My Personal Garden Party

 It's that time of year, Spring, when my garden looks the best.

Here are a few photos as the garden comes back to life.

And just so this is a little bit quilt-y: in the past few days I have made both of the Month 5 blocks for Garden Party Down Under:

Block 6

Block 7

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Spring Has Sprung!

Non-quilty post--unless you see all the colors that make beautiful quilts too.

Spring is my favorite time of year, especially in my garden. My favorite flowers are in bloom, it's not too hot to walk around and enjoy them, and rains make it a bit easier to weed the beds,

Here are some shots of my yard currently:

Near the pond

Near the pond

Nelly Moser clematis

Bed in front of the pond

Some of the pond

More of the pond

Blackberries come Summer

Bed in front yard

Corner of bed in front yard

Bed in front yard

My MOST favorite iris

Path to the front door

Mexican Heather will bloom in another month

The latest Barn quilt--a surprise

Want Lenten Rose seeds? In another month there will be thousands 

Sadly, my husband cut down the two ornamental cherry trees a month ago. They had a disease for several years that defied treatment and caused the leaves to dry up and drop off in July, looking like dead trees for most of the year. But I do miss this spectacular sight:

Front Yard

Side Yard

And I am too late for the forsythia--this was a month ago. It all started with one small plant given to our son Andy for his baptism in 1981. We have moved cuttings of it to all the homes since then, ours and his. So pretty in early March when Spring is just getting started:

Now, let's quilt.

Barbara

Spring in the Garden

Spring is such a pretty time in our garden. My husband works hard at it and his efforts really show. When he retired about 4 years ago he thought it would take "2 or 3 months" to get all the little chores around the house done. We all know that is a never-ending process.

So, enjoy some Spring--I have to get back to "Secret Sewing"--you're going to love it when I can show it to you!

Knockout Roses, Iris, Dianthus

Knockout Roses, Lorepetalum

Knockout Roses with Catmint in the foreground

Waterlilies and Iris at the pond

First Water lily bloom of the season--the fish survived the winter, as they always do

I love Irises and have to stop my husband from tossing them out

The new Barn Block he made as a surprise for me, 4 foot square

Blackberry vines beginning to flower--July they are so good

A bed in the front yard

Welcome, come on in--oh, yes, not yet...

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Quirky Little Quilt Complete

So sweet, the Quirky Little Quilt Along project is done, about 17" square:

Detail of quilting--I love orange peel quilting, so used a full one in the solid blocks, and a semi-full one in the pieced blocks--this allows me to avoid the center of the pieced blocks. This was done with ruler/template free-motion quilting:

It replaced another Temecula Quilt Company quilt I really like, The 12 Days of Christmas--the first block has 1 fabric, the second has 2 fabrics, the third, 3, etc. The pattern is still available Here. I have made several of these over the years:

I am working on more 3" blocks for a special project for next year, all made from a Charm pack of 5" squares:

My husband is now mostly retired from his civil engineering career so has time to be our full-time gardener. Spring is my favorite time of year at our house and here is my favorite spot, around the goldfish pond, with Spring flowers/shrubs in bloom:

And, as if life wasn't full enough, we will get to love on these babies next week when they are here for a visit. Stella is almost 4 and Sam is 7 months:

Let's quilt!

Barbara

Happy Easter!

Now that my husband is mostly retired from his civil engineer life, we have a full-time gardener--and it shows!

This is my favorite time of year in my yard, everything is so bright, fresh and colorful and the temperatures are pleasant enough to be outside to enjoy it all.

Just to keep this quilty--here is my Quirky Little Quilt from the Quilt Along at Temecula Quilt Company, ready for quilting:

May your day be bright and beautiful! Like these two little bunnies:

Let's quilt!

Barbara