Spring comes and we can finally crawl out of the studio and head into the gardens and yards around us. Here in Vermont, it takes a long while for the snow to melt but it always does, revealing green lawns and gardens sprinkled with first colors. For Northern Vermonters, we rarely see a crocus here in our weather zone, but…
Gardening
Gathering Apron in Linen
Sometimes things go together very nicely. For instance, we introduce our Gathering Apron in Linen. There feels a historical connection between these two. Linen is one of the first fibers from which cloth was made. Aprons also share a deeply historical background dating back to ancient times. There is a safe assumption that our ancestral mothers wore linen cloths wrapped…
The Season of Lavender and Linen Aprons
It is the season of Lavender. I never knew there was a season for it but as we recently traveled to take some good pictures of the Linen Aprons, Lavender seemed to own the land. We found it tucked behind stone walls .. beautifully set under arching branches… We found it in echinacea and phlox, and…
Bonnets for Today’s World
I designed a Bonnet years ago when our company was new. I know what it’s like to be outside; the heat in summer, bugs in spring, sunburnt necks, hair jostling around everywhere, hanging down your sweaty back and darn it’s cold for those northern gardeners who are outside digging out root veggies in fall. The head needs outerwear. I had seen…
The Vermont Flower Farm-The Daylilies.
Here is my stunned face as I look over the Day lilies. Who knew there were so many kinds? Clearly I should have done more research before coming here. I looked out over the first Daylily Garden and felt overwhelmed. I have never seen so many flowers in bloom in one place. Where does one start? How…
The Vermont Flower Farm’s Hosta Garden
I had the good fortune to interview George Africa at the Vermont Flower Farm. I was excited to learn about Dalylilies and Hostas as I did not know that much about them.The Vermont Flower Farm has a beautiful Hosta Garden. I began there and was surprisingly overwhelmed. They were larger than I anticipated and my timing was perfect as they were all…
Three Cosmos
The first time I planted a vegetable garden, I couldn’t resist adding flowers for cutting. I knew nothing about growing flowers but was enthusiastic about having bouquets of cut flowers all season long to decorate my home. I saw a photo of Cosmos and added it to my seed list. Although started indoors months in advance, the effort turned out…
Ants and Peonies
Peonies and Ants have a long standing relationship. I have no idea how it started or how deep their love goes, but rarely are a Peonies’ buds without their partner, the ant. Some say that the Peony bud can’t open without the ant. Others say that isn’t true. All sorts of theories exist for untold hours of reading, that…
Vivi’s Allotment Garden
I gave up on TV and Cable when my favorite gardening shows were canceled and nothing else was offered to replace them. I don’t have much time for TV viewing anyways so I haven’t struggled very much for a replacement. Now that garden season is upon us, I terribly miss the old garden shows that I use to enjoy so much.…
Summer Clothing
These are my summer feet. These are my very happy, contented summer feet. Oh sure, I still wear a skirt in the summer, I dodge in and out of the house, in and out of the garden and filthy feet means I have had a great day doing things I love. It means I have spent hours in the dirt,…
Recycling Olivia’s Organics Containers
I am not a hoarder per se. But I do come form a long line of old northern Yankees. Making do, reusing and “don’t throw it away” are not a new terms for me but ingrained into my personality. I innately look for connections, I love to create circles of things and rebirths of items that redefine their use. That…
Gardening Series #11, End of the Season
At summers end, the frost comes and with it are taken the leaves and stems. They lay wilted and done. Now without their fullness creating covers and shade you will find what lies beneath and for me, I find gourds. Now easy to pick, easy to see, I step about the wilting stems and gather a basket of gourds that…