to build one for yourself. The cost for materials not counting the glue or screws was about $45.

If you wish to view our step by step building of this versatile potting bench, please click on over POTTING BENCH BUILD

Another thing I use my potting bench for is a backdrop for some of my sign photos. The back of this was left unpainted and the cedar has aged to a lovely weathered gray.

Time to go play in the garden. Until next time…

Pamela

My garden keeps blooming, May 15th

2013-05-15T08:33:00.001-07:00

I hope you enjoyed my post yesterday. I cannot believe how quickly flowers just start popping open all over the place when it gets sunny and warm this time of year.

I have a few more photos to show you from my walk this morning and one from a few mornings ago, I had forgotten to share my Rhododendron that has not bloomed in 6 years and has this.

If you recall I mentioned having another color Iris that is scented deliciously like Grape Kool Aid and this is it.

It is even more powerful that the one I shared yesterday.

I have them scattered throughout the garden so as you walk you can be delighted by their sweet perfume. (makes you wish this was ‘scratch and sniff’ doesn’t it)
This iris is rather understated with its dull yellow color but still a beauty.

If you stopped in yesterday I had shared a shot of my Purple Speckled Idaho Homestead iris, and behind it was a peach colored bud, well this morning she was open and ready to shine. You can see the speckled one behind now.

I attempted to get a good shot of the front garden today.

I know that ugly fire hydrant and snow pole is distracting but I work around them. I have vines climb the pole to disguise it in summer and the Black eyed susans grow up taller than the hydrant so it is not as visible either later in the summer.

Below is my Fire Witch dianthus, love this stuff, I keep saying I am going to get more and make an edging of it along my walkway. It is so bright and cheerful and it blooms and blooms.

Now to my favorite Clematis…. Warsaw Nike. Why is it my favorite??? Because it blooms not once but ALL summer long and it is a hearty soul here.

It is climbing up my back deck rail and is nearly to the top. I will have to attach a lattice above the rail to let it climb even higher soon.

Here is my parting shot for the day. This is the front walk entrance from our upper driveway. This iris along with my Bourban clematis steal the show right now.

Here's to sunny skies today! Tomorrow we are to have rain but the garden needs it so I will not begrudge a day or two for a good soaking rain.

ta!
Pamela

May 13th Garden Walk

2013-05-14T11:20:00.001-07:00

I have started my morning garden walks, things are starting to pop open and though I still have tons of weeding to do (our last rain storm followed by pure warm sunshine has given the weeds a jump start) I ignore them and tour for blooms to photograph and share.

My Clematis are all starting to open up..I have several but I will start with the first two to open up.

Bourbon Clematis

This beauty shares the arbor over our front walkway with a Tess D'Urbervilles English Rose.

Nelly Moser Clematis

This one is located just in front of my front porch rail.

My Iris are getting started too, this one is a bi-colored iris, unfortunately I cannot remember the name. I bought the majority of my iris corms for Schreiner’s.

They ship only huge healthy corms, I have never lost a one and they reproduce like crazy.

This is one of the old fashioned “Flags” they are scented, this one smells like Grape Kool-Aid. I have another color in my collection here that has the same scent and when you walk past it is soooo delightful.

This is the one my cousin dug up in an old Idaho homestead’s forgotten garden. Do you still have this one Brenda???

It is loaded with buds and the orange one behind it is getting ready to open.

Now to a couple roses…

Crown Princess Margareta English rose

Dream Weaver climbing rose

And my favorite of the moment,

Cecile Brunner

It is climbing my chicken house…

When the sun hits it you cannot even smell the chickens, the rose scent is so powerful it overrides the chicken doo, not THAT is powerful.

Enjoy the rest of your day….

Pamela

Woo Hoo 100 on Facebook.

2013-05-13T19:21:00.001-07:00

I said I would giveaway one of these signs

when we reached 100 Likes, and today is the day.

And the winner is Melody Harmon.

Dear Melody, let me know which sign you want and I will get it out to you ASAP!

Congratulations!

Thanks everyone for your participation.

Maybe we should do another for a 200 like goal!!! What sign should I offer???

Come back tomorrow, I have some garden shots for you.

Pamela

Cheap and Easy Cedar Fence Board Planters

2013-05-13T07:54:00.001-07:00

Have you got a bare spot you want to gussy up?

My back deck rails were less than pretty and I want to see cascading flowers when I look out my kitchen window. (pretend the flowers are all filled in and cascading down hiding a good portion of the pickets and the view of the neighbors back roof)

My fix…. cheapo DIY planters made from cedar fence boards.

1. Buy some cedar fence boards, I went with two 6 inch wide x 6 feet long and one 8 inch wide, and some scrap wood to make the ends. (note: They are called 6 inch and 8 inch wide but in actuality they are 5.5 and 7.5 inches wide)

The 6 inch boards $2+ and the 8 inch were $3.50+

2. Square off the dog eared end and dry fit the boards. Fence boards are willy nilly and do not always match in width or length. So you have to make them match with your trusty tape measure and saw.

Or just line them up and then view and mark how much to cut off.

3. I put the end piece on first, used just scrap pieces of wood I had on hand. I applied wood glue before nailing. Actually this is a photo of me putting on the last side but it does show my end piece is just scrap and the generosity of Titebond glue.

I started out with my brad nailer but it jammed so I fell back on a good ol’ hammer and finish nails. A wee bit slower but still quite effective.

4. Screw to deck rail so the pesky raccoons will not knock your wonderfully roomy planter to the ground below. Here I am letting the glue dry before filling. Be sure to drill holds for proper drainage, I drilled mine towards the back of the planter where it hangs off the deck rail.

5. I gave them 24 hours to dry then I had fun planting them up. I left them unpainted or stained, I want these to weather naturally to a soft grey, that will not take long at all.

6. Mix up some coconut coir into your potting mix for added water retention. It is natural, sustainable and easy to work with. You can purchase Coconut Coir in bales or bricks, a little goes a LOOOONG way as it is compressed.

First I must soak the coconut coir for a good few hours, make sure you have plenty of room in your bucket, this stuff really expands as it soaks up the water. I mix it maybe a quarter or third of coconut coir to 3/4 or 2/3 potting mix.

7. Fill you fantabulous planters with the potting/coconut coir mix and plant all your cascading flowers, give them room to fill in.

We have Purple Wave Petunias, Trailing Lobelia and a wee bit of white alyssum. I will be sure to share once it is filled to overflowing with flowers.

These were cheap and easy to make, I had the wood glue and finish nails on hand, for a total on the rest of the supplies it may have ran me about $8 per planter and they are a good size to fit plenty of flowers, 6 feet long by 7.5 inches wide. If you wanted you could also just slip in some 4 inch pots instead of putting the soil in the boxes. The height of the sides is just right to hide the pots and you could easily change out the flowers is you wished.

So there you have it, quick and easy planters.

Now off to photo what is blooming this fine Monday morning in my garden. I will share that tomorrow, I do hope.

Pamela

Custom Growth Chart

2013-05-06T08:57:00.001-07:00

How is everyone this fine Monday morning. We have awakened to a bit of rain after a unseasonably warm week for the month of May.

When I was not painting away on special orders in my studio (with the French doors flung wide to enjoy the fresh air) I was in the garden. More on that in a moment.
We had a baby shower to attend this weekend, (wish I had gotten photos, the gals that put it on did a fantastic job) and I had to whip up a gift. The parents wanted to wait until the baby was born to find out the gender so my present needed to be gender neutral. I have had an idea for customizable growth charts knocking about my brain for a while now.

Ones that can hang on the wall, be move around or taken with you if you move. And the above is what I came up with for a start. Since we do not know the name or the birthdate of this child it is plain but when I add a line of growth charts to my website the customer can order plain stained wood like this or I can paint the background a color, names, birthdates and sayings can be added along with motifs.   A longer version will be available too.

I already have a couple orders just from gals seeing this one at the baby shower so I think it will be a great addition to the website.

Now on to my garden.   I am slowly getting things cleaned up. Here is my side yard complete with roses climbing the porch posts.

I pegged many along the lattice to garnish as many blooms as I can, and these bushes are LOADED with rosebuds so soon this will be full of color.

This rose is already blooming away but it is always first.

This is one of the mini roses you can pick up in Wal-Mart or grocery store in a little 4 inch pot.

Since this one does so well for me I just picked up a red one in SaveMart when I spotted it.

I over winter this pink one every year in the greenhouse or on my side porch and it has just flourished and blooms thru the summer without let up. I have had this one for 7 years now and it just does not quit.

The Creeping Jenny is filling in the dry bare areas as I wished it to, now this can get out of hand for some people so be careful where you put it or of where you live, I can control it by not watering and since we have dry summers that works but if you live in an area that gets plentiful summer rain you might want to skip on this one.

I have a few iris starting to bloom, this darker purple always goes first and is normally done by the time any others open but this year I have an early bird on another.

This white one with lavender edging is just opening up and it has stayed rather short, now sure why might be the spot it is in.

A carpet of lavender and pink creeping phlox, a shame this only blooms a few weeks. The dead clump of sticks there is really my Butterfly Bush. It is just starting to bud out. I have to cut it back hard each Fall or the snow breaks it down.

I have about 6 of these Japanese Maples, I grew them from seed. If you can believe it they are about 5 years old. Slow growers to be sure.

See the plant snuggled up to the iris here, it is already taller than the iris. Look at it just a month ago in the photo below. How fast it shot up with a little warmth and sunshine. These are my Canterbury Bells and they bloom in lovely purple and pink.

It has been so warm that I braved it and put my tomato and basil plants out earlier than usual.

Normally we don’t put out frost tender plants until the third weekend in May.
Above is my basil planted in the straw bale raised bed. Also if you look by the little overturned pot in the photo you will see the sprouting sugar snap peas.

Speaking of raised straw bale beds, I am taking down the one in the side yard.

It was in the way of what I wanted to do here and it was starting to break down, it worked great as a hot bed last season and now it is already mostly fantastic compost. I have been spreading it all around to heavily mulch my garden to help conserve water on what seems is going to be a very dry summer.

My Pear tree. Since we had a frost when it was in full bloom I did not expect to see any fruit but it is loaded with little Pears, now to keep them safe from marauding birds. The Robins have already been scouting around all my strawberry plants.

And I have a lone little apricot on my tree. Half of the tree has died and I am holding my breath that whatever is wrong has only effect those branches but it does not look good.

Only time will tell.

I am off to paint in the studio. A happy Monday to you all.

Pamela

Pelargonium cuttings (aka: zonal Geraniums) have Roots!

2013-04-29T08:22:00.001-07:00

Many enjoyed my blog post on propagating Pelargoniums. Do you want to see some results?

We have healthy long roots. Time to pot up this baby up and give those roots some room to spread out!

First I put a bit of Perlite in the bottom of the pot for good drainage, about 1/2 an inch in depth.

Add your potting soil. You can see the size difference between the pot I took the plant from (right) and the new one (left). The roots are going to love that room to spread out.

It looks happier already. They will stay in the greenhouse to get settled then I will acclimate it to the outside as soon as I know the nights will stay out of the frost zone (normally that is the 3rd weekend in May but this year we are out of sync and everything is blooming a month ahead).

All cozy on their shelf in the greenhouse. This week I shall put them out on the back deck in the shade then return them to the greenhouse at night, in case it drops in temp too far for their comfort.

I have done this with some ivy geraniums too, they are taking a bit longer to root. We shall see how much longer.

The petunias I did the same time as these geraniums rooted even faster. Now to build my raccoon proof planter!

Happy Planting

Remodiholic

Layering for propagating Wisteria, Japanese Maples etc

2013-04-23T11:06:00.001-07:00

I love plants.

I love free or nearly free plants even better.

I find it enjoyable to learn how to propagate (unpatented) plants to expand my garden so I am constantly reading garden magazine, websites and blogs. I test out the techniques in my own garden.

Growing from seed is a wonderful way to start annuals and some perennials but some perennials can take years and years to bloom from seed.

Cuttings are another way to get plants as seen in my last 2 posts…Rooting Lilacs and Roses..aka: Rooting Semi-hardwood cuttings and Propagating Pelargoniums (zonal geraniums) or Softwood cuttings.

This post is on how to Air Layer and Ground Layering to get new plants from plants like wisteria and Japanese maples (these are just two examples, this method can be used for enumerable plants)

Definition of layering: Layering is a propagation method that encourages new roots to form on branches still attached to the parent plant. The parent supplies the layer ― the new plant ― with water and nutrients during the rooting process.

First I will show Air Layering. Air layering is most successful when the plant is actively growing, like now in Spring and Summer.

Step 1: Gather your Materials

A sharp knife

Something to tie with, I use old pantyhose cut in strips.

A planting medium that retains moisture well, like sphagnum moss, coconut coir, or I use potting soil mixed with perlite.

A form of plastic to wrap with. I used a produce bag cut open and in half.

Rooting medium (not shown)

The Parent Plant below, a lovely wisteria with fresh new growth.

Step 2: Wound the plant

With a sharp knife, make two parallel cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart around the stem and through the bark and cambium layer. Connect the two parallel cuts with one long cut and remove the ring of bark leaving the inner woody tissue exposed.

Some say when you cut thru the bark and scrape it back you expose enough of the layer below the cambium to be successful in rooting.

Step 3: Tie on bag

Below the wound, tie on the piece of plastic. You will be creating a pocket with it.

Pretty, it is not but it gets the job done.

Step 4: Fill pocket.

With one hand kind of wrap the plastic around the wound and hold while filling with the soil (moss, coir) in the pocket create, make sure it surrounds the wound.

Step 5: Moisten soil

Pour water into the pocket of soil to moisten thoroughly

(you can pre-moisten the planting medium (soaking the moss for several hours is recommended if you use that or the coir) and maybe next time I will be sure the pre-moisten my mix too, I think it may work better.)

Step 6: Close up plastic

Once you have the soil mix well moistened close up the pocket made of plastic and tie above the wound. To make sure there was good contact with the moist soil and the would I tied another strip around the middle of the pocket. I made sure to tie the branch to the trellis, the pocket of soil adds weight.

Step 7: Shield

Finally, wrap with foil to block direct sun from over heating the pocket. It may take months for roots to form but keep checking on the moisture level of the soil mix for the duration, it is best not to let it dry out. Check after a few months to see if the wound callused over, if it has it will not produce roots. If it forms a callus it means the cambium layer was not peeled back enough to expose the inner wood.

Here is a link to an excellent YouTube video of air layering.

Air Layering

Soon I will do a post on Ground Layering.

Happy Growing!

Rooting Lilacs and roses aka: Semi softwood cuttings

2013-04-18T07:29:00.001-07:00

This is a reprint of an old blog post I did in 2011 for those of you that missed it the first time, it compliments my last post on propagating Pelargoniums aka: soft wood cuttings. And the title of this post should say Semi HARD wood cuttings not soft. An off moment there..

Awhile back I stated I would do a post of how I root cuttings. I have a neighbor that has an old lilac bush that she was told is called a 49’er Lilac. It supposedly came West with the 49’ers in the Gold Rush. (or it’s parent did) I have admired this Lilac for the 13 years I have lived in my little cottage. In the spring I will sit on my front garden step and wait for the lilac fragrance to drift my way on the morning breeze and delight my senses. Here is a few blossoms I trimmed from it this year.

I prepare my propagation box. I use a wine crate and fill with my own mixture of 2 parts compost (I get this from a local company that composts garden debris on a huge scale, it is similar to potting soil you buy at a garden center), 1 part perlite and 1 part sand (I am sure there are better mixtures but I used what I had on hand and I have had success with this in the past).

I have recently read that play sand can contain salt and may not be a good one to use, sharp sand is reputed to be superior for this use.

The crate has slats on the bottom but there are wide gaps between the slats so this drains very well. I have it sitting on the gravel floor of my greenhouse in an area that direct sunlight will not hit but it still gets plenty of bright light. I will fill the box more with my potting mix until it is nearly full.

I will use this fish tank as my cover to create a small greenhouse effect.

Now back out to the Lilac to get the cuttings.

I choose the new growth I want to cut from and choose some about 8 to 12 inches long.

I take quite a few cuttings, the more I try to root the better my chances are of getting some to actually grow for me. I know I may lose some to fungus or who knows what. I had to wait for the right time to take cuttings (or so I have read) and this is the right time for this type (semi-hardwood).
I haul them all to my greenhouse and begin. First I strip most of the leaves from the cutting. I dip the ends into the rooting medium.

Now this medium I have had for awhile and it says it only has a years shelf life but I have kept it in the refrigerator to extend that shelf life so I hope it is still potent enough to do the job. I should invest in some fresh stuff soon.

I have a small paint brush in the jar as well. The jar is not deep enough to cover all of the stem I need to be covered with the medium so I use the little paint brush to finish the job.

See the nodes on the stem, that is wear roots begin and I want a good portion of nodes below the potting soil.

I also take some rose cuttings for the hey of it. I normally like the roses to be a bit more hardened off than they are now, like later on in the Fall. I have had more success that way, these softer cuttings while the bushes are blooming succumb to fungus more often than the later cut ones but I thought I would give it a go just for the fun of it.

Now that they are all dipped and thoroughly coated with the rooting gel I stick them in the potting soil mixture.

I place the far enough apart they do not touch each other and away from the edges so they will not touch the glass of the cover. I should take off more leaves, the leaves tend to be where the fungus starts but for photo purposes I will leave them on, easier to see where the cuttings are. After placing all the cuttings in the box I carefully set the cover over them.

You can see there is room around the fish tank where the potting soil shows and that is how I water this without having to lift the tank. You don’t want the soil very wet just damp, if it is too wet you drown the poor cutting or encourage the fungus. Also prop up the tank a bit to let air flow in.

And here is the results …a lovely new rose from a cutting..

A lovely lilac…I think it takes 3 years for them to bloom. We shall see.

I have just read up on a new (to me) way of rooting semi softwood cuttings. I am going to give it a whirl and report in with the results in a few months.

Happy Planting.

Propagating Geraniums or Cloning

2013-04-11T09:07:00.001-07:00

With life being what it is lately…as in rather all over the place, I failed to start my pelargonium seeds (aka: zonal geraniums). So what is a flower lovin gal to do??

Clone what you have…mine are all non-patented from seed so no infringement here.

The benefit of cloning is you get the exact same plant as the one you love where seeds may have cross pollinated and you never know what a seedling will look like.
First you start with a nice healthy plant. I overwintered some of mine in my studio and upper bedroom window.

Take a cutting from a fresh green branch just below a leaf node. Cut with something clean and very sharp, like a razor or xacto knife.

See, fresh green branch.

Old crusty branch…this is not what you want..

Make sure you have some potting mix ready to load up your freshly washed and sterilized little pots with. My mix is half potting soil (Ace brand) and perlite.

These are 3 inch pots, you can use smaller or even the Jiffy pellets work well, I have heard though I have not tried them personally.

These have all been washed in hot soapy water with a touch of bleach, then rinsed well and air dried.

The cutting should be about 4 or 5 inches long and leave two healthy leaves on them. When you put the stem into the dirt make sure two leaf nodes are covered by the soil mix.

Water well and press the soil firmly around the cutting.

Put a clear lid on your tray to maintain moisture and keep at a moderate temperature and in bright light. I have mine in the greenhouse but you can put them under lights in the house as well.

You can also tent clear plastic sheeting over the top, just be sure to prop it up away from the cuttings. You do want air circulation so don’t seal it. My domes have little holes in the top for air.

Here is my petunia cuttings done the same way under their clear dome roof under grow lights in my dining room.

Hopefully they are putting down nice strong roots and will grow, and grow. I will fill my hanging planters and my house will be festooned with lovely bright petunias and pelargoniums all summer long.

And here is my latest work in progress…she will be lovely as can be once I am done.

Come back to see her all gussied up. So now, I am off to paint signs in the studio, I have quite a few orders to fulfill and need to get to work!

Until next time, I wish you sunny skies and mild temps.

My April Garden update

2013-04-08T08:13:00.001-07:00

Remember me waxing poetic on the LACK of snow on my garden this year???

Well, I was smacked with the REAL Spring as known in White Pines this morning. Sigh.

My last post of my lovely flowers I put up on Saturday: My Garden in April 2013

My lovely fuchsia Hyacinths are under there somewhere.

I had just brought my bamboo out of the greenhouse to separate and the snow has it bowing over. I need to go shake it off.

I hear there is more to come this week. My poor Grandma Jo peach tree was full of blossoms too and I was just thinking that I would actually get some peaches this year unless we had a bad freeze.
Bother!

Oh well. It is not as if I am not used to the capriciousness of Spring here in White Pines.

Off to work I go this morning…

Cheers and sunny skies to all…

My Garden in April 2013

2013-04-06T08:31:00.001-07:00

No snow blanketing my little patch of dirt this year in April and lovely mild weather to enjoy. Sigh, though I have had little time to spend in the garden so far, what time I have had I have enjoyed to the full.

I am going to try to photograph my front garden at the beginning of each month. A sort of photo journal of its transformation through the season.

It is still rather barren looking but the tulips will soon be blooming in vibrant red then they will be followed by the Iris and then there will be an explosion of color as the roses, delphiniums, lilies and oh so many others vie for attention.
That usually is about the first of July.

The ski resort should be closing soon and work on the mountain will slow so I am assuming I will have more time at home. For a bit anyways.
This past week I have spent time in the greenhouse propagating petunias, and geraniums. I will share that soon too.

So here is what is happily growing this week. This little patch of Canterbury Bells will get separated, some transplanted to other spots in the garden or potted up.

Baby Blue Eyes Forget Me Nots, these little guys have been reseeding themselves too and I will transplant some to the side yard. Right not it is cool enough that they will suffer little shock.

I cannot remember which Clematis this is, I will have to photograph it in bloom and keep a record.

These Hyacinths are a bright splash and the scent follows you as to walk up the path.

Another just a shade different but just as bright.

The Muscari provide a refreshing contrast in blue.

I was so focused on capturing a clear shot of this daffodil that I completely overlooked it has friends visiting. It is looking a little weather beaten, it has endured a couple of pounding rains this past week.

My stacked buckets planter with violas. The background is distracting and one of my main goals this season is to block that view of our crowded and cluttered driveway. I have a few ideas and will implement them soon, I hope. (click on photo to view the making of this)

I planted a couple six packs of these lovely Pansies in the barrels by my front porch. They will fill in nicely and do quite well for most of the summer, the barrels only get morning sun so the heat of summer will have little effect on these beauties.

I have also been working on sprucing up around my studio. I will share more on that soon… I have to run and get my husband at the airport. He has spent the week in Texas working on finishing up a machine he helped design.

I have missed him. There was no one here to have my dinner waiting for me as I returned home from a hard day scrubbing vacation homes, nor anyone doing laundry.

Sneaky stuff, it piles up and you run out of essentials. I am so accustomed to him having it done that I was baffled as to why I had no ‘unmentionables’ in my drawer just waiting for me. I had to do laundry yesterday.

I will be back with more to share…

Pamela

Family Rules or Marriage Rules sign giveaway

2013-04-01T19:06:00.001-07:00

How would you like to win a Family Rules or Marriage Rules sign??

These signs measure 24” tall by 11.25” wide and are finished with an exterior varathane for years of enjoyment.

Just “Like” Flower Patch Farmhouse’s Facebook page and leave a comment either here on this site or on Facebook..it is that easy.

https://www.facebook.com/FlowerPatchFarmhouse?ref=hl

When I reach 100 likes then I will draw a name and the winner will get their choice of one of these signs.
Shipping is included.

Signs like these can also be purchased from our website. We can do them in different colors and customized with names and dates. Just ask…

Happy Monday!
~Pamela~

Spring at Ironstone

2013-03-26T07:39:00.001-07:00

I finally made my annual trek to Ironstone Vineyards to capture some photos of their barrels and barrels of blooming spring bulbs.

The lighting was not optimum as the direct sun can wash out the colors but I take what I can get. Tomorrow it is to be overcast and would be a better photography day but I have to work on the mountain, which is in the opposite direction.

Close ups are my favorite shot

Barrels and barrels of tulips..

All shapes, colors and sizes…

then there is the oh so fragrant Hyacinths

Crave the Wave…interesting name for this mix…

There are still plenty of daffodils even though many are about finished up for the season.

I seem to gravitate to the fluffy centered ones…

though the regular trumpets are just as pretty.

Walking along the flower lined paths is refreshing to the soul

funny how different the climate and growing season is just 12 miles down the road. My tulips are just a leaf poking out of the ground at this moment, and my daffodils have yet to bloom but soon they will pop open, if the weather continues the warm spell we are enjoying.

I hope you enjoyed this little bit of our tour, there is more to share and I shall.

Have a sunshiny day!

Pamela

A Rosebud Garden Therapy sign

2013-03-21T21:05:00.001-07:00

Well, Spring has sprung and we are having some fine weather. Not a lick of snow on the ground around my house, which is not the norm for March. Last year at this time we had just been graced with a fresh foot of the fluffy white stuff.

Though I am loving the view of dirt as opposed to shoveling snow, I am very aware of the drought situation now facing us this summer. I am already organizing my plan of attack to be able to have my garden grow just fine with less water.

My violas are doing fab, they are the ones I planted in my window boxes and hanging planters last Fall. They overwinter just fine despite freezing temps and bouts of snow and come back thick and lush at the first hint of Spring.

I would love to buy a nice big flat of violas to plant in my bucket planter, I just have not had the time to visit a nursery or garden center. I am suffering withdrawals…time for a plant run!

Isn’t this yellow just so yummy looking???? I think it is what caused me to crave lemon meringue pie. So I made two and devoured both in short order. (well, in a matter of a week or so, and hubby helped)

The ladies and their main man are doing just peachy. Breakfast buffet.

Now you see all that straw at their feet, under that is about 12 inches deep of the bestest composted, garden gold just waiting for me to bring my shovel. I need to get to work!

They are definitely loving the longer days and the warmth of the sun, they have become egg laying machines. I am now getting a dozen a day in an array of colors. (don’t mind the grubby tub)

here I start with a teaser of a headline and forget to show you the star of the show. A fresh from the painting table Garden Therapy sign with sweet pink little rosebuds for a touch of panache.

This was a special order but I need to do one just for the website too. I have a few more to share but my eyelids are refusing to stay aloft.

Night all.. sweet flowery dreams!

Rules for a Happy Marriage sign

2013-03-12T08:39:00.001-07:00

Good fabulous morning everyone! Isn’t it a gorgeous day?

Here is my motto for the day…I think I need to make it into a sign.

If feels like Spring is here though I do realize that we have had snow dump on us during Spring break, 3 feet or so of snow.

This is a photo of my front garden on March 25th, 2011. Shudder!

If you want the full story click the photo.

Our ground is bare today and though my garden looks a bit winter weary I can see signs of life popping up, the tulips are about 2 inches out of the ground…

that reminds me, a trip to Ironstone Winery is in order. I am sure their barrels are teeming with gorgeousness just waiting for me to come enjoy and photograph.

Today I must work on the mountain and get a few condos cleaned but I would rather be painting and working on cleaning up my gardens. Though once I am there I do enjoy the beauty that surrounds me, the mountain peaks are still frosted with snow and on a sunny day it is a lovely sight to behold.

Yesterday I let my hens free range my yard and though one strawberry bed has been decimated (I did not think they would come to the front garden, my mistake) they had a great time gobbling up the wormy goodness they scratched up.

Who me? I’m not hurting your strawberries..

I spent my day, as they wandered, scratched and debugged, wrapping signs to ship, painting on a few others and tidying my studio a bit. While moving stuff around I found a nest of those nasty black and brown spiders like the one that bit me. Eeeeuw.

Now spiders in general do not bother me but they do not belong in my studio and now I am merciless in wiping them out since one had the temerity to climb up and bite my face a couple weeks ago. Needless to say they are gone for now.

This is the sign I worked yesterday. I can’t wait to make one with our name on it and wedding date for the customized sample for the website. This sign is a good size, 24” x 11.25”

This one too is a new one, I am working on a second already that has a rose motif (go figure). This is a large sign, 22” x 22”, I need to photograph them in a set up that gives perspective. I am working on that.

Okay, enough of my babbling this morning, I need to get my fandango moving, pack my lunch and head for the hills.

Check back, I have more signs I got painted up this week! Just a painting fool.

A Spring Welcome sign with Tulips

2013-03-07T21:09:00.001-08:00

The weather here has been anything but Spring like but I have been painting my Spring. My actual tulips are barely peeking out of the ground so I have I enjoyed painting them instead.

This sign is a special order but what is better than one Tulip sign??
How about two.

I made an extra to add to the website in case someone else would like one too. I will most likely add it tomorrow so check back if you don’t see it online yet.

Another special order sign on my work table is a Vintage inspired sign I have made a few of and though each is a little different as anything hand made is, I do have fun with them.

It is still a work in process…

I did have a sweet little treat when I went to the studio…this guy was blooming..

It is my Raspberry ripple Pelargonium I grew from seed, a bit of Spring on a rainy, drippy day.

The weather report for next week looks definitely Spring like and I intend to enjoy it to the full. Work on the mountain is slowing down but it looks like other work will be picking up. Which is good but it will mean a trip to Stockholm, Sweden. Know any good places to visit there?

We shall see if it pans out. If not, it was a nice thought.

I will be back with the finished Cherries sign and another for your viewing enjoyment.

Ta ta…

Square in Square Baby Quilt

2013-03-01T12:03:00.001-08:00

A gorgeous day here in the mountains. Bright, warm sunshine pours in to the studio as I paint up a special order sign. This one is all Spring, with pastel tulips, it has been a while since I painted tulips so this should be more than fun! I will share soon, I promise.

Today I really wanted to share a new quilt my SIL has hand stitched. She is a true artist with a sewing machine and her love of quilt making shines through in her work. I am still working on a gallery of her past projects so everyone can get an idea of what she can make and maybe get an idea for a custom quilt they may want her to make for that someone special.

I love the colors in this quilt, it screams vintage to me though the fabrics and materials are all new.

Even the back is lovely.

The binding frames it so well.

Sigh, one day I will have to commission her to make me a quilt. I can sew and I can quilt but I just don’t seem to have the same eye as she does for putting fabrics together.

On another note, I have a dresser I am wanting to paint. I use it in my sewing room to store my fabrics, notions and patterns.

Here it is as it looks now.

And here is my inspiration piece….what do you think? Think mine will look good painted like this?

Courtesy of The Gunny Sack…

I hope everyone is having a great day! I am enjoying being in my studio and painting away!

Happy Friday!

Jen’s Garden sign and a bit of Yarny Goodness

2013-02-23T14:18:00.001-08:00

It is so quiet in my house, a balmy silence that soothes. I rarely get this in my own home and I am soaking it up as we speak.

My husband works from home, drawing on a computer, he designs machinery etc and while doing that he has the news programs going, all the time. I get so tired of the snarky comments, complaints and whining of these news shows, some how, some way they can always do things better. Ugh, even talking about them is nerve wracking. Anyways, that is why I rarely get peace and quiet in my house.

Today, my husband is from home for a bit thus the blessed silence.
Since we last visited I have been slowly but surely gaining strength and stamina. I have focused on de-cluttering my house and ridding my home of the unnecessary. It feels freeing. Life had been rather hectic and I have put it off until I could really pay attention and decide on what I want to keep for a certainty and what I can let go.

Being forced to stay home gave me the opportunity to get it done and now I can see straight to starting on my décor a little. I will share some ideas soon. My little cottage needs some TLC and it is time to start chipping away at it. My mood is English cottage style with florals and color, rather old fashioned and grandmotherly.
I also have been painting. I finished the custom garden sign and shipped it off. Here is the finished product.

I hope Jen likes it.

It was a pleasure to paint the luscious pink roses. I can’t wait until my real roses start blooming again.

Though with the dry Jan/Feb we have had we need a good wet March so we have plenty of water this Spring and Summer. It is not unusual to get heavy snow/rain in March and though I love the sunshine, I love being able to water my flowers all summer even more.

In the evenings I have taken up the crochet hook again. I put the final touches on an infinity scarf I started last winter and tried it on. I am not a fan of wool as I find it irritating against my skin but thought I would do this one in the yarn the pattern called for. I tried it on to photo but could not get good light. So I set it on the bed.

I need to dig up the pattern, I think it is called Sunburst Granny square but I am not sure. The yarn itself was variegated so I did not have to switch out colors. Now to wear it.

The last two evenings I have hooked away on my latest project, something bright and colorful for these next few weeks of winter.

It is my version of this..

From Bee and Buzz

If I continue on it at the pace I have managed the past two nights I should be done by Monday or Tuesday. I like instant gratification of a project done swiftly. I would like to wear it a time or two before warm weather arrives.

Now that I have rambled on a bit and checked in I will bid you adieu and go paint a sign or two. My husband is home and guess what, the t.v. came on….boooo, quiet is gone so I will head to a quiet spot. My Studio.
toodles..

A Custom Garden Sign

2013-02-19T16:15:00.001-08:00

Yahoo! A good day. This is the first day I can say I feel like things will be back to normal soon. I am so done with not being productive and active.

I actually was able to paint today.

Just a simple sign ordered from my new website (which I need to get back to work on soon) but simple is what I needed to get back into the swing of things. My brain is not at 100% yet so this was a good start.

I just have to add the name to the top and then varathane it. It will make a nice gift for a lovely lady, it was ordered by her friend.

You can get a peek at another sign I am working on. You can just see the birdhouse below the A in Garden. That has been a fun sign too. I hope to get it finished up this week.

After weeks of beautiful sunny weather we are getting hammered with snow. Not a bad thing since the storm will only last thru the night, as far as we are told.

Now to kick up my feet for a bit, I don’t want to overdo. I think I need to pull out some crochet and veg.

Later all…

Getting Perspective or The Perils of Pamela…take your pick

2013-02-17T16:59:00.001-08:00

Sometimes we need reminders of what is really important. We get bogged down in the day to day struggle of making ends meet, thinking we need this or that to be content and forgetting that life itself is enough.

So that brings me to the life lesson that I was so forcefully made to realize this week or maybe a better term is remember.

As you that follow here know, we went on a fun filled vacation to Disneyland and enjoyed ourselves just getting away from real life and watching the boys have a blast.

They got to meet all their favorite friends, like Pooh. Characters from Carsland (one of their faves) and get a thrill from the rides.

This has got to be my favorite photo from the trip. There is no doubt they are having fun.

My husband and I nearly backed out of going on this trip. A few financial set backs had unexpectedly occurred, expensive auto repairs that could not be put off, consulting work that had been expected to start in January was delayed until March and other little hiccups that can put a real pinch on an already tight as a tick budget. Taking this week to go on the trip meant I would pass up on work I could do, good paying work. The trip was already paid for so that was not the issue, it was not bringing in any moola for that week that was the dilemma.

We decided life was too short and this vacation was something our souls needed. A reminder of what is good in our life, a week of fun and no worries. We threw ourselves into enjoying this trip with abandon, and fun we did have.
Then life has a way of smacking you again.

The picture of health and having a good time.

One week later…rushed to the hospital cheating death, sounds rather melodramatic.

It would be if it were being exaggerated. Even I did not take it seriously even if I did feel like I was dying.

This all started with coming down with that horrid flu that swept America killing people. I never thought I could be one, I don’t get sick, I really don’t, not the have to go to bed kind of sick. Not even a cold for a couple years. If I do get something, it is mild, just makes me extra tired and achy for a bit and taking it easy a couple days clears it up in no time. I am not even sure if I am coming down with something or if I am just getting old and need more rest.

If you look at the reports, it is not the flu that was killing people, it was the complications from it.

Or possibly a severe reaction to medications to treat the flu symptoms. That is what happened to me.

I came home with the flu last Saturday from our trip. By Wednesday it had gone into my eyes and I figured I needed some help. So I went to the clinic and got some medication. the first two nights the meds worked great, the third night they made the symptoms worse they were supposed to make better. I decided to stop them completely and did. I was worse than ever. I could not sleep at all.
Yesterday, I had not slept in 48 hours, and by noon my tongue turned white and started to swell. With not being able to breathe thru my nose and now my tongue was cutting off my breathing thru my mouth we decided to head to a Urgent Care facility about half an hour away that is open on weekends. The clinics on this mountain are closed on the weekends so off we went. The Dr. debated on sending me to the Emergency room in a nearby town about 30 minutes further or give me a cortisone shot, keep an eye on me and sending me home.   He called the Emergency room Dr and she had said they would do the same, give me the shot and keep me under observation for a couple hours and send me home. So we opted to just have the Urgent care Dr. do that rather than drive over to the hospital.

I have never had a cortisone shot before, those things hurt, not the initial injection, that is a mere prick but afterward that booger stings like a nasty big bee biting you with a vengeance and it goes on for a good hour.

The shot did help the swelling of my tongue but the Dr was still worried. He was not sure it was the medication I had been taking since I had stopped it the night before and usually if you are going to react to something it is not that long. Or I should say most of it, I had kept on using the eye drops for the pink eye and I don’t know if we told him that.

He released me gave us some paperwork that explained my condition and another sheet that had in big letters, GO DIRECTLY TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM IN A CASE OF ANOTHER OCCURANCE.

The shot did great, it even shrank the swelling of my sinus’ enough that when we got home I could breathe, so I went to bed. First I remembered to put in my eye drops, as I was to do that every 4 hours.   I slept for an hour and woke up suffocating and disoriented. I did not know where I was for a long time, and all I could think was “oh my God I am dying” I have never felt like this before.

I made my way downstairs where my husband was doing something, being out of it I don’t know what. He was talking to me and asking me what was wrong but I was so loopy I could not make heads or tails of what he was saying. He asked me if I needed to go to the emergency room and I told him to “wait a minute, I can’t think, I can’t breathe”.

Those words were the ticket. He had me loaded into the car in a flash and we drove, we live close to a paramedic station and he debated taking me straight there or on to the hospital himself. The hospital is a good 50 minutes away.   He checked my breathing and though I was struggling I was getting air so he decided to drive me.

About half an hour down the road I could breathe a little easier, told him I thought we may be a little hasty in going to the hospital and maybe we should just go back home (I am super woman you know) but he was having none of it.

We walk into emergency and I fully expected to be kept waiting, from past experience in ER’s. Nope, we walk up to the window, my husband slaps down the first paper and says “this is what she has” then slaps down the next that tells us to GO DIRECTLY TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM IN CASE OF ANOTHER OCCURANCE.   The gal behind the glass makes a call, immediately a guy comes out the door and walks us into a room and states, “we have been expecting you, we have your bed and iv’s set up”.

That took us by surprise. The nurse walks in and continues the explanation as she gets me hooked up. The Urgent Care Dr. did not feel good about my situation and he had called them to let them know he really did think once that shot wore off I would end up there sometime tonight and being we live so far away it would be a critical situation by the time we arrived. So they took the precaution to have things set up so that they could get me what I needed in the shortest order to time. (even though I feel so horrible I am still not connecting why everyone is so concerned)
They hook me up to epinephrine, Benadryl and cortisone (the same stuff I had a shot of earlier), take xrays, blood and then let me rest. The iv cocktail did the trick and I started breathing like I had not been able to breathe in a week. It felt wonderful. I fell fast asleep for 4 hours. My husband sits next to me streaming Netflix to his iPhone (the hospital has free wifi) and waits. A young man brings him some coffee and tries to make him as comfy as possible too. Did I mention the entire hospital staff was wonderful? I should send them a thank you card.

Finally, 6 hours later my oxygen level and heart rate stabilize and the Doctor is content that I can go home. Getting to breathe and sleep like I did I felt so much better it was unbelievable, and I told the Dr. I was glad my husband did not listen to me halfway to the hospital and take me back home. She rolled her eyes, as if praying for patience then put her face directly in front of mine, she was nice, but firm. “I am sending you home with an epi pen, it is now your best friend. You are reacting to something and we have not nailed down what it is, until we do this may well happen again. Each occurrence is worse than the last and you will need that pen to get to the hospital in time. Do you understand?”

I blinked a couple times as it sunk in. This was more serious than I had accepted up to this point. Maybe it is false pride that makes us think we are not as vulnerable as others or maybe a disbelief that this could happen us. Who knows, but it was the wake up call I needed to get it thru my thick head that I needed to accept I can die from this and I needed to take it seriously.

By the time we got home it was 4 in the morning and I could tell how much better I was, so much better. I slept hard, my husband slept fitfully, trying to keep one ear on my breathing and I slept about 5 hours then the phone rang.   I got up made coffee then breakfast and reveled in the difference in how I felt. I had not felt this good in a week.   My husband though looked like death, of course, I had slept at the hospital while he stood guard plus the stress of worry had taken its toll. I told him to go back to bed, I am fine, so very fine today, and he has been asleep since, it is now nearing 5pm. I am hoping his flu (which he has had too just not as severely as I did) will not worsen because of all of this.

Now the moral of this long winded story is this or maybe I should say what I have been reminded of and learned:

Though this event and forced time off from work, much less piling medical bills will be financially trying it is not as bad as dying. If I have my health I can whittle away at debts and still enjoy life.

Learn to accept that you may need help, and you are not as tough as you think nor are you above personally facing a life threatening situation, if you wake up feeling like you are dying and I don’t mean you just feel bad but really think it, you probably are, even if you try to rationalize that thought away.

Thank God for everyday you wake up. See past the hurdles of the day to see the little joys that grace it.

Now that I have said that I think I will go bake a cake that I have been dying to try and relish it with zeal, not one worry about the calorie count.

Until next time

February and the Flu

2013-02-14T06:53:00.001-08:00

We had a lovely trip to Disneyland with the nephews. They got to meet Lightening and Mater

Sorry for the pitiful phone photos, I was not into hauling my fancy, dancy camera this trip.

It went by too quickly and even worse we came home with a nasty flu.

If this is the flu that has been killing people I can certainly understand why. It is one mean bug and you are so miserable. What I can’t believe is how long it hangs on, it started about a week ago and I am still too sick to do much of anything. And to top it all off I get Pink Eye. I look like something from a monster movie with my blood red eyes.

One day I did feel a bit better and worked on some tax preparation for our personal and business taxes then the next day I was so sick again that my husband hauls my fanny to the clinic.(I got up that morning with a 101 fever and my eyes glued shut) They prescribed some heavy duty cough syrup /antihistamine that makes me so woozy I am not allowed to drive and can barely walk, that stuff along with a nasal spray has helped a lot with the congestion so I can at least sleep a bit and of course the drops to clear up my eyes.

The day I felt halfway decent I got all accounts, business and personal lined up, reports printed and the information is all ready to be loaded into a tax prep program and hopefully I will feel well enough today to start working on that. This sitting around is getting to me, I am not used to being idle and it feels like this entire week has been wasted, which it has.

My husband has it too but he has not been as sick, so far and I do hope he did not over do yesterday.

This is so frustrating, I had planned on getting my plant racks all set up with the lights in my dining area and my seeds started this week, I had put it off after our trip so I did not have to worry about being gone.

I have spent some time shopping for seeds of things I would like to start.

There is a group of double hollyhocks called Maid of Honour that look gorgeous together

and some dwarf varieties that grow a mere 36 inches tall called Queeny

Some of my new roses arrived yesterday, much to my surprise, the site claimed they were only shipping to Zone 10 at this time and we are definitely not that but the weather has been extremely mild so they must’ve figured it was safe to send them. I need to get those potted up. So much I want to do and not a lick of oomph to get to it yet. Sigh.

I have a few special order signs I need to get finished too.

I am going to think positive and declare that today I will feel much better and I will improve dramatically over the next few days and this flu bug will just be a horrid memory.

Glad you could join me today in my whine fest. I deserve a pity party and I threw myself one!

Adios Amigos

Come Grow Old With Me

2013-01-28T20:03:00.001-08:00

jump on over to Flower Patch Farmhouse to read the new post. Slowly I am migrating over. Thanks for visiting!

Personalized Wedding or Anniversary Sign

2013-01-21T07:43:00.001-08:00

Good Monday morning. It has been a week filled with vacation condo and home cleaning. An associate at work fell and hurt herself and since I was available I was asked to fill in and complete her list of cleans. So my week off was not to be. But that is okay. Here is a photo my husband took of me leaving a clean. Yes, we snowmobile into the vacation homes. It is actually quite fun if it is not too freezing cold.

I am actually under all those layers. My little sled on back holds my cleaning equipment and supplies. I am new at snowmobiling so I drive like a little old lady but I get there and back in one piece.

In between running up the mountain to work I have been painting up special order signs. My new website must be getting the traffic even though I have yet to advertise (on my list of things to do soon) or start the blog attached to it which is supposed to increase traffic as well.

This sign is actually a gift for a friend (don’t look Lisa) and her husband. I need to finish varathaning it well in case it is hung outside before I give it to them yet. It is an example of a personalized sign people can order from my website.

Lisa likes scrolly things so I tried to find something classy but not too busy for the corners. I can do subtle roses or other designs too if people prefer those designs.

You can tell it is hand painted and not stenciled as my numbers are a bit askew.

Over the weekend I gave away some of my ladies, the pen was too full for good health of the flock and 27 chickens was too many for me so I gave away 7 of the 3 year olds.

This little lady now resides on a ranch down in the warmer climes of Vallecito free ranging to her hearts delight. Compared to here she probably feels like she is vacationing in Florida.

Well, enough chatter from me. I have a list full of cleans to complete and need to pack my lunch and dress for the day. Thankfully the past few days have been quite mild on the mountain. I sit on the deck of whatever house I am in at lunchtime to eat my lunch in the warm sunshine to soak up some rays and enjoy the beauty around me.

Ta ta for now…enjoy your Monday!

Hand Painted Love signs with roses

2013-01-12T21:00:00.001-08:00

Man has it been cold, cold. It was a nippy 16 degrees this morning and the snow that fell day before yesterday stayed powdery and the pipes froze to my studio.   Boo. But that does not stop me from painting. I crank up the heat and paint on. I had to haul a couple gallons of water in jugs to wash brushes but I managed.

(for a full tutorial on how I paint my signs click here "click")

I painted some loooove signs.

My favorite is this one with the roses on the black lettering.

A detail shot.

And my husband picked the Sage Green Love sign with heart wreath.

close up of wreath

I also had a special request of changing the egg color on my Nest painting. I was happy to oblige for the customer.

Before:

After

She had no blue in her house and prefers a more neutral feel so requested the blue eggs be changed to light brown speckled. No problem.

When not painting away I have been working again on my website. It is slowly coming together but I find a few things I am having trouble adjusting.   There are some font sizes that need changing but I am sure it is just a matter of time along with trial and error.

There is a blog feature in the website but I am not familiar with blogging in Wordpress, it may be time to learn. It supposedly would help my rankings for the new website in the search engines so I shall have to learn it.   That shall be good for me. learning new things expands the brain cells or creates new ones, I need all the brain cells I can get.

I, for one, am ready for this extreme cold to go away. I am dreaming of warm tropical weather, swaying palm trees, hot sunshine and cold ice tea. But in lieu of that I have drug a steel rack of shelves into the living room to start my seeds for summer. I will be sure to share.

I wish you warm sunshine and soft breezes wherever you may be.