Call It The Use What You Got Theme.

Every time I think I have my gardening wrapped up I seem to find one more thing to do. I needed mulch for my front garden and not wanting to purchase it I was on the hunt for some free unwanted leaves or pine needles. I was helping my friend plant some flowers in her yard and I looked over and realized she had a row of pine trees! Hooray!!! It only took me 10 years. So she gratefully allowed me to rake up leaves and needles to finish this garden.

As I was working I thought to myself that I don't have an ultra glamorous landscaping but I have things that have either been found, salvaged, gifted, from someone Else's junk pile, or found for a steal like this bird cage looking thing. I don't know what it is exactly,but it holds plants upright when they grow through them. Eventually it will rust and crackle.

I have always loved insulators. My Dad was in excavating and used to bring them home all of the time. Unfortunately all of those are gone but I have accumulated some through the years. The ceramic ones are beautiful too.

Seems there is an old chair at a yard sale or on the side of the road, like this one. I use it to help shade a just a little bit too sunny spot for my wild ginger. Old pottery that will become a spot for a plant or toads. I have a few tipped over old ceramic vases for toads to find a happy home with all of the bugs they need.

I love these old plant stands. I should have gotten a better picture because it is cracked and chipped old paint. I love it. Again, another stand for plant support.

 Pumpkin decoration , old glass cracked ash tray, brass fire hose end, plow-ish thing. I use it to  push a plant back from overflowing into a walkway. 

I love this little corner. I don't even know how long I've had this bicycle chain but I have drug it with me where ever I landed. This corner has the mini coral bells and little bottle stoppers and ceramic head that came off it's lid. Parts of an old chair that finally came apart, but WAIT! You can still use the parts, in this instance to keep Tucker out of my garden.

New old chair holding old things, tools, or something I just like to look at like this old sprinkler and a ceramic alligator that I made when my kids were little in a class. What ever makes me smile! 

I'm all about the red!

I aaaaabsolutely love red, consequently I plant a lot of things that turn red or varieties of red, in my gardens.

Here are some.

This is a shrub called bridals veil. I am not sure of the botanical name but in the spring it has pretty clusters of white pom- pomish flowers. 

It takes very little effort to grow. I did it from a small sprig that had a couple of roots on it.

This is a small wigelea I think it is called Wine and Roses. It is more purple but I wanted to show it against the Creeping Jenny ground cover.

I just bought this coral bell and of course I don't remember the name I just saw the color and went for it. The leaves are large and I can't wait to see how this grows and flowers.

If you can see it there is a small coral bell in the right corner. I love it because it is a mini.

Red Maple.

Seedum.

Viburnum.

Nasturtiums keep going till hard frost.

Some awesome staples for the garden, tall sedum on the left, and another plant that I got from a friend but don't know the name of. I has these feather duster flowers. I'll post about it again next year when it blooms and get the name.

Another gifted plant. I love how the yellow is blushed with pink. Ok not red but still beautiful.

Ahhh, can't wait for next spring all ready! Bulbs went in and I was so happy to find the blue alliums. I used to have these years ago but lost them to too much moving. I also finally got my red poppies back and I adore them!

 Tucker says, "See you next spring!"

I'm All About The Bugs!

I used to get so many beautiful butterflies in my yard every year until the 40 acres behind us got leased to a farmer and they plowed and sprayed it. After that I noticed a definite difference in the amount of all of the bugs, except mosquitoes!

I do all that I can to encourage birds, butterflies, and bees. I try to stay as organic as possible. 

The last two years I have collected milkweed pods and spread the seeds. I always loved them when I was a kid because they are so silky and I love to see them fly.

There are many sites and information on the Internet to help you with supporting a Monarch butterfly habitat but really you can just add some of the plants that they need and don't spray.

I found the web site Monarch Joint Venture and they have a page for creating habitats and adding plants that will help the little fellers!

Gardens

Vast tracts of land have been converted for human use, including residential areas, parks, schools, and cultural institutions. Butterfly gardens within these developed areas provide much needed habitat for butterflies. These butterfly havens may be a few square feet within an urban backyard, or a larger managed garden attached to an educational institution, cultural center, or a corporate office park.

© 2015 The Monarch Joint Venture.

Here is my son obliging me in my quest to help the butterflies!

Here are two of my butterfly inspired ploymer clay beads that are on my Etsy Shop 

Barn Burd Designs

Earrings Everyday - October Reveal

I really liked the purple furry coat it reminded me of Prince! I thought the look was funky and elegant.

I used Czech rounds, links from somewhere and Swarovski drops.

Gifts From The Heart

What wonderful things happen when we open our heart to someone or a group of someones.

On the blog Art Jewelry Elements, contributor Jen Cameron of Glass Addictions presented guest blogger and Etsy shop owner, Val Garber. 

Please click on the Art Jewelry Elements link to read.

Hopefully You will be seeing some of these beads on my Etsy in a piece of jewelry soon!

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Last year I found a wild grape vine in the hedge row of our property. I picked the grapes which are very small and mostly seed and made jelly. Some natural remedies are presented on Green Sense. 

I knew that they were really high in antioxidants and had a more intense flavor but the jelly made with low sugar was a, Wow, to me! I love the sweet tart flavor and  the intensity of the flavor. My first go yo is a thick slice of a good bread which came from the Great Harvest Bread Company. I got mine from the Davison Farmers Market. Toast,butter peanut butter and The Jelly. Yummy, creamy, melty and sweet tart.I love it.

I was afraid that I didn't have enough so I walked down the road and picked more. Washed, squashed and low or no sugar sure gel. Hurray this year there are five jars!

I am so happy!

Blustery Days, Oh Bother....

 Here they come the Autumn days and the signal to wrap up the gardening, at least it is for Michigan.

On the south side of my house I have a xeric garden. Hot, dry but most of all I have planted for humming birds because I can look right out my window and see them. High Country Gardens has all of the information you need to plant a garden like this and it also has plants for humming birds too.  http://www.highcountrygardens.com/

Any how this very neglected spot was finally tackled. You can see it was a mess. This phenomenon occurred right at the time I started making jewelry, hmmm.

I had gotten some leaves and pine needles, I throw in the pine cones too, I used for mulch. The old mulch gets pushed back after I weed and move plants around.

 I pull all of the rocks out and reshape the garden.

I hate this weed you never get all of it unless you dig everything up like I did. The roots travel and all it takes is one little piece to be left and there's another weed. I'm sure it has some holistic property but I am not aware of it.

Recycled plastic weed guard

Then I lay down card board and the mulch bags to help keep seeds from starting when the garden gets weed whacked. Cardboard works good for smothering poison ivy, starting new beds, no more digging!

Peetie-Pie.... not a good helper.

Put the rocks back

Put the mulch down.

Approved by inspector Tucker.

Red cardinal climber.

Agastache, late summer bloomer. High Country Gardens..

My mums were huge and beautiful!!! 

I like to let snap dragons and poppies grow where they want

 See you in the spring!