Recent Photos and Project Updates

There are a number of things going on in the garden this time of year besides just the planting and transplanting.

In case you were wondering what I was working on at the paint party I've got photos of the iris that I had started painting that day.

After the party I went back to working on it in the house.

My sisters were more interested in repainting some of the birdhouses which was a good idea on their  part because it was a windy day and their projects weren't blowing in the wind like mine was.

I ended up bringing in some of the flowers so that I could finish the painting in the house.

Masks may not be needed in windy, outdoor conditions but we feel that wearing them is a good habit to get into.

I'm still redesigning the furniture arrangement for correct social distancing so that future visitors can be happy, safe and comfortable as well.

I was very happy to see how well this old landscape painting of mine looked printed on a mask. This style should be great for any outdoor event. Don't you agree? The placement of the center tree and the lake give you somewhere to focus on what would be the nose and mouth.

My Art on Masks and a Social Distanced Painting Play Day in the Garden

 I don't often get in these pictures because I'm usually the one shooting them. That's me in the turquoise mask. I designed this mask especially to go with it, a blue, and a purple dress that I have.

You may remember it a few posts back as one of the paintings I did to use for scarf and necktie designs. 

For the mask I reduced the image and mirror imaged it. Can you see the similarities in the design now.

This mask was made from a landscape painting that I did back in the 1980's or 90's when I was teaching that Bob Ross style big brush painting. What we like about using it on a mask is that one
of the trees goes over the nose and gives you somewhere to focus when talking to the other person.

Now, back to the fun.

Because it was a windy day we didn't worry about putting the tables quite as far apart as we could have but there is more than room enough to do that here.

Some of us were doing bird houses and I was trying to get a small painting of  Iris done before the Iris stop blooming.

Garden Painting from a Photo

Here is another tiny painting at 4 by 6 inches that is based on an even tinier photo of an Aunt's favorite flower bed.

The inspiration for it was having heard how much she was missing her garden.

As a gardener myself I wanted to restore her joy in a way that she would always have it with her no matter where she is living.

As you'll recall the painting is so small that she can actually carry it in her purse if she wants to show it to anyone.

Doing the painting was a challenge for me because of it's size but it made a lovely gift to a great person who really enjoys it. What more could you want?

Yellow Wildflowers

A lot of what I have here are more of less weeds but at least it's color and put in the right places they can even be pretty.

 I really believe in that old saying "a weed is just a flower growing in the wrong place"

These are wild geraniums given to me nearly 20 years ago by a neighbor as a housewarming gift. i started with just 3 plants and now they are more or less everywhere. Before I was confined to my wheelchair I had planned to round a lot of them up into some regular flower beds with geraniums of other colors. that would have been great.

New Caterpillars

14 painted lady caterpillars arrived on May 13th. The following photos cover the 15th thru the 17th. I find it amazing how quickly they change some are already in chrysalis and the others are getting there. Wiggling round and round as they wind the silk around them to build theirs.

I've got video too but haven't decided whether or not to add that too.

It's May 22nd as I write this. Things just got busy and I had company ( at a distance of course) the day that I moved the finished chrysalis's into the net habitat. I was busy doing all the work it takes to transfer them safely and my husband was busy as the 2 of them watched the process so no one shot any photos.

Three didn't manage to attach themselves firmly to the top so we collected them carefully from the bottom and laid them on these pieces of paper towel so they will have another chance to emerge as butterflies.

All that remains now is to mist them from time to time until the butterflies begin to emerge.

May 25,2020

Things have been moving really fast the last few days. There are only two butterflies waiting to emerge from chrysalis.

My Garden Plan So Far

I tried to make this page more interesting by adding bits of seed packets and garden catalogs between my drawings and lists. This step isn't anything you need to do but it feeds my soul and cheers me up. 

I'll be starting another page for the rolling planter which is planted with strawberries, red carrots and a special variety of broccoli that doesn't make a big head like regular broccoli it makes lots of individual  shoots to be cut as needed for salads and things.

This box at the edge of the garden has strawberries and purple carrots.

This box is for color and fun. Right now it's got daffodils, violets, marigolds and wild geraniums.
If we get any annuals they'll go here.

There are several sizes of round planters with different things in them too. Here's a short list of what's in them:

These are my favorite daffodils. when they finish blooming they'll be planted in the front flower bed for next year.

This round planter has now has strawberries and lettuce in it.

The large, round planter in this photo has the center reserved for a tomato,  a middle ring of marigolds and lettuce around the edge. The Middle size round planter is full of yellow beets and small one is daffodils and marigolds.

They all seem to be coming along well so far.