Vintage Glimpses of Spring

Spring is so miserable in Chicagoland this year this year, I haven't done a thing, so this is last years post. Happy Spring to all of you, we are expecting significant snow and wind tonight through Friday.


Last week Spring(2016) tried to peek into Chicagoland and then out again today. Frost is expected tonight, and I had moved all my houseplants to the porch and outside. Sigh!

oldnewgreenredo

I have a sore hand, so very little comments here. But, I had purged, cleaned, and emptied the house---last week and simplified to 'Welcome Spring'.

oldnewgreenredo

Nesting birds- a theme here. German paste salt pepper birds on nest, unmarked.

oldnewgreenredo

Danish stitching and cutwork on finest linen circa 1930-40s. For the painters out there, I think this is done the same way you paint a rose.

oldnewgreenredo

Pensive bird...this Royal Copenhagen bird  is missing it's 'tail up'---partner (a victim of boys' sock war!)

oldnewgreenredo

Royal Copenhagen porcelain plate,  porcelain unmarked duck.

oldnewgreenredo

Brass grater--early 1800's from the hallmark on back, Denmark. American tureen 1970's.

oldnewgreenredo

Japan porcelain salt/pepper bird, rosemary, and eggs.

oldnewgreenredo

Danish porcelain, Mama and babies, my favorite.

oldnewgreenredo

It is hard to catch the depth of these built-up floss roses.

oldnewgreenredo

Table in the front window. Harry and Harriet have wandered here before they go outside.

oldnwegreenredo

I want to plant some Baby Tears and small violets in their baskets.

oldnewgreenredo

Circle Ivy topiary will get a blooming plant and be put outside, soon I hope.

oldnewgreenredo

 Don't you love when your husband thinks a ladder on the wall is a decorating statement. LOL

oldnewgreenredo

The rubber tree has doubled in size this winter, amazing what transplanting does for a house plant.

oldnewgreenredo

A few Tulips and one Hydrangea blossom. Love the lime green---so springy

oldnewgreenred

Another nest and earthenware Copeland bird.

oldnewgreenredo

Bunnies in kitchen on woven cotton with roses and tatted lace---all hand done by my Great-Aunts in Denmark.

oldnewgreenredo

Cut work on the softest cotton cloth and I don't iron.

oldnewgreenredo

   

Tatted or crochet lace, so many stitches in finest cotton.

oldnewgreenredo

oldnewgreenredo

oldnewgreenredo

The white cabinet in the kitchen. Pig is back to his old ways...looking for truffles now that all the Easter candy has disappeared. Basil set in crocks waiting to be planted outside.

oldnewgreenredo

Three tea roses in the antique enameled fish poacher, waiting to be planted outside...brrrrrr, not today.

Add captionoldnewgreenredo

Last week on the porch---the plants moved outside.

oldnewgreenredo

Real Ivy topiary, here on my DIY topiary post. with faux forsythia added.

oldnewgreenredo

Plea to Mother Nature, Still Waiting, sigh.

oldnewgreenredo

Last week in desperation, I went faux forsythia and tulips in Granny's emaled coffee pot on the porch.

Pictures from today with a frost advisory---as Spring tried to begin.

oldnewgreenredo

 Forsythia, Barberry, tulips and the perrenials.

oldnewgreenredo

Have you ever seen tulips wrapped tighter?

oldnewgreenredo

 Periwinkle groundcover and tulips trying to grow.

oldnewgreenredo

My Pansy flat, waiting to be planted, instead, I'm going outside to put plastic bags on everything.

Sigh...someday it will be SPRING in Chicagoland?


Thanks for stopping by, commenting or questions always welcomed.

 All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own or I am in possesion of the originals, 

I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or products used. 

Please do not use my photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sharing at these fine parties:
Vintage Charm
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Feathered Nest Fridays
Home Sweet Home
Shabbilicous Friday
Share It One More Time
Saturday Shuffle
Pink Saturday
Best of the Weekend
DIY Sunday Showcase Party
Let's Talk Vintage
Inspire Me Tuesday
Show and Share
  Talk of the Town 
Share Your Style
Share Your Cup

Grammy's Grid

Sandi

DIY Gardening: Christmas Tree shaped Topiary

Making Your Own Topiary Frame:

Tools and supplies needed for this project:
Wire Tomato cage,
Wire clippers and/or Bolt-cutter,
Small shovel,
Large flower pot
Dirt
Green electrical wire
Ivy plants

With the gorgeous weather we had in Chicagoland this week, much of our time was spent out in the yard, and not so much blogging this week.  But seeing all the Christmas posts inspired me to plant all my ivy in one pot (I use ivy in almost all my outdoor planters) and try and make a Christmas tree topiary from scratch. Topiary frames are hideously expensive, so I had to make it from scratch.

oldnewgreenredo

First thing, I planted all my ivy (7) in one large pot...and made sure the plants were around the edge. I already had treated my plants with an organic fungus/pesticide ecologically safe for pets/children when we had the frost. I bagged all my plants after heavy spraying and then tightened the bags around them for three days. In the two weeks since I have only seen one tiny spider. So this really works well. I did this for every plant I brought into the house.

Since I wanted a Christmas tree shape, I began with a large green tomato cage, and clipped the bottom rings off. This left me with a 24" tall frame on the left. I used green plastic covered electrical wire and closed the top three wires first. TIP: use the heaviest clippers or bolt cutters you have to cut the cage.

oldnewgreenredo

Here is the dissected Tomato cage...I used the part on the left, really one ring with legs and the long original legs used as the top.

oldnewgreenredo

I set the frame into the pot to see if the proportions were right. The bottom legs were a bit larger than my pot, so I had to secure them inward. Removing the frame from the pot I worked on tightening IN the bottom legs, first.

oldnewgreenredo

Here I am just deciding where I may want my extra wires. The greens of the wire are different but when they are covered with ivy it will not matter. You could spray everything with spray paint to match if you wanted.

oldnewgreenredo

I added an inner ring on the bottom to bring the bottom ends in to fit the pot. Then I added an additional bottom outer ring securing at each of the frames legs by wrapping around twice. From the outside bottom ring, I added three more vertical sides up to give the outline of the tree, these were attached at the top and to the originally frame by double wrapping.

oldnewgreenredo

Next, I took two long pieces and wound them from top to bottom loosely to give the horizontal wires. In the shadow above you can see my rings mimicing the original ring...the shadow looks great.

oldnewgreenredo

Pushing the legs deep into the pot, I began untangling and spreading out my ivy vines. This took some patience. Working some on the lower rings and the longest on vertical wires, it actually started to look great.

oldnewgreenredo

 The bottom will be completely covered because of all the short vines. Using the longest to wind up all the wires on the frame will fill it up.

oldnewgreenredo

It is sparse for now, but I have done simple circle frames before and know the ivy thrives with light, daily sprays of water and plenty of plant food. So hopefully in a month or two this frame will be totally full and will be ready for bitty lights.

oldnewgreenredo

 I have it in the front window right now, as it receives lots of indirect sunlight as we have a large overhang here.

oldnewgreenredo

 If I get desperate, I can always add another ivy or two.

oldnewgreenredo

But it so thick on the bottom with short vines, I'm sure they will go nuts now. I will wait a week and let the plants acclimate to their new surroundings before fertilizing.

TIP: Turn your pot everyday or two...as the ivy will go toward the light source and you want it to grow toward the outside.

This project cost nothing, as we had all the materials on hand. Ivys were originally purchased in garden centers in spring for 1.99 or less. Tomatoe cage was used, originally 4-5$ because plastic covered.

Time: 1-1/2 hour at most.

Thanks for stopping by, commenting or questions always welcomed.

 All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own or I am in possesion of the originals, 

I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or products used. 

Please do not use my photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sharing at these fine parties: 

Feathered Nest Fridays
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Best of Weekend
An Upcycled Link Party

Sunday Showcase
Silver Pennies Sundays 
Celebrate It Sunday 
Inspire Me Tuesday 
No Place Like Home 
Tweak It Tuesday 
Party in Your PJs 
What's It Wednesday 
Wow Us Wednesday 
Share Your Style 
Share Your Cup Thursday 
Vintage Charm Party 

Sandi