Mother Earth’s Garden

A Quiet Spot In The Garden

My garden is my favorite place to go relax. I love to sit in a quiet spot in or near the garden and unwind if I’ve had a big, or stressful day.

It doesn’t take much to set up a quiet spot in the garden. You already have nature all around you to help you relax.

What can you add to your garden to help make it your relaxation oasis?

• My favorite spot in the garden is a comfortable bench.
• A hammock makes a nice place to take a rest in the garden. I think I’d love one of those hammock swings.
• Add a water feature, both fountains and ponds are relaxing and soothing. Let the sound of the water and the birds wash over you.
• Set up a grape arbor with a porch swing underneath, then sit under the vines and swing the night away.
• Just take a blanket out, lay it on the ground and enjoy a good book among the flowers.

How do you relax in the garden?

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By linette -- 1 comment

The Story Of a Chickadee

I recently had the pleasure of reading “Emily the Chickadee” by Carol Zelaya. It’s an adorable true story about a little chickadee that takes up residence in a flower box outside a little girl’s window.

As the little girl watches over the next few weeks little Emily starts and raises her family in the nest she builds in the window flower box.

“Emily The Chickadee” is one of three heartwarming stories about Emily by Carol Zelaya. In the series Carol hopes Emily will inspire other children to love nature, like the little chickadee inspired her while she was growing up.

I really enjoyed the story of Emily and her family. It is a fun story with some great nature lessons for children. It’s a great way to inspire a love of nature in children. Find out more about Emily and her family at EmilyTheChickadee.com or buy the book at Amazon.com.

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Lily Super Bloomer~ Stella De Oro

I used to scoff at Stella De Oro, I thought it was way to plain for my garden, you see it everywhere blooming it’s little heart out. Now I know why so many people grow this mighty little plant. It’s the longest blooming lily there is.

Stella De Oro blooms from early June to late July, and even into August in our area. No other lily in my garden blooms nearly that long. Most put on  spectacular show, but they’re done blooming in a couple weeks.

It may not have all the different colors available, but I love plants that bloom most of the summer. Stella De Oro also wins points for being very low maintenance, and coming back year after year without any fuss or special care.

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A Walk Through A Meadow~ Mother Nature’s Garden

My son went to a summer nature camp every day this last week, and on Friday I went with him. We had a great time hiking through the woods and meadows, enjoying Mother Nature’s garden. I thought I’d share a few images with you of the flowers in the meadow.

Some of our walk was through the woods, and down around a small pond. Check out the milkweeds. It always makes me happy to see milkweed pods, I know it makes the butterflies happy too.

Here was the first butterfly we saw.

And a few more beautiful flowers.

These coneflowers are just starting to bloom.

I loved the wild roses.

It was a fabulous tour of Mother Nature’s garden.

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Lavender~ The Most Versatile Herb In My Garden

I think lavender is the most versatile herb in my garden, it’s also one of my favorites. I have a hard time getting it to come back every year in my Ohio garden. I think the wet springs get it.

I’ll have plants come up for several years, then suddenly nothing and I have to replace them. They’re definitely worth the fuss. I love the scent of lavender, and I use it in so many ways. It’s a wonderful dried flower in arrangements, it turns out very nice when you press it too.

I have several recipes for potpourris with lavender, and tussie mussies wouldn’t be the same.

One of my favorite essential oils is lavender, because it can instantly calm my nerves when I’m feeling frazzled.

Make a lavender bath bag to help you unwind at the end of the day.

Put a few drops of essential oil on a cloth and use it as a dryer sheet for a fresh scent even when you can’t hang your clothes out on the line.

Lavender also has anti bacterial properties, so it’s a good essential oil to keep on hand.

Image via istockphoto.com

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Spiderwort

I enjoy Spiderwort because it is one of the longest blooming perennials in the garden. Spiderwort usually starts blooming in early June and continues blooming all the way up to fall if you talk to it nicely, or at least give it a little incentive in the form of water and quality soil.

Spider wort features tiny delicate blooms and long thin leaves, and once it starts blooming it just keeps on going adding new blooms to the end of the foliage as the old blooms wither away.

I love the blue coloring of spiderwort, it makes a great addition to a red white and blue garden. It’s hard to find many plants with a truer blue than Spiderwort.

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Mid June Garden Update

I have a mid June Garden Update for you, or is it almost the end of June already? Why does the summer fly by so fast, and the winter seem to drag on forever?

My peas are almost ready. Their little pods are finally filling out, I think it’s about time since I planted them way back in April.

I’m starting to harvest some onions, they’re not huge but they’re just the right size to slice up for sandwiches and salads.

My tomatoes all have blooms, or little green tomatoes growing on them. Hopefully I’m on track to start getting some ripe tomatoes by mid July. We’ll see!

The squash, cucumbers, carrots, red beets, and melons are just starting to peak their green leaves out of the ground, and the eggplant is being eaten by a tiny black bug.

How is your garden growing?

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Summer Equinox Fairy Celebration

Today is the day my garden celebrates the Summer Equinox, the longest day of the year. The day the fairies dance around my garden and celebrate the start of summer.

I never can catch them in the act, but I’ll be watching for them this year! They can’t fool me. I’ll watch for their footprints and signs of celebration.

Have you caught the fairies in your garden celebrating the summer equinox? Don’t tell me fairies don’t exist!

They definitely exist in my garden, here’s the sign to prove it. Hah!

Images © L Gerlach

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Moonbeam Coreopsis Makes Me Feel Sunny

I have a large clump of Moonbeam Coreopsis right outside my front door, and seeing it always makes me feel sunny. The bees and butterflies seem to love it too. Everytime I step outside I find bees and butterflies hovering around the blooms.

Any plant that attracts honey bees and butterflies to my garden is automatically a favorite.

I got a start of coreopsis several years ago from my mom. It’s a plant that tends to sprawl and can get out of hand if you don’t keep it in check by pulling out the plants you don’t want in the Spring.

It’s not a difficult plant to keep in control, it just seems to add to its growing area a little each year. You might have different results in your area, so check with local gardeners if your concerned it may be invasive.

It’s worth the trouble of keeping in check. If you’re thinking about adding Moonbeam Coreopsis to your garden, check with friends and neighbors to see if they have a start they’d like to give away.

I’ve also heard Moonbeam Coreopsis called Threadleaf Coreopsis, Tick Weed, and Tick Seed.

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I Have Poppies!

I love poppies! They’re such a show off in the garden. I love the feel of their petals, the texture is like nothing else. I enjoy seeing them pop their heads out of the ground each spring. It almost seems as if you can see them growing if you watch closely, they grow so fast.

Have you ever tried drying poppy petals? I press them in my flower press (individual petals, not whole flowers), and they turn out beautiful. I’ve used them for abstract backgrounds in pressed flower portraits. Combine several colors and you can make a flower mosaic.

They can also add a splash of color to a handmade paper card. If you have poppies, get busy and press a few petals for your fall crafting!

I used to have several colors of poppies growing, then we moved some gardens around and a couple of the varieties didn’t come back. I still have orange poppies, but I think I need to get a couple more colors or varieties to add to the mix.

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