Mountain Musings

"I Must Have Flowers Always, and Always."

The quote by Claude Monet in the title of this post has been my favorite for a long time--it's so true! Every spring I can hardly wait until it's time to plant flowers in the pots and watering cans that line my front porch steps.

Today's the day! May 15th is the last frost date for our area of Virginia, and this cool spring weather has been around for way too long! Just two nights ago the low was 31 degrees, but today the temps will get up to 89--a great day to get out early and get the planting done!There will be red, yellow, and purple lantana in the flower pots on the left and a variety of petunias, lantana, and begonias in the cans and pots on the right.

Pink and purple striped wave petunias will go in the hanging baskets on the porch, and I purchased red geraniums for the two large pots beside the front door. Last but not least, the yellow marigolds in the bunch will be planted down in the garden by the tomato plants.

"It’s good to bless a new season in the garden

because there is no plant in the ground

that does not boast of the Lord’s beauty."

~Author Unknown

“...Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him.  As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”  -Hosea 6:3

~Deb

Beneficial Herbs for the Skin: Jewelweed

Cross-posted from Hannah's blog

Time for a quickie botanical lesson!

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), or Spotted Touch-Me-Not, is a leafy plant found plentifully near shady, wet, woodland areas such as creek banks. It blooms mid-summer to fall with orange-y trumpet-shaped flowers.

Known for its usefulness in soothing skin irritations, burns, insect bites, and inflammation, jewelweed can be especially helpful in preventing or treating poison ivy rashes. The juice from the leaves and stems neutralizes the oily urushiol left behind from encounters with poison ivy or stinging nettles, if used before or soon after exposure.

The alternate name of touch-me-not is derived from the tendency the seedpods have to "pop" when touched. The seeds of this annual plant self-sow in large stands; above you see jewelweed growing profusely along a bank flanked by sunny black-eyed susans. The plant attracts honeybees, hummingbirds, and butterflies to its colorful jewel-like blooms.

I hand-picked loads of jewelweed at a neighbor's property (with permission), so that I could infuse its beneficial qualities into a specialty soap. The leaves and flowers were simmered in oil, which I then used to create my Nature Friend bar. I also incorporated the chopped leaves, along with plantain leaf, which is another great dermatological herb.

Lavender and peppermint essential oils promote healing and anti-histamine action, reducing the itch and inflammation. Lather on this soap before going outdoors as a shield, or use to cleanse affected skin after exposure. Even if you haven't caught the rash in time, this gentle goat's milk formula can soothe troubled skin and assist in the quick healing of the rash.

Jewelweed: what a kind provision of our Creator! Have you used jewelweed soap before, and has it successfully worked for you? Let us know your story!

~Hannah

Planting Seeds

March 22: The back deck was a great place for starting garden seeds!

• Basil
• Bell Pepper (4 varieties)
• Brussels Sprouts
• Eggplant
• Red Cabbage
• Stevia
• Tomato (8 varieties)

I filled several aluminum foil trays with a soil mix, and after watering the seeds, I placed the covered trays in the windowsill behind our sofa to germinate.

Meanwhile, we collected empty eggshells in a half-gallon jar. For what purpose, you ask? I got the idea from a friend, who mentioned she heard that using a crushed eggshell solution to water seedlings may help feed them. Looking into it, I found that dissolved eggshells are considered by some to provide calcium to plants, which is especially beneficial for tomatoes. Does anyone know whether this is true? I figured I'd try it, since we had a ready supply of eggshells (especially from Sarah's baking).

I spread the shells in one layer on a cookie sheet and baked them for 10 minutes, which made them brittle enough to crumble. Eventually I had enough finely crushed shells to fill a quart jar. I will mix the powdered shells with water and a bit of vinegar to dissolve the calcium into solution.

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Fast-forward to April 24: The seeds have sprouted 3-4 weeks ago, stretching toward the meager light source. It became high time to transplant the delicate seedlings into individual pots to continue growing.

I am looking forward to growing the below heirloom Italian bell pepper variety, shared with me by my friend Meg, along with a few other heirloom tomato varieties she passed along.

The transplanted seedlings were placed back on the windowsill with labels, until they are sturdy enough to plant outside in the garden in just a couple of more weeks.

I water the plantlets each day; a clean milk jug with holes punched in the top works wonderfully as a gentle sprinkler.

Will keep you updated on the progress of the garden as the spring and summer move along.

~Hannah

The Grass is Greener

It's that time of year again in Virginia. That's right - time to mow the yard. I am the one who normally takes care of that chore, and last week marked the first mowing of the year. Today it was once again thick, long, and needing to be cut. It's amazing how fast grass can grow!

We mow quite a bit of our property, so even on the riding mower it takes a few hours to finish, not to mention another couple of hours to weedeat around the numerous flower beds. Usually after a week, the grass is so thick that the clippings need to be raked up and disposed of as well.

Monday, mid-morning:

At the end of the day, right before supper - almost done! You can actually see the stepping stones now:

It was quite chilly out there today, so I was bundled up with a scarf, gloves, and jacket trying to stay warm. That problem won't last long, unfortunately!

It's very satisfying to see the end result of a day's work! And there's nothing like the smell of freshly mown grass. :)

~Sarah

The Garden in Winter...I Mean Spring

We awoke this morning with about 5 inches of new snow and a forecast for more today, but the sun is out brightening the day and making the Valley a beautiful place...so I think this storm is now past us.

Oops..maybe not. Edited to add: It furiously snowed all day!This day will be a busy one! Hannah and I are packing to leave for South Carolina tomorrow...and bringing Granny back home with us after Easter. Yay!

This will be a fun week of visiting my sister for her birthday, getting together with a South Carolina blogger for lunch one day, attending the Living Gallery production, and traveling another two hours to visit a blogging family that I've never met!

And, of course, pictures to follow next week of all our South Carolina adventures.

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday weekend and a worshipful Resurrection Sunday.

~Deb

Rosemary's Ready

My hardy rosemary plant has stayed green all winter, but since we're expecting up to 20 inches of snow overnight through Wednesday, I thought I'd cover up the plant to protect it from the weather until spring actually arrives....

Jonathan had built 2 cold frames for me last winter, so I took one from against the south side of the house and put it directly into the garden over the small stand of rosemary.

Now the fresh rosemary nestles inside the cold frame amongst the drab brown of the other spent herbs, waiting for the snow to fall tonight.

A lettuce mix in one of our raised beds had spent the cold months under the other of my cold frames. I picked several leaves to bring inside while I was out taking photos.

Trimmings from the tallest stalks of the rosemary plant found a home in the windowsill, and hopefully they will develop roots to be replantable outside.

What are your gardening chores this month?

~Hannah

Visiting Friends ~ Gifting a Table Runner

Sundays in our neck of the woods mean fellowship with friends before, during, and after the worship service. Lots of times that also means families follow other families home for additional visiting.

Last Sunday after church we were invited to our friends' home to extend our fellowship time with them and enjoy a meal together.

We drove an hour or so towards the Peaks of Otter. Here we are following our friends and enjoying the snowy scenery enroute to their home: Below: there are the Peaks! I've hiked the Peaks of Otter many times when I was growing up--they're located not too far from my hometown of South Boston, Virginia!Below Sarah's displaying the table runner that I made to take with us as a hostess gift.  I used the same Ruby and Bliss fabric lines that I used in the table runner I recently completed for another friend.

There were plenty of leftover charm squares, so I made an almost duplicate disappearing nine-patch table runner--but just a bit longer for this family's longer table--six blocks instead of four!

And here's the back showing the label. Labels are my least favorite part of a quilted item, and I'm not the best at making them.

When we presented our hostess gift, our friends immediately put it on their table. It looks like it's found a home here:

Here I am with my friend, Kathy, with the new table runner behind us:
After a delicious meal, some of us took a trek outside to check on the chickens. I don't think I could bring myself to actually pick up a chicken...but I thought the color Anna painted the henhouse made it look quite classy! Here's a collage showing some of the activity:

When we made our way back inside, Kathy was preparing some yummy slices of brownie pie!

We had a very enjoyable visit! Thank you to our friends for a lovely Sunday afternoon and evening!

~Deb

Photo Year in Review

Our God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne

Thy saints have dwelt secure;

Sufficient is Thine arm alone,

And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,

Or earth received her frame,

From everlasting Thou art God,

To endless years the same.

Words by Isaac Watts

~Hannah

A Welcoming Garden Bouquet

The girls welcomed Granny and me back home from SC in style last evening...not only a sparkling house awaited us but a great meal and this welcoming garden bouquet. Flowers include goldenrod, cockscomb, zinnia, Russian sage, ageratum, and scabiosa. It was just beautiful! Granny is doing well and settling in nicely to the routine around here already. She was in the garden shed today with Hannah making tags for the baskets she'll be selling at some fall craft shows coming up in October and November.

Here she is with a couple of market baskets stained and ready for customers:

Today was baking day for Sarah, and Granny enjoyed watching all the goings on preparing for market! I'm sure she wanted to cut the pumpkin and apple pies cooling on the table! We're hoping for great sales tomorrow!

Have a good weekend everyone! It's good to be home!

~Deb

Saturday Morning at the SC Farmer's Market

Hello again from South Carolina! It's been a good week here with my sister and helping take care of Granny...but I miss my family back in Virginia and being involved in all that they're up to!

An update on Granny: she's doing much better and gaining more strength each day. All her doctors' checkups are next week, so we'll be out and about getting those taken care of before we return to the Valley. Thank you all again for your continued prayers for her as she gets back into her daily routine!

And speaking of daily routine...making a basket is part of it! She's made five little baskets in the last couple of days. We think baskets must be good medicine for her!

Here's the corner of my sister's back porch where Granny dips her baskets in walnut stain--she's holding a small candy basket--one of many different kinds--that she'll be taking to Dayton Days in October. Come meet Granny in Dayton!

What a beautiful Saturday morning in this neck of the woods! So my sister and I decided to head to the local farmer's market.What I liked about this farmer's market: it was under a roof that provides for any kind of weather! No setting up a tent every week!There were pumpkins and beautiful mums and pansies for sale! I loved the bunches of bittersweet, too. Here are some photos that tell the story:And what about this pumpkin?  Warts and all!And below you see the big boys! They were $45 each!

And big bins of peanuts, too!And buckets of dried beans: 

It was so interesting to visit a different farmer's market and see what other vendors sell. I'll have to tell Hannah and Sarah I didn't see any soaps or baked goods...they wouldn't have any competitors here at this market!

That's what's going on in my neck of the woods this Saturday. What about you? Are you out and about on this beautiful day?

~Deb