Thursday, April 1, 2010

Not much quilting going on

I've been distracted by the sudden disappearance of the snow and the emergence of these


followed by these


Now that the sun is out again and the spring bulbs are blooming I'm starting to get excited about planning plantings. I have a tricky spot that is mostly in light shade except from noon-2 pm when it is subjected to blazing sun in the summer. If anyone with more gardening experience has any plant suggestion for shrubs, perennials or annuals that can live with that, please share! (I'm in mid-Iowa, what hardiness zone is that? 5?) It's still too early to plant, but I'm planning...and in the meantime I'm tidying up other parts of the yard, seeding a few bare patches in the lawn and putting in some brick borders in a few places. Now is a perfect time to do it. It isn't too hot yet and the biting bugs aren't out and swarming.


Sometime in the evenings when it's too dark to putter outside I'll be making a table runner with these fabrics. The blue is actually more teal or turquoise than it looks in the photo. Browns aren't really my thing, but I think the gift's recipient likes them so I'm stretching a bit.

These fabrics are also a very good illustration of why I'll probably never have much of a stash. I went ahead and chose these fabrics without a pattern in mind and now I'm having a terrible time figuring out exactly what to do with them. I do much better sketching a plan in advance, then buying fabric to fit. So far I've had 5 flashes of inspiration that quickly fizzled, but I think I may finally have a plan. I'll keep you posted.

6 comments:

  1. Five years ago I moved from northern Illinois to New Mexico. I still haven't figured out how to garden in sunny, hot, dry conditions. I'm going to try doing something with a corner of my yard this summer but I don't know exactly what yet. In Illinois I had a very shady yard. I planted mostly hosta, ferns, impatients, bleeding heart and other shade loving plants. Check out your local nursery or online with one of the plant companies. You should be able to get lots of help from any of them. Good Luck!

    The blues and browns are very pretty and go well together. Can't wait to see what you do with them!

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  2. OOh I wish my daffodils were blooming. They're sprouting, but no signs of buds just yet. Another few warm days and I'll be seeing them. The fabrics are beautiful, but I know what you mean about buying without a plan...

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  3. Hey, I've been gardening for years. May I suggest Hydrangea (snowball bush) for that spot? Their leaves are thick enough to handle hot sun but they bloom very well in shade. There are many new hybrids now and also a variegated variety. The blossoms come in blue, pink, lavendar and white and I think I have seen a mixture of the two. They are not your grandmother's snowball bushes anymore, LOL.

    Liri

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  4. Coming from Australia, I'm thinking that my garden tips are pretty much useless but I have a similar spot so I'll be interested to read the recommendations. You must be delighted to see Spring arrive at last. I adore those fabrics - the colours are so intense! I'm sure you'll find the right project to showcase them. Cheers, Ann :-)

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  5. Wasn't it Wordsworth who wrote:
    "I wandered lonely as a cloud......
    ...And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils."
    I love to watch them dance too, though I didn't have as many this year.
    By the way, I love those fabrics! ---"Love"

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  6. More lovely blues! Your spring garden is beautiful :) Christine

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