One of my favourite Jane Austin quotes "Which of my important nothings shall I tell you first?"
Thats pretty much where I am today - a mixed bag of this and that.
Getting the house back together after the wild garden show weekend. This begs the question - how can one woman spread that much plant stuff about one house? It all seemed very strategic at the time but now just looks like a vegetation bomb went off....
Getting plant materials organised for the next great experiments...
Getting in touch with retailers to check interest in carrying the Forage potpourri range.
Marketing with a capitol "M" - its a whole new world.
Also taken to reading a shrub a day from Glen Blouin's "Weeds of the Woods" book. Its a great little book I picked up last year . Provides good descriptions and photos of the various small shrubs growing in the Maritme region as well as their various names - Mi'kmaq, French English, Latin...and uses both folk and practical. Not that folk uses can't be practical they just need to be approached with extreme caution - like using toxic red elder bark as an emetic. Yeweee
Nature Side Note:
Stinky the Fox has not been seen recently though his own particular raunchy funk continues as a reminder of his close proximity.
The raccoon is now becoming more familiar. He was swinging off the bird feeding platform outside the living room window the other evening. I tapped on the window, but he ignored me and carried on with his project of hoovering up bird seed. I went out with my digital camera and got very close to him. His response was to flatten himself on the platform and put a paw over his eyes - I guess like small children his theory was if he could'nt see me I could'nt see him either. The click of the camera sent him rocketing off the platform and in the delay between click and flash all I got was an empty platform. Next time....
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Garden Show
Been super busy the past while getting myself organised for the PEI Garden Show. Lots to do to be ready for my very first trade show. The sewing machine has been whirring away and the laptop churning out labels, signs and tags. Made a banner and bunting from recycled sheets.
I was quite pleased with the end result and the effort paid off for sure - I won an Award!
Best Use of Space - got a plaque and had my photo taken with the judges and everything. An added and practical bonus to the award is it comes with a $100 fee reduction for next year's show. All good grist for the mill.
Spoke with very many people. Lots took garden maintenance service postcards and hopefully there will be some follow through. Also lots of interest in workshops from various groups so I'll be teaching foraging ways down the road.
People seemed to like the new Island potpourri blends - so I'll do some test marketing with craft shops both on and off the Island and see how the response goes with them.
Spring Branch bouquets were slow to move the first day but pretty steady sales the second day - after I dropped the price.
I was one of the guest speakers for the show aswell - all about foraging naturally. Initially, I was seriously thrown by wearing head gear microphone set-up but got over that after a few minutes and settled into the foraging gospel. People seemed interested and the demographic for the audience was interesting - at least half were under 25 - unusual for an event like the garden show.
Start gardening for clients tomorrow - good to get that underway. I have been chomping at the bit for some weeks now.
Nature Side Note: Eagles are back at the impressive nest just down the road from me. Interesting dynamic in play as there seem to be three eagles at the nest. I'm not sure how that works really. Things could get messy......
Monday, April 13, 2009
Snowy Easter
Well, the snow continues to fall.....Pretty demoralizing really.
Hopefully "this too will pass" because it really is time to get out there.
I have consoled myself with plotting the Potager plants for the season including a comprehensive review of my current seed collection. Chucked lots of old/unidentified seeds I have been carrying around for years. A seed purge.
Have been advised by many gardening gurus over the years to make your decisions and list of plants for the season before going to the seed catalogues or garden market. Sage advice indeed.
I have ended up with all sorts of improbable seeds for my corner of the world through being dazzled by descriptions and pictures when launching myself randomly at purchasing.
Seems there is not a lot I need to buy this year and what I do need I can get from either Vesey's Seeds (PEI seed producers) or Seeds of Diversity growers. I joined Seeds of Diversity just this spring. Its a national non-profit seed saving organisation dedicated to keeping strong heritage varieties of plants growing across Canada. Interesting stuff. Check out www.seeds.ca
I have plans to make teepee plant supports for tomatos and such from willow/red osier and went cruising a willow products website from UK for inspiration. In their workshop photo gallery were images of folks making just the sor of plant supports I was thinking of using a wooden box with holes as a sturdy base. A friend recently gave me a wooden drawer she had no use for but could'nt bare to see wasted and now it has a new purpose - plant support weaving base. I'll post photos of it when it is in action.
Wildlife Note
No sign of Stinky the Fox today . Usually when I go out in the morning the air is redolent of his particular musky funk. Not so today, I figure he must be bummed out by the weather aswell and lying low somewhere in a state of depression.
Hopefully "this too will pass" because it really is time to get out there.
I have consoled myself with plotting the Potager plants for the season including a comprehensive review of my current seed collection. Chucked lots of old/unidentified seeds I have been carrying around for years. A seed purge.
Have been advised by many gardening gurus over the years to make your decisions and list of plants for the season before going to the seed catalogues or garden market. Sage advice indeed.
I have ended up with all sorts of improbable seeds for my corner of the world through being dazzled by descriptions and pictures when launching myself randomly at purchasing.
Seems there is not a lot I need to buy this year and what I do need I can get from either Vesey's Seeds (PEI seed producers) or Seeds of Diversity growers. I joined Seeds of Diversity just this spring. Its a national non-profit seed saving organisation dedicated to keeping strong heritage varieties of plants growing across Canada. Interesting stuff. Check out www.seeds.ca
I have plans to make teepee plant supports for tomatos and such from willow/red osier and went cruising a willow products website from UK for inspiration. In their workshop photo gallery were images of folks making just the sor of plant supports I was thinking of using a wooden box with holes as a sturdy base. A friend recently gave me a wooden drawer she had no use for but could'nt bare to see wasted and now it has a new purpose - plant support weaving base. I'll post photos of it when it is in action.
Wildlife Note
No sign of Stinky the Fox today . Usually when I go out in the morning the air is redolent of his particular musky funk. Not so today, I figure he must be bummed out by the weather aswell and lying low somewhere in a state of depression.
Preparation of spring branches
Red osier and willow freshly cut and placed in glycerine solution for preservation experiment.
willow and red osier
cut and ready materials for plant stands, etc...Pink pussywillow branches bunched upside down to halt bud development.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Stinky the Fox grows bold...
Well, the pussywillows have taken off as I guess pussywillows are prone to do. I've been willow wrangling in the workshop.
I think things are in a state that might be vaguely referred to as under control. For now.....
Been lured outside into the garden by a breif glimmering of Spring. Seems we are back to winter for Easter Sunday. No comment.
There is an awe inspiring amount of work to be done in the grounds. Going to be a challenge all round.
Got some locally grown organic seed and soil in the Summerside Market today. Will do some seed starting during tomorrow's blizzard. Still no comment.
Nature Aside Note
Stinky the fox barked at me through the living room window the other night. Frightened me half to death with his raspy woof sounds.
He's getting bolder by the minute. Will be waiting for me on the front doorstep soon tapping his foot and saying "And what sort of time do you call this to be getting back?"
A robin started building his/her nest on the main door lintel yesterday. Bad place to choose as the robin apparently figured out for itself. When I got back from the market, it had removed the nest beginnings to a new location.
I think things are in a state that might be vaguely referred to as under control. For now.....
Been lured outside into the garden by a breif glimmering of Spring. Seems we are back to winter for Easter Sunday. No comment.
There is an awe inspiring amount of work to be done in the grounds. Going to be a challenge all round.
Got some locally grown organic seed and soil in the Summerside Market today. Will do some seed starting during tomorrow's blizzard. Still no comment.
Nature Aside Note
Stinky the fox barked at me through the living room window the other night. Frightened me half to death with his raspy woof sounds.
He's getting bolder by the minute. Will be waiting for me on the front doorstep soon tapping his foot and saying "And what sort of time do you call this to be getting back?"
A robin started building his/her nest on the main door lintel yesterday. Bad place to choose as the robin apparently figured out for itself. When I got back from the market, it had removed the nest beginnings to a new location.
Friday, April 10, 2009
"Spring" into action
Bright and sunny today... so far at least
According to the forecast this is not likely to continue so I am off outside to do some yard work/wildcrafting prep while the going is good
Going to cut the shoots from the base of the trees lining the driveway. This has'nt been done for some years and things are looking a little untidy. I can save the longer of the shoots for bean poles and save myself needing to cut more later on when time will be at a premium.
Doing a little experimenting today. Will use the glycerine process to preserve some of the willow and red osier branches in their lusterious bud stage. No idea if this will work, but leafy branches have remained suptle when I've used the process so am willing to test that leafless branches will do the same. This means if used in wreaths and such later on they won't have that dull shrivelled look that dried materials tend towards.
Its worth having a go at any rate.
A first quote from my man, Francis Bain - Victorian Island Naturalist whose nature journals I have been reading over the course of the winter.
"April 11, 1878
The spring has come with its sunny skies and its balmy southern breezes"
According to the forecast this is not likely to continue so I am off outside to do some yard work/wildcrafting prep while the going is good
Going to cut the shoots from the base of the trees lining the driveway. This has'nt been done for some years and things are looking a little untidy. I can save the longer of the shoots for bean poles and save myself needing to cut more later on when time will be at a premium.
Doing a little experimenting today. Will use the glycerine process to preserve some of the willow and red osier branches in their lusterious bud stage. No idea if this will work, but leafy branches have remained suptle when I've used the process so am willing to test that leafless branches will do the same. This means if used in wreaths and such later on they won't have that dull shrivelled look that dried materials tend towards.
Its worth having a go at any rate.
A first quote from my man, Francis Bain - Victorian Island Naturalist whose nature journals I have been reading over the course of the winter.
"April 11, 1878
The spring has come with its sunny skies and its balmy southern breezes"
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