SUMMER DAYS ON PEWAUKEE LAKE

 Summer days are waning and afternoons sitting comfortably by the water will be few and far between.  What a peaceful place this is and filled with plenty of activity for watchers like myself.  Here are two small watercolors I worked on while sitting on the water's edge on some beautiful summer days.

Both paintings can be found in my Etsy shop by clicking here.

"l a k e f r o n t   p a r k"

Watercolor, 5 x 7 in.

"s k i   t e a m   p r a c t i c e"

watercolor, 5 x 7 in.

MORE STUFF WITH STICKS

A recent rainstorm brought more twigs down in the yard. After gathering them up I noticed that some of them were covered with wonderful lichens so I had to use them for something!  I  cut them taller than a small clay pot, and tucked them under a rubber band going around the pot.

 Then I filled an old jam jar with water and set it inside . . . 

 . . . followed by some sphagnum moss, tucked into the rubber band as I went around the pot. There aren't too many flowers ready for picking yet but it's a small pot, and along with some hosta leaves and other greenery it filled up quickly.

There's nothing quite like fresh flowers in the house!

Thanks for checking in!

-Nan

ABSTRACT RADISHES ON THE POTTING BENCH

Earlier this spring I made a potting bench out of 2x4's and cedar pickets.  I also added 4 corbels to support a shelf on either side. The corbels had been in my basement for about 5 years - finally put to good use!   

Once the piece was built, I used a homemade stain made of vinegar and steel wool. Fill a jar halfway with white vinegar, add a torn up very fine steel wool pad, and let it sit for a few days.  The vinegar breaks down the steel wool into rusty bits and when applied to wood, affects the tanin, which causes a weathered look I love. 

The bench is 2' deep and 6 ' long.  It has already been so usefull for transplanting things, arranging flowers, and getting vegetables ready to bring inside.  A couple days ago I pulled a big bundle of radishes and rinsed them and trimmed them right here to keep the mess out of the kitchen.

That very bundle of radishes became a playful little radish abstract this morning.  Not my usual style but sometimes for me it's all about color.  And it's fun to play around with different mediums and styles.  

The unframed print of Abstract Radishes is available on my Etsy shop, here:   https://www.etsy.com/shop/gillyflowercottage/.

BEAUTIFUL BUNDLE!

My French Breakfast Radishes are coming in fast and furious.  There are a lot of radish salads in my future, so I've been checking out new recipes. This week it'll be Corn Salad with Radishes and Lime, Crunchy Garden Salsa, and Chicken Salad with Radishes and Apples.  

I've read that radishes are packed with Vitamins E, A, C, B6, and K.  Plus they're high in antioxidants, fiber, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, calcium, and iron. It's going to be a very healthy week!

Tonight I tossed them with my fresh leaf lettuce.  Soon, I'll have tomatoes, 

(my own) cucumbers, and peppers to add to the mix.  Bon Appétit!  

-Nan

GARDEN CLEAN-UP DAY

It was a cool and breezy day in SE Wisconsin and perfect for working outside.  So today I edged, weeded, transplanted, planted, swept, watered, and trimmed.  Late afternoon came with quite a drop in temperature and a great downpour!  What perfect timing!

This is an 8 foot  bench that was inspired by a photo I saved on Pinterest.  Made with 2x4x8 and 1x4x8 treated lumber.  On the right is my mom's geranium (over 7 years old now) getting used to being outdoors for the summer.

My little Bay Laurel topiary tree with the soil covered in moss I pulled from a shady nook in the yard.

A pot of mixed flower seedlings sits next to the Bay Laurel and Yellow Loosestrife is in the pot in the back.

Shallow clay pots of Stone Crop Sedum on the table .

A couple blooms opened on the Clematis today with many more to come!

The raised beds on the deck are bursting with radishes and lettuce.

This year I raised the canopy and underplanted my Quick Fire Hydrangea with 

Stone Crop Sedum and Blue Carpet Lobelia.

Another Pinterest inspired project.  I liked this one because it was all natural, just sticks and stones!

I cut out a special spot for Iris to check on front yard happenings while she's taking it easy on the patio.

Hello world!  It's me, Iris!

It's 64° and even Iris enjoys the warmth of the fire tonight!

Thanks for checking in!

Nan

FRENCH BREAKFAST RADISHES

I planted radishes again, but this year I planted two varieties, Sparkler and French Breakfast.

I've pulled and used some of the Sparkler, but I was curious to taste the French Breakfast even though they're not fully grown yet. so I pulled a few.   

They were delicious raw.  But I wanted to try cooking them, so on to a recipe for 

French Breakfast Radishes Sautéd in Butter.

And I had to paint these little beauties before I cut them up.

Do you have a favorite way of preparing radishes?  If so, I'd love the recipe!

-Nan

EARLY SUMMER IN THE GARDEN

Summer is finally here!  

With all that's going on in the world right now, I am so grateful for my time spent in the garden - a retreat right in my own backyard!  This blog has been pretty silent for awhile, but it's time to bring it back to life.

When I moved into my home almost 4 years ago, it came with a pretty big yard.  There's an area in the back at the bottom of a little slope that is flat and in full sun.  A perfect place for a vegetable garden.  Nothing huge, just big enough for some of my favorite vegetables.  So I built this twig fence adding a little something new each summer.  The plank entrance came along soon after due to the mud.

 The posts, raised beds, and plank entrance are made with cedar.  All year long I save the branches and twigs that fall from my trees, along with longer branch trimmings from the shrubs.  When I get a nice big pile I head down to the garden and add them to the fence.  

Last summer I added the gate, and this summer I designed a sign for the entrance out of a piece of plywood that has been in the garage since I moved in.  This garden has become a place of quiet, peace, and solace for me.  I hope you'll check back, and watch my garden grow throughout the summer!

-Nan