About Mominthegarden

I'm an American enjoying life in Ireland. I live in the country with my family. It is so beautiful here! I've been creating our garden from "scratch" and having fun doing it! I blog about my gardening adventures, and a bit about Ireland, too.

Expectations vs. Reality

Posted on April 19, 2020 by Mominthegarden

Bergenia (Bressingham white, possibly)

Hello there! Welcome to another blog post written during the Covid-19 ‘stay-at-home’ time. Confession: I’m afraid that I am not one of those people who have completely organized their home, weeded the entire garden, finished countless craft projects, learned a new skill, and managed to not loose my cool while living and working with 4 other adults (full time!) during these uncertain times. There have been good days, and there have been gloomy days. I’m learning to take them as they come. I think that everyone’s energy levels are a bit down. There feels to be a weight on my (everyone’s?) shoulders, which I’ve named ‘Everything Covid-19’. Thankfully, there are more good days than gloomy, and I wouldn’t trade this time with my family for anything. There is definitely good to be found in every situation. But I have to be realistic with myself, and not beat myself up if this slower pace means, well, that the bar needs to be lowered a bit! 🙂

The plus side: there is lots of beauty in the garden, even with minimal work on my side. Also, I just finished crocheting a blanket which was a new pattern for me (more on that in a later post). We even had a BBQ outside, something that due to schedules and weather, we have rarely done in the past. Finally, we acquired two new chickens (I purchased chicken feed from a local farmer and picked up two cuties while I was at it). Integrating them with my 1.5 year old hens was/is challenging!

So life has been ticking on for us, amid the Covid-19 situation around the entire world. I am grateful that we are able to stay home and stay safe. I’m more aware of my gratitude these days, as there is so much that I am grateful for. I’m also grateful for my blog, and for connecting with people from around the world. I hope you find it to be a sanctuary, like my garden is to me.

Enjoy the pictures, which give a sampling of what has been happening here over the past few weeks. And please do stay safe!

In Peace,
Dana

Bergenia ‘Bressingham White’ in full bloom

This white blooming bergenia (Bressingham white, I believe), is in full bloom and has never looked as pretty! It is rather difficult to see from this angle, as the grass is so long!

Oops! only half of this bed has been fully weeded! You can just see the Bergenia on the left.

Sunny days really do make a difference! The tulips are beautiful right now. I fear that tulip fire is making its way around the garden, though.

Tulips with Bergenia and Erysimum in the background

I just love evergreen trees. The one right behind the tulips is Abies Koreana, and the one below in the far background is a Nootka Cypress.

Tulips with Abies Koreana + Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’

The Aubrieta continues to provide beautiful color, along with the anemone ‘Mr. Fokker’. It is now also joined by tulips Merlot (and some stray tulip Ballerina).

Aubrieta April 11 tulips anemone view of gates

Aubrieta and tulips on April 11

Aubrieta in two of the rose beds and a theme of very pink flowers!

A backdrop of Aubrieta for the Tulips Merlot

Tulip Merlot + Tulip Ballerina

I’m not sure, but this looks like tulip fire

This vase was a perfect match for the Ballerina tulips.

I added some vases of flowers to my kitchen this week. I brought in Ballerina tulips and some grape hyacinth. It was interesting to see how they changed as they ‘matured’.

Grape hyacinth and Ballerina tulips

So, we ran out of gas for our grill, but that didn’t stop us from having one heck of a BBQ outside! Some wood, some charcoal, some determined people, we made it happen. You’ll notice that I am dressed for winter, while my kids are quite comfortable in much less clothing! I feel the cold much more than they do 🙂

The First BBQ of the season!

Moving on from the BBQ – I’ll add that we did not eat chicken – let’s talk about our pet chickens!

The first introduction to the older hens

One thing that we have learned is that you can’t just add ‘new’ chickens to ‘old’ chickens. They need to be integrated over a period of time. We didn’t realize how trying this was going to be! The older girls (they are 1 and a half years old now) were not nice to the ‘babies’ who are 5 months old. The first night, we actually kept the babies in our back-room (in the crate). But not before we snuggled with them to make them feel welcome!

Just a chicken resting on my lap!

The next step was to have the new girls in a section of the run that was separated from the old girls. Everyone needed to be able to see each other, but not peck each other.

Our sectioned off area for the babies.

We maybe could have waited a few more days before mixed them all together, but they are now all together. Night time is tricky. I still supervise everyone going to bed, to make sure the babies aren’t getting a ‘peck’ before bed.

We now have two teams of two… Here is Sweet Pea and Iris under the hedge

Team Daisy + Rose resting together

This is the ladder we used to get in and out of the run to take care of the babies (yep, we need to build a gate!)

The chickens are getting along better in their run. The older girls still chase the babies, but they aren’t pecking them, which is a relief. The babies sure are fast!

Narcissus Sir Winston Churchill

Mom in the Garden – anything is possible when the weather is good! Take care!

Not exactly ‘business as usual’

Posted on April 5, 2020 by Mominthegarden

anemone ‘Mr. Fokker’

Hi there. I’ve been quiet here on the blog front. Honestly, I’m not sure what to say. In some cases, it is ‘business as usual’ and life is more or less ticking along. But in so many other cases, it is not ‘business as usual’ and lives are completely disrupted. There is a lot of stress, uncertainty and tremendous loss as a result of Covid-19. So I feel funny jumping on here and talking about my garden. But I also know that there are many good things that have happened during this situation and even because of this situation, which I hope you’ve also witnessed and experienced. And while life can be quite serious at the moment, I hope that a little deviation from that, with some pictures of flowers, can alleviate the situation, even if for a short time. Welcome to my sanctuary! 🙂

signs of spring with daffodils and tulips coming into bloom

Narcissus ‘Ice King’ (Double Daffodil)

always searching for the perfect angle

There is always weeding to do in the garden. I’m not sure that anyone really likes weeding, but the place sure looks better after its done! Given that we can’t go anywhere, I’ve been able to spend more time on that task than I would usually. I’m slowly getting around the garden to each bed. It is a lot of work, and sometimes I really have to talk myself into it. But it is always worth doing, even if just a little bit at a time. It helps for me to see the next set of plants pushing up through the soil. The continuity of the garden with its flowers and trees is something very special to me. It brings hope for tomorrow.

the new buds on our lilac shrubs

Lilies, which won’t bloom until July, have already pushed through the soil.

This next picture caught my attention. The tulip leaves, especially, are quite ragged looking, and I would have described them as having wind-burn (as we live in a very windy area). But I did a quick google search as I was putting this post together, only to discover that these tulips have something called ‘tulip fire’. So this is the last picture I have of them in the ground because I immediately went out and had them dug up (thank you, husband!). Tulip fire is a fungal disease of tulips caused by Botrytis tulipae, and the only treatment is removing the tulips – and not replanting with tulips in that bed for 3 years. A sad day for my Viburnum plant, as it will now look quite bare without the tulips. I’ve posted a few pictures below, about the tulip fire, just so you know what it looks like and to be aware.

Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’ and Mystic van Eijk tulips with beech hedge still in winter mode

Infected tulip leaves (tulip fire fungus)

a bouquet of ‘tulip fire’ infected Mystic van Eijk tulips 😦

Mystic van Eijk tulips with ‘tulip fire’

Moving on to more healthy plants…

narcissus actea ‘pheasants eye’

daffodil season

hyacinth and anemone

Mr. Fokker anemone

The daffodils are blooming, as are the hyacinth and anemone. The bright pink of the aubrieta can be seen from afar! While the hellebores are just finishing up their season, there are so many other plants now coming to life. I’m so thankful that I do get to spend time in the garden.

Aubrieta in full bloom

white hyacinth and a white (spotted) hellebore

Spring show hyacinth hellebore lilacs with buds

A spring showing with lilacs coming into bud and hyacinth in bloom while hellebores are at the end of their season

Single white flower Winter Sunshine hellebore

a single white flower of the Winter Sunshine hellebore, at the very end of its season

Bleeding Heart – Dicentra spectabilis with baby blooms!

I am mindful of all of those people who are suffering due to Covid-19. I keep those thoughts close to my heart, to keep everything in perspective. I also focus on the many blessings in our lives, right now. And I pray. I pray for everyone’s safety and well being, especially during these uncertain times.

Let me know how you are doing! I would love to hear from you!

In Peace,
Dana

Celebrating Mother’s Day during very trying times

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Mominthegarden

Helleborus Niger – an all white hellebore

Hi there, and welcome to my ‘Mom in the Garden’ blog. I think that looking at pictures of pretty flowers is exactly what we all need right about now. I’m all info’d out when it comes to Covid-19. Even with sticking to trusted sources, it just gets too much to focus on for too long. My family and I are doing our part and we are staying home. It was exactly how I would want to spend my Mother’s day, too. Join me as I escape from the realities of this pandemic with pictures from my garden.

a pure white hellebore – Helleborus Niger

The hellebores have had a very good run this season. This pure white one (helleborus Niger), and a few others in the garden, still have some new growth. But their season will be wrapping up as spring ends.

helleborus orientalis double Ellen red

Here’s another hellebore (double Ellen red) that still had pretty blooms!

I don’t know the names of all of my hellebore plants. This lovely dark pink one was given to me years ago by my friend Susan. It is lovely and showy.

Hellebore – dark pink

the same plant but on a rather wet day

a beautiful hellebore flower

chickens make the best backgrounds

My chickens had been getting some garden time in the evenings. But recently there has been a scare of avian flu, so I haven’t been letting them out. This is sad for all of us!

white speckled hellebore (with chickens)

The next plant is one I haven’t posted about in a long time. It is difficult to get a good picture of the flowers since they rarely open fully. It is called helleborus foetidus, or the stinking hellebore. It does have a strange smell, but thankfully isn’t too fragrant.

hellebore foetidus or the stinking hellebore

helleborus foetidus or the stinking hellebore

A full view of the helleborus foetidus or the stinking hellebore

Aubrieta creeping

As always, the garden offers signs of hope and new growth. The aubrieta is slowly creeping along in the bed and down the wall.

A full bed of aubrieta!

I still love the thrill of seeing flowers showing life in the new season. Like this Itoh Hybrid Peony ‘Hillary’. If you’d like to know more about the hybrid peony, you can read my post about this one, here.

new growth of my Itoh Hybrid Peony ‘Hillary’ (and lots of new growth from weeds, too!)

That’s really all the break I needed to clear my head. Honestly, I’m devastated for those who have lost their lives in this pandemic. I think about those who have already lost their jobs, or who will lose their jobs in the future because of this situation. The impact on all of us will be tremendous. It is tremendous. And it is during these times that I am most especially thankful for my family and friends. Because although we aren’t all close together, we are all close at heart.

I am praying for everyone affected by Covid-19, because I have a strong faith and I believe in the power of prayer. I pray that we will all get through this, together.

I hope that you, too, are able to find time to look after yourself and your well being – both physically and mentally. It really is important.

And although a difficult time, I wish all of the Moms celebrating Mother’s day today, a very special day.

Stay safe everyone.

In Peace,
Dana

It’s O.K. to make mistakes

Posted on February 8, 2020 by Mominthegarden

Anemone ‘Mr. Fokker’ blooms all winter

Hello there! You are always welcome to my Mom in the Garden blog, where I’ll chat about the garden, or my chickens, or anything at all, really! Something happened this week that just had me thinking about some personal struggles that, thankfully, I’m slowly getting over. It was an email ad, actually, that my husband had received from a huge international company, advertising a new breakfast special. But the price was a pound, and we live in the Republic of Ireland and we don’t use pounds, we use euros. Sure enough, a little while later my husband received another email ad, with an ‘Oops!’ and a correction of the price from pound to euro. Not a big deal, really, just a mistake.

I’m going to back up a few years, to my life prior to going back to work. I was a stay at home mom for 16 years. Loved it. Did lots. Never bored. Then the time came, and I returned to work outside of the home. I won’t even talk about how different the world was from when I left the work force, but I had changed. I was now holding myself to an unreasonable standard, where mistakes were simply unacceptable. Holy cow, the pressure I put myself under! Even writing an email had my palms all sweaty (What if I said the wrong thing? or didn’t ‘cc’ the right people?). It was debilitating. And it took a long time to learn that everyone, and I mean everyone, makes mistakes. And that is O.K.! You deal with the mistake, you learn from the mistake, and you move on from the mistake. End of story.

So I had to laugh when my husband told me about the email ad. Just another reminder that even the marketing departments in big, international corporations make mistakes.

I’m getting better at moving on after mistakes. There is still room for improvement, but I’m in a much healthier place than the impossible ‘mistake free’ mentality I had.

I hope you are having a mistake-free day – and that if you do make a mistake, you’ll know it is O.K.. 🙂

In Peace,
Dana

My two girls, Daisy and Rose, underneath their house, having a dirt bath with ashes.

Our girls provide us with two fabulous eggs, nearly every day.

This is Kitty. She doesn’t like to look at the camera, but likes to be in the picture.

This hellebore, Frilly Isabelle, is one of my favorite shades of pink, and is covered with blooms.

wild fennel in February morning sunlight

Wild fennel in morning sunlight

Playhouse in February morning sun and frost

The morning sunlight was simply magical here – the side of the playhouse roof – the fronds of the ornamental grass, the fields – the lighting was amazing!

Who’s got your heart?

Posted on February 2, 2020 by Mominthegarden

Rose and Daisy in their run

I always think of February as the month of ‘red hearts’. 🙂 O.K., maybe it has become somewhat commercialized, but I still see it as ‘the month of love’ for giving Valentine’s cards, maybe a small gift, but definitely showing appreciation for those we love.

January was a really busy month in our household. Holy Cow it has been crazy! Honestly, the schedule isn’t really slowing down much this month either. Thankfully, my husband and I are still able to manage a teeny, tiny bit of ‘down time’ to recharge, every once in a while. I’d be lost without that. We all would be! It is so much better for everyone, when we can recharge. I’m especially thankful because my husband makes it a priority that we both get the time we need to keep the work/life/family balance.

My kids are growing up – 21, 19, and 15 years old – so I really appreciate whenever I get to spend time with them. They are so different from each other! It is a joy to watch them grow into the wonderful people that they are. Those everyday moments can be quite special.

It seems we are too frequently reminded of how fleeting life can be. There are, sadly, no guarantees. It really is important to make the most of every day and to be the best version of ourselves. (That’s not always easy, but it is always worth it.)

I hope you are surrounded by the people you love, and who love you right back.

In Peace,
Dana

Winter sunshine hellebore (in January)

My three top performing hellebore plants are shown in this post: Winter Sunshine, Frilly Isabelle, and Double Ellen Red.

Winter Sunshine hellebore in full bloom

We have just a couple of rose flowers in the garden – at the very end of their lives.

Ancient Mariner David Austin Rose

James Austin rose (from David Austin)

Double Ellen Red Hellebore

Hellebore Double Ellen Red

I enjoy taking pictures in the fog…

Nootka Cypress tree on a foggy morning

Frilly Isabelle Hellebore

The ornamental grass, in the beautiful sunshine, is laden with raindrops

The beauty of January

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Mominthegarden

Rise and shine chickens!

Hi there! Has it been frosty where you live? or maybe snowy? We’ve been so lucky (well, I consider it lucky) that we’ve only had a few days of hard frost, which by any standards isn’t bad at all. There have been some beautiful sunrises and some absolutely gorgeous sunsets too, making January quite enjoyable!

I managed to get in the garden twice so far this year. Yup, twice: once to start pruning my roses and once to do some weeding. Both jobs are not nearly done! But it did feel good to get outside in the fresh air. I have a very warm pair of gardening gloves that were perfect for those cold days.

The days are ‘getting longer’ too! The chickens were going to bed at 4:30 pm in the darkest days of winter, whereas they are now going to bed after 5 pm! Yay for more daylight!

Here are a few pictures from my garden in January, and mostly on frosty days.

I hope you are staying cozy and warm!

In Peace,
Dana

One of my favorite trees: Nootka Cypress

Globe Artichokes from the summer in a pink hued sky

Another one of my favorite evergreen trees: Abies Koreana

I don’t know the name of this plant (given to me by a neighbor). I think it is a black ornamental grass of some type. 🙂

a frozen rose

a frosty view of the garden around the playhouse

Discovering a ‘gem’ while on vacation! (the Chihuly collection presented by Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg, Florida)

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Mominthegarden

Carnival Chandelier, 2008, Chihuly Collection

(close up) Carnival Chandelier, 2008, Dale Chihuly Collection

Azul de Medianoche Chandelier, 2004

(close up) Azul de Medianoche Chandelier, 2004

Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier, 2010

It is wonderful going on vacation, isn’t it? There are two aspects to vacation for me: 1. Relaxing with family and 2. Discovering/exploring/learning something or someplace new. I had the pleasure of visiting my family in Florida over Christmas. It was wonderful to get to spend time with family, especially over Christmas! We also ventured out to see the Chihuly Collection presented by the Morean Arts Center, in St. Petersburg, Florida. What a collection!

I only learned about Dale Chihuly this past April when my daughter and I came across his work while visiting the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (I wrote about that here). During that visit, I learned that his work is renowned around the world! Interestingly, this building at the Morean Arts Center was purpose built to hold this collection of Chihuly’s work. They showed a documentary film which covered all of Chihuly’s work, which was fascinating to watch. It was so interesting to learn how his collections come about. First of all, he works in teams made up of anywhere from 5 to 18 people, although the concepts and ideas are his. He also doesn’t usually handle the glass, as he only has vision in one eye following an accident from years ago. He is a prolific drawer and painter, and from those drawings and paintings come forth the ideas for new collections. It is an incredible, fast paced, constantly evolving process.

The Morean Arts Center also has a studio and ‘hot shop’ just across the street from the museum where they give blown glass demonstrations. This gives a wonderful perspective on the process of how the items are created and how unique each one is. It is well worth the visit!

Our teenage girls also enjoyed seeing the collection and the demonstration, making it a successful family outing! 🙂

I hope you enjoy the pictures, although I’d highly recommend seeing the collection in person!

In Peace,
Dana

blown glass in the ceiling between show rooms (Chihuly Collection) Morean Arts Center

blown glass creations in the ceiling between show rooms (Chihuly Collection) Morean Arts Center

Float Boat, 2007 Gift of Bill and Hazel Hough

Dale Chihuly’s drawings

Venetians

pieces from the Chihuly collection at the Morean Arts Center

Silvered White Spotted Ikebana with Gilded Purple Stems, 2006

Sunset Persian Wall – 2010

The Mille Fiori (Italian for a thousand flowers) display is simply breathtaking!

Mille Fiori – 2010

Mille Fiori 2010

The demonstration in the ‘hot shop’ brought the experience to life! It is very much worth going to see!

demonstration of blown glass at the ‘hot shop’

family picture at the demonstration of blown glass

Family selfie before the demonstration!

2019 was full of Flowers, Fowl, and Fun

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Mominthegarden

Snowdrops in January

Hellebore Frilly Isabelle in February

Happy (almost) New Year! What a joy it has been looking through pictures of this past year while putting together this blog post! I love taking pictures and capturing what is happening in the garden, and it is nice to then go back and see what changes there were in the garden throughout the course of the year. The garden is always in a state of flux and growth. The biggest change to the garden this year, though, was the addition of chickens. I adore having them as pets. The Long Island Red (hybrid) chickens joined our family in March, at 23 weeks. They each started laying one egg a day a couple of weeks later and have continued ever since. Their house and run now take up a large part of our back garden, where I can watch them from our kitchen.

There have been other changes in the garden, too. In one of my lavender beds, I removed a large plant that I have never been a fan of (name unknown). What a great feeling it was to get rid of it! In its place, I added a fig tree. My love of evergreen trees continues, with the addition of a small one, Picea pungens ‘Super Blue’, to the garden this year.

Plants and shrubs were added to a few of the beds around the yard. I like making these small changes, which of course add up over time.

My two rose beds have also had more David Austin roses added to the collection. The boxwood (box) hedge in the newest rose bed is doing really well and slowly filling in. This is exciting to see because we grew all of these plants from cuttings. “Yay!” for successful ways to save money in the garden!

We had quite a fruitful crop of apples and pears this year! Lucky enough, we didn’t have any major storms to knock down the fruit prematurely from the trees, as has happened in the past. (And they tasted delicious!)

I’m thankful for our harvest of garlic, too. There is nothing nicer than homegrown garlic!

My crop of sweet pea smelled simply amazing this year. I was able to cut bouquet after bouquet of pretty, sweet smelling flowers for weeks.

Like Sweet pea, Sunflowers have been a staple in the garden for the past number of years, and I plan to continue with that tradition.

Not all was pretty in the garden this year though. My Incrediball Hydrangea started the season off well, but finished with a burnt look from, apparently, too much sun. I will move it to a shady spot this year.

Another section of the back garden has become quite overrun by weeds – in a very bad way! And therein lies my challenge for 2020!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the garden, photographing it and writing about it. I hope you have also enjoyed it.

I’m very excited to see what the garden brings in 2020!

Thank you so much for being a part of my gardening and blogging experience! I have had visitors to my blog from all over the world, and I’m so glad you’ve stopped by. Please do feel free to write a note, especially from where you are from. I’d love to e-meet you! 🙂

I wish you all best wishes for a wonderful and healthy New Year! May 2020 be everything you hope it to be!

In Peace,
Dana

Garlic in February

Cleared out lavender + hydrangea bed March 1

Lavender bed cleared of unwanted plants while Lavender, Hydrangea & Lilies remain – March 1

pink hyacinth in a jug with chicken house in the background

A bouquet of Hyacinth and the hen house

Hellebore Winter Sunshine in March

Freshly dug up bed - Lavender + hydrangea - fresh compost

Lavender bed cleared of unwanted plants while Lavender, Hydrangea & Lilies remain. Here it has been freshly turned with compost added.

Abies Koreana covered in pine cones March 31st

Surrounding fields in April

Aubrietia in April (can you see my boots?)

Front Garden View at the end of April

Japanese Maple garden view end of April

Dug-up bed mature Lavender + hydrangea + hosta + lilies

Lavender bed cleared of unwanted plants while Lavender, Hydrangea & Lilies remain.

Merlot tulips and aubrietia

Dana in compost with chickens and Kitty

Strawberry Plants at the beginning of May

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’ (Nootka Cypress) in May

Lily of the Valley planted with our cypress Nootka

View of the garden around the playhouse in May

Hawthorn trees in May

Lilacs and Hawthorn in May

Here is a picture of the mystery plant (at the back of the bed) last year. The mature lavender plant at the front is the source of many of my lavender wands!

Newly dug up bed mature lavender + hydrangea + new fig tree

Lavender bed cleared of unwanted plants while Lavender, Hydrangea & Lilies remain, and a fig tree has been added.

Chicken house and 1 free range chicken in June

Viburnum in June

Full rose plant in June

Poppy garden in June

4 chickens in Japanese Maple garden

Primula capitata subsp mooreana

June view of the veggie garden

Playhouse flowers lupin iris bleeding heart

Flowers at the playhouse – lupin, iris and bleeding heart

June Rainbow garden

Lavender colored poppies

Chickens following my daughter

Chicken at ditch wall garden July 11

Front garden in July

July harvest of garlic

Newest evergreen – Picea pungens ‘Super Blue’

July cleaned up lavender bed

Vase of Daisies in July

Pears in July

Lavender wands in July

August View of Garden Sunflowers + hydrangea

August View of Garden Sunflowers and hydrangea

Sweet pea + Kitty

August Lily and chickens

August Sunflowers

Lilies in August

Fig tree in August

Chicken in driveway in August

Sunflower and Apple tree in August

Black ornamental Grass in August

Light Pink David Austin Roses in August

Buttercup squash in August

Chickens and pink hydrangea

Chickens outside their run in September

Pears in September

apples in bowl and apple tree

Deep pink David Austin Roses in September

Yellow David Austin Roses in September

Apple pie and sunflowers in October

Playhouse garden with chickens in October

Hydrangea blooms in October

The first evergreen tree which we planted: Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’ (Nootka Cypress)

Hazelnut tree in October

Lavender wreath made in November

November Chicken house in Sunrise

December Chickens and Cat

Blue Blanket with poppies + Dana in Family room

Me with my poppy blanket which I crocheted 🙂

Thankful for the Birdsong

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Mominthegarden

My friend Betty made this scarecrow for me many years ago.

I’m going to be honest; I haven’t worked in my garden in weeks, other than deadheading some of my roses. But every single day I am thankful to be able to look out into my garden and enjoy what is there. The garden will always attract me, but I also love watching the birds in and around the garden. It seems to be the perfect time of year for starlings to put on their shows – or murmurations. It is so neat to watch! Our garden is filled with birds, as there is still a lot for them to eat.

June 2013 Monsignor McCloskey in the garden

Monsignor McCloskey in the church garden in 2013, in Fayetteville, NY

Three very dear friends of mine, all of whom sadly have now passed away, also had a love of birds. Monsignor McCloskey used to have several bird feeders outside his living room window so that he could watch them during the day in his retirement. He also had a wrist watch that had several different bird whistles that it could play on command. He loved showing this to the children before or after mass on a Sunday!

Betty & Harold at the 4th of July parade in 2006 in Manlius, NY

Betty (far left in blue top) & Harold with my very young children at the 4th of July parade in 2006 in Manlius, NY

My other friends, and former neighbors, Betty and Harold, had their bird feeders right outside their kitchen window. I loved my visits with Monsignor and my visits with Betty and Harold, and it was such a bonus to get to enjoy the bird shows, too!

At a visit to ‘Betty’s kitchen’ in 2015

Aug 2015 hummingbird drinking at Betty's window

This was a a treat for me while visiting Betty and Harold in 2015 as I rarely see hummingbirds!

O.K., so not always birds at Betty’s bird feeders!

I think of Monsignor, Betty, and Harold now as I marvel at the starling’s formations, or as I enjoy the birdsong that is constant in my yard, despite not having a ‘bird feeder’. I miss them, and am so thankful for the many years we enjoyed each other’s friendship. I still can’t believe how blessed I am to have had such special people in my life.

This tree, as seen from my yard, is always filled with either starlings or crows, depending on the day!

They have had such a huge impact on me, simply by being themselves. I can still hear their voices, and their words of wisdom and comfort, and their laughs. They might not be here in person, but they are always with me in my heart.

These sunflowers will be left for most of the winter. In the middle of this picture (although not in focus) is a lovely male Goldfinch, noted by his red face and black and white head.

I’m thankful for the pure beauty of the birdsong, and the chance to not only hear it but to see the birds in all of their singing glory. I’m also thankful for those who share in this love of birdsong, especially Monsignor, Betty and Harold. May we each find our own ‘birdsong’.

I wish all of my American family and friends a Happy Thanksgiving!

In Peace,
Dana

Dried fall flower arrangement.

Things will get done when they get done

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Mominthegarden

Lavender wreath in the making - first round

It starts with a straw wreath frame, some floral ‘U’ pins, and groups of 12 stems of lavender each being pinned into place!

There are lots of good things about getting older, and one of them is knowing that things will get done when they get done. Are you smiling? I hope so. Because isn’t it the truth? I definitely used to fret more when I was younger, worrying about when things would get done. Now, a bit older and (hopefully) wiser, I see that life is so full, and most of us are always in ‘go’ mode which makes it really difficult to slow down or even rest. I’m learning that it is perfectly O.K. to stop and take some time out, because things will get done when they get done.

Section by section the lavender is pinned in place.

Lavender Wreath + fuschia roses side view

A side view shows that the wreath frame is completely covered in lavender, with an accent of roses and hydrangea.

Lavender wreath + fuschia roses + hydrangea full view

This design has the lavender go in one direction, ending with flowers.

This leads me to my lavender story. You see, I needed a rest. I’m used to going ‘non-stop’ and this past year I’ve just had to slow things down a bit. With my lavender this meant that while I harvested it in July, and even made some lavender wands, after I laid it out to dry, I just left it. One wreath was made ‘on schedule’, but then … nothing. I have no reason, and 100 reasons. There was a little progress as the summer shifted into fall and chilled into winter, and the little progress kept on going and bit by bit the wreaths were made. I needed that extra time to not rush through and make them just to make them. I wanted to enjoy the process and be present when I did so.

Lavender wreath + Rosemary and Rose focus - in progress

This wreath has Rosemary and roses in the design.

I really like the green of the Rosemary when it is first cut. Everything is attached with the floral ‘U’ pins, except for the roses, which are glued on with a hot glue-gun.

Rosemary from my garden.

Lavender Wreath with Rosemary + roses complete

I’m glad to have someplace to make my wreaths – and not worry about the mess!

I can be somewhat impulsive, and when the mood strikes to create a wreath, I just go with it, gathering up whatever materials tickle my fancy that day. This is the first year that I used up nearly all of my dried lavender from this season. The wreaths were so full of lavender!

Lavender wreath in progress roses on top

This design was rather unusual. I worked the lavender in three rows around the frame. I have to say that this was a bit tricky to work through.

Close up of the dried roses.

lavender wreath + roses on top + ribbon on door

The finished wreath embellished with a ribbon.

Repeating designs is not really something I like to do. I prefer to try new ways of making things. Sometimes this works well, and sometimes I think ‘I should have stuck to the original plan’! It’s a learning process. This season my dried roses really kept their colors, which I think adds a nice contrast to the shape and color of the lavender. I do like to work with greens, too, so the Rosemary was a nice addition – although sadly, it won’t keep that pretty bright green color. This is the first time that I worked a very tiny amount of hydrangea into the lavender wreath, too, just to try something different!

This is my lavender basket, which is now nearly empty.

I am now finished with making lavender wreaths for this year, and I’m happy to say that I enjoyed the process (and I like the wreaths, too)! And it is so true that things will get done when they get done.

In Peace,
Dana

Lavender wreath + Rosemary + roses outside

Lavender, Rosemary and Roses

Lavender wreath with roses and a ribbon

Lavender wreath + fuschia roses full view

Lavender wreath with roses and hydrangea

Mom in the Garden

Enjoying life. In Ireland. With my family.

Author Archives: Mominthegarden

About Mominthegarden

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Things will get done when they get done