Friday Smiles 431: back to the garden

 

It's Friday and I'm joining Friday Smiles which is hosted by Annie (at A Stitch in Time).   Let's visit her and the other wonderful ladies who also share their smiles each Friday.      

Last week I was horribly late visiting.  I had to take care of some insurance papers, then had to head to my bank to get the papers notarized.  Then it was off to the post office, where I had to have a package weighed, since I was afraid my scales weren't all that accurate.  I also checked to make sure some very old postage was still valid.  Finally, I had to send the insurance papers by express mail (per their instructions).  It all sounds so simple when I write it, but there were long lines every place I went.  As you British gals would say, it was a long wait in the queue.  Each line took its toll on my poor overworked back.  I hate just standing.  By the time I got home, I was exhausted.  

Then I had even more problems with Blogger.  I hoped by the time I got home, the problem would be corrected, but it wasn't.  I had loads of trouble leaving comments. In fact, for nearly two days, even though I kept refreshing, there was no comment box at all. This was especially true for embedded comment boxes. 

Some of you may have read I spent much of Tuesday when I wasn't fighting blogger, cutting my grass.  The haze you see in each of these photos is from the fires out west.

I also cut back the "plants" in my flower bed.  Have I mentioned lately how much I hate this fence my neighbor put up?  It cuts off my view of the neighborhood and makes me feel so isolated.

On the bright side, 

the largest Rose of Sharon is in bloom!  Looks like the three I transplanted last year are doing very well this year.

 

This is what I meant by feeling isolated.

 

There are days I don't make it out front, instead choosing to spend all my time in the back yard with my herbs.  It also means I forget to check my mailbox every day.

Further, I fail to remember to deadhead my geraniums as I should.  Now that is done, let's head out back.

I'm not sure you can tell, but this airplane plant in the lower front is still attached to the mother plant.  Once I'm certain it is well rooted, I will cut it from the mother plant.  Note how much better my hosta looks now it's no longer in sun all day.

This is all that is left of the very expensive poinsettia plant I got at Christmas.

Another look at the baby I have transplanted.

Let's have a look at the plants on my table.  Front left is my chocolate mint that started out as a tiny sprig a few weeks ago.  Next is my pineapple plant.  It seems to be doing well.  On the right is a pot of parsley that seemingly refuses to sprout.  The seeds are new this year, so I can't really understand why there are no little shoots coming up.

In the back row about all you see is dill.  One pot was supposed to be coriander/cilantro, but it has been overtaken by more dill.

Fennel is in the pot with the bird.  It is growing, but very slowly.  I keep forgetting to look for the plant in the pot next to it, but bee balm is in the gray bucket turned planter.

The plants in the second row are pineapple mint, catnip, and orange mint that may not have made it into the photo.

It's easier to see the orange mint now.

For some reason, it doesn't look like I've taken any pineapple mint, but I've harvested three batches to date.

The catnip seems to be overshadowed by the squash.  BTW, Bleubeard loves the catnip.  Squiggles, not so much.

See what I mean by the squash?  Soon it will infringe on the orange mint, too.  Note the bell pepper plants are looking good, but haven't produced any little white flowers yet.

The cantaloupe is still adding little yellow flowers, but not anything else at the moment.

Here's a different view of the cantaloupe and my sad "patio."  My garage window is behind the chiminea.

I planted cilantro/coriander in the pot where the tomato had been, but nothing is shooting out, so I am not sure the seeds are going to make it in that mix of straw and potting soil.

I almost killed my squash during one of the extremely hot, dry days.  It is starting to look decent again, except for the various yellow and dying leaves.

Pretty, shiny, pepper leaves, but nothing more.

Believe me, I look carefully every time I water.

Basil, basil, basil.

Thai basil!

More basil and a bit of cumin.

Sad rosemary, chiminea, and smoker in the background.

When I dug these up and planted them in this planter, I thought they were hollyhocks.  Now I have no idea what they are.

I'm hoping CJ can tell me from her plant finder app.  These little yellow flowers never get any larger before they shrivel and die.

I swear this back yard grows larger every time I mow it.

Now I just need to clear and clean this area before I invite friends over.  That's my next project.  Maybe I'll have it completed the next time we meet.  

 

Now for a few funnies from the Indian Hills Community Center.  Unfortunately, I will not be here next Friday.  I have Art Journal Journey responsibilities to which I must attend.

 

Now let's join Annie (at A Stitch in Time) and the lovely ladies who join her for Friday Smiles.  Thanks again for visiting and spending a bit of time with Bleubeard and me this Friday.  We would love to have you join us, too.  In case you scrolled past it the first time, I will not be here next Friday, but will be back in August.

 

Sunflowers in the countryside

 

I'm back today with another journal page for Butterfly from Words and Pictures who is our host this month at Art Journal Journey.  Her theme is Summer Countryside. 

I don't always remember to create step-out photos unless I'm creating a tutorial.  Today, I actually remembered to do just that.  I first laid down a partial napkin on 110 lb cardstock.

Next, I grabbed my handmade shimmering mists and gently gave three different greens a light spray.

Then I added the words.

In case you can't read my handwriting:

Walk with me by a field of sunflowers in the countryside.

I used three thicknesses of white cardstock and one thickness of black to build up the words.  I used a black Sharpie for the words.

Bleubeard and I are thrilled you visited today and hope to see you at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Summer Countryside.
 

By a mountain stream

 

I'm once again joining Butterfly from Words and Pictures, our host this month at Art Journal Journey with her theme of Summer Countryside. 

I found this peaceful mountain stream high in the mountains where I can relax and appreciate the beauty of the countryside.

In case you can't read my writing or need a translation, the words I wrote are: "Oh Summer!  My favorite stream high in the mountains."  I hope it described this mountain scene with a lazy stream meandering through the trees.

I began by sewing blue thread to accentuate the water,

then added some real wood pieces and tiny pebbles from my yard that reminded me of the fallen branches and rocks found in the scene.

I've included a few detail photos, too.

I started this page with a background of 110 lb cardstock I colored pink and orange using Staz-on reinkers and 91% Isopropyl alcohol.  I then sewed a magazine image to the 8.5 X 11 inch cardstock.  I added the wood and a tiny pebble or two from my garden.  Finally, I added the sentiment which I wrote by hand and colored using a green watercolor.

Thank you for joining Bleubeard and me today.  We hope to see you at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Summer Countryside.

T Stands For Tisanes

 

Friday was Squiggles' fifth birthday.

 

A neighbor gave me a few party hats and napkins.  I thought it would be fun for the cats to wear them to celebrate Sqiggles' big day.  Neither cat would wear one, and neither cat would allow me to take his photo.  They would move when I got near and turn their backs.  I envisioned them both laughing at me, since I tried to get them to wear the hats!  That's when I decided it was time for tisanes.

Tisanes: an infusion (as of dried herbs) used as a beverage or for medicinal effects.

 

 It appears that I have been joined by a fly and a partial glass of water on my new outdoor picnic table.

It was time to cut another batch of the pineapple mint, which is a tisane when turned into tea.

Add the mint to a partial glass of water.  Be sure there are no leaves in the water.  You may have to remove a bit of the water from the glass.

Change the water every few days.   Watch for roots to take hold, then place the rooted shoots in soil.  Within a few days, you will be able to harvest your own tisanes.  Mine are pineapple mint.  In the event you prefer to leave the stems in water, you can cut leaves from them after they have grown awhile.

It's now time to share your own drink related post this week.  It can be photos, a place you visited, movies, postcards, books, sketches, mixed media, drawings, paintings, tags, ATCs, scrapbooking, or other art that is digital, hybrid, or traditional, as long as it in some way relates back to a drink, any drink.  Please share below and the birthday boy, along with Bleubeard and I, will join the rest of the T gang and be by to visit.   Please link only your T post and not your blog in general.  Old photos are acceptable because they may be taken any time, not just on Tuesday, and not just this year.