Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Fabric Inspiration and a Quilt Top

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I’ve been feeling the tug of fabric again. I used to make quilts. I still do, but not nearly as much as I used to. I have a fair amount of fabric and I thought I should get some of it out of my craft closet (where I never see it) and put it on my shelf in the studio, where it will hopefully inspire me. I sorted through all the fat quarters, pulled the ones I wanted and then set up the iron and ironing board in front of the television. (It was humid and warm yesterday, so it might not have been the perfect time for this little chore.)

I usually sort my fabric by color. My goodness, I love color.

I notice that I have several designs in blue with cherries as part of the pattern. Who can resist cherries? Some of these pieces are several years old, others are of more recent vintage.

Now, that just might inspire me. I have more fabric stored in the closet. And my bark cloth and larger pieces are in the cabinet.

While searching for fabric in the craft closet, I came across this quilt top that I pieced together 3 summers ago in San Diego. It was pieced using a Featherweight that my friend, Ingrid, graciously loaned to me.  I. Want. A. Featherweight. I’ve wanted one for what feels like forever. Brenda now has two Featherweights. That just doesn’t seem fair, does it?

Anyway, back to the quilt top. I threw it on our bed to show it to you. But keep in mind, the bedroom is the worst place in the house to take photos. It’s virtually impossible to get a good shot.

It’s a snowball pattern from a Kaffe Fassett book. And most of the fabrics are Kaffe Fassett designs. I loved the lush, old fashioned feel to that particular fabric line.

Excuse the wrinkles. It’s been folded up for a long time.

I’m thinking this needs to be on our bed. Which would mean that I have to make a quilt sandwich and then…quilt it. The last time I hand quilted a queen sized quilt top, I almost slit my wrists. Don’t get me wrong, I like hand quilting, but that much quilting takes a long time. I don’t machine quilt. But perhaps I could machine quilt a simple grid pattern? Or should I just tie it? I’m not a big fan of tied quilts. Hmmm. What to do?

What do you think? And don’t you think it would be perfect on the bed? That’s what I originally planned for this top. And you know I don’t mind a lot of pattern. I always find a way of making it work. I think that comes from my British ancestors. Cozy little British cottages with slightly worn furniture and all sorts of color and pattern are just my style.

Happy Wednesday.

Why I Love Having a Perennial Garden

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This is our second day of rain. Much needed, so I’m not complaining, however I really can’t do any work in the garden. But I can share some thoughts on perennial gardening.
 

 

The California Poppy has really taken off this year.

 

Though I plant a few annuals – mostly in pots on the porch – I really concentrate on perennials. Annuals are great fillers, especially when you are first establishing a garden, but perennials are with you for the long haul.

 

When we first moved here, the big garden bed, and it’s really big, was pretty bare. It had been established, but very few things had been planted. There was a hosta or two, some sedum “Autumn Joy”, daffodils and a bush. In addition, there were two peony bushes down by the road, a wiegela near the shed,  and a lone yellow tulip by the porch. And lots and lots of trees. Since we moved in at the end of August, I decided to hold off on the garden until the following year. The only thing we added that first year was a new garden bed in front of the porch where we planted 4 boxwoods.

 

Slowly but surely that next spring, I started to add perennials to the garden bed. As you know, I am on a very limited budget ( I think it was a bit less limited in those days, but nevertheless, limited.) I had to be selective about what I added. Some plants took, others did not. I had to learn about our soil, amend it, do lots of research and be willing to experiment.

 

 

Since I was on a budget, I added only a small amount of plants each year, starting in the spring of 2006. Patience was my watchword. You need patience when you are establishing a perennial garden because it takes a while for the plants to take off. No instant gardens for me. No landscape designer filling in my garden beds in the blink of an eye. No, I wanted to design my beds. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

Now, in the spring of 2012, I am bowled over by how big and full all of the plants are. I’m amazed at the poppy, for example, a plant I haven’t seen bloom in its full glory for 4 years. Wow. It’s huge. It has lots and lots of buds that will soon burst forth in a gorgeous shade of reddish orange. I planted it at least 4 years ago. It took time to reach this size. The catmints are unbelievably full and gorgeous. The bee balm multiplies every year. As do the coneflowers. And the David phlox. The ground covers spread a bit more each year.

 

 

And they all come back. That’s what perennials do. They come back, year after year. They hunker down in your soil, spread their roots, and decide to make a return visit every year. Each new spring, I am filled with awe at the miracle of rebirth. My plants have become my children. Truly. Just as you watch your children grow, the same holds true for your perennial garden. It doesn’t sprout up overnight. Good food, nourishment, water and lots of love help to build a healthy, long-term garden.

 

Annuals are temporary. They’re perfect for my porch pots (impatiens) and window boxes. They nicely fill in my barrels. My hanging plants are annuals. But the garden beds are filled with perennials.

 

 

Since that first summer in 2006, I have added two more beds. I expanded the bed in front of the house (where the boxwoods are) and added a hyacinth, russian sage and a rose bush. The next bed is just around the corner of the porch and it has my (now huge) hydrangea, two rose bushes, a spirea and some coneflowers. The most recent addition was put in last year – another bed that expands upon the hydrangea bed. It’s a bit bare – I will add more plants as time and budget allow. But remember, patience is a virtue in perennial gardening. It’s about the process. You have to be willing to wait as your garden evolves.

 

 

The area around the porch that you see in the above photo was completely bare when we moved in. Just grass. Now, I have a flourishing cottage garden that adds to the charm of this old house.

 

And, oh my, it was worth the wait.

 

The Mystery Plant

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You all know by now that I haven’t really seen my garden in the spring since 2007. Starting in 2008, I had coaching jobs that took me away several weeks during spring and the early part of the summer. Though I was grateful for the work, I absolutely hated being away from my garden during what I feel is its most exciting time.

Before leaving, I would clean up the garden, mulch, and do my best to prepare the garden for spring bloom time. Sometimes, I slapped some new plants into the ground, crossed my fingers, and left town. This year – thank you, thank you – I am here for the spring. I’m getting reacquainted with my garden.

The other day, I noticed this mystery plant on the shade side of the large bed:

I remember noticing it coming up out of the ground right before I left for Hartford. I almost yanked it, thinking it was a weed. Caution took over and I held off. Now, I’m back from Hartford and it’s really big. I’ve examined it closely. It sort of looks like the catmint that surrounds it on both sides. But it isn’t catmint.

It’s awfully pretty.

I don’t remember planting it.

At first I thought it might be salvia. No. Not salvia. I grabbed my gardening notebook which has devolved into a place where I toss all those little identifying cards that come with plants. I finally saw one for “Veronica Austriaca” – Royal Blue, also known as Speedwell. Aha! That’s what it is. That was what I planted. And after researching it online, I can definitely say it’s Veronica.

When the heck did I plant this? It must have been last year. It’s gorgeous. But I can take no credit for it, I just stuck it in the ground. This happened without any effort on my part. Maybe good gardeners just get out of the way?

Bumble bees sure like it.

Have you ever forgot you planted something? Please tell me I’m not alone.

Be sure to scroll down for my book review. It’s a great cookbook and I’m giving away a copy, along with an apron.

And I have a Shop Update coming in the next day or so.

Happy Monday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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