promise of spring

The promise of spring landed in my mailbox yesterday.  Just the thing I needed to make me forget about the greyness of the day.

I can't wait to add these new additions to my landscape.

What's making you happy today?

Great Balls Of Moss

We had a beautiful spring day yesterday.  It was warm, windy, and sunny, perfect for drying clothes on the line and for doing a little potting project.  Or un-potting maybe.  I had just seen this project on Design Sponge and knew I had to try it.  Balls of moss?  What's not to love? 

I've had a layer of moss on a table outside that I had gathered last fall and I have an assortment of "volunteer" plants in my houseplants.  This guy, and I don't know what he is exactly, drops a leaf and re-plants himself everywhere so I figured he wouldn't be too picky about his new home.

His roots are wrapped in dried moss, potting soil, and finally the gathered moss, and wrapped in twine.  I'm thinking I will make several of these, perhaps with different plants, or just moss, and hang them all from one of the trees out front sort of like those beaded dangly door covers from the 70s. (remember those?)

The best part?  Sporophytes.

How cool is that?  I can't wait to make more.

What spring projects have you been undertaking?

Oh, and I am so flattered to have been interviewed on Elizabeth Abernathy's very lovely blog yesterday.  I'd love it if you would stop by and have a look.

Elizabeth Abernathy - interview with Lisa of lil fish studios

How My Garden Grows

I've been working on wrestling a small garden out of the grip of a nasty patch of weeds.  I'm afraid that with all of the rain we've been having the weeds are making a bit of a comeback but even still, this little garden is one of my favorite spots in the yard. 

The oak that stood here had died from wilt but the creeping virginia that had climbed up the side has remained.  The ferns pop up all on their own like weeds.  I keep some but they'll quickly overtake the garden if I let them.  I like that the stump is producing shoots and leaves...how's that for determination?

If you look closely, you'll see a little iron nuthatch, purchased from this shop on Etsy.

At the base of the stump is a patch of hens and chicks.  The hens are making chicks like crazy!  Look at all those babies tucked in there.

My tribute to Margie.

Behind the stump stands my birdfeeder that I adore from Joe Papendick.  It plays host to a number of different birds...nuthatches, finches, blue jays, woodpeckers, and sometimes some of these guys:

a yellow-shafted Northern Flickr.

The toads and garter snakes tend to linger in here and our new flock of chicks and guinea keets like to play here as well.  I think it must be the art that draws them in.

The lilacs and irises have bloomed and gone, the daylilies are doing their thing, and soon the hydrangeas will bloom.  I've been feeding them coffee grounds and hope to have some lovely blue blooms again this year.  I'll share photos when they're up.

How is your garden growing?  Do you have a special place where the toads play?

Growing

On Earth Day the boys each painted up an old terra cotta pot and planted some beans from the cupboard. I wasn't expecting much, but look at how they've grown!

The first day planted, April 22nd.

A week later, April 29th.

Just two days later, May 1st.

At this rate, we'll be reaching the giant's castle in no time!

We plan to make a kids' garden this year and I think given the success of these little sprouts, beans will have a prominent spot in their little green patch. I can see it now...pintos, navy, great northern, green beans, wax beans....

Unexpected

Unexpected beauty. This morning I awoke to find a singular white bloom on a rogue angel trumpet plant tucked in a potted plant in our dining room. The seeds had wandered there either by chance or by toddler, not sure which. We noticed a new plant growing in the pot and didn't give it much thought as weeds commonly pop up in our greenery (we set them outside whenever the weather permits and they gather hitchhikers), and then this morning there she was, a beauty in white. A very fine way to start the day.

Wordless Wednesday