Be Still My Heart

I love Spring! The flowers, the warm spring breezes, the bird songs....

This was the first pot of daffodils to bloom. They are Tete a Tetes. They were our second daffodil to bloom. The first was a hillside of February Gold. This winter lingered so they began blooming late February and hit their stride in March.Some years they bloom in January and are gone by February. They are good for our wooded garden as they bloom out and harden off before leaves come out and shade them. so they can set buds in their bulbs for next year.

Last year my husband brought all our various pots up to the front of the house and planted some gorgeous pansies in them. They lasted less than 48 hours -- deer dessert.

Remembering that almost nothing eats daffodils, I planted the pots with a variety of daffodils last fall and we have been enjoying them for about a month.

Are deer eating your garden?

I would love to have some venison, my very favorite meat. Low in fat and cholesterol so very heart friendly. Venison on the hoof in our garden, and not a hunter in the family.

Virginia bluebells

These lovelies are my favorite wild flower. They are called spring ephemerals because they will die back during the summer. They bloomed a bit after the Tete a Tetes but February Gold. 

In this photo on a hillside going to the creek at the bottom of our garden, you can see two colors of wood hyacinths, some old Lenten Roses (helebores) and a little bit of Epimedium roseum.

And how does your garden grow? 

I have been out in the garden taking photos for inspiration for quilts. I don't do flowers, as everyone else does, but I have some super lovely buds and seed pods to use.

Nancy

Art for Art

Last week I picked up my artwork at the NC Arboretum minus one piece.

Southern Hospitality sold! It is always lovely when someone responds to my work with enough commitment they want to take it to live with them. And when they chose a favorite, it is even better.

This piece traveled to Britain, France, NY NY, CA and Atlanta. It is better traveled than I am.

One of the traditions I started is that when I sell a full size piece of art, i buy art from another artist - either directly or in a gallery.  This time I fell in love with jewelry by Michael Michaud for Silver Seasons. It is inspired by the vivid purple bean of the lablab purpureus, known at the Purple Hyacinth - a vine.

The beans are purple hand cast glass supported by patinaed bronze.Wearing a seed form really appeals to me.  Love the shapes and the color (not showing well in my photo) is great.

How do you celebrate?

Nancy