Scarves Archives - Page 4 of 8

Transplanting Has Begun

September 3, 2019

I finally dug out two leggy pale yellow foxgloves that have been a lot of work for not great blossoms. I replaced one with a new peony- longing for sun. It will be MUCH happier in its new bed. I removed all the peony stakes and ties, trimming back some leaves already browning. Which also allows for better visibility of the sedum that are just coming to bloom. All the lilies are finished by the road, so that garden was ripe for weeding. I took great pleasure ripping out a recurring slew of old morning glory vines wrapped around captive primroses.
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Deadheading in the Garden

August 27, 2019

The temperatures are growing slowly cooler as Connecticut begins to prepare for autumn. This year, we’ve had alternate wild rainfall interspersed with hot/humid days. The garden has welcomed the rain but because of the heat, the soil dries out dramatically quick, requiring more watering then usual. Earthworms are on the rise, I’m told that’s because of the additional moisture. I have so many earthworms that the soil is eroding in many places to the point where groundcover on a hill just slides down. At first in disbelief about the veracity of my tale, the local nursery finally suggested trying buckwheat
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The New Britain Museum of American Art

August 24, 2019

“Sleeping Children” by William Henry Rinehart (1825-1874) at The New Britain Museum of American Art. The original sculpture was a memorial for the children of benefactor Hugh Sisson. Another summer is coming to a close and I think it important to appreciate a local museum that offers one a spirit of contemplation. End of summer is always a thoughtful time as the garden, still full of life, is also poised to wind down to cold once again. The New Britain Museum is the first museum in the country dedicated to American Art. We visit when the spirit moves and are NEVER disappointed.
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Curious Bedfellows- Deck Refinishing and Scarf Design

August 13, 2019

The weather gave us a short series of sunny days to clean and stain the front deck. It’s taken roughly 500 days to get here. (We missed last year entirely) Happily, I was able to take short breaks to visit our little cactus- boasting four flowers this year- three in a row! Deck Refinishing Friday, we taped, wet down and applied cleaner and brightener to the mahogany deck. The process is challenging- you wet the wood, apply the product, let it sit for 15 minutes, scrub the surface with a bristle brush, and rinse it off. Sunday, we stained and rubbed
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Clothes From the Garden

August 6, 2019

You grow the plants. Photograph them at high resolution with your Nikon of choice and design new creations in Photoshop. Apply those to a finish product and SELL said item. A tall order. Even though I’ve bought printing for marketing purposes, experimenting with printing to fabric was a whole other story. It would be exhausting to think about doing even part of the job, if I hadn’t fallen head over heels about the potential for creating beauty. The love of transferring nature to fabric has had its way with me relentlessly. Blogging about it is my confession. Pretty or handsome?
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Summer Scarves

June 29, 2019

Summer is the time to feed and water plants that have returned to share their beautiful flowers. It’s also a time to take new photos, move out some inventory left from the last fair and begin to create new designs. I was so happy to get my daughter back one sunny day to pose in the garden with some of the scarves. So much more fun than work on a hot day! Although. The garden does have its charm. I adore this photo. The miniature lilac tree is past but its memory will linger all year. We transplanted this tree
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Welcome to the Tropics of Connecticut

June 26, 2019

Have you noticed? It’s hotter and wetter in warm weather, and less cold in winter. Still, every gardener welcomes rain as an alternative to being eaten by mosquitoes when you’re trying to water thirsty plants. And it’s wonderful to look out at the lush greens, especially as the lilies haven’t quite burst into bloom yet. It’s an almost-water feature! I adore my new water hyacinths that live in a small metal pot embedded in one of the flower beds. And you don’t have to water. What a concept. Water plants are new to me and I find the leaves with
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Mother Nature Rules

June 18, 2019

Is that deck finished? You can see the red stain somewhat. The beauty shot of a newly refinished mahogany deck will have to wait until the next day the sun shines- this weekend? It sure may look tranquil but the before and after shots of ten hours playing nursemaid to a deck tell another story. This has been the year of repair. The lovely metal railing on the front deck had started to rust. Sanding, primer and spraying. I learned the hard way that shaking a can of paint VERY WELL is obligatory. And once you’ve checked the brand and
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Blossom Shopping in a June Garden

June 15, 2019

The first blast of Spring flowers has past, leaving in its wake rich young green colors on every side. What’s budded up in CT right now? Well, the peonies are starting their show… The day lilies are dutifully rearing their crooked little heads as the astilbe flower stalks get fatter by the day. Welcome patches of purple spiderwort are bearing their first flowers even as they demand staking. Spiderworts are great this time of Spring, as little else is blooming. Their fat numerous buds are a promise of continuous flowering. A few patches of new white allium have appeared I
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Summer is Ushered in Courtesy of April and May

June 11, 2019

April is the name I gave to my new Paola scarf. Early spring after all brings narcissus, daffodils and early baby sedum greens. Love the softness of color this time of year. These days, most of my time is spent in the garden -from weeding to watering to pruning and mulching. Today, I bought some bone meal to supplement a stubborn rhododendron that refuses to flower. I pruned the plant carefully, applied the bone meal around its base and layered on some compost bought expressly to hold it close around the roots. The plant sits on a steep hill
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