New Article

New article up at the Examiner: a review of a different and interesting gardening book:
http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-spokane/gardening-book-review-1

It's about how everything we do in the garden- and anywhere else- affects the environment (for the worse, usually)

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner: time to deal with spring weeds!

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner on the herb meadowsweet. It's a great, dramatic garden plant!

Spring is here finally!

Sunny all day and over 50 degrees F. Spent hours outside today, cleaning up, weeding and planting- of course I've been buying plants already this year. Some great stuff- a Cherry Blossom delphinium (pale, pale pink), doronicum (leopard's bane), Siberian iris crowns (a streaky purple and white one), and these beauties:

Heuchera 'Beaujolais' It's a wonderful combo of copper and purple when the sun hits it.

Heuchera 'Hercules'- variegated leaves and bright flowers!

Polemonium 'Stairway to Heaven'. I already had 'Brise d'Anjou', but it doesn't have the pink in the leaves. I hope this color stays through out the season!

Now I'm exhausted. I think I over did it after being ill for a week. I will sleep early tonight, I think.

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner, on handling pesticides safely:

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner, on the hellebore 'Mardi Gras Slate', blooming for me right now and with a very, very dark flower:

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner, on taking care of your Easter lily, both in the house and outside:

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner: a review of the books The Truth About Organic Gardening:

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner: care of seedlings inside:

New Beadwork

Dark blue triangle beads (they look black here), dark blue transparent 8s and 11s; labradorite briolette (couldn't get the blue fire to show up!), black faceted drops with AB coating. In real life, the sparkle and blue fire off this piece is awesome. Got it done just in time to wear it to the local home and garden show, where I gave a talk on starting seeds!

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner, on starting seeds indoors:

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner, about spring garden chores we can do now (yes, I know that those of you in warmer area have done these things at least a month ago!

Things what I've been doing

The curtains in Colin's guest bedroom are up. Civil War reproduction fabric, lined with white. Rings sewn across the top. Tie backs are off white cotton that matches the flowers in the fabric, then a piece of burgundy grosgrain ribbon that matches the background, then a tube of the fabric sewn down flat.

I've also finished the kitchen ones, but they aren't up yet. He needs help putting the curtain rod up, then I'll have to pull up the strings in the header tape to make the right size pleat-y things.

Also, my first attempt at designing a necklace. Pale pink pearl seedbeads (main color) and fuchsia metallic seeds (accent) with black glass bicones on the dangles and loops. Netted top band and then just loops and dangles below.

And obligatory kitty pic spam: Bart, Colin's cat, who does not approve of the activity in the guest bedroom.

New article!

New article up at the Examiner: Perennial: Veronica gentianoides 'Ramona'

New Article!

New article up at the Examiner: the final installment of butterfly gardening: furnishings and considerations: