Rearing Monarchs

Our first batch of larvae arrived two weeks later than expected. On June 21st about 36 first instar larvae arrived from Monarchwatch.org. Our second shipment of 48 arrived two days later (on time). For the first few days they all fit in a large candy jar with milkweed and a cheese cloth cover over the top of the jar. The larvae ranged is size from under an 1/8 of an inch to under a 1/2 inch long. As the larvae grew we added more jars. When we had 4 jars and could not keep up with added enough milkweed, Doug built a large Conservatory or Atrium type enclosure out of old windows and a screened top. The bottom is open to the ground.

Butterfly Garden at GGC

I am really excited about the second summer in the Lefevre Butterfly Garden at the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center. We are planning two days of fun events in the garden. There will be a small selection of plants for sale, some not so easy to find too!  I have added a Butterfly garden flag "make and take" to the list of activities. For more info go to Greensburg Garden Center

2016 Fairy Garden

This years Fairy Garden is really coming along nicely!
As you know the fairies and I have an understanding about my space and their space in the garden. Last year they tried to take over but this year we came to an agreement. First off they have decided I can continue as garden care taker of my garden and they will pollinate and not cause road rage with the other pollinators. Also, they will only have one big fairy festival in there camp and not every week like last summer. They are really fond of Gypsy Radio and those late nights at the fairy festivals can go into the wee hours. It takes an entire day to clean up all the fairy dust.

Cabinet Rehab

My cabinets are out dated but in great shape. They were made of solid wood with laminated fronts. My son agreed to update them for me. He made new doors and drawer fronts using Poplar boards and purchased European style hinges.















The new cabinet drawers and doors are flush with the front of the cabinet. I found new handles and door pulls at the hardware store. Before painting we sanded the existing laminate fronts. Everything was painted with Annie Sloan paint and sealed with Annie Sloan soft wax. The entire DIY kitchen project was done for under $200.00.




















The project went so well he is going to build a small pantry cabinet to match.

The next book is done!

The book is completed and available. It is another how-to book filled with a huge amount of images and step by step detailed instructions. I had fun trying to document all the steps. It is an easy fun way to take a log and create a fairy type house made of natural materials. It is about the process. Its the same process I taught to many, many people in my workshops. The book is a guide and idea. The artist is the person who creates the work. Make

your fairy house your own work of art!

Garden

Thought provoking sign at the edge of the meadow at Longwood Gardens. 

I have spent a wonderful amount of time in the garden. Things are really looking fantastic. Our garden will be a part of two garden walks this summer. Maybe we should not have chosen this year to remove the nasty fence. I have already found the tops of Jewel Weed along the edge of the garden eaten by deer. Oh well, carry on!

I love to break plates

Today a local Convent will be having their yearly fund raiser, a rummage sale. I am going to take Molly, my 6 year old grand daughter to find plates we can break. I of course will be looking for other treasures.

I like to make signs for the fairy gardens. I will be teaching a class on making fairy gardens and I like to encourage leaving a small of original art as a gift to the fairies. If you take something from the fairies like a bottle of fairy dust off of the wishing tree, you need to leave a gift. My gifts range from broken jewelry (bling and sparkle), flowers or berries (food and beauty), and sometimes pieces of fairy furniture I have made for the garden. Lately I am really into making hammocks. I can't stop. I love tying knots and creating places to lounge in the garden.

The Fairy Garden is Finished!

The biggest fairy garden to date is now finished in my garden. It is about 4 feet deep and goes the length of almost 20 feet. It has a kitchen, a powder room, 7 home sites, a water feature, meandering path, fenced in garden, a wishing tree and a meeting hall. Some of the pieces will not be outside all the time because the birds and squirrels are having fun playing in the fairy garden too. The birds are little thieves when it comes to Spanish moss. If you are going to stop by to visit the fairy camp, best to call ahead.

Living Wreath

I have wanted to make a living wreath using succulents for a long time. I think years? This week I did it. I used a wire floral ring (mine is 14"), two black nylon knee high, potting soil, floral pins (these look like large staples), moss, fishing line type string and of course a variety of succulents.

Here is what I did.
1. Fill both knee highs with potting soil. Knot them together once they are filled.
2. Place the filled knee highs on the floral ring and attach using fishing line.

*Do the next steps on a flat surface that can get wet!
3. Make small holes in the stocking. I used a tooth pick for the really small holes for stems and scissors to cut a small hole for plants with roots. Stick the stems or roots of the succulents into the holes.
    Make sure to message or press gently on the knee high to get soil around the newly planted stems.
4. Randomly place succulents around the knee high.
5. Add moss in places to cover the parts of the knee high that is still visible. Attach the moss with floral pins.
6. Leave the living wreath laying flat and water.

You will need to leave the wreath on a flat surface for at least 2-3 weeks before hanging. You have to wait until the succulents root in before hanging. Water as needed.

When it grows and the plants make it difficult to water with a sprayer, you can place the wreath in a large container and submerge it part way in water. Remove after it's wet. Don't leave it in the water or it will die. **Succulents do not like to be over watered. This is why they make a great plant for a wreath.

Finished the Stone Fairy House

Its taken me a while and a few obstacles get over along the way. The stone fairy house is finally done! One obstacle was breaking the drill bit on the drill press. No! You do not need to have a drill press to make a fairy house but, it is nice to have. I am lucky to have my husband's in my shop. It is extremely easy to use.

I of course had a zillion, yes a zillion other tasks going on but, I finally finished the house. It will be elevated on a large stump from a shrub we had removed. It will be a part of the new fairy camp (where the Seven Gypsy Fairies of Garden Harmony live) or fairy garden.

I drilled holes for twigs to create gables.