Adding "Glisten" to your Garden

Happy Wednesday!!

 

 

I am so happy to be back at my blog!!  It's been a rough couple of weeks with a chronically ill daughter who had to be hospitalized and yesterday had a relapse.  It's never fun to wake up to 103.2 temp.  Poor thing.  But I am certain that the specialists who are working with us will eventually get this all under control.

 

 

Now, back to my place of solace and calm....

 

 

I have a million things to chat about in regard to crafts, projects, etc.  But I find myself back, once again, at "my happy place" - in the garden. 

(Did you hear that contented sigh?)  ;)

 

Whenever I need to relax, regroup, contemplate, or restore, I find that gardening is the best place for me.  It's even a great place to pray.  I've had some of my best conversations in the garden with God. 

 

Hmmmm......"In the Garden with God." 
Sounds like a great blog topic!  < Note to self.

 

 

Back to today's topic:  Adding "Glisten" to your Garden.

 

I live in the Sierra Foothills in Northern California where the rich, auburn soil is filled with beautiful rocks.  These rocks make a beautiful natural perimeter for gardening areas.

 

As a kid, I remember a friend who had a stone polishing kit.  He could make the most ordinary stones look like jewels!  I was so amazed by the transformation! 

 

I noticed the same kind of transformation in the rocks surrounding my garden when the sprinklers were on.  The dull, lifeless rocks would come to life with brilliant colors when the water was applied.  Soon the hot California sun would suck the moisture from the stones returning them to their dull state.

Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a stone in its natural state - so much so, that I use them all over my garden.

But, there was just something about those bright, glistening colors....  I wanted that glistening look to stay in my garden!

 

Then it dawned on me!  I scooped up my can of spray gloss...

 

 

and headed outside.

 

I picked a large, light plum-colored rock and started spraying...

 

 

 

So many beautiful colors suddenly burst forth!!

 

So, I had to spray some more...

 

 

WOW!!!

This was going to be fun!

 

Some rocks looked pretty much the same, only shiny....

 

While others completely changed!

 

 

 

Loving how the gloss made the colors in the rocks come to life, I decided to spray all the rocks around one of my garden areas.  I had fallen in love with the deep colors and the glistening appearance of the glossy rocks.

 

 

Now I need to find out if anyone sells gloss sealant in 5 gallon buckets - we have A LOT of rocks!!  :)

 

 

So, what do you think?  If you try a little "glisten" in your garden, take a couple of before and after shots and share them with me - I would love to see what you come up with.

 

Go get your "glisten" on!

 

Huggz & Blessings to you all!!

 

Allie B

"Teaser" Post

What an eventful few days!!

Spent the weekend "salvaging" with the hubbz and got a couple awesome finds.... photos below.... but yesterday, spent the day at the hospital trying to get my daughter healed up from an infection that actually took her husband's life last month.  (Yeah, it was terribly tragic and likely the topic of an upcoming blog.)

And, today, I'm hanging with my grandbabies, Sean & Tiffani.  :)

Me and my grandbabies last Halloween.

But, just to whet your appetite - here are a couple of "teaser" pics of what I gathered this past weekend...

MORE PROJECTS!!!!

Bah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!  (Serious addiction!!)

Can NOT wait!!!  Stay tuned to see what they become!!

Happy Tuesday!!

Huggz!!

Harvesting Hydrangeas (Gardening is considered a craft, right?)

TGIF!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!

So, yesterday I told you all about my unfinished crafts.  But, today, I'm going to show you something that I actually finished!! 

It's technically related to gardening, but I would consider gardening a type of "craft" - wouldn't you?

I have the most beautiful hydrangea plant that my very special friend, Sandy so generously gave to me about 5 years ago.  I don't know what it is about these wonderful blooms.  Maybe it's the full, large size of the blooms.  Perhaps it's the fact that the blooms last an incredibly long time - basically all summer.  Or maybe it's the fact that the blooms change color over the season.  Whatever the reason, I am simply in love with mopheads!

Yes, these are a few of mine prior to harvesting.  Beautiful, aren't they?  I wish I could claim that I have some kind of gardening wizardry, but sadly my thumb is not that green.  I just got lucky that this plant is super healthy, in a fairly shady spot that it seems to love, and is pretty forgiving if a day goes past without it getting watered.

Earlier in the summer, I did some research on harvesting these beautiful blooms.  Some I wanted to keep fresh, and I also wanted to dry a few.  I was amazed how easy it was!

Let me share with you what I learned...

If you are harvesting for a fresh arrangement:

Step 1

Harvest the hydrangea blooms in late summer; any time from August to October.

Sidenote: This was the hardest part for me - the waiting.  I wanted to harvest these beauties back in June.  But I am so glad I waited.  Over the past two months some of the blooms have developed a beautiful greenish-blue hue that I just love!

While you are waiting to harvest, remember to keep the plants watered and fertilize monthly with a liquid fertilizer for flowers.

Step 2

Choose flowers that have opened completely. By August, all the blooms on my hydrangea had opened completely.  Cut the stems on the diagonal with sharp pruning shears.

Step 3

Remove the leaves from the bloom stems and place the stems immediately into cool water. Allow them to rest in the water for 1 to 2 hours.

Step 4

Ready a vase with water for arranging the fresh flowers. Cut the bloom stem again about an inch above the original cut while holding the stems under water.  Arrange the flowers in the vase and keep them watered.

Easy enough, right?

Well, I also wanted to harvest blooms some to dry.  No other flower dries as beautifully as a hydrangea.  <This blogger's opinion, of course.  :)

Harvesting blooms for drying is also very easy.

Step 1

Allow the hydrangea flowers to mature on the plant before picking. (Again with the waiting!!) Pick them just as the flowers begin to lose color but are still lush and colorful.

Step 2

Cut the stem with sharp pruning shears. Remove the leaves and place blooms in a dry vase.

Step 3

Leave the blooms to dry. Blooms with thin, weak stems can be hung upside down to dry. They will dry out and retain their color for a long time, but will eventually turn that lovely vintagey-brown.

Optional Steps for Drying Hydrangea Blooms

You can spray the hydrangea blooms with a mixture of glycerin and water to help keep them supple. (I was fresh out of glycerin, so I was unable to try this.)

Spraying the blooms with hairspray will help them retain their color.  (I have PLENTY of hairspray, so this step I did try.)

Voila!

A beautiful mophead display!  But even better, a completed project!  Wow!!  Now, that's something to celebrate! 

Before I sign off for the day, I really must give credit where it is due....

 

Please visit:

http://www.gardenguides.com/85795-harvest-hydrangeas.html

for more info on harvesting/growing hydrangeas.

Huggz!!



Confessions of a Craft-aholic

Well, it's time for me to come out of the closet...

(like I could ever fit into one of my packed closets)

I have a small problem...ummm...."issue."

My head is so filled with project ideas and crafts I'd like to explore that I am surrounded by partially explored (completed) projects.  Can you relate?  And, quite honestly, the whole "Internet scene" has just pulled me deeper into my problem...err..."issue."

I jump on Google or more recently, Pinterest, search "crafts" and get my fix!  There are so many amazing crafters out there with equally amazing ideas....ideas that I just can't wait to try for myself!

This is a paper rose sitting on the window sill next to my desk that I just HAD to try while reading on Pinterest how to make one.  All my craft paper is stored in another room, so I just grabbed the closest piece of paper I could - a grocery store receipt - and gave it a try.  Voila!  A paper rose!

 I know, of course, that instead of reading about all these novel crafting ideas, I could just open up one of those over-stuffed crafting supplies closets, carefully extract a partially completed project, and actually finish it!

LOL!!!

Yeah, right!

But honestly, it's not just a couple closets - it's three.... along with three dresser drawers, an over-sized, free-standing cabinet, a big section of my kitchen pantry, and several large tote bins crammed with craft supplies.  Yeah, I've got it bad!  Some supplies that have yet to even be touched because I just have not had the time. 

And did I mention the pieces of furniture?

Uugghhh!!!

Instead of becoming one of those crazy cat ladies that fills her house up with a ridiculous number of stray cats, I've become the crazy CRAFT lady.

Well, at least it doesn't smell like used Johnny Cat litter in my house.  I guess that is one consolation.

So, now that I've admitted my addiction.....

"Hi, my name is Allie, and I'm a craft-aholic."

All together now, "Hi Allie!"

.....where do I go from here?

To a blog, of course!  Perhaps sharing these projects in various states of completion will help hold me accountable to actually finishing them!  Wow!  Imagine that!!  And, along the way I'll offer some crafting instructions and helpful hints for your own projects.

Hmmm...wait a minute.  Is a blog just another kind of craft project?  Nahhh!

(Denial is a beautiful place to live.)

So, here are just a few of the accessible projects screaming for my attention....

How many projects do you have hidden away that are begging for completion? I would love to know that I'm not alone in my insanity - and would be thrilled to see your photos as well.

Y'all have an amazing day, and I hope to see you around here again.  Perhaps I'll even have a completed project to show off!  ;)

 

(Stop laughing!!)

Huggz!!