The Art of Fibre

Some Links to Rotary Cutting.

2011-11-19T11:54:00.000-05:00

Here are some links to rotary cutting videos.

The first one is here.
Here is another video.
You can find more videos on the right side of the screen.

Yokohama/Toronto Wall Hanging - Fan Block Using the English Paper Piecing.Method

2010-04-18T12:48:00.005-04:00

English Paper Piecing is a simple method for joining similar shapes of fabric together by hand. You can see this hand sewing method here. This one uses hexagons, but you can use other shapes too.

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And now for the fan block.

Lay out the fan pieces in the order that you want them.

Next. pick up two of the pieces and sew them together starting at the top and working down. Take small stitches. Try not to catch the paper because it is difficult to needle through. It will also be difficult to remove when you are done. Check to make sure you have the pieces in the correct order.

Continue to sew the pieces together until you have a fan shape.

Now lay the fan out on a piece of backing that has been measured into a 9-inch square. Use a pencil to mark the back and add a 1/4inch seam allowance all the way around.

Place the fan about 3/4 to 1 inch from the top and side of the background, so that it is centred. Pin in place.

You can now hand applique the top of the fan to the background.

When you are finished appliqueing, remove the basting threads and the paper. Let the seam allowance on the fan lay flat with the edge of the block. Pin the fan at the bottom so that it can't shift when you applique the quarter circle. Take the quarter circle and lay it on the fan block so that it overlaps the fan at least 1/4 of an inch. Pin in place and applique down. Try to catch the background fabric so that it will remain 9 inches square. The background fabric will remain in the block behind the fan.

Remove the basting threads and the paper and you are done!

It Feels Like Spring!

2010-03-16T12:52:00.006-04:00

I think I am suffering from Spring Fever! You know the kind - all gardeners get it when the sky is blue, the snow is gone and a bit of green starts to come up in the garden! But it is still too cold and wet to do any real gardening in the outdoors. So I decided to plant this pot of succulents. The plants are not cold hardy and must come indoors in the fall. But after the frost is gone, I like to see them in pots around my patio. I love the 'desert-like' quality of these. They make me feel as if I am living somewhere else in the world.

This pot contains three different plants. The top one is Jade, or Crassula. It is usually grown as an indoor plant here in Ontario. But I have put some out during the summer months and they love the outdoors. The leaves even start to get a red colouring to the outside of the leaves due to the sunlight. I have never had one flower for me, although it seems relatively easy to do.

They have to dry out and be in a colder environment with daylight hours cut back - no artificial light. Then after a few months of that, they can be brought back out in normal light, watered occasionally and they should start to flower. My 'condition' has not allowed me to look after them to such an extreme extent, but maybe next year I will try it.

These things are easy to propagate. Just pinch off a bit of stem and put it into a pot of moist soil. They can even be propagated by leaf cuttings. Put the leaves into soil and a tiny new plant will appear at the base of the leaf. I have even taken cuttings from this plant and left them in a plastic bag for almost a year. I had meant to use them in the classroom, but things did not work out. But by spring we were able to squeeze some planting into our curriculum and I took out the bag of cuttings and the students planted them. They grew!

Family: Crassulaceae. Genus: Crassula. Species: C. ovata.

Common Names: Jade Plant, Lucky Plant, Money Plant.

The plants at the front of the pot are Echeveria. These are sometimes called Hens and Chicks. These are not hardy in our climate and must be moved indoors in the fall. Due to my condition, I did not even bring them outdoors last year. They were mostly dead when I went to transplant them this morning. I took cuttings and pushed them into the soil. I hope these will take because they are just beautiful in the summer. When planted outside they develop long flower spikes. I have several different species of this plant. Some can stay outdoors all winter and some have to be taken inside when there is a chance of frost.

Family: Crassulaceae. Genus: Echeveria.

Common Name: Echeveria, Hens and Chickens.

The plants on the right are commonly known as Burro's Tail. They are also in Crassulaceae Family. These are easy to propagate, either by leaf or cuttings. They grow in long trailing stems, covered with blue-green succulent leaves. I have had this plant for over 30 years. I just keep pinching new shoots off and re-planting them. Sometimes I even forget to water it for several weeks. But this plant doesn't mind that. In fact, it seems to like being neglected.

I have never tried this one outside, but this year I will grow some in a pot on the patio.

Family: Crassulaceae. Genus: Sedum. Species: S. morganiarum.

Common Name: Burro's Tail.

If you would like to see my quilts, please go to my other blog. You can get there by simply clicking on the miniature quilt on my sidebar. Or go here.

Scenic Sunday #74

2009-12-13T10:02:00.011-05:00

It's getting more and more difficult to get around these days. I am restricted to my scooter and the weather has been awful. The sidewalks are covered in hard lumpy ice and snow and a cold wind blows from the north! There have been no photo shoot opportunities for me lately. So I bring you this photo I took when I was in Chicago a couple of years ago. I was mesmerized by that city! I loved this view of what looked to me like a parking garage. If anyone knows any more about it please let me know. I also posted a picture on SkyWatch Friday this week. (On my other blog)

If you want to see more Scenic Sunday photos just go here.

Scenic Sunday #72

2009-11-28T12:14:00.003-05:00

Taking the grade 3 class on a wagon ride through Pioneer Village in Toronto. Great memories!

If you want to see more Scenic Sunday photos click here.

Scenic Sunday #71

2009-11-21T22:07:00.006-05:00

Here is another picture taken on the island of Bonaire a few years ago. This is the Atlantic side of the island. The waves here are huge and the beaches extremely dangerous. Swimming is not allowed in many places because of the undertow. This is a photo of a huge water spout that erupted from a 'blow hole' in the rocks. The noise was deafening.

Want to see more Scenic Sunday photos from around the world? Just go here to Scenic Sundays.

Scenic Sunday #70

2009-11-14T14:51:00.004-05:00

Here is my photo for Scenic Sunday. It was taken on our last visit to Germany. The town is called Fussen. It is in southern Bavaria just minutes away from Austria. This is the view from the home of the family we went to visit. It was raining the day I took this photo, but still it is a beautiful place to live.

For more Scenic Sunday pics, just click on the icon below.

Scenic Sunday #69

2009-11-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

I know this isn't the most scenic of scenic shots, but an interesting one, non-the-less. This is not just a tree that has been chopped down. This is the work of a beaver. You can see the huge chips that are on the ground around the stump. Beavers live throughout Ontario and most of North America. I am not sure of the exact number, but it is in the millions! They are the second largest species in the rodent family. Beavers cut down trees to build dams and lodges and to store them as food for the winter. This tree was likely cut for food purposes since all the branches had been taken and only the trunk was left. Beavers are very active at this time of year, harvesting branches for their winter survival. The lake this tree watched over is a very deep one. It is part of the Trent System. I doubt if any of the branches were used to build a dam, but they could have contributed to building a lodge. Beavers spend the winter in the lodges and need water to be deep enough for them to be able to swim out from under the lodge and swim to find their food cache. Ice can reach a thickness of 3 or 4 feet, so the water levels have to be higher than this.

Family: Castoridea. Genus: Castor. Species: C. canadensis.

Common Name: Beaver

To see more of Scenic Sunday just click on the link below.

Carving a Pumpkin

2009-10-31T13:32:00.003-04:00

My dear friend in Japan once asked me how we carve our pumpkins for Halloween. I was never able to show her because I couldn't get around in my wheelchair and didn't feel like carving anything, let alone a pumpkin. But this year is different! So here goes.......

Cover your working area with newspaper. This is going to get messy! Then cut the top off the pumpkin. Taper it a bit so that the top doesn't fall down into the pumpkin when done. There are lots of special tools for pumpkin carving. Unfortunately I have given them all of mine to my DD so that the students in her class could carve pumpkins. So, I used a knife, but be careful! Pumpkin 'skin' can be really difficult to cut!

Next, hollow out the pulp and seeds. I used an ice cream scoop. This is a kind of messy step, so get the kids to do it! I don't have any kids and Mimi would not even come to take a look, so I guess I'm on my own.

The seeds are edible and can be roasted in the oven. Just spread them onto a baking sheet and bake at a low temperature for a couple of hours - like 275F. Sprinkle with salt and eat! I decided that I didn't want to eat them this year. (I am trying to cut down on salt) so I put them out for the squirrels. After all, it's Trick or Treat for them too, isn't it?

Draw a face on the outside and cut it out. There are lots of really fancy ideas for spooky Halloween faces out there in cyber space. If you can't decide what your pumpkin should look like, do a web search for ideas. I'm calling my Jack-o-Lantern Herpes because my pumpkin was starting to decay in the corner where his mouth is and it looks like a cold sore to me. But you can do anything you want and call it anything you want. That's the fun part!

Place a light or candle inside the pumpkin and set it outside, or somewhere where it won't catch anything on fire. I just used a little votive candle. And tonight my Jack-o-Lantern will sit outside my door to welcome my Ghoulish visitors!

Happy Halloween!

Block #7 of A Tale of Two Cities

2009-10-29T13:44:00.007-04:00

This block is called 'Churndash'. It is block #7 for the Toronto/Yokohama wallhanging. To hand piece this block you will need the following.

Templates

1. a square template measuring 3in. by 3in.

2. a rectangular template measuring 1 1/2in. by 3in.

3. a triangular template made by cutting a 3in. square template diagonally in half.

Place templates on the back of your chosen fabrics. Outline templates and cut out adding a 1/4in. seam allowance all around.

Cut 1 piece using the 3in. square template. (this can be the background fabric or whatever you like)

Cut 4 pieces using the 1 1/2in. by 3in. template of your churndash fabric.

Cut 4 pieces using the 1 1/2in. by 3in. template of the background fabric

Cut 4 pieces using the triangle template of your churndash fabric.

Cut 4 pieces using the triangle template of the background fabric.

Layout the pieces as in the block below. Notice that I used a pink for the centre. That was purely for balance of colour in my wall hanging. The original Churndash pattern is done in two colours.

Sew your pieces together.

I have enclosed a suggested layout of four blocks that we have already made. The finished quilt will be 3 blocks by 3 blocks. All blocks are 9in. when finished. (9 1/2in. before sewing together)

Notice the thin blue fabric at the top of the house block. I had to add that to make my house block measure 9in. by 9in. For some reason I had cut it too short.

Email me if you have any problems.

Sky Watch Friday - Life's a Beach!

2009-10-22T13:41:00.005-04:00

Ahhhhh. On the beach at

Cayo Coco, Cuba! Need I say more?

If you want to see more beautiful skies please go to Sky Watch Friday.

Sky Watch Friday - Lovage

2009-10-15T14:50:00.005-04:00

I thought I would show you my Lovage plant against a sort of mundane sky. I love the way these seeds look. This plant is well over seven feet tall! I can stand under it and look up to see the wonderful lacy flowers and seed pods!

Lovage is a herbaceous perennial. It is also called Maggikraut or Maggi plant. Its seeds and leaves are used to flavour soups and stews. It is a cousin to celery and has a similar growth habit and taste. I bought this plant at a sale of the Scarborough Horticultural Society. I had no idea what it would turn out to be, but I am really happy with this tall plant. It is considered a good companion plant and is said to have qualities that keep insects and diseases away from other plants.

Lovage has been used as an antiseptic to treat wounds. It has also been made into a tea to treat digestive disorders.

Family: Apiaceae. Genus: Levisticum. Species: L. officinale

Common Names: Lovage, Maggikraut, Maggi plant.

Skywatch Friday

2009-10-08T20:22:00.007-04:00

I have always been fascinated with the sky. Whether it is a beautiful cerulean blue or swirling with thunder heads and promises of storms, dark black and sparkling with a billion stars, coloured with an artist's paintbrush, or just there for birds to fly in. I love the ever changing sky! That is the reason why I have decided to join the Skywatch Friday. Go have a look. Beautiful skies from across the globe.

This photo was taken right here in Scarborough, Ontario. I was on my way to McDonald's to buy dinner for my family. I was still gainfully employed at that time and I just didn't have any energy left on a Friday evening to cook a meal. The kids loved my rather sketchy mothering skills. And I had my camera with me! Lucky me. It is one of my favourite photos!

Sunshine

2009-10-06T23:50:00.002-04:00

Sunshine

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.

Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely.

Sunshine almost always makes me high.

- John Denver

Daisies

2009-09-12T19:36:00.005-04:00

I know that fall is on its way, but let me show you one of my favourite summer garden flowers - the daisy. Daisies are hardy herbaceous perennials and therefore, very easy to grow. They can be grown from seed. but are just as easily grown from container plants available in garden centres in early spring. This first photo is of my tall Shasta Daisies. They grow about 3 feet tall. They flower throughout July and last for a long time. If I deadhead them, they will continue to produce flowers well into September. This tall variety makes for a good cut flower.

It is thought that the name, "Daisy" comes from "day's eye" because the flowers open in the early morning. I haven't really noticed this with my daisies. They tend to open and stay that way for several weeks. The flowers are made up of white petals around a yellow centre. The centre is an assortment of hundreds of tiny tubular Florette's. This makes the daisy an effective pollinator. Over the past few weeks I have noticed that goldfinches come to sit on the spent flowers and eat the seeds. Yesterday I heard their familiar chirping and noticed that I had dozens of goldfinches, black capped chickadees and vireos in my garden. They were busy eating the seeds of my lavender and coneflowers too. It was such a happy sight!

This next photo is of a different variety. It is a smaller daisy, growing only about 10-12inches tall. I planted this one several years ago and I have lost the tag that went with it. I think it is one of the newer varieties, since the flowers are much whiter and larger than my Shasta Daisies. Daisies are in the Asteraceae family. There are over 20,000 species! They include daisies, asters, gerberas and dahlias. Lettuce is also a member of this same family as well as artichokes, sunflowers and endive. Their genus has been under dispute. Some botanists now list it as Leucanthemum but it had earlier been listed as chrysanthemum.

Daisies have astringent properties and have been used in folk medicine as a skin cleanser. In ancient Rome, surgeons who accompanied warriors into battle extracted the juice from sackfuls of daisies in order to treat spear and sword wounds. This pale yellow one is my favourite!

Daisies are simple, yet sophisticated. They are one of the most beautiful in the floral world - at least in my opinion. They convey cheer and symbolize purity and innocence. According to Celtic legend, each daisy represents a child who died at birth. As the daisies bloom each year it is a gift from God. These are the flower whose petals are picked off one by one as a hopeful young girl yearns, "he loves me, he loves me not, as in Goethe's Marguerite in "Faust". Old wives tales believed that eating daisies would stunt your growth, hence the saying, "please don't eat the daisies". And who can forget the daisy chains we made as children to wear on our heads, in our hair or around our necks and arms? According to medieval tales, a girl wore a wreath of daisies on her head to tell her suitor that she accepted his proposal of marriage. And let's not forget the morbid saying, "pushing up daisies", which came from the poet John Keats when he announced on his deathbed that he could already feel the daisies growing above his casket.

Family: Asteraceae.

Seeing Yellow - Rudbeckia

2009-08-25T18:14:00.004-04:00

My garden is bright and sunny at the moment. The yellow from my Black-Eyed Susans lights up the flower beds, even on overcast days! Known by the botanical name of Rudbeckia, they are a wild flower in many parts of the United States. There are about 20 species, which include annuals, biennials and perennials. I started with only one tiny plant about 20 years ago. Since then I have divided it many times. My plants are growing all over the neighbourhood! My DD told me that her garden is now covered in them too. And her neighbour also has a whole garden full because of the plants which she gave her a few years ago. I don't know what I will do with all these plants next year. I guess I'll just put them into pots in early spring and set them out by the road for friends and neighbours to help themselves. This is Rudbeckia fulgida Goldsturm.

The next photo is of Rudbeckia hirta. They look very similar to the other Black-Eyed Susans, the R. fulgida Goldsturm, but this one is an annual or perhaps a biennial. It might have come to my garden from the fields and ravines around us. The flowers look the same, but the leaves are very narrow on this plant and it grows tall and lanky. The other Rudbeckia in my garden are more compact. Their leaves are rounder and the plants don't grow quite as high. The R. hirta come up all over in my garden, but the R. fulgida Goldsturm only grow in the established areas or where ever I plant them.

A few years ago I planted a couple of plants in my front garden, right by my front door. These have taken over. They are about three feet tall and blooming like crazy! They are a happy welcome to visitors to my house. These plants are often called cone flowers because of the dark centres which form a high, round centre. Goldfinches love to come to my plants and eat the seeds out of the cone-shaped centres once they have ripened.

Family: Asteraceae. Genus: Rudbeckia. Species: R. hirta and R. fulgida Goldsturm.

Common Name: Black-Eyed Susans.

Phlox

2009-08-21T10:12:00.003-04:00

There are at least 65 species of phlox. Some are annuals and other are perennials. There are also some creeping phlox that bloom in early spring. The ones I am showing you here are the upright, perennial phlox. These plants were in the garden when we moved into this house. I am not 100% sure, but I think the ones I have are Phlox paniculata. I have divided mine many times (by root divisions) and I have given many plants away to friends and neighbours. I have also moved them around in the garden. They have taken over in several locations.
Phlox are a herbaceous perennial. They are very easy to care for. In fact, they almost care for themselves. Once they are established, they will continue to come up each spring. They like some extra water if the rainfall is less than an inch per week during the summer. It is best to water them in the early morning so that the plants can dry before dark. One of the most common diseases of phlox is fungus. Watering the plants later in the day might lead to fungus growth. The leaves will turn white as if covered by dust. Although unsightly, this does not seem to harm the plant however and the following year the fungus is gone and the plants are fine. Phlox attract butterflies and hummingbirds. One of my primary reasons for having these plants in my garden!

I have three different colours of phlox. They are all perennial and grow up to 3 or 4 feet. The white ones are growing in the very back of the garden and are in deep shade now that other plants have grown up around them. I will have to transplant those next spring or I might lose them. I could not get a photo of them because they were too far back. I also have a light pink one that is very pretty. It has a darker rose colour in the centre of each flower. This plant is still small. I planted it a couple of years ago. This one is definitely a P. paniculata.

Family: Polemoniaceae. Genus: Phlox. Species: P. paniculata

Common Name: Phlox

Two Colour Quilt Tutorial

2009-08-18T20:16:00.005-04:00

A few people emailed me and asked for the pattern to the blue and white lap quilt I made for my mother. You can see it here. I decided to put a little tutorial on this blog, because I do not have a pattern as such. I learned to make this quilt at one of our Bee Nights. It is a great way to use up scraps because pieces can be as small as 3 1/2 inches by 2 inches. This quilt is lap sized and will measure about 36in. by 48in. Block size is 6 inches finished.

Once you have decided on the colours you will be using, cut the fabric into 2 X 3 1/2 inch strips.
You will need 192 of each colour group. In my case, 192 pieces of red fabrics and 192 pieces of off white fabrics. Start by sewing two of the background or light fabric strips together. You can strip piece these if you like. You will need 48 blocks. Press seams to one side. It does not matter which way the seams are pressed. If you are using only one background fabric, you could make this unit by cutting a 3 1/2 inch square and eliminate this seam.Now sew a red or colour strip to each end of the first unit. Iron seams to the red or colour fabric.

Now piece a light strip and a colour strip end to end, like so. You can chain piece these also. You will need 96 of these. Now stitch these units to the rest of the block. Always have the red or colour piece at the top left of the block. That way you won't get them confused. The bottom strip has the red or colour piece at the bottom right, like this.

Sew 48 blocks like this. Each block should measure 6 1/2 inches square. (finished 6 inches square) To layout the blocks rotate every second block so that the red or colour units form a sort of cross or star-like pattern. I have laid these out so you can see the 'cross' but I would not recommend sewing them together in blocks like this. Rather, I suggest sewing them together in rows. That way you can make the seams all go in one direction on each row and blocks will butt together more easily. Good luck with your quilt. It is a very easy pattern. If you need any more information, just leave me a comment and I will get back to you. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. It is also good to have a helper like Oscar!

Evening Primrose - Oenothera

2009-08-10T20:51:00.003-04:00

Although we have had a cool, wet summer so far, my plants seem to be happy. I have been taking photos, but have not had time to post them all. Here is one that has already finished blooming.

This is my evening primrose. It is a herbaceous perennial. This plant was one of the only plants in the garden when we moved into this house. I have transplanted it often. Some years I have a lot of them and in other years, like this year, they have been crowded out by other plants. I hope to have more room next year and then I will place these in a better spot.
The flowers on Evening Primrose open in the late afternoon. They have a long history of culinary and medicinal uses. The young roots can be eaten as a vegetable and the young shoots as a salad. The plant has been used to prepare an infusion which is supposed to have astringent and sedative properties. It has been called "King's cureall", because it was used for everything from gastrointestinal disorders to asthma, whooping cough and to treat wounds and bruises.

In the following photo you can see the unique stigma with four branches, which forms an x-shape. Only certain bees are able to pollinate this flower. And given that it only blooms in the late afternoon and evening it would seem that it would never form seeds. But this does not seem to be a problem. It is easy to grow and its bright yellow blooms are a delight. There are about 125 species in this genus, but I have no idea which one I have.

Family: Onagraceae. Genus: Oenothera.

Common Name: Evening Primrose

Lammas - Festival of the Harvest

2009-08-01T01:13:00.006-04:00

"If you think in terms of a year - plant a seed, if in terms of ten years - plant trees, if in terms of 100 years, teach the people." - Confucius

As I sat on my DD's back deck this evening I heard the sound of drums. The sound grew louder and louder and I realized that it was a procession of people, led by a drummer, walking slowly up her street to the end and then continuing on up into a wooded area. All this was happening just as the sun was going down. The drums stopped and I could see a large bonfire burning through the trees. After about 20 minutes, the 'parade' made its way back down the street and disappeared into some tents that had been set up at one of the houses on the street.

I had no idea what it was all about, so when I got home I decided to do some research on my computer. I discovered that today at sundown the Celtic celebration of Lammas had begun. Lammas is an Old English word meaning Loaf and (maesse) meaning Festival. This is a time to celebrate the Festival of the First Fruits of the Harvest. It is also called Lughnasadh which is pronounced, Loo-nah-sah.

It starts at sundown on July 31st and ends on August 1st. Originally a Pagan ritual, it is a time to gives thanks to Mother Earth for the year's harvest. The days of summer are coming to an end. Sunlight hours are getting shorter and the weather, cooler. It is a time to bake bread and share it with friends and family. I like the idea of this festival. Being ever mindful of the Earth which sustains us, I am surprised that I had never heard of this celebration before. I am glad I was at my DD's house this evening, because I have learned something new. I think I will bake some bread tomorrow and maybe make a doll out of corn husks to mark the occasion. And be thankful for all the things that come from our earth to sustain us and give us life.

"Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn." - William Arthur Ward

Catnip - Nepeta cataria

2009-07-30T20:56:00.007-04:00

This is a photo of a bumble bee on a catnip flower.

A bumble bee - a bug.

A catnip plant - a weed.

Obnoxious things? I know this is what it looks like, but my thinking has changed over the years. Most people don't want catnip in their garden and I didn't either in the past. It can be very invasive! But bees love it and anytime I can lure a bee to my flowers I am happy. They are amazing pollinators.

Although it is a weed, catnip has several good uses. It has been boiled to remove the oils. It can then be used to produce an insecticide. It has also been used by humans for its medicinal effects. It has been made into soothing teas, tinctures and poultices. It has also been mixed with tobacco and smoked. It apparently has a minty flavour and a mildly intoxicating effect. I am not a smoker, so I have never tried it. So why do I have it in my garden? Because it is a 'recreational substance' for my cats - mildly hallucinogenic. Kind of like dope! Nice, eh Mimi?

"Meow!"

I used to spend hours pulling this stuff out of my garden. I really didn't want my cats rolling around and eating it. I dug many of the plants up in springtime and gave them to my sister who said that she wanted this stuff so she could dry it and use it in cat toys. I had my entire garden clear of this weed, but then Mimi objected!

She wanted me to go out and get her some. She wanted a 'high'.

So I looked this plant up on the internet and found out that it is non toxic to cats. So I asked my sister to bring a couple of plants back to me, so that I could re-introduce it into my garden. Now I have several plants. Funny how the circle of plants goes around, isn't it? Apparently only 2 out of 3 cats are affected by the scent of catnip. Well, I have three cats and they all go crazy over this stuff! Here is a photo of Mimi. She has not had any catnip before I took this picture. She really doesn't need any. She can be quite silly without anything hallucinogenic! Give her some catnip and she goes absolutely insane! But she is still my sweet kitten!

Family: Lamiaceae. Genus: Nepeta. Species: Nepeta cataria.

Common Name: Catnip, Catmint.

Lilium - A Garden Tour

2009-07-28T21:58:00.005-04:00

I love lilies! I have several in my garden. Come take a walk with me and visit them. Lilies are summer-flowering herbaceous perennials. They grow from bulbs. The bulbs are scaly. Some lilies are grown for their edible bulbs, but mine are just for show. And it is quite a show that they put on each summer!

The first on our tour is a white variety. I have three different white lilies in my garden. Here is one of them. This is the one that had its buds chewed off. (on a previous post) There were still several more stalks of them, so it didn't really matter. This one has a fantastic fragrance, which is especially noticeable in the evenings.

This is another one in a different area of my garden. This one has brown speckles. Can you see the damage done by the lily beetles? Those holes in the petals. I will have to be more observant next year and make sure I get all the beetles and their larva before they can do so much damage.

This third one is very beautiful. There were no beetles on these plants. I have no idea why not. Perhaps they just hadn't gotten around to these yet. This one also has a lovely scent.

I also have a few of the pink variety. In this photo it is easy to recognize the sexual parts of the lily plant. The stamen is light coloured 'knob' in the centre. It sits on top of the style. These are the female reproductive organs. The stamens are the six, brown rod-shaped anthers, each held up by a filament. These are the male parts which contain the pollen.

These salmon-coloured ones are really pretty. They are speckles with dark brown flecks and remind me of the old-fashioned tiger lilies. These plants are really tall. I love the way the petals curl to the back!

Here are some more salmon ones. For some reason these plants are shorter. All of my lilies go dormant in the winter and come back up in the spring. There are about 110 species of lilies within the genus Lilium.

And last, but not least, are some huge yellow trumpet-shaped lilies! Fantastic, aren't they? I love this one! I only have three stems of this variety. But that could change. Next year I plan to put a lot more lily bulbs into my garden. I can hardly wait!

Family: Liliaceae. Genus: Lilium.

Common Name: Lily

In the Eye of the Beholder

2009-07-24T13:14:00.004-04:00

Sometimes gardening can be difficult. Oh, I don't mean the digging and planting. I mean trying to decide what is a weed and what is a garden plant - what should go and what should stay. Here are two pretty purple flowering plants. They are both blooming at the same time, just feet from each other. This first one is a Creeping Bellflower. Nice, eh?

The next one is a Hosta. So what's my problem? Well, you guessed it. I am sorry to say that the Bellflower has to go. I doesn't really seem fair. Both are pretty. Both are similar in shape. Both come up every year without any fuss.
But the Hosta will stay and the Bellflowers will be pulled out. But I know that won't be the end of them. They are very hardy. You can read all about them here, on a post I wrote a couple of months ago on my other blog. I know I will be battling these things for many years to come.

A Rose By Any Other Name.......

2009-07-22T15:14:00.004-04:00

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet - 1594

I only have a few roses in my garden. The first one is a shrub rose. I am not even sure if the rose that keeps blooming in early summer each year is actually the rose that I planted. I think we had to cut the original rose down and the suckers that came up from the root are now what are flowering. I planted this so long ago that I have forgotten what it was.

I also have a cute little mini rose. A friend gave it to me several years ago. It is growing in a protected spot, so it has continued to come up each spring. I love the light salmon colour!

And finally a beautiful hybrid tea rose called "Woman". I love this rose! It comes up year after year. It has a fantastic fragrance. It is a wonderful light peach colour! The roses are huge, on long stems! This a gorgeous rose to pick as a rosebud and put in a vase. I planted this one over 25 years ago. It keeps coming year after year, even without winter protection. I think it is such a hardy rose because it is called 'Woman". That is the only reason I can think of that makes this plant such a winner!

Roses have sharp prickles. These are often called thorns, but thorns are modified stems, whereas prickles are modified epidermal tissues. The leaves are pinnately compound with toothed oval leaflets. Some roses produce an edible fruit called a rose hip. These rose hips can be made into jams and jellies and are a good source of vitamin C. Aphids are the rose's main destructive pest. They suck the sap and weaken the plant. Lady Bugs are predators of aphids and should be encouraged in the rose garden. It is not a good practice to spray roses with insecticides (and it is now against the law to do so in Toronto) because beneficial insects will be destroyed along with the bad insects.

Family: Rosaceae. Genus: Rosa. Species - There are over 100 species of roses.

Common Name: Rose

Yarrow - Achillea millefolium

2009-07-17T17:20:00.007-04:00

I have had Yarrow growing in my garden for over 25 years. It's a herbaceous perennial and comes back every year. I cannot say that I am extremely fond of this plant. I fact, I have often thought of taking it right out of my garden.

The only thing that stopped me from doing so was the cat we had some years ago, called Tobi. He was our favourite cat back then and he loved to sleep in my yarrow. It has long, feathery leaves that provided an inviting spot for this tabby. There he would spend his hot summer days - comfortable on the soft yarrow leaves, shaded by the towering umbrel-like blossoms and watching the butterflies and other insects who were attracted to this plant. He was a happy cat!

Here he is on an Easter morning!

We had Tobi for almost 19 years. He was a wonderful cat - no bad behaviours, just a faithful furry 'boy'. He even helped with the laundry! Tobi lived a long happy life in our family until his kidneys gave out. He passed away quietly in our solarium one New Year's Day.

We had him cremated and the following spring, we buried his ashes in the garden, under the Yarrow plants that he loved so much. Now I look at my Yarrow plants with a smile, thinking of that wonderful cat who graced us with his presence for so many years. I will never dig it up!

Yarrow is drought resistant and will grow in even the poorest of soil. There are many common names for this plant and it has a long history of medicinal use. It has even been grown as a food product. The young leaves have been cooked like spinach. It has a history of being used for everything from an astringent, a tonic, a stimulant and as a dressing for open wounds. The Genus name of Achillea is based on the belief that Achilles carried this plant into battle to treat his soldiers. Yarrow can be used as a beneficial companion plant. It supposedly keeps away bad bugs and attracts good ones. It is also said to improve the health of the plants around it.

The yarrow I planted is a light pink colour. But this year I noticed that I also had some white yarrow growing right next to the pink. It was much shorter and came into bloom a couple of weeks before the pink yarrow. Also, it's leaves are smaller. I think it might be a wild variety. I have no idea how it got there, but I am going to let it stay - in Tobi's honour.

Family: Asteraceae. Genus: Achillea. Species: A. millefolium.

Common Names: Yarrow, Common Yarrow, Nosebleed Plant, Soldier's Woundwort.

Peony - Paeonia

2009-07-08T21:28:00.004-04:00

The last of my peonies are still blooming, but they will soon be gone. They are growing in a shaded part of my garden, so they are cooler. Peonies do much better in a full-sun location. But my garden has more and more shade each year. I would love to move these plants to a sunnier location, but peonies are kind of finicky. They don't like to be moved and will refuse to bloom for several years if transplanted.

Mine have been in bloom since the middle of June.

I have three different peony plants. They have been in my garden for so many years that I don't remember which species I have. They range in colour from light pink to fuchsia to an even darker pink. All of my peonies are herbaceous perennials, although they can also be a woody shrub. I love their deeply lobed leaves which last all summer and I often use them in floral arrangements when I need some fillers. Peonies have been used in ornamental culture for centuries and are the official flower for several countries and states. They can be dried and used in dry arrangements.

The peony or paeonia is the only genus in the plant family Paeoniaceae. It got its name from Peaon who was a student of the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius. Asclepius became jealous of his student and wanted to harm him. Zeus saved him by turning him into a flower.

Many peonies are fragrant. I love to bring them inside to enjoy their heady perfume! Peony buds are covered in a nectar that attracts ants. I always check them carefully for ants before bringing them indoors. In years when we have a lot of earwigs, I always shake them out. I hate earwigs, especially inside the house! Peonies also come in a yellow variety. It is on my wish list and I hope to add one of them to my garden in the future.

Family: Paeoniaceae. Genus: Paeonia.

Common Name: Peony

What is Happening to my Lilies?

2009-07-06T17:19:00.007-04:00

I have several lilies in my backyard. When I went out into the garden a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that one of my lily stalks had all its buds chewed off. You can see the stems that had once held the promise of gorgeous white lilies! I found the buds on the ground under the plant. They had not been eaten, just chewed off. I don't know what would do this. I have never had squirrels cause this type of damage, although they love to eat my tulips and crocuses in the springtime. I thought that perhaps raccoons had been chewing on my lilies. We have had a lot of raccoons in the yard this year. I am still puzzled.
But I have noticed some Red Lily Beetles on some of my lily plants this year. They are a very pretty red beetle with a black head and black legs and antlers. (The following photos are from the internet.)

When I first spotted them many years ago I thought they were too pretty to kill and I left them alone. Needless to say, many of my lilies died. Now I know the extensive damage these little beetles can cause. I have been picking them off and killing them every time I see them. Today I was in the garden and I noticed that several of my lilies were almost leafless. I looked for the tiny red beetles, but could not find any. All I could find was some gooey black substance on the underside of the leaves. I picked this off . It was slimy. Inside the black goo was an orange larva. I killed a few dozen of these disgusting things. I went to the internet to look up some information about these beetles and found that the black goo is actually fecal matter which the larva coat themselves in to avoid detection by predators.

These things are freaking me out! I have washed my hands many times since coming inside, but they still feel 'gooey'. Tomorrow I am going on another lily beetle larva hunt. Yuk! They are not getting my lilies! These beetles live in the soil over winter. I want to make sure there are none left to survive the winter. They can fly, so I am not going to be completely safe from them, but it's the best I can do. Cute, aren't they?

Class: Insecta. Family: Chrysomelidae. Genus: Lilioceris. Species: L. lilii.

Common Name: Red Lily Beetle.

Block #6 of A Tale of Two Cities

2009-07-06T13:15:00.003-04:00

This is Block #6. Cut the background fabric approximately 7in. by 10 in. Trace and cut the applique pieces and follow the tutorial below to help you. After appliqueing the block will be cut to 6 1/2in by 9 1/2in. Use any colours you want. It does not have to look like mine.

Tutorial - Making Leaves with Pointed Tips.

2009-07-06T12:43:00.005-04:00

Applique can be fun! But it can be difficult to get nice pointed tips on flowers and leaves. This is a tutorial on getting those leaves to look great!

Trace the desired shape onto the paper side of the freezer paper and iron it to the wrong side of your chosen fabric. Cut out with a scant quarter inch seam allowance. This seam allowance will be turned to the back of the shape and basted in place.

Start at the centre edge of the shape. Notice that I have cut the top and bottom corners off so that there will not be too much fabric in the tips.

Continue to fold the fabric to the back while stitching it in place. Stop when you reach the point. Now fold over the tip.

Then fold the other side of the shape in so that a tidy point is made.

Now continue to baste the remaining side. Do the bottom tip the same way.

And....Voila! A basted leaf shape!

Lady's Mantle - Alchemilla mollis

2009-07-05T20:05:00.009-04:00

Lady's Mantle is an herbaceous perennial. It does well in my zone 5a garden! I needed a plant to shade the roots of my clematis. I chose Lady's Mantle for its ability to grow in a semi-shaded area and for its almost inconspicuous leaves and flowers. It is not a plant that you will notice right away when you come to my garden. But that is what I like about it. Here you can see it with clematis flowers peeking through. This plant is way in the back of my garden and it is difficult for me to get close enough to take a photo.

Lady's Mantle leaves are large and palmately veined with a lobed and serrated edge. They are a beautiful blue-green colour that blends nicely with other foliage in the garden. This bluish colour has given this plant it's common name of Lady's Mantle. It is named for the Virgin Mary's cloak. After a rain or early in the morning, droplets of water will sit on the leaves. The plants' ability to have water pool on its leaves like that has given it its botanical name - Alchemilla. Early alchemists believed that these little droplets of water were the purest form of liquid and used it in their quest to turn base metals into gold. Folk lore has it that these droplets were used by early women as a facial application. The roots are supposedly edible. This plant has been used for all sorts of medicinal reasons, including menstrual irregularities, bruises and sores and digestive disorders. The chartreuse flowers are held in dense clusters above the leaves. I love this lime-green colour! This plant may not be loud and showy, but it is one of my favourites. Apparently it can become invasive, but mine has never been a problem.

Family: Rosaceae. Genus: Alchemilla. Species: A. mollis
Common Name: Lady's Mantle

Rhododendron

2009-07-03T12:28:00.007-04:00

The main purpose of this blog is to keep a record of the plants in my garden. I wanted to publish a post whenever something was in flower. But that has not been easy to do. Life keeps getting in the way. I didn't show you my Rhododendron when it was in bloom. So here it is now.

Rhododendron means 'rose' (rhodos) and 'tree' (dendron). It belongs to the family Ericeae. Azaleas are part of this family too. There are over 1000 species.

I have no idea which one I have. I planted it many, many years ago and never expected it to survive in our cold climate. It is evergreen, but very cold winters can turn the leaves yellowish-brown.

Each year it seems to have less blooms on it. I wonder if it is happy where I have planted it. No....I know it is not happy! The Sweet Cicely is crowding in on it. And the goose neck loosestrife is taking over this entire bed. (but more about them later) I am going to have to do some serious weeding in order to save my little Rhodie. But I know it will be worth the hard work!

Many rhododendrons are poisonous. For grazing animals and especially horses, this shrub can be fatal.

Family: Ericeae. Genus: Rhododendron.

Chives

2009-06-30T21:28:00.005-04:00

I love the chives in my garden! I grow them mainly for the wonderful violet flowers that bloom in spring. But chives belong to the onion family and can be used as an herb to flavour many culinary dishes. In our climate they die back each fall and re-appear in early spring. It is the first herb I can harvest after a long winter. And nothing tastes better than some fresh chives on a baked potato shortly after the snow disappears. They can be grown from seeds and can easily be propagated by divisions.

Chives are the smallest species of the onion family. They are a bulb-forming herbaceous perennial that grow in clusters. The leaves are hollow and can be cut to their base without damage to the plant. New leaves will grow back as the summer progresses. Bees love chives and this plant can be used to lure bees to the garden to fertilize other plants. The plants themselves, however, contain sulphur compounds which repel other insects. Chives are rich in vitamin A and C and contain trace amounts of calcium and iron. But eating this plant in large amounts could cause digestive upsets. Early gypsies believed that hanging bunches of dried chives around the house would ward off illness and evil spirits.

Family: Alliaceae. Genus: Allium. Species: A. schoenoprasum

Common Name: Chives

Wisteria

2009-06-29T23:37:00.005-04:00

I realize that I have more plants than I can handle at the moment. Lots of things are coming into bloom right now. I will show you my Wisteria. For years and years I wanted a Wisteria, but could not figure out how or where to grow it. I was afraid that our climate would not allow me to grow this gorgeous plant. But boy! Was I wrong!

About 4 or 5 years ago I bought a small wisteria plant. I planted it near the fence, thinking that it could climb up that. A few days later I found that my plant had been dug up and was lying in a wilted heap on top of the soil. It was a mystery. I never found out exactly what happened to it. I replanted it, but unfortunately it never did well after that. I bought another plant the following year and watched it carefully. It started to grow and grow and grow! That sucker grew at least five feet that first summer. The following year I had a single drooping grape-like bloom! I was ecstatic! My neighbout was not! He kept cutting every new shoot that came over the fence into his yard. He had had a wisteria in his yard a few years prior to this. It was a present to his wife from their daughter for Mother's Day. It had many wonderful blooms on it the second summer they had it, but he cut it down because "it was growing too fast". That silly man does not like plants!

I bought a trellis for my wisteria, but it soon became too small. The plant has intertwined in it and I guess I will have to leave it there, but next year I am going to have my husband build an arbor for it to properly grow on. I love this plant and think it will look so amazing with all the flower clusters hanging down. I can already imagine myself sitting under it! Wisteria is a woody herbaceous perennial vine. It grows by entwining itself either clockwise or counter clockwise on anything that is available.
Wisteria is considered to be a weed in many parts of the world. And it certainly can be invasive. Its vigorous growth can choke out other plants. But it can easily be pruned to keep it in check. I plan to give mine a place of honour in the garden!

There appear to be two kinds of Wisteria. One is a Japanese Wisteria. (W. floribunda) It grows in a clockwise direction. There is also one that is a Chinese Wisteria. (W. sinensis) It grows counter clockwise. Mine grows clockwise so it must be the Japanese variety.

The blooms are borne on racemes - long pendular clusters -around the middle of June. They are a light lilac colour. Very beautiful! The leaves are pinate. There are about 9 to 15 leaflets on each. The seed pods look very much like beans, but the seeds are poisonous! This plant can live for 50 years! It'll be around a lot longer than I will.

Family: Fabaceae. Genus: Wisteria. Species: W. floribunda.

Common Name: Wisteria

Penstemon

2009-06-29T18:41:00.006-04:00

I planted this plant in my garden three or four years ago. I don't remember what it was called. I just liked the way it looked This year I went back to the garden centre to ask about its name. I was told it is an Angelonia. That is all they could tell me about it. So I looked it up and found that it definitely does look like Angelonia, but Angelonia is only a perennial in zone 9 and 10. I live in zone 5a. It should be an annual here. But it keeps coming back every year since I planted it. So I'm a little confused. Edit: Well the mystery is solved. This plant is a Penstemon. And that explains everything.

There are two different colour of Penstemon in my garden. They were in the same pot when I bought them. One is a purple-blue one. The other is pink.

I have to look this one up, because I don't know too much about penstemon. I'll be back.

Family: Plantaginaceae. Genus: Penstemon. Species:

Common Name: Beardtongue

Maltese Cross - Lychnia chalcedonica

2009-06-26T21:26:00.005-04:00

Maltese Cross is a herbaceous perennial. Mine are a deep reddish-orange, but many other cultivars have been developed. Maltese Cross will grow to three feet in height. I grow mine in a peony cage to keep them from falling over. These plants are easy to take care of and don't need special conditions. In my garden they are growing in some of the worst soil that I have and yet they are doing well. Maltese Cross originated in Central and Eastern Russia, from Kasakhstan to Mongolia and Northeastern China. They were brought to North America by early settlers.
The flowers are borne on tall stems in clusters containing many florets. The florets are shaped like a cross, hence the name, Maltese Cross. The seed pods are dry capsules which contain many seeds. I usually remove the spent flowers in order to make this plant flower throughout the summer. Also, if left to self seed, it could become invasive. But it is not difficult to keep this plant under control. In early spring it is easy to identify Maltese Cross. Then they can be removed or transplanted.

Family: Carophyllaceae. Genus: Lychnis. Species: L. chalcedonica

Common Names: Maltese Cross, Jerusalem Cross.

A Weed is a Weed

2009-06-25T05:57:00.004-04:00

Meet my Goutweed! This plant is doing a number on my garden and I didn't even plant it here! It came over from the garden behind ours. My neighbour thinks it's nice. And I will admit that the leaves are very pretty and it does look nice in the dark corner of the garden. But now that it's here, it is my job to try to keep this herbaceous perennial under control. If I don't, it could take over my entire garden. They don't call this plant a 'weed' for nothing. Goutweed spreads by rhizomes. If I dig them out and leave even one small piece of root, it will grow back.
It is a member of the carrot family. This seems strange until you see the flowers which are borne in umbrella-like clusters. They have never flowered in my garden, but I think that is because they are growing in a dark, shady spot and don't get enough sunlight. Apparently it is possible to pick the leaves of this plant in early spring and eat them much like spinach. I have never done this. Goutweed just doesn't sound appetising to me. There is also evidence of this plant's early use as a treatment for gout and arthritis. Hence the name 'Goutweed', but a weed by any other name is still a weed! Hours of back-breaking weeding fun are in my future!

Family: Apiaceae. Genus: Aegopodium. Species: A. podagraria

Common names: Goutweed, Bishop's weed, Snow-on-the-Mountain, Ground Elder

Bleeding Hearts - Dicentra Spectabilis

2009-06-17T12:52:00.005-04:00

I mustn't forget to post my Bleeding Hearts. These lovely plants have been blooming for weeks and they don't seem to want to stop anytime soon. I have a lovely pink one that has been divided many times. Bleeding Hearts are easy to divide in early spring. My plant's clones are growing in many gardens around these parts!

These plants are native to Japan, but they do very well in our climate. They love a shady spot in the garden and they are perennial. Their deeply divided, fern-like leaves stay on the plant long after the flowers die back. The flowers are heart-shaped, hence the name, Bleeding Hearts.

Family: Fumairiaceae. Genus: Dicentra. Species: D. spectabilis.

Common Name: Bleeding Hearts

Poppies - Papaver orientale!

2009-06-17T12:24:00.005-04:00

The Oriental Poppies are blooming in my garden! There is nothing that I don't like about these gorgeous plants. I know that their blooming time only lasts about two weeks, but when they do bloom, they are the highlight of my garden!

In spring they grow into a large mound of the most beautiful lacy leaves. Then the buds start to grow with the promise of great things to come. The flowers never fail to provide inspiration for me. I love the colourful blooms that defy description! Their crepe-like flowers are borne high above to leaves, to a height of 3 or 4 feet! The bright red-orange ones take centre stage to everything else.

I also have a white one that might just be my favourite. My DD bought it for me about 10 or 12 years ago for Mother's Day.

It has never failed to rapture and inspire me! After flowering the delightful seedpods begin to ripen. I think they are just as interesting s the flowers themselves. In the heat of summer the plants die back, but as soon as the cooler fall weather arrives with some much needed rain, the leaves begin to grow again. I used to have a lovely salmon coloured one too, but it has not come up this year. I think I will go out and buy a new one next spring. Oh! I can hardly wait!

Family: Papaveraceae. Genus: Papaver. Species: P. orientale.

Common name: Poppy, Oriental Poppy

Block #5 of A Tale of Two Cities

2009-06-11T10:59:00.001-04:00

Are you ready Keiko? Here is block #5 in the Yokohama/Toronto wall hanging. It is pretty straight forward, I think.

First cut a piece of background fabric about 7 inches by 10 inches. This will later be cut down to measure 6 1/2" X 9 1/2". The finished block will measure 6in. X 9in.

Then trace the pattern pieces onto the paper side of the freezer paper, cut them out and iron them onto your desired fabrics. Then cut out the fabric leaving a seam allowance of 1/4 inch around the pattern.

Baste each piece. Leave the stem piece open at each end. (Baste only along the sides.) Leave the flower pot bottom piece open at the top. (Baste only on three sides.) Now pin your pieces onto your background fabric as in the picture. The flower pot bottom piece should be placed behind the top of the pot. The stem should be placed behind the top of the pot and the tulip. Hope this makes sense. If you have any questions, email me.

Geraniums! Pelargoniums! What Do You Call These Things Anyways?

2009-06-09T17:32:00.007-04:00

Geraniums are confusing!

The name, Geraniums, is commonly used for the big, colourful annual plants that are available in garden centres in springtime. Most people are familiar with these wonderful plants that bring a burst of instant colour to the garden! But these are not true Geraniums. Although in the Geraniaceae Family, They actually belong to the Genus, Pelargonium. Pelargoriums are easy to grow and are great for beginners. They love a sunny location, are drought resistant and continuously blooming. They can be propagated by taking cuttings from the parent plant. These Geraniums are usually not frost hardy and need to be taken indoors or treated as an annual.

Family: Geraniaceae. Genus: Pelargonium.

Common Name: Geranium

The plants that belong to the Genus, Geranium, are a huge group of over 400 species. Sometimes called Cranesbills because of the shape of the seed pods. These pods look like a crane's bill and are specially designed to spring open when ripe in order to disperse the seeds. These true Geraniums are hardy perennials. They spread by rhizomes as well as seeds, but they are not invasive. They like a partly sunny location, but are not fussy as to soil conditions. They are happy to grow in just about any kind of soil. Their leaves are a pretty light green colour and have a wonderful toothed appearance which provides an interesting contrast to other garden foliage. If the flowers are cut back after blooming, these plants will continue to flower right through to the fall.

They are available in many colours ranging from pinks to purples and blues. I have two kinds in my garden. I love the blue-coloured ones. I find them so inspirational.

Family: Geraniaceae. Genus: Geranium.

Common Name: Hardy Geraniums, Cranesbill Geraniums.

Columbine

2009-06-04T23:13:00.004-04:00

The Columbine are blooming in my garden at the moment. These are one of my favourite plants. Oh, who am I kidding? I love all plants, but these hold a certain fascination for me. I love the five-petaled flowers and the long spur that grows to the back of the flower. Hummingbirds are supposed to love the nectar of these flowers. But I have not seen any yet this year. Columbine have such lovely delicate foliage. Even after they have flowered, I love to look at the leaves of this plant amongst my other plants. This is a pretty double pink variety.

There are about 70 species of Columbine. They are in the buttercup family - Ranunculaceae. I love this white one. It looks so delicate - almost see-though.

This yellow one is a fairly new acquisition. I just can't keep myself from buying a new plant every once in awhile. They look best in a sort of woodland setting, but they can be grown anywhere.

The wild Columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis) is Scarborough's official flower. Scarborough is the area of Toronto where we live. Because of that I have always devoted a special place in the garden for these wonderful herbaceous perennials. Isn't this pink one gorgeous?

Family: Ranunculaceae. Genus: Aquilegia. Numerous varieties.

Common Name: Columbine

Back to Nature Part 4

2009-06-03T16:53:00.005-04:00

I have a couple of other naturalized plants in my garden, but the photos are not very good. This is Jack in the Pulpit. There are about 5 or 6 of these plants now. I planted only one a few years ago. This patch that I have is totally covered in leaves - many leaves of a very large size. And they all seem to be facing the back of the garden. I don't know why this is, but it meant that I was not able to get a good shot of them. Jack in the Pulpit can be poisonous if ingested.

Family: Araceae. Genus: Amsaema. Species: A. triphyllum.

Common Name: Jack in the Pulpit

And here is my Lily of the Valley. I have thousands of these plants. But to get a photo, I had to drive my scooter into my neighbour's backyard. On my side there is a huge pile of gravel that is supposed to fill in the pool. Yes, sadly we are taking it out, or rather, filling it in.

Lily of the Valley is a fragrant, hardy, shade-loving perennial. It can be invasive as it reproduces by sending out uderground stems called rhizomes.

Family: Ruscaceae. Genus: Convallaria. Species: C. majalis

Common name: Lily of the Valley

I also have a lovely red trillium. I planted one many years ago and only one keeps coming up. I bought it at a garden centre, so no worries about taking it out of the wild. I think I will have to revisit this garden centre sometime in the future and purchase some more - maybe some white trilliums too. I love those.

Eeeee Gadssss - A Weed In My Garden!

2009-06-02T14:48:00.005-04:00

Look at what had the nerve to plant itself in my garden! A Yellow Goat's Beard! This is all because no one did any weeding last year. The garden was allowed to do whatever it wanted! This plant started life as a small inconspicuous grass-like plant last year. Yellow Goat's Beard, you see, is a biennial. This spring I noticed its reddish grassy leaves. I thought that perhaps my daughter had planted some kind of ornamental grass in my garden last year. I decided to leave it until I had asked her about it. But it soon started to grow... and grow... and grow! It is now almost three feet tall! And it is starting to bloom! It even has some spit bugs on it. That is how I always think of this weed in the wild - with spit bugs! It is actually not an ugly plant, but the spit bugs... Yuk! Now is the time to pull it up! Because it has grown so quickly and really doesn't distract from the rest of the garden yet, I decided to feature it here, on my blog. Sort of as a last farewell! It is coming out later today!

This weed is kind of interesting. It's a biennial, but I already said that. It has large yellow dandelion-like flowers, only much bigger, about 2 inches across. It belongs in the aster family because of it's composite flowers.

Another interesting feature is that the flowers open in the morning and close again by around or a little past noon. This has given this plant the common name of 'Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon'. That's kind of cute. Another common name for it is Meadow Salsify. The seeds on this plant look a lot like that of a dandelion too, except much larger! They are spread by the wind, floating through the air just as a dandelion seed would. But that will never happen to my Goat's Beard! It is coming out...now!

Family: Asteraceae. Genus: Trogopogon. Species: T. pratensis

Common name: Yellow Goat's Beard, Meadow Salsify, Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon.

Colour in My Garden?

2009-06-01T18:59:00.005-04:00

My garden is very green right now. Most of the flowering bulbs and early spring flowers have come and gone. I neglected to show you my violets. In late April, my whole garden was covered in these wonderful herbaceous perennial purple violets! The flowers are edible. My DD picked them and made candied violets for a cheese cake she made for a staff function. I wish I had a photo of the cake. It was breathtaking!

I have no idea which species of viola I have in my garden. They have all been there for such a long time that their name tags are long gone. I also have some white violets. I love these!

And then there is this large clump of speckled violets. They are light blue with darker speckles.

Family: Violaceae. Genus: Viola.

Common Names: Violets, Common Violet.

Sweet Cicely - Myrrhis odorata

2009-05-27T10:17:00.003-04:00

Meet my Sweet Cicely!

I bought a tiny plant from the Scarborough Horticultural Society about 5 or 6 years ago and planted it into my garden. It was only about 3 inches high at that time and I had no idea what it was. The following year it grew to a height of over 3 feet! It didn't flower the first year, so I wonder if it is a biennial, but according to every source I have read it seems to be a herbaceous perennial. After that year, my Sweet Cicely keeps getting bigger and the number of flower stems increase. This is what it looks like right now. It also seeds itself into other parts of my garden, but it is not invasive. Any seedlings can be dug up and transplanted.

Sweet Cicely has triangular-shaped feathery leaves. They add a graceful lacy look to the garden and can grow to a foot or larger. Their light green colour and shape are a good contrast to other foliage. They also taste and smell like licorice or anise. The flowers are white and are borne in large umbrels above the plant. The seeds are dark in colour when ripe and resemble fennel and caraway.

All parts of this plant are edible. It has been used in many ways. The seeds have been pounded and used as a furniture and floor polish. All parts of the plant have been used in medicine. The roots have been boiled and used as a remedy for stomach disorders. The plant is currently being studied for as an artificial sweetener for diabetics. The roots have been used as an antiseptic.

In the kitchen, the leaves have been used in salads, soups, stews and as a sweetener for desserts. The roots can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable or chopped and added cold to salads. Unripe seeds can also be added to salads.

I have never had the courage to use this herb for anything other than a garden plant, but I may try a recipe or two this summer. There are many on the Internet. Having said all of this, I want to warn you that there are several other plants that look very similar to Sweet Cicely, but are highly poisonous. Just a precaution!

Family: Apiaceae. Genus: Myrrhis. Species: M. odorata
Common Name: Sweet Cicely

Virginia Bluebells - Mertensia virginica

2009-05-24T20:35:00.005-04:00

One of my favourite plants in the garden right now is Virginia Bluebells. This plant has distinctive bell-shaped flowers that start out pink and turn blue as they mature. If this plant resembles Pulmonaria it is because they are in the same family, Boraginaceae. My Virginia Bluebells are in bloom at the moment and I love their clusters of blue flowers! The leaves are large and oval shaped. They are a lovely light green colour that reminds me of spring! They like a partial shady location and enjoy a forest type setting. Mine are growing under the peach tree, but they don't seem to mind.

This plant will continue to flower for several weeks. Then they will die back. Bluebells are ephemeral perennials. That means that their foliage will totally disappear from the garden by July as they go dormant until next spring.

Family: Boraginaceae. Genus: Mertensia. Species: M. virginica

Common name: Virginia Bluebells, Virginia Cowslip.

Back to Nature Part 3

2009-05-23T12:56:00.003-04:00

Another fascinating native plant is called Wild Ginger. It is a very low-growing woodland plant. The leaves are an interesting heart shape. It produces very unusual dark brownish to deep burgundy flowers at ground level. The flowers are not visible from above the plants. Ants pollinate the flowers. Wild Ginger reproduces by rhizomes or seeds.

Although Wild Ginger is not related to the ginger root that you can buy in a grocery store, it can be used to flavour many dishes. Early pioneers used it fresh or dried as a ginger substitute. It is also said to have medicinal properties. Aboriginal peoples used this plant as a cure for many ailments, including digestive disorders.

I dug this little plant up because it had seeded itself into another part of the garden where I did not want it. I am going to give it to my daughter to plant in her garden. She is eager to grow a large patch of them so that she can experiment with using this plant as a ginger substitute! I was able to take a photo of the flower this way too!

Family: Aristolochiaceae. Genus: Asarum. Species: A. canadense

Common name: Wild Ginger

Back to Nature Part 2

2009-05-23T12:35:00.003-04:00

Another plant which I have introduced into my garden is called a May Apple. It is part of my mini woodland garden. The leaves of this plant are awesome! They are large and palm shaped. Each plant has two leaves growing up from a central stem.

They bear a single white flower in between the two leaves. The flower will eventually mature into a greenish fruit, which resembles an apple. These apples are edible when ripe, but only in small quantities. I will not be eating these! Large amounts are toxic!

This plant reproduces by root growth. The single plant I planted many years ago has grown into a nice grouping. The roots of this plant are highly toxic! I have always loved this plant since I was a young girl. It was one of the first plants I was introduced to when we first came to Canada. It grew wild all around and near our house!

Family: Berberidaceae. Genus: Podophylum. Species: P. peltatum.

Common name: May Apple

Back to Nature Part 1

2009-05-23T11:40:00.008-04:00

Don't get me wrong! I love colour and I love flowers, but over the years I have become interested in returning back to the way things were, especially when it comes to my plants. I have been putting plants into my garden which may have grown in this area centuries ago.

The area we live in used to be part of the Carolinian Rain Forest - a huge forest which covered a vast area from the Carolina's to just north of here. Most of the forest has been cut back to make way for people and progress. Some organizations are becoming involved in preserving whatever is left of the original forests. Our Rouge Valley is one of these areas. Conservationists want to keep this forest alive. Many of the original species have died out and there is not much that can be done if we keep cutting down trees and building new homes. But the interesting thing is that a lot of the flora and fauna are returning to our area.

I am helping things along a bit by planting some of the native species in my garden. This first one is called Solomon's Seal. I bought one small plant about 7 years ago at a local plant sale. I planted it under my apple tree because I was told it liked a sort of shady woodland setting. I guess it is really happy here because there are now about twenty plants! They multiply by a travelling root system, but they are not invasive.

Solomon's Seal has graceful, arching stems with long oval shaped leaves which are borne on the stems symmetrically. I love the rows of tiny white flowers that dangle in pairs like little white bells under the stems. They look like a string of pearls to me. (Sorry about the photo. These are growing way back in my garden and I can't get close enough in my wheelchair to take a good photo.)

Family: Ruscaceae. Genus: Polygonatum Species: P. biflorium

Common name: Solomon's Seal

Purple Blooms and Blue Skies

2009-05-19T22:16:00.008-04:00

I have several different kinds of irises in my garden. Iris are in the same family as crocuses, gladiolas and freesias. Their roots are usually a bulb or corm. The leaves are long and slender and pointed at the end. Irises were never a favourite flower of mine until recently. Now I think I want to study them a bit better and maybe buy a few new ones. I think I would love to have a yellow or peach coloured one. (or two)

The first photo is of a bulb type of iris. It is called, Iris Reticulata. I planted these irises many years ago. It was spring time and I bought a couple of flowering pots in a small store in the Beach Area of Toronto. I had never seen anything like them before. They were breathtaking as they sat on my kitchen table for a couple of weeks! After they finished blooming, I planted them in my garden and promptly forgot about them. Imagine my surprise and joy the following spring when these wonderful irises came up and bloomed long before anything else was even alive in the garden. Just to show you how early these things are, this photo was taken on April 15th of this year.

The next irises are dwarf irises. They were in the yard when we moved into this house. I have moved them about many times and by the look of things, they will probably have to be moved again as other plants have taken over their space. I have no idea what variety I have. They are just pretty irises to me. I also have a tall iris, but it is not in bloom yet.

Family: Iridaceae. Genus: Iris

Common name: Iris.

This one is sort of a medium tall iris. I don't remember the variety, but it is very beautiful too!

And now a sky photo. I have noticed several blogs with sky pictures on them. I love sky photos! They are never the same twice! Our weather has been strange lately. On the weekend we still had night frost. Today was a nice, sunny springlike day. But the next few days are going to be hot and humid. Temperatures of 29C are expected. From frost to a humidex in one week!

Blossom Time

2009-05-17T16:48:00.004-04:00

Spring means blossom time in my garden. I don't have much space, but I do have enough room for an apple tree, a sour cherry tree and a peach tree.

The blossoms on the cherry tree were just bursting about a month ago.

And this was the cherry tree about three weeks ago. It was loaded with beautiful white blossoms. The blossoms are now gone, but the cherries will be ripe in July. I will harvest them at that time and make sour cherry jam!

My peach tree was in full bloom a week or so ago. The peaches from this tree are absolutely delicious! That is, if I can get to them before the squirrels do. It is always a race to see who gets them first. Usually I lose!

This is how my apple tree looked today. I sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine and the occasional whiff of apple blossom when the wind blew their wonderful scent in my direction. Heavenly! This tree has five different varieties of apple on it. I bought it because I thought that was interesting. I have never sprayed my trees and the apples from this one are usually already inhabited by wormy things before they are ripe. I have yet to eat one of them without first cutting it into quarters in order to evict the tenants,

Forget Me Not - Myosotis

2009-05-16T10:00:00.008-04:00

I love blue flowers! Maybe that is why I like Forget Me Nots so much! This plant has followed us as we moved. I took a plant or two with me each time from garden to garden. They continue to come up faithfully every spring. Some years everything is covered by a blue haze for a few weeks. I never pull them up before they have finished blooming.

Once they have flowered, I pull them out if they are taking over and crowding out another important plant. I always leave a few so that they can seed themselves and I will continue to be able to enjoy them in future years. Myosotis is a biennial. The seeds will grow into small plants and then go dormant until the next spring when they bloom.

There are all kinds of legends on how this plant got it's name. One is that when God was giving out names to the plants, he forgot this one and it called out to him, "Forget me not!" Other legends are love related. A medieval knight was walking along a river with his true love. He picked her a bunch of Forget Me Nots. Because his armour was so heavy, he fell into the river, but before he hit the water, he was able to throw the bunch of blue flowers to his lady, while yelling, "Forget me not!"

There are 50 species of Myosotis. I have no idea which one I have. The first Forget Me Nots that I planted were blue. And although these plants usually have blue flowers, sometimes a plant will have pink flowers. I usually leave the pink flowering ones to go to seed. I really like the pink ones too. Myosotis also come in white, but I guess my plants don't have any white genes. Maybe I should buy a pot of white Forget Me Nots this year! Add some new genes to the pool.

Family: Boraginaceae. Genus: Myosotis.

Common name: Forget Me Not

House Block for the Yokohama/Toronto Wallhanging - Instructions Part II

2009-05-15T11:10:00.003-04:00

Here are more instructions for the Yokohama/Toronto wall hanging.

Start with the house piece first. Place and pin it onto the prepared background fabric about 1in. to 1 1/2in. from the bottom edge of the fabric. The top of the house piece is left open and unbasted. Using the applique stitch, stitch around three sides of the block, leaving the top of the house unstitched and unbasted and starting on one side. When you have finished stitching the piece, you can remove the basting stitches and pull the freezer paper out.

A few words about freezer paper applique that you might find interesting.

The freezer paper can be used again and again. If you iron it onto fabric and feel that it is not in the right place, you can remove it, replace it, and iron again. This re-use is also handy if you are doing a lot of one shape, such as leaves. You can do a few leaves, take the freezer paper out and re-use the shapes. It can mean a lot less tracing and cutting! Now let's get back to the appliqueing.

Place the roof section onto the block. Pin it where you want it. It should overlap the house piece by about a 1/4 inch. Now pin the chimney pieces in place, tucking the unstitched bottom of the pieces under the roof section by about 1/4 inch. The chimneys will be appliqued before the roof section, so do them next.

Now continue to place the rest of the pieces onto the block as desired. Applique them in place. Don't forget to remove the basting stitches and freezer paper when you are about an inch or so from where you started stitching the piece. Then continue to applique the rest of the piece.

Happy Stitching!

House Block for the Yokohama/Toronto Wallhanging - Instructions Part I

2009-05-15T10:28:00.005-04:00

Here are the instructions for block #4 of the 'Tale of Two Cities - Yokohama/Toronto" wall hanging. The finished block can be seen here.

First, prepare the background fabrics. Mark a rectangle measuring 3 inches by 9 inches. Cut out leaving a fairly wide 1/4 inch seam allowance. (The applique might make the piece smaller when it is finished and you want to be sure that you have a piece measuring exactly 9 inches square plus seam allowance.)

Next Mark a rectangle measuring 6 inches by 9 inches. Cut out, again, leaving a fairly wide 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Sew these two pieces together to create the background.

Now prepare the applique pieces.

Trace the pattern pieces onto the paper side of the freezer paper. Cut these out on the line.

Iron each piece onto the appropriate fabric. Cut them out leaving an extra 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Now it is time to baste the pieces. First clip any inside curves. For this block you will need to clip the tree pieces.

Now baste the pieces. Fold over the seam allowance to the back of the piece. Stitch in place using a long running stitch.

Lay the pieces out on the background. You are now ready to start appliqueing. I will continue on the next post because Blogger will only let me download these photos.

Lunaria

2009-05-13T20:06:00.003-04:00

Now to continue the stroll through my garden. This beautiful purple flowering plant is called Lunaria.

About 20 years ago, my neighbour gave me a little unmarked packet of seeds. They were a gift from her sister, but her husband would not let her plant them in their garden. She told me that her sister had given her instructions on how to plant them. "Just sprinkle some of the seeds and let them grow," she told me. She didn't know the name of them or what they would look like. I planted them anyway and now I am ever so glad that I did! Each spring I am rewarded with a beautiful purple garden!

Lunaria is a biennial. The seeds are planted in the summer and grow into small plants during the first year. They go dormant over the winter and start to grow again early in the spring. These things are amazing! They grow about two feet in just a month or so. They are also one of the earliest bloomers in the garden. The plant goes on to create wonderful see-through seed pods. These can be dried and used in dried arrangements. This round, silver pod also gives the plant its common names of Honesty (because it is see-through) and Money Plant or Silver Dollar Plant.

I have never planted this plant since those first seeds that my neighbour gave me. The seeds just plant themselves. They come up all over my garden. I usually leave them where they are until they finish blooming. Then I pull them out or leave them, depending on where they are. I always make sure there are some healthy looking ones that are allowed to go to seed. I also look at their colour. For some reason those first plants were all purple, but since then I often get white Lunaria. I love the white ones and will usually leave them to go to seed in the hopes of getting more white flowering plants.

Family: Brassicaceae. Genus: Lunaria. Species: L. annua.
Common names: Silver Dollar Plant, Money Plant, Honesty

House Block for the Yokohama/Toronto Wallhanging

2009-05-13T18:40:00.006-04:00

This is the 4th block in the Yokohama/Toronto wall hanging. As you can see, I didn't like the way the windows kind of disappeared in the block, so I embroidered a small blanket stitch around the windows and a stem stitch to mark the window panes.
The instructions are here.

Euphorbia

2009-05-11T18:02:00.004-04:00

My garden is full of interesting plants, but perhaps the most interesting is this beautiful yellow Euphorbia. I love the yellow/green colour of this herbaceous plant. It creates a bright spot in my garden at this time of the year. In our climate it is a hardy perennial, coming up early each spring. Euphorbia are one of the largest and most complex genera of flowering plants. There are over 2160 species! They include many that look more like succulents or cactus-like plants. The common indoor plant at Christmas time, Crown of Thorns, is also a Euphorbia. I have several indoor plants that are considered Euphorbia. Botanists have tried to subdivive this genera but have not been successful. These plants are so diverse that my DD took a botany course at university a few years ago, dealing solely with this genera.
The most interesting things about this plant are the flowers which are really bracts, or coloured leaves at the end of the stems. The centre of these coloured bracts contain the unisexual flower parts. This is similar to Poinsettias, which are also Euphorbia (E. pulcherrima) Euphorbia are sometimes called Spurge. The word 'Spurge' comes from the word 'to purge' due to the early use of this plant's sap as a purgative. Needless to say, the sap can be highly toxic. It can cause skin irritations and affect mucous membranes. It is important to handle this plant with care. But I have never experienced any problems with it. It is one of my favourites!

Family: Euphorbiacceae. Genus: Euphorbia. Species: E. epithymoides.

Common name: Spurge

Pasque Flower

2009-05-09T20:41:00.005-04:00

Some of my favourite early spring plants are the Pasque Flowers. These perennials are one of the first plants to come up in the spring. Pasque refers to Passover and they are called this because they tend to flower at that time of the year. Although in my neck of the woods, it is usually still too cold then. In my garden they bloom during the month of May.

I have several varieties in my garden. A few years ago I bought a white flowering one, but I can't find it this year. I think I will go out and buy another one this year. This is a close up of a lovely fuchsia coloured one.

Family: Ranunculaceae. Genus: Pulsatilla.
Common name: Anemone, Prairie Crocus

This plant is highly toxic! It produces carcinogenic toxins. It can slow the human heart rate. It can lead to hypotension and coma. This plant has been widely used in folk medicines as a sedative and to induce abortions and childbirth. Needless to say, as pretty as this plant is, I won't be eating any part of it!

Blue and White Muscari

2009-05-07T19:47:00.005-04:00

I love the little Muscari that are blooming in my garden. I have many of the blue variety and a few of the white. They are one of my favourite spring flowers.

They are grown from bulbs which are planted in the fall. Once planted, however, they tend to multiply rapidly in good soil and come back up each spring.

Family: Hyacinthaceae. Genus: Muscari.

Common name: Grape Hyacinth

Block #3 of A Tale of Two Cities

2009-05-06T11:10:00.004-04:00

This is the completed block #3 for the Yokohama/Toronto wall hanging. It is called 'Maple Leaf'. Sorry I did not post it yesterday, but I did not have a picture of it. As you can see, it is another simple block in the nine-patch category. You will need the same templates as block #2 - a 3inch square and a 3inch half triangle.

You will need to:

mark and cut two 3in X 3in squares of background fabric.
mark and cut four triangle units of background fabric.
mark and cut three 3in X 3in squared of your choice of fabric for the leaf
mark and cut four triangle units of leaf fabrics

Complete the stem applique piece by following the applique instructions mentioned yesterday. Sew triangle units together into squares. Lay your pieces out to match the photo. Sew them together.

If you have any questions, just e-mail me. Happy Piecing!

Continuation of Freezer Paper Applique Method

2009-05-05T12:36:00.004-04:00

Freezer Paper Applique - Part II

Continue to take small stitches along one edge of the applique piece. End off.
Start in the same manner on the other side of the piece. When you have gone about halfway, you will need to take out the freezer paper. You do this by cutting and removing the basting stitches. Then slide something (I use a small knitting needle) to separate the freezer paper piece from the fabric. Then pull it out.

Carefully fold the applique piece back on its original fold and continue to applique to the end of the piece. End off.
The stitches should look something like this on the back.

The front should look like this. You are now ready to attach this piece to the Maple Leaf Block.

Block #3 Maple Leaf

2009-05-05T12:11:00.006-04:00

We will now do Block #3. It is called Maple Leaf. Maple trees are abundant in our country. In fact, we even use it on our flag to symbolize our nation. Japan has maple trees too. I love the lace-like leaves of the Japanese Maples! I have included this block to show our similarities. We will begin by hand appliqueing the stem to one of the corner units of this block.

Hand Applique - Freezer Paper Method - Part I

Hand applique is a lot of fun. This is the method which I use for beginners. First find the pattern piece that you wish to applique. Next take the freezer paper. You will notice that it has a waxy side and a dull side. Place the freezer paper waxy side down over the pattern. Trace the pattern onto the back of the freezer paper with a pencil.

Next, cut the pattern out on the drawn line.
Place the freezer paper piece onto the back side of the fabric you wish to use for the stem. (green) With an iron set to the cotton setting, press the freezer paper to the back of the fabric. (The nice thing about freezer paper is that it can be re-used. If you have made a mistake placing the freezer paper piece on the wrong fabric or if you want to re-position it, you can just take it off and iron it again.) Then cut the piece out, leaving a scant 1/4inch seam allowance around the entire piece.

Now turn the edges down over the freezer paper and baste. Use a large running stitch. Some people like to press the piece at this point, but I find that isn't really necessary.

Once the piece has been basted, place it on the background fabric as directed in the pattern. In this case it will go diagonally across the piece. Pin it in place. This is the bias of the background fabric so be careful not to stretch it.

You are now ready to start sewing. Work from right to left if you are right handed. Try to use a thread colour that closely matches the colour of the piece being appliqued. I am using a contrasting colour so you can see it. At least I hope you can see it! Knot the end of the single thread and bring it from the back to the front catching the applique piece by about two threads. I know this doesn't sound like much, but you don't want huge stitches to show on the front. Next, bring to needle down into the background fabric right beside where you just came up in the applique piece. Run the needle along on the back, coming up a short stitch farther and again taking about two threads of the applique piece.

Please go to Hand Applique Part II for more photos. Blogger would only let me put this many on this post.

Bergenia

2009-05-03T21:47:00.005-04:00

Today was a beautiful spring day. The air was cool, but the sun was warm. Needless to say I spent most of it in my garden. To my great delight I discovered that my Bergenia are in bloom! I love these plants. I planted my first one about 20 years ago. Since then they have multiplied and delighted me each spring.

Family: Saxifragia. Genus: Bergenia. Species: B. cordifolia.

Common name: Elephant's Ears

This plant's common name is Elephant's Ears because of its large, round leaves. It is a perennial evergreen. It's large leaves give the garden some interest even in winter. The flowers are borne in large clusters fairly early in spring. It is very hardy in our climate, probably because it is native to China. Sometimes the leaves look a little beaten up after a long cold winter, but it is easy to just pick off the brown, dried ones and the plant immediately looks good again. It can easily be divided, although it is best to do that after it has flowered.

I often find huge garden snails at the base of my plants in early spring and also during hot weather. This seems strange since Bergenia are apparently not affected by snails and slugs. Perhaps their large leaves provide protection from heat and cold. I have heard that cocoa beans can be put at the base of the plants to keep slugs and snails away. I have not tried this as yet. With my luck the snails would just go and sit under a plant which they would find delicious!

Helleborus

2009-05-01T15:45:00.004-04:00

This is my Helleborus. Not very exciting, is it? I thought it was dead, but a new shoot came up in the last few days. I plan to take better care of it now that I am able to get around a bit better. I love this plant! I am not sure which species I have.

Family: Ranunculaceae, Genus: Helleborus

Common name: Christmas Rose

Lamium maculatum

2009-05-01T15:44:00.006-04:00

On my continued journey through my garden I want to show you my Lamium maculatum, commonly known as Dead Nettle. It is growing in a very sunny spot. I don't know how it got there. I planted it in the shade in another part of the garden, a long way from this one. The ones which I planted are very small and slow to come up. They are in the shade. Apparently this plant likes shade to partial shade., but this one is in full sun. Go figure! I will probably move it to a more shady spot because here the soil is poor and it gets very hot and dry in the summer.

Lamium is a herbaceous perennial. Mine has green leaves with a white stripe down the centre. The flowers are light mauve. It is in the Lamiaceae family. It is low growing, reaching only about 6 inches to 12 inches. It blooms from early spring through the summer.

Family: Lamiaceae, Genus: Lamium, Species: L. maculatum

Common name: Dead Nettle

A Tale of Two Cities - Lesson #2

2009-04-28T13:00:00.013-04:00

It is time for the next block in our Toronto to Yokohama wall hanging. This one is called "Friendship Star". It is a fairly easy block. It belongs in the nine-patch category. Can you see why? In this lesson you will continue to sew squares together and also learn how to piece triangles.

Here is the block:

You will need some template plastic. Cut the pattern piece to measure 3 inches by 3 inches. You will need one of these. Then cut another piece of template plastic to measure 3 inches by 3 inches, then cut this piece diagonally to create a triangle. (This will make two pieces, but you really only need one)

background fabric: Trace and cut 4 squares from the fabric you have chosen for the background. As in the first lesson, make sure you leave enough space as you trace around each piece for a 1/4in. seam allowance.
centre of block fabric: Trace and cut 1 square from the fabric you have chosen for the centre of you block.
star points fabric: Trace and cut 4 triangle pieces from the fabric you have chosen for the star points.
background fabric: Trace and cut 4 triangle pieces from the fabric you have chosen for the background.

You should now be ready to sew the pieces together. Pin in the same manner as lesson #1.
Start with the triangle pieces. Sew a star point piece to a background piece. Repeat for the other three star points.
Now sew pieces together in rows as shown in photo.
Sew rows together and you have a finished block.

You will only need to make one block.

Good luck! Happy Sewing!
Email me if you have any questions.

A Tale of Two Cities - Lesson #1

2009-04-22T09:51:00.000-04:00

We are about to embark on a journey - a quilting journey from Canada to Japan! I call this quilted wall hanging, "A Tale of Two Cities - Toronto to Yokohama". It is a beginner quilt. You can join in if you want to. It will be fun. For the time being this will be a sort of mystery quilt. That is because I have not totally finished all the blocks for this wall hanging. I will post a photo as soon as I do. But don't hold your breath! It may take awhile.

Instructions:

First place the fabric you wish to use, right side down, on a piece of fine sandpaper. This is so that the fabric won't slide too much as you trace your pattern pieces.

Now place the template on top of the back of the fabric. For this first lesson you will use the 1 1/2 inch square. Trace around the template using a very sharp pencil or one of those mechanical pencils with a very thin lead. You do not want a lot of dark pencil lines on your fabric. They may or may not wash out, so press lightly - just enough so that you can see the line.

Leave about half an inch of space between your pattern pieces. This is the seam allowance. The pencil line will be the stitching line. Then cut your pieces apart through the centre of the space between the pieces. This will give you a 1/4 in seam allowance on all sides of the piece.

Take two of whatever colour you like and pin them. Right sides must be together. You will use the pencil line to place the pins.

Thread a needle and knot the end. Start at one corner. Take a small backstitch if you like. This will help to keep the knot from pulling through the fabric. Now do a line of running stitches as small as you are comfortable with. Check every now and then to make sure you are stitching on the pencil line on both the front and the back fabric. If not, take the stitches out, adjust the pins and try again. When you get to the end of the pencil line, finish off by doing a couple of small stitches while catching the thread in order to make a sort of knot.

You now have two pieces sewn together. Sew another two pieces in the same manner and then pin these two blocks together and sew on the line to create a 4-patch block.

Press the seams in one direction.

Continue in this manner until you have 3 4-patch units. Now sew these together to get a block measuring 3in. by 9in.

You're done! Make three more blocks like this. That is the end of lesson 1.

Pulmonaria

2009-04-19T19:04:00.003-04:00

I am going to continue my blue journey through the garden. The plant I am going to show you is called Pulmonaria.

Family: Boraginaceae. Genus: Pulmonaria. Species: Pulmonaria officinalis

Common name: Lungwort

This plant gets its name from the Latin word 'pulmo' or lung. The common name of this plant is Lungwort. The spotted leaves of the plant reminded early healers of a diseased lung and Pulmonaria was originally used to treat pulmonary infections. Pulmonaria is a herbaceous perennial. It prefers a partly shaded spot in the garden. It is one of the earliest blooming perennials. This is what it looks like in my garden. It is so nice to see this pretty colour so early in the season.

Blue Spring Flowers

2009-04-17T15:18:00.003-04:00

Welcome!

This is my first post on this blog.

In the future it will become my teaching and tutorial blog. I plan to provide patterns and instructions for some quilts that I will design myself. Come join me in this fibre journey.

I will also post about the occasional plant that interests me. This will be more a way of keeping track of what is growing in my garden or in my home, than anything else. I hope to keep a sort of gardening diary in addition to the quilting tutorials.

So here is the first plant.

My sister was wondering what those lovely blue flowers are that are blooming everywhere - in gardens, lawns, hillsides and parks in our city at this time of the year. I believe the plant she is referring to is called Scilla siberica

Scilla siberica is a perennial and belongs to the lily family. It is native to Siberia and likes cool conditions. That's why they do so well in our climate. It grows from a small bulb, which can be planted in the fall and left in the ground to continue to come up year after year. It can also be lifted in the spring and transplanted. They are very hardy and do wonderfully when planted in a lawn. The common name for this plant is Wood Squill or Spring Beauty, but it is more often called by its scientific name of Scilla siberica.

This photo is from the internet.

And below are some Scilla siberica that are growing in my front lawn rght at the moment. I took this photo this morning. A few years ago I discovered these beautiful blue flowers growing in a local ravine. They were beginning to grow into the path and looked like they were being stepped on. I dug some up and planted them on my front lawn. They looked a bit sad during that first spring, but they established themselves nicely and keep coming up faithfully every spring. They multiply rapidly and mine are beginning to cover a good part of the front lawn. By early summer they die down and have no detrimental effect on the lawn. I love the colour blue, especially when it comes to flowers. So these are some of my favourites. I also love the fact that they are one of the earliest flowers in spring.

Family: Lilium. Genus: Scilla. Species: S. sibericaCommon name: Squill, Wood Squill, Spring Beauty