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The earthy colors and scents of the equinox celebrate the depth of the secret presence at the heart of nature. As autumn arrives with a vibrancy even in its dying, so sweet and sensual.
The hillside is ablaze with burnished copper leaves, russet vines, ripe red berries, and velvety mosses,as this glorious season seduces the earth.
Enchanted Forest
A rich, autumnal potpourri blend, Enchanted Forest is rich in balsam, vanilla, and patchouli -- earthy, sensual, and mysterious.
It is gorgeous in forest green and shades of brown, with sprinkles of moonlight thrown in.
You will need:
Dried Flowers and Herbs
2 cups deer's-tongue leaves
2 cups patchouli leaves
1 cup balsam fir needles
Essential Oils
20 drops patchouli oil
10 drops sandalwood oil
8 drops vanilla oil
Fixative
1/4 cup cut or ground oakmoss
Textured Elements
1/2 cup orange peel
1/2 cup sassafras root bark
1/4 cup sandalwood chips
1/4 cup cinnamon chips
1/4 cup vanilla bean chunks
Finishing Touches
1/4 cup vervain blossoms
1/4 cup silver-painted pinecones
1/4 cup foxglove flowers
1/4 cup silver glitter
Foxglove Facts
It was believed that if you picked the tall spires of foxglove -- the most legendary of fairy flowers -- you would offend the fairies, but growing them in your garden would surely please the pixies!
The delicate pink or white, bell-shaped blossoms are covered with tiny flecks that are said to be fairy fingerprints.
Foxglove derives its folk names of fairy gloves and fairy caps from these splendid blossoms, which became props when the fairies played dress up. Other names include fox's glew and, because of the poison found in its exquisite "cups," witch's thimble and bloody bells.
Digitalin, obtained from the blossoms of foxglove, is used to treat heart ailments.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
The hillside is ablaze with burnished copper leaves, russet vines, ripe red berries, and velvety mosses,as this glorious season seduces the earth.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing