A Simple Garden Wreath

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Mominthegarden

everything you need!

I love wreaths. I love using plants from the garden. I love making things with my hands. (that’s a whole lotta love!) What a great start to my day to be able to make this wreath! I dried all the flowers this season and it was so easy to put it together.

My video is not a “how to” but more of a summary. I wasn’t sure how the wreath would come out so I didn’t video me making it. Next time I will!

Super easy to make!

We’ve had some much needed rain, but now the sun is out and it is just glorious.

Enjoy the video, and enjoy your weekend!

In peace,
Dana

Making Lavender Wands: The Video!

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Mominthegarden

lavender, lilies & hydrangea

I LOVE lavender. I love the smell of it, how it looks before it is in bloom, how it looks after it blooms, and how even just brushing past it in the garden will cause it to emit its lovely scent. I love everything about it!

view of the fields, too

There are a few different things you can do with lavender. I usually dry it and then make sachets. I have also made lavender wreaths. You could probably find a vase or two around my house, full of lavender!

dried lavender bouquets, wands & sachets

lavender sachets

lavender wreath

But I think the most interesting thing to do with it is to make wands. They are kinda quirky. I have a bunch of them arranged in a vase. One daughter has a wand on her dresser. They are also pretty on a bathroom counter. I think they also make a nice “little gift” to give someone.

lavender wands

My lavender is at the perfect stage for making lavender wands; the flowers are just starting to open and the stems are not yet stiff. The stems have to be pliable to bend them over the blooms. You can have a look at my picture instructions of how to make wands here: https://mominthegarden.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/lavender-wands-my-first-lavender-wreath/

lavender in bloom

a mature lavender plant

I have ventured to make an instructional video, prompted by my dear neighbor from NY, Betty. Since I can’t show her in person how to make them, I thought I’d make a video for her (and share it with all of you!).

wands in a vase

This is my first attempt at making “a” video. The outcome was making 4 short videos! As it happens, I prefer having nice short videos when I look up how to make things myself. Please feel free to let me know what you think!

In peace,
Dana

Mom in the Garden (2014)

In a Vase on Monday: A Summer look (Still)

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Mominthegarden

Didn’t expect this summer look at the very end of October!

It is Monday! Just barely so, but you are getting used to me by now, aren’t you? I know some people would have had their “In a Vase on Monday” meme done and dusted by now, but sometimes I just need a little bit more time. Good things come to those who wait, right? 🙂

dahlias, roses, wild yarrow, lavender, campanula & hesperantha (schizostylis)

I had been making my arrangements on the weekends (the only way I could possibly get them posted on the blog at a decent hour on a Monday!). But alas, this week it was left until today. Today was an unsettled weather day, looking rather dull with a very light mist of a rain most of the day. That is, until I went outside to cut some flowers. Then down came the rain! Ha! That’ll teach me to not put things off! Maybe.

Some pink Schizostylis/Hesperantha that is the same colour as the roses

I have to say that I didn’t really have anything in mind when I went outside to cut flowers. I went outside just to see what was on offer. The roses I was originally going to use were blown away completely just this weekend. These roses seem to be a little bit more hardy. The stems had six or more blooms all clustered together. They are fabulous at our front gate. Coming from New York, it took a while for me to adjust to the “fall colours” here. At home you would see so much burgundy, yellow, orange, and red in gardens. But certainly not pink! Here you can still see so many summer colours even at the end of October. The only “fall” look comes from foliage, really.

I had to clear our hutch

No sun in sight for my picture taking. Plus, I left it a bit late. So I had to clear our kitchen hutch. I love it when it is all cleared, but it is so hard to keep it that way! I’m sure my husband won’t recognise it…

The flowers that didn’t make the cut…

The Salsa Red Echinacea and red Schizostylis (Hesperantha) didn’t seem to fit in with the other colours. They look quite nice on their own, though.

A pink, purple, white, and yellow look

Up close

I still find it surprising when I can manage to make an arrangement just from items from my garden. That.Is.Neat.

Stickley kitchen hutch as a backdrop for my flowers 🙂

Do you see the hydrangea sitting on top of the hutch? I should have taken a better picture of it, as it is a very pretty blue and burgundy mix. I see a wreath creation in its future. But more immediate, I think my next project will be to make a festive tea cosy to replace the roses cosy. Since the cosy is on display where it lives on my hutch, I think it might be nice to change things up a bit.

I just need a few more hours in each day!

I’m joining Rambling in the Garden for Cathy’s In a Vase on Monday meme if you’d like to stop by and see some other vases! You can click here: http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2014/10/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-collection-of-compositae/

Happy Monday!
Dana

In a Vase on Monday: Lavender in September for a scented treat

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Mominthegarden

Snapdragon, Lavender, Erysimum bowles, Autumn Joy

Snapdragon, Lavender, Erysimum bowles (mauve), Autumn Joy

Lavender?! In September? I have a lot of lavender, and because I love it, I added more new plants last year. Those new guys were the first that I harvested in July. I like to make lavender sachets, wands, bouquets. There are quite a few things you can do with lavender! It seems that the plants had lots of immature stems, which have continued to grow throughout the summer and were just ripe for the cutting for my arrangement!

Lavender in September!

Purples, white, and a bit of pink

It was such a treat working with the lavender. I. Love. Lavender. 🙂

Autumn Joy sedum

I have one Autumn Joy plant at my front gates, which I wouldn’t normally like cutting from. But this one stem was broken and on the ground. I couldn’t just leave it there!

Autum Joy sedum, tortoise butterfly and bees

Autum Joy sedum, tortoise butterflies and bees

In a Vase on Monday: White & Purples & a wee bit of pink

The snapdragons were planted from seed for me by my father-in-law. He can grow anything from seed or cutting, unlike me! I have some mixed colors and just picked out the white ones.

Snapdragon

Pottery Vase from when we were first married

In a Vase on Monday…

What fun it is to gather flowers from the garden! Thank you Cathy from Rambling in the Garden! You can see other arrangements linked to Cathy’s page at: http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/

Have a good week!

Dana

Lavender Season – a delight to behold!

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Mominthegarden

Lavender up close

We moved into our home four years ago. My husband and I really like living in the country, and our home suits us just right. The yard was more or less a blank canvas for us, except for the established lavender garden. What a treat! Lavender! So pretty to look at, and a scent to match that beauty!

One view of the lavender garden. (As a side note, the fields in the background are planted with potatoes and the plants have bloomed with white flowers!)

Our first summer here, one of my sisters-in-law suggested I dry the lavender. I’ve been drying it and finding different things to do with it ever since. I have really grown to love it. It is so fragrant that I don’t even need to brush past it to enjoy the scent; it is already wafting in the air. It truly is a relaxing fragrance too.

Lavender garden with an old milk container squished in

Full lavender garden view with milk container

Someone with so much lavender in their yard surely has to do something creative with it! I surprised myself last year with the number of lavender wands I made. The colors of the ribbons I used to weave the lavender were so pretty to work with.

Lavender Wands

I shouldn’t forget the wreath, either. I was really delighted with how it came out. This year I just haven’t had the time to spend on crafts, unfortunately. That is a huge unfortunately, because I really enjoy making things with my hands.

Lavender wreath with dried roses

There is still a bit of time left to work with the lavender, so I just might get something made. This past week I have been cutting some of it to dry for bouquets. (All is definitely not lost!)

If you would like to try your hand at making lavender wands, you can have a look at my post from last year: https://mominthegarden.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/lavender-wands-my-first-lavender-wreath/

Lavandula angustifolia Lavender in our fruit and vegetable garden

Even after working long days, it has been so wonderful to go into the garden and cut lavender. The lavender I just planted last year was the first in need of cutting. I can’t believe how much it grew! Lavandula angustifolia Lavender. It was just a bit bluer than my established lavender, and the blooms were a bit thinner, too. But still beautiful.

Nature also enjoying the lavender

I bet you didn’t think I could pose this many pictures of lavender, now did you? Even the different times of day give it a different appearance!

Lavender in evening sunlight – this looks almost pink (but is definitely purple)

Clematis Bagatelle ‘Dorothy Walton’ and lavender

Lavender and play house

A sunny evening with dark clouds in the background

A sunny evening with a dark sky in the background

I loved how the lavender gave some pretty color to our fruit and vegetable garden. I was sad to cut the color away…

Lavender close up

One last view of the lavender garden

And that is the story of my lavender this season! I hope you have enjoyed seeing all of my pictures. I wish I could share the beautiful scent with you too! Maybe one day we’ll have the technology to do that. 🙂

Dana

My “flowers from the garden” Wreath

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Mominthegarden

Flowers from the garden Wreath

It has become rather popular on Thursdays to post pictures from the past on facebook and refer to “Throw back Thursday” on the post. Sure, when isn’t it fun to look through old photos? I found myself doing that today, and decided to join the Throw back Thursday movement and post about a wreath I made last summer.

My lavender

I have to say that I am a rather practical gal most of the time. If it is possible to recycle or reuse something I will try to do so. That includes what I grow in the garden! I like growing flowers which can be dried. I love my lavender for this reason! I’ve learned how to make lavender wands, and last year I made a lavender wreath for the first time. (of course I posted about it! https://mominthegarden.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/lavender-wands-my-first-lavender-wreath/ ).

Roses & hydrangea

Roses and Lavender from the garden

I have some lovely old fashioned roses that are beautifully scented. I dry them in my clothes closet and it smells so lovely every time I open the door!

Roses from my garden

lavender, roses, and hydrangea

The wreath is easy to make. I use Spanish Moss as filler between the smaller flowers. The hydrangea comes from my friend Susan’s garden. I have planted some hydrangea plants though, so I am hoping I’ll be able to use them (eventually)!

Susan’s blue hydrangea

Look at that blue! I know in my yard they grow pink, and I’m happy enough with that. I just might visit Susan around July though, and see how her blooms are doing! 🙂

My pink hydrangea

Annabelle hydrangea

The Annabelle hydrangea is the next plant I’m going to try growing. It is simply majestic!

Flowers from the garden Wreath

At the top-right of the wreath is some dried allium. I’ve used allium before, but only after spray painting it silver for a Christmas arrangement. So using it plain was something new for me. I like the different texture it gives the wreath.

Allium from my garden

I’ve had the wreath hanging in my kitchen throughout most of the year. It is getting time to replace some of the flowers, though, as they’ve lost their vibrant colors. That is O.K. as I like to keep things looking fresh!

Throw back Thursdays – I think I like that theme!

Happy Thursday!
Dana

Moynalty Steam Threshing Festival … Just like the old days!

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Mominthegarden

At the Moynalty Steam Threshing Festival

My husband’s father’s family is from Moynalty, County Meath. It is a lovely, picturesque, quaint village. And every year, for the past 38 years, they host a Steam Threshing Festival which attracts upwards of 30,000 people. It is always an enjoyable afternoon, and this year was no exception!

At the Moynalty Steam Threshing Festival

I’m not a farming girl myself, so everything had to be explained to me. Threshing is the process of beating the stem of the grain to separate the grain from the straw. Long ago, this was done by beating it by hand using a flail, but this graduated to using threshing machines powered by horses, and then later by steam engines. Today, combines are used.

Threshing demonstration field.

There is a tremendous amount of work involved, no matter which method is used! It is lovely to be able to see how things were done “in the olden days” (which is really not all that long ago!).

One of the many steam engines.

The Moynalty Steam Threshing festival is a great day for the entire family. They have vintage cars, antique displays, food, animals, crafts, and rides. They, of course, have a web site: http://www.moynaltysteamthreshing.ie/

Steam Engine.

For us, we have the added benefit of being able to visit with family. It is always fun to catch-up with everyone! I must get pictures of the extended family next time! 🙂

Vintage steam engine.

The kids love to hear the whistles blow! It’s classic.

Tractors through the ages!

Antique display of radios.

Selling lavender at the festival with my helpers.

Having gone to the festival for years, I decided that it would be a perfect place to sell my lavender. My lavender display was set up in the vintage car section. I have to say that really, lavender sells itself! The scent was enough to get people to come over to me (that’s the hard part!). I think it worked well with the different variety of items that I had. I sold my lavender wands, mini-bouquets, larger bouquets, and two different sized pouches (sachets). It was a lovely day!

It is always nice to find a fun festival to visit.

Dana
p.s. I most appreciated my husband taking all of the wonderful pictures in this post while I was busy selling lavender!

Mom in the Garden

Enjoying life. In Ireland. With my family.

Tag Archives: Lavender