Last weekend of "summer": Lavender, roses, sunflowers, new soaps, and more

The kids and I have been back to school for a month now, but Labor Day weekend is the traditional "end of summer" here in the States.  It's been a lovely Labor Day Sunday.  It was made even better knowing I have tomorrow off, which is indescribably wonderful.  Chris had to work today (no fun), so this is how I spent my day:

I watered the Phenomenal lavender because it was looking pretty weak a couple of days ago.  We haven't had rain in a very long time and the temperatures have been in the 90's all week long.  We recently transplanted a whole bunch of lavender from our vegetable garden to the lavender field, something we should have done earlier or later, but the transplants needed watering all week.  There is a 60% chance of rain tomorrow and I am hoping beyond all hope that it will indeed rain and give my plants the water they need.

Here is what the field looks like now:

We will have to see how everything performs over the winter.  I have read somewhere that the Farmer's Almanac predicts a colder than normal winter, which is not ideal for lavender.  We will see...

More pics from the garden today:

We have six knockout rose bushes growing behind our white picket fence in the front yard.  They looked quite pretty this morning.

When I came back inside, I decided to make soap.  I made two types, Frankincense and Myrrh and Orange Clove & Cinnamon.  It smells positively delightful in our home.

Check back in a couple of days after the soaps are ready to be cut to see what they look like.  They will be available for purchase in our Etsy shop around October 6.  I may decide to sell my soaps and crocheted goods at a local craft show this fall.  We have a few scheduling conflicts this month, so I'm not sure when that will be, but I will let you know.

Thanks as always for reading.

Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day weekend.  If you're not American, cheerio and have a brilliant week.   ;)

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PEACE

                                                  LOVE

                                                                                                HANDMADE SOAPS




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Blue Jays

It's been a long time since I've seen a blue jay up close and personal.  I know they are mean and bossy birds, but they certainly are gorgeous.  Here are a few pictures from this morning's breakfast.

We also have dazzling cardinals enjoying our sunflower seeds, but no other birds dare eat at the same time as the blue jays.  I would love to get a shot of both colorful birds together someday.

~~~

Paix.

                                       Amour.

                                                                                  Geai bleu.

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Planting Calendula Seeds

I have been wanting to plant calendula for a while, so I decided to stop procrastinating and I did it today!

Calendula has got a host of wonderful benefits, such as being anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiseptic.  I hope to use it in lotions, balms, and salves.

It is kind of late in the season to plant in the ground, but for 10 cents per seed pack, what do I have to lose?  Calendula is an annual, but it seeds itself.  Next spring, I will plant a lot more seeds directly into the ground, but I didn't want to wait that long so I planted them in containers today.  I hope they grow big enough that I can then transplant them for the rest of the growing season.

Check back soon for updates.  In the meantime, check out this slideshow:

...

Paix.

                                           Amour.

                                                                                     Calendula officinalis.

Quelles belles fleurs!

Our air conditioner has stopped working, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying the beautiful flowers in my garden, peonies, irises, roses, and clematis, to name a few:

I love Spring and I love flowers!

Stop and enjoy one today.

Paix.

--J

Spring Glorious Spring!

Spring is my absolute favorite season; the trees are green, the flowers are blooming, the weather is fairly mild.  Am I worried that Spring arrived 3-4 weeks earlier than normal?  Sure, but I am not going to let myself think about it.  I am just going to admit the fact that we now have higher temperatures and figure out how to handle that during the hottest part of the summer.  I suppose going to the pool will help.  Amazingly, the pools open a mere seven weeks from now.  Wow, where does the time go?

We planted 19 lavender plants last week, mostly the Provence variety.  We did have some Grosso as well.  We amended the soil with sand and gravel since lavender plants don't like wet feet.  One plant looks a little weak, but it looks like most of them will probably survive.  We still need two more plants and we will add mulch next weekend.  And I need to find a fairly inexpensive bird bath or fountain for the front rose garden.  Then we will feel like our front garden will be pretty much finished. I can't wait to enjoy the lavender flowers in about two months' time.  However, if this warm spell continues, I guess I could have my first blooms later this month.  Wouldn't that be something? 

I will post more pics once we add mulch to our garden.  I hope you are having a sunny, wonderful spirng!