What a difference in temperatures – this morning it was 38 degrees but sunny! I have worked all day on the plants, cleaning, spraying, and moving them around. I also spent some time outside – picking up sticks! Oh my, so many sticks!
I still have to move plants to the basement from the garage but that’s for another day.
And as I was blowing leaves off the driveway, I discovered this little succulent stem already rooting itself and growing -also a baby hen and chicks. This is exactly why I have so many plants – I’d be better off throwing these pieces away but I’ll plant them instead. Argh!
This is Primitive Primer by Jan Patek.
Two early designs from our first books.
Hydrangeas.
Old clocks in a cupboard.
Remember this table topper?
Here’s a rough drawing with measurements.
Hazel gets to ride in the cab so we know she’s safe when Rick is using the tractor.
Thanks for all the comments – I love reading them!
Happy First Day of Fall, Everybody!
Oh, my….Everything is so clean, pretty and sparkling. Magnificent plants. That one little Hen and Chick made me laugh. That’s the way I am about saving fabric. You should just see the itty bitty scraps I save. I try, I try to throw them out, but just can not do it. So, my bins grow and grow.
Thanks for the pattern. I really like it and hope to try to make it.
Sue in Oregon – it’s a sickness – saving tiny fabric scraps or tiny plant “starts”. I think I have both types! Haha!
our sewing group takes all our scraps and batting pieces and stuff them in cloth bags for pet beds for the local animal shelter. All thread, scraps , anything washable goes into these beds. we were given fabric samples by a local furniture store that we sew together to make the bed bags. the shelter loves them because they are washable.
Mary Waller – hi, Mary – what a wonderful project that actually uses up a lot of scraps, batting, too. I should make some myself! Thanks so much – any other groups make pet beds?
Our Project Warmth group has put our scraps into beds for the animal shelter for years. The polar fleece is great along with all the other scraps, batt, thread. They really do add up. Fabric that is not suitable for quilts becomes the bags, etc. None of it goes to waste. Any size works for cats or dogs. Personally I’ve literally made 100’s of bags, huge piles of bags, and they all get filled . The beds don’t need to be pretty, just soft and squishy.
Betty – I think it’s such a fabulous idea – I wonder if anyone in Iowa makes beds for Heinz57 Rescue – anybody know?
I used to save small scraps and then never use them. Now I give them and all the trimmed batting to a neighbor who makes dog beds for the animal shelter. This way none of my scraps go to waste and I don’t have huge boxes of scraps that I will never use. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Which book is the wallhangings with the turkeys in? Thanks
Diane – Quilt shop series
I wonder how long it takes to water your inside plants in winter. They can’t be all on the same schedule so you must have a system. I admire your ability to do this with all the other jobs you take on. Thanks for sharing all the pictures of all these wonderful plants. Love the little pumpkins in your table arrangement.
Martha – I’ve been reading about succulents that like to go dormant in the winter – I may sort them by those water needs – I think it would simplify watering, don’t you?
What do you spray on your plants to de-bug them?
Emily – just a commercial plant spray – insecticide.
I, too, have sticks galore in our yard from the big rain and wind yesterday. I’m so thankful to have water flowing in our stream today because we were down to a trickle. But I know yesterday was just a drop in the bucket in terms of our area’s needs. I love seeing all your plants inside for the winter. So much work, I know, but they look great and add green when soon there won’t be any outside. You are so wise to have Hazel in the tractor cab where she can’t get into trouble,
Pat in VT – I’m petrified to have her out running around while the tractor is working – even if one is watching, she can dart in and out quickly. It was the only solution – in the winter the cab has heat and she’s quite comfy! So glad you got some rain- could have had it without wind tho’, right?
How beautiful all of your plants look – I know it is a lot of work! Loved seeing Hazel and Rick in the tractor – how much fun for both of them. I love the table topper – will have to figure it out and try to make it!
Hope that your fall will be beautiful – Happy Days!
Everything looks so beautiful! What a job; getting everyone inside and settled in for winter!
-Jean💟
I got one would be willing to pay for a few clippings of stem droppings of you could part with them. South Texas is so hot and humid succulents do well here. BTW what is the plant in the very 1st picture called?
Jeri – that is a pothos philodendron- one of the most common houseplants.
I envy you your green thumb! Your plants are spectacular and you obviously lavish attention on them no matter what the season!!
I’m in South Dakota and I love how nice the new floor looks (this should tell you I’ve been reading your blog for a while!) the wonderful plants and sweet Hazel back at work with Rick…I’m sure he’s happy to be outside again! I hope he’s doing ok….these things do take a lot of time to heal ….
Carol T – Rick is doing well – walks really slow but it’s pain free walking now! Thanks for asking!
That’s so funny with your succulents. I have aloe Vera plants to the extreme! It all started with one plant 11-12 years ago. Now as I separate out the plants when the pots get too full, I add to the collection. I sell some and give some away but still have 160 pots of aloe! We live in North Texas so we still have to protect them from freezing temperatures. I have a special aloe greenhouse that my husband built and a larger greenhouse for aloes and other plants. It’s so hard for me to let them die or throw them away.
And yes, I’m like that with fabric too!
I’m glad Hazel rides in the tractor to be safe. She’s too cute!
Susan – do you have other plants besides aloe? Maybe you’d like some starts of other succulents?
I’ve got other succulents too. I just seem to be very successful with aloe. Would you like me to send you some? I ship them out bare-root. I would wait for the spring as that’s the best time to start a new pot
Susan K – let’s do a plant swap next spring!
That sounds like fun! Let’s do.
I’ve been wondering about Rick too – (Carol T. was asking). ‘so glad he’s doing well – pain free is huge.
Lucky you to get so many hydrangea blooms. The deer, of which we have too many this year, ate all the buds on mine, also chopped off tops of my hostas. I am going to have to figure out away to stop that next year Maybe some type of fence???
Rick is probably like my husband and loving the outside with the cooler temps. I kinda chuckle when it’s winter temps and he goes bounding out the door like a little kid in Carhardts clothing ready to play. Yesterday he was happy to press apple cider and gave away 4 gallons to friends and neighbors and we froze another 4 gallons. Then the deer get the mash way out back. Fall temps are a nice change from our heat. Loved all your pictures. Do your friends sew on all the nice tables in that room?
Kathy – homemade apple cider! Oh yum! You must have lots of apple trees. When we get together to sew we use the classroom where they simply leave their sewing machines when they go home – they all bought small machines alike to leave in the classroom.
Love the pictures of your plants and quilts. And that Hazel — what a litte scamp! ❤
So glad to see Rick out and about! Slowly is better than pain anytime. Besides it gives time to smell the flowers! Hazel is so cute riding on the tractor.
Yes! Happy Fall! Your home looks so cozy! Love your plant room!
Your house looks like a wonderful green house. Our grocery store ordered an over abundance of green plants. They were free when you bought $50.00 of groceries. Of course, I had to give one of them a home. The leaves look something like a caladium. My mother-in-law received a slip of a Christmas cactus when she was five years old. She celebrated her 95th birthday in August, and she still has the cactus. It is nice to know there are others who save small bits of fabric. They’ll come in handy for my paper piecing projects if I ever get to them, or they are good insulation for the house this winter! Chilly but refreshing here this morning. Have a good day.
Diane in Elkhorn, WI – that Christmas cactus is 90 years old! I have never known such an old plant although my neighbor, Emma, had some from her mother and my original plant is a start from that one making mine about 35 years old.
Happy Fall to you too! Can’t wait for our cool weather, it’s still a bit warm here in Louisiana. Love the quilt with the turkeys and pumpkins from one of your early books. Which one is it in? Would love to hunt and see if I can find a copy or a single pattern if it’s avaialble. Enjoy reading your blog adventures.
My husband and I wonder about Rick, too. They had surgery about the same time–2 new knees here–so we always hope he’s doing fine:) Hazel’s in charge; Rick is just the chauffeur!! The plants in your sun room/porch are wonderful. WIND here, too. A huge branch came off a tree onto a road where we drive often so I’m taking a new route during wind season. Stay warm. It’ll be 72 here today–perfect.
I really enjoyed all the pictures of your plants and autumn wall hangings, Mary. The cool temps here in southwestern IL made for a beautiful drive in the country with a stop at our favorite winery.
My father always had a John Deere tractor and lived by the mantra, “Nothing runs like a Deere.” I think it should be “Nothing runs like a Deere with a dog onboard!” Rick and Hazel make quite the team! 🙂
(I think we are all the same!!! Here in Sacramento CA the summer weather is so hot, my choice of plants is limited, but roses do great if given enough water. Because of the drought we are still on water restriction – two days a week only. Hard to grow veggies with that restriction but I still have my sweet 100 tomatoes. Thanks for all the posting you do – I still have the first book, the one from the quilt shop series. And I still love it.
Linda Carpenter – I wish my husband would take up rug twining – you are lucky! Sun room happened 5 years ago – I really wanted a greenhouse but after some research about maintaining a greenhouse, I knew I couldn’t handle it – thus the sunroom!
Love the fall display with the corn and pumpkins. I would just love to come and stay a week and see everything you do. lol Paula in KY