Monthly Archives: March 2017

Wordless Wednesday: Dundalk’s town square gets Yarnbombed

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Happy Wordless Wednesday! A day when I just share a bit of chat with you and a  few pictures to brighten things up.

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I don’t get into town (Dundalk) to walk around very much. I happened to last week though, and came across this yarnbombing project. The Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA) organized it for International Women’s day. I know, I’m a bit late on that one.  Life’s been busy. 😊

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200 members of the Louth chapter of the ICA helped in this fun project.

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I confess that i didn’t know what the ICA was.  According to their website, the Irish Countrywoman’s Association is the largest women’s membership organization in Ireland with 10,000 members. They cook, travel,  craft, and socialize.

I think the yarnbombing was fun to see. It’s nice to have something different to look at in the town square.

Have you seen any fun yarnbombings near you?

In peace,

Dana

 

 

Fabulous Flower Friday: Sunflowers

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in the beginning

It is Fabulous Flower Friday!  Our focus today is on Sunflowers.

perfect for bees

I have to say that I am a huge fan of perennials, but sunflowers are one of the few flowers which I love to plant every year.

They love full sun, and in our windy area I have to have supports for them.  I’ve just done some reading on them, and honestly everything I read doesn’t hold for me so that leads me to believe that sunflowers will grow anywhere and in any condition!

support for the short ones, too

We usually start seeds in late spring in medium sized pots inside where I have a sunny hallway.  Then we plant them in the garden after all chance of frost has passed.

these teepee-like supports worked really well (from 2015)

fall view 2016

fall view pears and sunflowers 2016

There really is very little extra work involved in care, other than supporting them.  This year the stems on the large plants were more than two inches thick!  Their roots were substantial, too, which left me fighting with them when it was time to pull them out!

Beautiful throughout the fall

LOADS of seeds

I did save the seeds this year, but I might have waited a bit too long before I gathered them.  We’ll see!

so many varieties!  This is a single dwarf plant

so many blooms

squished blooms!

Sunflowers provide beauty in the garden through the entire fall and well into the winter, too if you leave them be!

sunflowers to the right

And that’s a wrap.  What variety will you grow this year?

In peace,
Dana

Wordless Wednesday: Grow Your Own Organic Garlic

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Home grown garlic and Polish Pottery

Home grown organic garlic at the beginning of February.  Showing off in the garlic bed is one of my Polish Pottery mugs – sittin’ pretty and being all artsy 😉

Hello Wordless Wednesday fans!  Just three pictures today as they say it all.  Grow your own garlic because it is just too easy!  We plant it in November or even as late as December and it starts to pop up after the hard frosts pass.  I like watching the progress through the months.  To me, that is called enjoying the little things!

Organic ‘Vallelado’ Garlic at the beginning of March

I do all of my organic ordering on-line.  I like getting my potatoes and garlic from Fruit Hill Farm, down in Cork (they have very good customer service).  Here’s their link:  https://www.fruithillfarm.com/

Garlic wreath with artichokes and roses from the garden

A couple of years ago we had so much garlic that I made a wreath with some of them! (I also ended up using that garlic throughout the following winter…)

Maybe you’ll make a note to plant some organic garlic next winter?

In peace,
Dana

Wordless Wednesday: Gladiolas & a flower arranging trick

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This is how we start

This is how we start: Gladiolus ‘Dark Knights’

Hello Wordless Wednesday friends! A quick little post (with very few words) about using plant material to help keep flowers in place when arranging them.

neat little thing

neat little thing

Materials: strong plant stems, rubber bands, scissors, some patience.

so easy and so helpful

so easy and so helpful

The “guard” sits right on top of the vase and helps to keep the tall stems upright.

Gladiolas

Gladiolas

Perfect!

Gladiolus 'dark knights'

Gladiolus ‘dark knights’ in the garden

The end! 🙂

In peace,
Dana