Autumn Drive

It was a productive few days in the garden. Planted out 200 garlic, transplanted lots of echinacea, valerian and roses. Cleaned up several of the raised garden beds. Dan dug up some horseradish and I hand grated about a quart of it. My sinuses are clear now! Went for a short drive on Sunday morning. Here are some photos.


The mushrooms growing out of this knot in the tree amused me greatly.


Is this a tree or an ent??

I'm sure fairy folk live here!

It's Autumn, Time to Move Tender Herbs Indoors

It's autumn and we have had a few light frosts. It's time to bring in the tender herbs that I grow in pots. They have been living on the porch and on the deck for the summer. I've trimmed, washed and moved them to their living quarters, in front of a set of southern-facing glass doors. Here's what I brought in:

Galangal
Cardamon
Tumeric
Bay
Rootbeer plant - Piper auritum
Dream Herb - Calea zacatechichi
Tea - Camellia sinensis
Vanilla Bean orchid
Attar of Roses Scented Geranium
Black pepper - Piper nigrum
Vietnamese Celery
Cactus grandiflorus
Jiao-gu-lan
Aztec Sweet Herb
Gotu kola
Salvia divinorum
Peppermint Scented Geranium
Coffee Plant
Rabbit's Foot Fern
Moujean Tea
Inebriating Mint
Vick's plant
Mandrake
Lemon Scented Geranium
Honeydew Melon Sage
Habek Mint
Iboza
Lemon Verbena
Rock Rose
Costus
Balm of Gilead
Aloysia gratissima - Bee Brush
Vetiver grass
Polygonum multiflorum - He Shou Wu
Cuban Oregano
Helichrysum - curry plant
Rosemary
Aloe vera
Lemon Meringue Scented Geranium
Old-Fashioned Rose Scented Geranium
Christmas Cactus
Citronella Scented Geranium
Agapanthus - Lily of the Nile
Houyttunia variegata

There's still tons of work to do in the yard. Roots to be dug (burdock, echinacea, valerian, dock), beds to be thinned and a few plants to be moved. I'll plant garlic this weekend - if the rain holds off long enough.

Crazy Quilt News

This past weekend, my crazy quilt, "Crazy Diamonds" won two more ribbons. The Bennington VT Quilt Fest doesn't have a judged show, it's people's choice votes and vendor's choice votes. I won first in People's Choice and got a vendor's choice ribbon as well. Yay! And, another of my crazy quilts, "Homage to Ardelia" is in Washington State at a special exhibit at the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum. At their Quilt Fest, they are having an exhibit of quilts which have won national awards (and the ribbons are to be displayed with the quilts). "Homage to Ardelia" has won Best Needlework at the Vermont Quilt Fest (and was on special exhibit at their Historymakers retrospective), Best Traditional Quilt at Threads of America, and ribbons at Road to California, Quilt Odyssey, NQA and something else I can't remember right now!

"Rose Song", the crazy quilt block I donated to the Alliance for American Quilts Museum will be displayed (along with the 83 other donations) at the Houston Quilt Festival in October. It will then be sold on eBay. Go to www.allianceforamericanquilts.org for more info.

And soon, "Birds of a Feather", my award-winning crazy quilt entered in last year's Hoffman Challenge should be coming home soon, after its year-long tour around the country in the traveling exhibit of award winners.

After herb harvesting is done for the year, it's back to planning the next crazy quilt. Actually, I have ideas already formed and tentatively started. On a couple new projects....

Winner!

Woo hoo! My crazy quilt, "Crazy Diamonds", won first place in the Great American Embroidered Quilt contest at the American Quilters' Society show in Knoxville, TN. I am very pleased!


Here's the full shot of the quilt, which measures 59 x 77. It is completely hand done. All hand pieced, hand embroidered.


And a detail. The face is painted onto silk and the embroidery surrounding the face is silk thread. The bonnet is dimensional, it is stuffed to give it volume. The bodice of the dress is as well. The good news came during a tough week. Yay.

Upcoming Herb Classes

Drink to Your Good Health with Herbal Teas, Wednesday, July 15, from 6-8 pm, Green Spiral Herbs in Huntersland, New York. Taste and explore using herbs as teas. Learn the benefits and pleasures of drinking your herbs. Join Herbalist Betty Pillsbury in the extensive Green Spiral Herbs gardens. Cost $30. Email bpills@midtel.net to register.

Herbal Home Cleaning Saturday, July 18, from 10 am - noon, Green Spiral Herbs in Huntersland, New York. Learn to make and use herbal cleaning products that are friendly to the environment, your house and family. Cost $30. Email bpills@midtel.net to register.

It's Wise to Grow Sage Wednesday, July 22, from 6-8 pm, Green Spiral Herbs in Huntersland, New York. Sage is so much more than just an herb to use in Thanksgiving stuffing. Come to the gardens and we will discuss how sage can be used for various culinary and medicinal uses. We will also reflect on the adage, "Why should a man die when he has sage in the garden?" Cost $30. Email bpills@midtel.net to register.

Herb Walk Saturday, July 25 from 11 am - 1 pm, Green Spiral Herbs in Huntersland, New York. Join Herbalist Betty Pillsbury in her extensive gardens, which are a certified Botanical Sanctuary. We'll look at what's blooming and talk about the various uses of plants. Cost $20. Email bpills@midtel.net to register.

Crazy quilts!

This is the block I made and donated to the Alliance for the American Quilt. They asked people to make a 16" block and donate it. The blocks will be sold on eBay. Soon, they will have a gallery of the donated blocks on their web site. I'll let you know when the pics are up.

Also, my quilt, "Crazy Diamonds" was juried into the Knoxville AQS show in the Great American Embroidered Quilt Contest. I can't post a pic yet (shhhhhh, secret stuff), but keep your fingers crossed for me please.

June pictures of the garden

We have had a lot of rain in June. I think it has poured 22 of the 28 days thus far. However, the William Baffin rose seems to be happy. That's valerian just past the roses and it is quite happy too.

This photo is showing the porch bed with lupines still blooming and foxgloves and campanulas coming on.



This was earlier in the month. H. F. Young clematis is blooming nicely along side an Adirondack chair painted the lightest lavender.
More roses. I do enjoy them! I made rose petal syrup last week.