Lost Witches and Puzzling Paths

I am finding it hard to believe that February is nearly over. Now we move into one of the main seed sowing months. It was so warm yesterday I jumped the gun a bit and sowed some sweetpeas.

I did save some of my own sweetpea seeds as well. We`ll see how they do.

Andy brought us two huge truckfuls of chipped bark recently so we made a start on that today, with the new puppy, Buddy tumbling between shovelfuls. It`s cypress lleylandi but we are not fussy. It actually smells very pleasant.

I finished the second flowerbed. The next one along is going to be hard work.

1st bed

2nd bed

I think the grass will need cutting soon.

 

I have been debating what to do with this path. I am fed up weeding it at least four times a year. We want to let it grass over but there is membrane, underneath a thick layer of well rotted chipped bark. I am wondering whether to pull out the membrane and perhaps have a path of wild flowers instead.

The trouble is there are lots of self seeded plants already growing there. And I have plenty of packets to use up.

I brought home a clump of pulmonaria "Blue Ensign" and was astonished when it split up into 40 pieces. I love the piercing blue, so beloved by bees at a sparse time of the year.

Maybe there will be some of these plants for sale at our little nursery later in the year.

The palma violets are doing well this season.

And the bellis daisy continues to flower its socks off.

Whilst cutting back the ferns round the pond, I found the missing witch. She must have tumbled out of the old fairy palace.

We spent our teabreak with my nephew Toby who is working on the decking at the Owl Yurt. It was nice to catch up in the sunshine.

 

Our Farmer Gracey amaryllis.
 

A Flight of Fairies

Many people enjoy the fairies at Freshwinds, whether it is exploring the Fairy Willow tree on the Fairy Trail 

 

or enjoying the fairy cave

And of course the fairy garden.

 

So we are always looking for ways to add to the fairy presence.

After making the bees last year, I had the idea to make some flying fairies which will be in the flowerbeds this summer.

I painted some bamboo canes in a grass green colour. Right from the beginning the fairies were designed with a wire from the body which would push into the cane. 

They took a long time to make. The wool winding alone made sure I only created one per evening. Likewise the dresses and trimmings. They are about 12 inches high.

I have bent them into flying  positions.

And here they are ....

 

Here are some of the details.

I can`t wait to set them around the garden to be discovered by the children.

I have sprayed them with Scotchgard in hopes that they may be just a little more weather-proof.  

Now I need ideas for naming them.

Making Seed Papers

At last I have gotten around to trying seed paper. 

At first I was going the whole way and duly soaked old egg carton packaging in water. It was suggested that a food processor would do the next stage but I was reluctant to ruin ours. So I gave up on that idea and put the soggy mass on the compost heap. It was a horrible colour anyway and it would have been a long messy job.

My next idea was to use banana and cigar paper.

In the end I only used banana paper due to its creamy colour. 

I mixed up a very weak solution of water and white pva glue.
 

I had plenty of home-saved seeds. I opened several packets and mixed them altogether.

 

I painted a sheet with the mixture and sprinkled it with seeds.

And here`s a tip ... don`t use very large seeds with small ones.

 Then I placed a piece of paper towel over the top and painted another layer of the glue mixture. At first it bubbled up but I noticed this disappeared as it dried.

I left these on the radiator to dry off and it didn`t take long. Overnight I placed them between the pages of an old sketch book with weights on top to flatten out.

Today I had an idea to make them more attractive and I used pretty serviettes with insects on for the top layer. Best of all the serviettes are recyclable.

These are all poppy seeds. They are currently drying on the radiator. 

I intend using them to make cards then the recipient can plant the seeds in the ground as they are and enjoy what comes up.

This is an easy project for children or adults alike, 

Why don`t you give it a go.

I look forward to seeing the results this summer.

Introducing Basil Ashbottom

 A warm welcome to February.

I thoroughly enjoyed January with its warm days in the polytunnel, scarecrow activity and huge piles of chippings.

That pile has now gone and every path is covered. And a brilliant time of the year to do it.

Some of my latest crafts ....

...... this is Basil Ashbottom, here to help look after the garden.

 

I have pieced together the first of the WI blankets and I am just about half way through. It took me ages to work out a pattern. I will post another picture when it is complete.

On Wednesday I was given another 36 squares which are huge so I have my work cut out.

Here are the t.shirt teds ... very bright and cheerful. So easy and satisfying to make. Recycling at its best. I love making them.

 

These hedgehogs are made using all my scraps of wool so again very satisfying.

Amongst the charity bags I helped my brother to sort, was an old duvet with music so I kept it and made bunting.

It will be going to his musical friend.

 

These pompom flower wands were an experiment. I was quite pleased with the outcome. They look like icecreams in a vase.

As you can see a lot of recycling going on.

My creative juices are inspired by the usual sorting out at this time of the year.

There are lots more ideas in the pipeline!!