Garden Notes: Love Lies Bleeding

I planted Amaranth for the first time this year.  The particular variety was Amaranthus Caudatus, Love Lies Bleeding and I will be planting it again!!

How it unfolded this summer:  I planted these from a packet of seeds in a row in the vegetable garden and didn't have the time to record what I was planting.  So...couldn't remember.  When they came up, I decided to put them in my tank garden to fill in some spots.

They had the ugliest leaves while they were growing and I told my husband that I thought I had actually planted Pig Weed.  I almost pulled them out.  Then I googled "plants that look like pig weed" For real.  And got my answer.  

Pig weed is in the Amaranth family.  And, is edible.  Then I read about Love Lies Bleeding and finally remembered that was indeed what I had planted.  So I waited out the ugly leaves and these plants got big!

So, so worth the wait and ugly leaves for the draping blooms I had to put in arrangements!  So, I will plant them again, but this time will leave them on the outskirts of the garden  so I can use them just for cutting.  I've experimented with drying them too.  Draped or hanging down...seems that either can work, depending what you want to do with them when they are dry.

And, that vase was actually a candle in it's former life...a great recycled object!

If you garden, are you planning for next year already? 

Little Wire People

A couple of weeks ago my youngest girls and I stopped at a garage sale where we found these great wire sculptures.  They decided they wanted to buy them with their own money so I agreed.

On our way home, one of them asked me if I could make them dolls to play with the pieces.  At first I was skeptical, asking what she had in mind...soft stuffed dolls?  She told me simple wire ones would be good.

I kind of jumped at this. I enjoy using wire in projects.  And even though they are fairly simple, they became a bit more involved than what I started out thinking I'd make.  

Later in the day, a dog was born too!

And, if you follow along on Instagram, you may know that magnets were added so they could be moved around on an old cookie sheet.  One thing always leads to another it seems....

So that led to a gif. :) 

Here are the past Gifs.

(If it isn't playing, just reload your page)

Yesterday a ballerina was born.  But, she needs a bit of tweaking yet.

On a side note: last night I went with one of my girls to see Ted Kooser and it was a wonderful evening!

Black and White Rice

With my husband being a farmer and myself a gardener, I think about where my food comes from often.  But, maybe not as often as I should.

Today, while eating lunch I was reading the rice package looking for the cooking instructions and what I was drawn to was, land of origin Thailand.

And thoughts stirred up.  How did it get here?  On a ship?  In crates?  how to the ship?  a truck?  how to the truck?  manual labor or conveyor belt? how was it harvested? (Very labor intensive I know.)  I know there are you tube videos to answer all of this and maybe someday I'll look.  But, today it was enough to just think about it, pray for those who labor so I can eat,  and to pray for the hungry.

Jasmine rice is our favorite here, but I'm trying fried rice for the first time and I'm thinking that this may not have been the best choice as it is a sticky rice.  We'll see.

My Memory Art

Fall Colors

at a slow shutter speed

just because

it was fun

and I could

These photos also make nice backgrounds!

Have a great week!

Invite Bugs?!

This past summer we vacationed in Colorado and visited the Denver Botanical Gardens.  I loved every bit of it!  So much inspiration!  

I had just learned about "bug hotels" when our Extension Office offered a class for kids to make bug hotels.  My kids didn't get to go, but some of my 4h Club members did and I thought the hotels they made were great.  Of course they were smaller than the ones we saw on our trip.  

This is a "must do" project now for our garden.  A bit ridiculous as we live on an acreage with lots of trees, lots of dead trees, leaf mulch, and water: a great bug environment! 

But, these are like art!  The shape and textures....just very cool.

The micro world of the bugs in the garden is just amazing to me.  I cut flowers all summer long for the house and all summer long after I arrange them, the little "hitch hikers" need to be dealt with.  

This quick Google search will just inspire you if you want to make a bug hotel too!

Haiku Collaboration

My dear friend, Ruth, sent me this Haiku yesterday after I posted the pictures of the milkweed pods.

I loved it and wanted to create a photo with it.

So, today, I give you our collaboration!

~~::~~

Meandering on a Sunday

We tagged along with my husband yesterday when he went to do chores.  The first stop was to look at this field of turnips, radishes, clover, and a few other plants I can't remember.  It's a cover crop that this farmer planted to help boost the soil with organic matter.  He said to harvest as many turnips and radishes as we wanted.  Do I want them?  I've never cooked with the greens of either nor have used turnips in cooking.  The greens are packed with nutrition I understand.  So, we will start with turnips.  Please share a recipe or recommendation if you have one!  They are starting to plant cover crops more on our farm too.  Good things happening.

Then there was a creek....while we looked for milkweeds.

Love these!

Pretty and graceful!

And there was the best deep ditch that the girls rolled down over and over giggling and laughing.

Oh yes, then there were the chores. :)

We only have one and half days of school here this week.

Have a great week everyone!

Bells Will Be Ringing

Last March I had the honor of taking the engagement pictures for my nephew and his fiance.  I posted a bit about it here.

Well, they get married this weekend! I thought I'd finally post a few of the pictures.

We really had a nice time taking the pictures.  The weather was chilly and then it rained a bit which let me break out an umbrella and that led to some wonderful photos!

They were so comfortable in front of the camera.

I hope they have good weather Saturday for the wedding. 

Chippy enamel cups were perfect for tea by the campfire. :)

Cozy!

Gotta love a campfire. :)

I'll end with a beautiful ring shot!

~Have a great day~

Camping in Black and White

It seems that a 'once a year camping trip' is all we can work out these past years.  Which is better than than the 'no camping trip years' that we had. :)

We camped close to the farm so my husband could still go "git er done" as it is harvest time.  As he went out early Saturday morning, he called us out to enjoy the morning and the mist.

Thank goodness he did.  It was beautiful.

Chilly fall camping is the best.

Early misty mornings while chilly fall camping is even better.

~have a great day~

Click here to see more black and white photos

(My entire blogroll from the sidebar has disappeared...hmmmm....I'm on the hunt for it!).