New Zones

 

Happy Thursday!

Tomorrow is Flower Friday and I've already received a lot of photos for the day!  

The other news about gardening this week is about our climate.  "Big news for gardeners:  USDA updates planting zones" is an article out by NPR and is really interesting. 

 

For those of you who aren't gardeners, the planting zones help us gardeners determine what perennials to put in the garden that can withstand the winter temperatures.

The nice thing about this article is that you can plug in your location and learn how and why your zone may now be different.  Also the article gives an easy explanation of the limitations of the grow zones which is determined by cold temperatures and not hot.

My neighbor Bill's amazing yellow tree peony.

Go here to read this insightful article.

Wishing you a safe and happy day!

Lawn alternatives

 

Happy Wednesday!

In the backyard, we did have a small amount of grass until we had three dogs and it became a mud field.  

I tried gravel to minimize the mud but it was too hard to weed.  I switched to Linda's alternative and put down mulch.  The secret is to put down newspaper, wet it, and then mulch.  It does reduce the amount of weeds and what weeds appear are easier to pull.  But I wanted green and a no-mow solution.  

There's a whole group of what is referred to as stepable groundcovers.  I did try oregano and thyme but my (late) dog Teddy kept eating it and too much can make dogs ill.  😕

Eventually, I planted Irish and Scottish moss to give the look of a lawn without the maintenance, here it is a few years ago behind our late baby Scout.  The moss was sparce then and only in the second year:

This week:

The moss is encroaching into the flower beds and I am letting it.  I'll reduce the bed to accommodate the moss.

It's even spread to the lower garden.  We never planted any moss there but it's managed to spread via wind, sneakers, paws, or wildlife.

I like to think that the next owner of our house will be grateful they don't have to mow the backyard but I know that is silly.  They'll probably want a manicured lawn. 😁

Anyway, more about gardening tomorrow.  I just love being outside right now.

Have a safe and happy day!

Bee Support

 

Happy Tuesday!

Most of my time right now is spent working in the garden.  It feels good but it also feels good to have a break this week while we deal with cooler temps and frequent rain storms.  My knees thank Mother Nature for the break.

Nann and I have been having an comment/email conversation about bee support.  Last year my friend in Maine told me about a "No mow May" program that was popular in her state.  In sum, participants refrain from mowing (or mow less) during the month of May to help pollinators like bees.  From what I've read, the initial program was begun in the United Kingdom and spread to many areas of the United States now.

Nann sent me this link to an article of the program around Chicago.  Another good resource is here and is a non-profit to support bees. 

Early honey bee quilt, the quilt was originally made in the mid 19th century.

I've never really understood what some might refer to as an obsession with grass and lawn care.  But in my city, weeds or long grass are illegal.  In fact homeowners can be fined for the "nuisance" of the overgrown lawn.  This is ironic considering that the city parks are unsightly with deep strips of weeds along the creeks and waterways.

I'm wondering if were you live has a policy to protect the bees and the environment.  If so, could you email or comment?

Tomorrow I'll talk about my alternative in my garden.

Have a safe and happy day!

Flower Friday: May 10, 2024

 

Happy Friday and Happy Mother's Day weekend!

Lots of rain and some heat and the garden is really taking off this week!  Oh how I love spring!

Do you like butter?

Lovely wild buttercups that a neighbor mows around her property. I love that.

Weigelia and the rhododendron is beginning to bloom!

Azalea in full bloom!

Catmint is putting on a good show and is actually a great favorite with cats!

One of my favorites--forget-me-nots!

What's happening in your garden?

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Weeds

 

Happy Thursday!

Tomorrow is Flower Friday but this post is a preamble of sorts.

Lucky and I have been working in the garden as much as we can these days.  Well...Lucky contents himself with the ball most of the time.  He does take a few breaks to try to steal my gardening gloves. 😄

I had to do some investigating this week.  My mother had a plant that was all abloom in her front yard and I don't remember ever seeing it before.

My brother referred to it as "weeds".  After investigation, I realized that it was just a vinca with a unique leaf coloring and standing tall (unlike mine which is more a carpet look).  It has filled a good portion of her front yard and is holding it's own against the ivy.  No one knows how it got there or how long it's been there but it's pretty and I think it should stay.

Years ago, I saw a pretty plant at an old house we visited for some kind of quilt meeting.  This week, I saw it again at the park:

This morning, I found some blooming in my backyard and had to research it.  It's a plant called "Star of Bethlehem" and is considered an invasive plant in Pennsylvania.

It's growing among my painted ferns which means I'll pluck it out.  I really don't need anymore invasive plants.

How are things going in your garden?  Send us photos at allentownquilter@gmail.com for Flower Friday tomorrow!

Have a safe and happy day!

Finishes

 

Greetings friends!

It seems like forever since I posted a finish.  In fact, this one I finished the last piece of binding over the weekend:

If it looks familiar, I've done about 4 of these quilts and even have one more top to finish.  This one will go to one of my nieces.

Another finish is this baby quilt I made from leftover pinwheels and the bird fabric that keeps on giving.  Also may look familiar to you because I did a bigger lap quilt size for my neighbor.

And then there is the other one.  I had to take apart a bunch of blocks for this UFO that I found in late summer/early autumn.  I disliked my original layout and took apart the blocks and remade it.  Sometimes you just have to please yourself.

So now I have three finishes for my guild's UFO challenge and a nice stack of quilt gifts to give at a later time.

Life is good!

Have a safe and happy day!

Aloha

 

Aloha friends!

May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month in the USA.  

I thought I would dig through the newspapers to find out more about Hawaiian quilts.  Many of the earliest quilts referenced were Hawaiian Flag quilts.  This motif was chosen often after 1893 when settlers removed the monarchy and Queen Lili'uokalani was forced from her throne.  It was a symbol of loyalty to the queen.  Below is a flag bedspread from Etsy:

Similar motif from a 1949 article:

One of my favorite images of these flag quilts is here at the Smithsonian website.

Queen Lili'uokalani was also a quilter and made an amazing crazy quilt while imprisoned.  The best photos I have seen of this quilt can be found at whipstitch here.

It's touching how many Hawaiians still pay deference to their queen.  There is even a quilt pattern that refers to her favorite flowers (see here).

Most sources indicate that missionaries taught quilting to native Hawaiians as early as 1820.  I love that the Hawaiians made quilting their own by using motifs of their own life.  

Since we have a whole month to celebrate these wonderful quilters, I'll have more later this month.

Have a safe and happy day!