It's Back!

And it's beautiful! A good reminder that when you get what you need....you thrive.  

thrive:  verb  

1. to grow vigorously: flourish

2. to progress toward or rezlize a goal despite or because of circumstances

For those of you who don't know the story of this desperate hosta I forgot I wintered in the garage.....you can read about it here: http://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2021/05/oops.html

I actually think it's better than ever.

One of my favorite woodland plants is back too....and is just starting to bloom.  Yep...I'm going to celebrate the sarsaparilla every year.

If I didn't know better this might just be a tree sapling...or just another green plant in the woods. But because I know better....I know to check underneath. 

You can barely see the blooms in this photo on the left...but they're there...tucked underneath.  I had to pick them to get a decent photo...and I'll watch these on my kitchen window sill for a while.  The blooms always seem to come in sets of three....my favorite number.

 

Aren't they fantastik....or is it just me. There are dozens of them in the woods.

When I looked back at the hosta post....I had just started my Bookshelf puzzle.  I'm on the home stretch now....with just a few books left....but that celebration is for another post. I'm slow walking the finish line.

Phew!

Sunlight and water.....the magic ingredients for photosynthesis.

I'm quite relieved to see hints of green appearing on my neglected hosta.  I think it's going go be OK....so I've gone from oops....to phew!

It already looks so much better than the pasty yellow it was when I rescued it from the garage.

I'm becoming familiar with my homemade viewfinder sketchbook....I'm going to be looking at the world one square inch at a time for a little while. I have several small lessons that will lead into a weekend project....and as my practice I'm going to focus on the rocks along my fence.  You gotta start somewhere.  

I've taken dozens of photos of these rocks...and the sky, clouds, and sunsets behind them and all of that history will feed into the project.

I have five at one end and three at the other.....and I love their silhouette.  

Mother Nature

I'm celebrating Mother Nature today!  She offers so much to see....every single day!

The "fruits" from a recent walk. I'm so fascinated with the ripening process....such interesting colors.  I just adored these blackberries clusters in the shape of daisies.

Blueberries go though interesting stages of color.

Such a beautiful pear!

We've got some pretty interesting mushrooms growing in our front lawn!

If they weren't so fascinating...they might be a bit creepy. But I know they're 

doing good for the soil....decomposing things and providing nutrients.

So let's celebrate the mushrooms!

I'm not generally all that fond of hosta blooms...but these mouse ear blooms are kind of perky...so they can stay for a while. 

And finally....Paul and I wonder why these oak branches keep falling in the backyard.I think they're gifts from the squirrels....they knew I'd like this one loaded with acorns.

Tucked Away

"Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today."  African Proverb

I love grape hyacinth....and these are right up the street.

At the beginning of April I found this container of hosta I tucked away in the garage for the winter. I had totally forgotten about it....and it was patiently waiting for light and water as it was struggling to sprout.

I put it out on the back patio....watered it well, and let the sun and the rain do what they do best.

I know intellectually that perennials go through a dormant stage in the winter. But I'm also sure it's a little miracle that every spring they wake up after their long winter's rest....even if they were forgotten about in a dark garage.

I'm happy to report that almost a month later they're doing well.

Thank you Mother Nature!

This sweet little message was tucked away in a tree trunk...and it and the hyacinths were the inspiration for today's quilt square.

Be you!

Seed Pods and Duct Tape

I guess I'm in a seed pod mode....and that's a happy and familiar place for me.

I zoomed right into some interesting pods on our walk and Janet pointed out they were from hosta.  I generally cut my blooms down almost immediately so never let them get to this stage.  I thought they were lovely....so I brought some home. And of course I wanted the dried hydrangea bloom that was laying in our path too.

When I got home I walked my yard and there in the back of my garden next to the fence was one hosta stalk I missed. When I looked closely at one little cluster I found some beautiful shapes. There's always a hard green seed pod wherever there was a bloom....and clearly when they are allowed to sit though the winter they split open creating almost like a little flower.  I will most certainly leave some (just a few) to watch next year.                                                                                                           

And there was something about this tiny little pop of color on the stoop of a familiar home that drew me in too. We had a wonderful interaction with Joan, the woman who lives there, one morning on a walk several years ago. She gave us a tour of her gardens and her precious mushrooms....you can read that post here.  

The plastic flowers made me smile.....I love those pink ones because they remind me of rain lilies.  Both Janet and I were quite taken with the beautiful earthy and striking vase.  

Those black stripes were dramatic next to her gray house. But the closer we looked we were surprised to see that the interesting stripes were actually duct tape. Brilliant! The vase looked cracked so it may have started as a hold it together solution....but ended as a graphic piece of art.  Now I'm even more fond of Joan....maybe we'll run into her again on a walk sometime. And that was just the first hour of a wonderful day! 

Thank you to another Joan....who bought me lunch!

Really Looked

I generally just disregard purple hosta blooms cutting them off before they're even in full bloom. They just seem messy.  

But today I really looked at this variegated bloom from one of my minis....it's actually quite lovely. Who knew?






I played around a bit this afternoon with some of the the hand dyed fabrics. I fused several strips together then sliced, shifted and refused.  The concept is good....but I'm going to keep playing around with it. I'm not sure about the fabric choices.  I'm in this figuring out mode....and I just have to fiddle.

It does need some top stitching.  Stitching helps everything.

Mini Hosta Garden

I love these little "mouse ears" in my garden...
originally came from my friend Janet. 
Now there's a little piece of it in the 
corner of Marian's new garden.

Another project I did yesterday was putting in a mini hosta garden for a friend of mine at her back door in Maine.  I didn't actually count...but it looks like there are 11 or 12 different kinds. Once it fills in it will look a little better....and at some point Marian will have some to share.  We left a little room on the front edge for a few more annuals to add to the New Guinea Impatient.

These little guys do well in pots...but I bet they are glad to be in the ground in a new garden.

Hosta Leaves

It's garden season....and time to plant the pots and urns at home and at church...it's where a lot of my creative energy goes this time of year.  I still hope to continue working on art...but since the show is winding down in a week or so it will be a good time to focus on other neglected things inside and out.

This morning I was walking the yard and wondered how many varieties of hosta I have...I'm not even sure I got a sample from every one. But just for the record there are 26 in this picture. Some of the leaves will get a bit bigger....and some will stay the size of my pinkie. I love all the textures and shades of green.

Signs of Life

I've been gardening most of my adult life....and still...every year I continue to be amazed that perennials keep coming back year after year.

I mentioned before that I have quite a collection of hosta.....including several miniatures.  I use some of them in a small concrete planter by my back door with some other interesting small plants. Last fall I pulled them out and planted them in plastic pots and put them in the garage for the winter.

A few weeks ago I set the pots outside and started watering them.  For the first time this morning I see signs of life!

Now...I wonder it there's hope for this pot.  It's full of "rain lily" bulbs from my sister.  I only got a couple blooms last summer...so I'm anxious to see what year two will bring.  This pot has been dormant in my basement all winter and I just pulled it out today and have started watering it. I'll keep you posted for signs of life.

Plenty to Share!

Just before Becky arrived my friend Carol walked through my yard in Lexington with me.  We dug up several hostas of all sizes and a few other shady perennials for the garden at their new home.  Like I said before....I have plenty to share!

I just got an e-mail from Carol saying they were all planted and the yard is on its way to be transformed! Someday these will be big enough to divide and share with someone else. That brings me joy!