Bird watching from the worktable window

I snapped this picture as I was drawing and painting on my letters today.

It's been a nice day, I crocheted a potholder, did three letters decorated in watercolor and ink and after tending to some of the regular work of the day I plan to get back to sanding and painting a few more wooden horses and butterflies.

It's been raining most of the day so that's kept me out of the garden and made me glad I'd transplanted that hosta yesterday. There's still quite a lot more of it to be moved so I'll wait for better weather to tend to that. I'll also be trying out the little sunflower planter that we made from a dandelion weeder and a short length of copper tubing.

There's always something to look forward to and each season brings it's own surprises. I'll keep you posted as the season progresses.

Planting Hosta from a chair

ALWAYS TAKE SOMEONE TO THE GARDEN WITH YOU. You never know when you may want or need a little help with things.

DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU ARE UNSTEADY OR LIKELY TO FALL FROM YOUR CHAIR. I use a rocking patio chair and SLOWLY tilt it forward when reaching down to plant anything.

 My husband dug this hosts up for me and then made holes for the new border with a post hole digger while I sat at the table and separated this clump into 7 smaller plants by wiggling some of them apart with my hands where possible and cutting sections apart with a knife wherever I had to.

Painting the tulips

The latest Tulip photos

It's hard to believe that there were only a few of  these were blooming yesterday, they sure go fast.

I wonder how long I'll have to get these painted before the petals drop?

It was a bit too sunny to work here this morning so I'll get to it as soon as the light shifts this afternoon.

 I also discovered a couple of tiny tulips in a darker shade of red out behind the woodpile. I'll get photos and work with those later.

Easy chair gardening

I planted more wildflowers today and as I sat back to water them it was interesting to see the reactions of people passing by. It's funny how few people have the good sense to sit down when standing or walking is a problem. Several people have mentioned that they wish they'd thought of it and say things like "that's the way to do it". A lot of people just stare but I don't worry about that. If I make a few people smile or relax a bit that's all that matters to me.

Runaway Raspberries

A walk in the garden

There's a lot to do around here this season and  I want to get this hosta moved before it leafs out too much more. I'm planing to divide it and start a border under the big trees in the front yard. The weather is good for it all I need is a little energy, a shovel and a post hole digger.

It depends on your health or level of mobility if this is something you can do or not. We've found that if you've got problems with your legs but still have some upper body strength, you can use a post hole digger to make the new holes for the plants.

The purple tulips I wrote about earlier were out behind the woodpile. I'd apparently dumped some old planters or soil back there at one time. It was nice to see them again. Now that I know where they are I'm thinking about moving the bulbs to one of my flower beds next spring.

 That lilac bush is looking good this year, don't you think so? It started out as a sorry looking little twig on clearance from Wal-mart a few years ago and has out survived everything else we've tried here since then. Proof positive that you don't need to spend a lot on plants to have good results.

I transplanted 2 black raspberries at the end of the season last year, one made it and the other isn't looking too good. Not everything survives but there's always something else you can plant so don't let it discourage you.

 This photo gives you a little better idea of how the plants and trees are arranged here. Yes, we've got some big ones. That's why shade and hours of sunlight are such an issue here.

As you can see around the base of the lilac bush there are a few small ones I should be able to move to the border I'm creating along the side of the front yard.

Friendship Gardens

These chives are all that remains of the dish pan full that a friend in her 80's brought to my garden back in the 1980's. I've given away so many of them and taken some along on 3 moves in the decades since then but each season I stop and remember Ruth and he kindness along with all of the other things that made her fun to know.

  I keep the soil mix in my pots nice and loose so that I can just reach in and grab any of the plants that I'd like to move so it makes transplanting easy.

I broke off the tops of the plants about 3 inches away from the roots  and placed them in a planter box in between my new strawberry plants. This little box is going to be pretty full this summer. The green towers will be full of peas and there are radishes planted around the edges of it.

Here's a little closer view with the chives in place.

As I mentioned at the start of the post, all gardens a Friendship Gardens because gardeners by nature are always sharing or trading extra plants, seeds and advice. Growing relationships as well as gardens.

The first tulips

Dala horse inspired by a cookware catalog in the "junk" mail

This is a picture of a plate that I clipped out of a catalog yesterday. I think it's got real possibilities.

The first thing I'll try is painting a dala horse based on some of the brush strokes and color choices.

I'm sanding the horse now and will start posting pictures as soon as I begin painting so that you can watch the whole design evolve.

Bird outside my window

Drawing and painting Dala Horses on envelopes, making cards and enjoying the mail

 I made cards out of yesterdays photos and a bit of card stock to try to decide which angle I liked best.

I tried one envelope in watercolor and decided to go back to drawing on them. Colored pencil would probably have been the best solution but I was at painting group and hadn't brought my pencils.

On this one I combined Ink and watercolor. I'm back at home and will grab those pencils next.

Red Dala Horse photo shoot taking the designs to the next level

I really enjoyed finding different ways to paint each shape and love the way that they look together.

As I was photographing these and arranging the horses I was thinking what a nice still life they would make in a number of different media.

I'm starting with the photography but plan to move on to drawings in pencil and ink and then to paintings in watercolors and acrylics.

I wish I could share the way I'm feeling about these right now, it goes beyond words.

Funny timing today, cool weather and a bit of rain

I'd gone out and watered the new plants and seed in the garden and by the time I'd gone in the house and sat down with a cup of hot chocolate it had begun to rain. I'd have skipped watering and waited for rain but there's no way to be sure whether you'll get enough of it to get the job done.

Back indoors I'm crocheting a potholder, working on more wooden horses and getting some much needed housework done.

Tomorrow's my watercolor painting day and I'm really looking forward to that.