Itchy Green Fingers? Lets Start Sowing #Seeds

Gardeners can rejoice because it’s time to get the jump on spring! Time to start sowing seeds indoors.

If you have itchy green fingers this time of year like I do, here are some suggestions on how to get growing!

In in a pinch, (pun intended), and need to find quick and inexpensive labels? Clothes pins are the way to go, (popsicle sticks work equally well), and it’s simple to write the variety of seed you’re growing on them and then clip them to the pot.

When the time comes to planting the seedlings in the garden, the clothespin can be switched to a bamboo stake, or a popsicle stick can be stuck right in the ground.

These labels can be decorated, too! That’s a great way to involve the kids, and we all know Pinterest offers an abundance of creative ideas to do just that. 🙂

Egg shells and egg cartons work particularly well. The egg is nature’s packaging, and the carton is a ready made holder that conveniently comes with the eggs!

After that Sunday breakfast, keep the shells and pot them up with your seeds.

Eggshells will do more than just keep slugs away from a Hosta. They’re an organic way to provide calcium to the soil. The seedlings benefit, and any worms in the garden will be quite happy to make compost out of them.

The whole enchilada can be planted in the ground, and the best thing of all is that their tender roots won’t be disturbed once it’s time for them to be planted outside.

Containers from newspapers work well, too. The best 20 bucks I ever spent was on a pot maker purchase! Every year it repays me because it’s easy to make these recycled containers, which also keeps some paper out of the landfill site. Newspaper will break down in the garden, so they too can be planted directly in to the garden.

No muss, no fuss.

My kind of gardening!

Lilacs in bloom – Capturing the essence of spring, indoors and out.

“The lilac branches are bowed under the weight of the flowers: blooming is hard, and the most important thing is – to bloom. (“A Story About The Most Important Thing”)”
― Yevgeny Zamyatin

“Lord Henry went out to the garden and found Dorian Gray burying his face in the great cool lilac-blossoms, feverishly drinking in their perfume as if it had been wine.”
― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

“A black cat among roses, phlox, lilac-misted under a quarter moon, the sweet smells of heliotrope and night-scented stock. The garden is very still. It is dazed with moonlight, contented with perfume…”
― Amy Lowell

I would say to anyone, cut some lilacs, bring them in the house and put them in a vase. The heady scent of spring and early summer will linger lightly in any room you choose.

Upcoming art and gardening related workshops

Wall Flower Studio is offering two distinctly different upcoming workshops!

Kokedama moss ball workshop

Based on ancient Japanese art, the literal translation of Kokedama is ‘moss ball’.
Kokedama is essentially any plant wrapped in moss and doesn’t require a container. The moss is the container!
Once created, Kokedama can sit anywhere or be hung from string.
Perfect for small spaces, as a table decoration, on the a windowsill, or hanging above one, this living art will enliven any living/office space.
Join Karen on Sunday October 22 to make and take home your very own Kokedama!
All supplies provided! Fee: $30.00

2. Papier-mâché Animal Workshop

Interested in learning the art of Papier-mâché?
Join Karen for a fun-filled adventure & learn how to create your own 3D animal sculpture! (*There are 2 spots left)

It’s fun, messy, and it’s a 3 date class… One to build, one to cover with papier-mâché, and one to paint.

Dates: Sunday Oct. 29th + Sunday Nov. 5th + Sunday Nov. 12th. (2-4 p.m.)
Fee: $90.00 .. break it down to only 30 bucks per week. A great price for a fun class.
Come create, and don’t forget to bring along your inner child!

Please r.s.v.p. for either (or both) workshop(s) to: 705.286.6999 – sloanartgallery(at)gmail(dot)com (or) at Wall Flower Studio on Facebook.

Wall Flower Studio is located at 102 Bobcaygeon Rd. – Minden Ontario. (Directly across from the CIBC) – Please see map here on our website. Thank you!

What’s growing in the July garden on a WordlessWednesday

Early spring… gardening à la carte

Once the snow starts melting here in the Haliburton Highlands, it’s like opening Pandora’s Box.

If you’ll forgive me for pointing out the obvious, there’s no stopping spring, but seriously who would want to?!

Life in central Ontario Canada, (zone 4a to a Canadian & zone 3 to an American), means patiently observing (not always), and enjoying (always), other gardeners online progressions of this season.

Living vicariously might be another way of stating this!

For those of you who do live in milder climes, we’re playing catch-up here, (weather-wise), as most living in the rest of this continent, except of course those located farther north, have been experiencing growth in their plots for some time.

One of my yearly rituals, (as that’s exactly what this has become. but I’m likely not alone in this), is to inspect the garden once most of the ground is reviving from its snowy grip. Not only do I see what’s popping up, but it really offers me insight into any damage that may have occurred, not only from the force of winter itself, but any neighboring creatures who co-habitat the property.

Mostly I’m speaking of Voles, but that’s a blog post (rant) for another day!

Sharing here is two-fold – Interested like minds see what happening in this neck of the woods, and it’s a visual compendium to look back upon from year to year. I note any changes that have taken place throughout the property, and this also prompts me with ideas, (sometimes outrageous/unrealistic ones) on what I’d like to continue with/change this coming year.

Many bulbs are shooting up and the daffs are not in flower yet, but crocuses are strutting their stuff, as are the blue scilla.

I was happy to see the forsythia in flower. It didn’t seem happy last year so it was relocated it to a sunnier space. It’s currently rewarding me by way of golden blooms.

A tree partially fell down last year and as you can see, the woodpeckers were all over it! Looks a bit like a totem pole hewn by a beak. Perhaps a flowering vine of some sort will be well suited to that spot! Methinks it has ‘trellis’ written all over it.

In any case, this is yesterday’s garden tromp à la Wall Flower Studio, the garden, not the shop! Pending publishing this post, I shall be out the door for another adventure.