Hello! This is my third attempt to write this post - the phone rang each time I tried before! It is a cold and wintry day here, and I miss my flower garden sooo much. But I usually find other ways to enjoy plants and flowers during this gloomy month. One way is to stitch some - I have made so many garden samplers over the years - too many to count! The one I'm showing here is called Kind Hearts Are The Gardens - I love the verse and have stitched several versions of it. This sampler uses hand dyed threads from The Gentle Arts, and the chart was published in Cross Stitch Collection magazine a couple of years ago.
Like everyone who has a garden, another thing I enjoy is garden planning for spring and summer - getting out the flower books and looking at magazines and catalogues. Every year I plan to make my garden even more flowery than it was the previous year....Below is a picture of the Garden Journal I designed for Crafts Beautiful last year. I'd love to keep a proper garden journal and am saving this one to do just that...one day soon.
The front of this book is collaged, as you can see, with decorative papers and paper embellishments, little cross stitch motifs and adhesive ribbon, plus a bit of rubber stamping. The sprial binding is great for tying on little charms, rustic string, twists of ribbon or whatever else you have in your stash.
These hyacinths look so bright and their scent is so wonderful - they almost make up for the lack of colour outside the window today! These were a present, and the little trug they're planted in can be used for garden things afterwards. The flowers are a lovely mix of pink, blue and purple. (One of the blue ones was sadly broken off the other day which is why there is one in the little glass vase above....)
There are paperwhites planted in this pink pot - and they're growing fast so we should have their flowers blooming very soon. I am looking forward to enjoying them and all the other bulbs I planted in the autumn.
Thank you so much for visiting me here, and for those who comment - thank you thank you, I love to hear your thoughts. I hope there are some flowers of some sort in your life at the moment too, and that you have a happy weekend whatever the weather brings ( and to those of you in warmer places filled with flowers - enjoy and think of us!) Back soon xxx
12 comments:
Hi Helen, I have just got soaked coming home from work on the most dull, dreary day...it was a delight to read your sunny post. I too love flowers and do miss them this time of year. Thanks for putting some sunshine into today!
Have a great weekend,
Jane x
I long for garden days Helen!
It won't be long until the bulbs will be in bloom. Although it is very, very cold here today, with the threat of more snow, I do hope they're wrong!
Thanks for a lovely little bit of brightness. I do love your little trug by the way!
Have a great weekend,
Vivienne x
Just what was needed on this dismal wet day here is the West Country! Lovely photos and lovely plants - love your little trug, the white bird house and your cross stitch - altogether a delightful post Helen. Thanks.
Jane
Dear Helen, thank you for so beautiful post! I just love hyacinths and didn't have any this winter...I can smell them!
I enjoy so much looking those cross stitches and I haven't made many by my self. Perhaps I should give a try.
We had sun today and it was so nice after rain!
xxx Teje
Lovely, pretty post. Nope - no flowers in my life at all at the minute but I love hyacinths and seeing yours makes me want to rush out and get some. x
I love your flowery samplers and pretty little trug of hyacinths. Thank YOU Helen for your cheery posts. It is a welcome to come and visit your fresh and homely blog on a dismal January evening! x
Hyacinths are my absolutely favorites, the smell is divine! We still have a few blooming from Christmas and I am trying to keep them as long as possible. I have no single gardening-cell in my body but I love flowers. Thank you so much for sharing and bringing happiness to my day, Helen!
Yours,
Mia
The hyacinths are beautiful Helen, I love the way northern hemisphere homes grow them inside in winter! It has been raining non stop here all summer and our hibiscus bush has grown a lot and has heaps of gorgeous vibrant red flowers on it. They don't have a perfume though.
Sweet Helen, I always look forward to visiting your blog. The pictures are so full of color it makes spring seem as though it has already arrived. Thank you for sharing we all of us.
Hugs, Dani
Oh thank you for that pretty post Helen. Much needed at the moment as we seem to have almost constant torrential reain. Off to pick some viburnum to cheer the sitting room now x
Very jealous of your neat, tidy, attractive, colourful house at the mo, as mine is in turmoil with new kitchen being put in. It has inspired me to get some bulbs to go in the new kitchen when it is finished. I so hate the mess, I will just have to keep looking at your lovely photos to calm me down and to allow me to see the light at the end of the kitchen tunnel
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