DIY Porch Cushions for the Holidays, UH OH!

So much for Fall and Thanksgiving, apparently---ALL YOU~~~

* Christmas* people have WON! *O* !

Last night, with the snowy forecast in the news, I began covering my porch furniture in all those vintage plaid table cloths I bought here. This is the first year we are leaving the furniture on the porch. So I purchased OLD acrylic plaid table cloths in various tartans to REDO the settee, two chairs and the swing to protect the cushions a bit from the elements.

I got the swing and settee done about 8:00 pm on Friday. I simply cut the cloths in half and utilized the finished edges. Then used huge pins to secure the fabric underneath. Matching the plaids was entertaining the first hour,  and for the 4 cushions on the settee and the double cushions on the swing, I used a package of 40. I will need to get the dogsled going tomorrow to get some more.

I came inside because I was cold after doing the swing cushions, they were larger than my available space in the livingroom. So no picture, and hour later we looked outside, 9pm CST. NEW fallen SNOW! I forgot to take a pic of the swing, because the snow was so gorgeous. We were like little kids running from window to window to look at the snow. Big, HUGE, fluffy flakes, just like on a Christmas card.

Nothing sets off snow like orange lights, snort.

So here is the swing, all covered in the OLD tartan, LOL. See it's there...just under the sliding 6" we had at 8am. So we bundled up and shoveled, correction pushed the snow---too wet to snowblow or lift, for old people.

Thanksgiving decorations...Pfffft. Here is our blow-up turkey...he's still blown up just buried and bent over.

And our pretty maple tree...and our orange lights, nothing looks wierder than candycorn lights on snow.

 

I filled the birdfeeders during the storm lull ---at 10am. We haven't fed them since mid-summer because of all the available natural feed, I'm sure they will be pigging out today!

My pond kids...Ice fishing apparently in the frozen pond. That's a GREEN blooming Hibiscus plant and a blooming royal blue Iris you can barely see behind. WIERD YEAR!  5pm update they are totally buried now. nothing sticking out but the poles.

This is 1:00 pm and the storm is still going strong.... and in the background...

Those are CHRISTMAS TREES for sure, now to go dig out the pumpkin lights along the walk...Happy Thanksgiving!

5 pm Saturday update....16" and counting. Hopefully it will stop soon. We are in the NW suburbs of Chicagoland.


 Thanks always for stopping by,  I'll be happy to answer any questions or comments.

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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

Sandi

What's NEW, OLD and GREEN? An unexpected Visitor and accidental Raspberries

Somethings: New, Old, Green and unexpected.

Hiya! I want to welcome you to our soggy part of the world, water-soaked Chicagoland, way, way out in the Northwest Suburbs.

Yesterday, between thunderstorms and the brutal HEAT, I ventured out to pull a few weeds. I saw this poor soggy little Toady. He lurked in the stones around the water trough pond and then escaped into the herb garden---or mushroom-weed garden depending on how you look at it.

Two things that love the record producing rains Chicagoland has suffered along with about one-third of the country, are mushrooms and weeds.  Now I don't mean those little scrape away weeds, I mean three-foot high thistles and tons of nasty looking stuff I have really never seen before. And the spearmint, OMG, it is like an alien scourge that will swallow our world, as we know it. (I have been pulling the same dang mint, since 1984.) Seems nothing besides poisoning the environment will rid us of it, either! NOT--We go GREEN!

So, with every clump of thistle, silver maple, or mint tangle and enthusiastic-alien-weed I pulled, this poor little Toady jumped into the next batch of weeds.  After I tickled his head, he finally disappeared into a mass of tarragon and I left him in peace. 

Today, Toady was hiding under the Saucers

Poor little guy---I had dumped five huge saucers of water right around this stump, and it wasn't until I moved the last one, did I see him. He finally jumped into the fenced garden, probably in totally paranoia from the water monster chasing him.

Then I moved my flower pots around into the less colorful areas, as I often do as the landscape changes. Everything is totally overgrown and green because of the weather.

Somethings: OLD

 While Junking, I found this OLD marvelous silver-plate shell bowl at a Goodwill--it's huge, and the plan is to add a new pump for my Nymph fountain, if I can figure out how to hide the tubing or maybe let the water spill over the silver edge into another container. 

We had a washtub under the Nymph's decking last year, but the frame has sunk so deep into the saturated soil, I can't get the tub back under there? 

I will have to see what is available to slide under the existing decking. 

Going GREEN

One of the great joys of gardening, besides the wonderful fresh food, exercise, 

and commiserating with nature is the experience (not always comfortable) of really never having

 ANY control. 

Be it weeds, bugs, weather, or cold temperatures, there are always 

the curses, joys and an occasional surprise of unexpected Gifts. 

The house behind us sold two years ago. The previous owner was a great guy and gardener. We shared our bounties back and forth over the fence. His rhubarb was divine and he had a raspberry patch that backed up to our fence. We got to pick what ever berries from the canes spilled onto our side.

The new owners, not quite as enthusiastic about gardening---dug up the rhubarb and gave us some, we have it growing now on our side. But, I was really disappointed in fall, to see all the raspberry bushes gone: cut, burned and dug out. 

This year, low and behold, raspberries invasive as they can be, traveled along their unwanted roots across into our welcoming yard and filled up the skinny boxes we have along our fence. Waalaa! Six-foot high canes full of huge cascading red raspberries! 

New Accidental Rasperries

Fighting the birds and mosquitos this morning, I picked about 3 quarts of really ripe raspberries.

After a very quick dip in fresh clean waterand a quick shake in the sieves (Granny's)

I drained them on paper toweling as they are very water-soaked and so ripe.

I think I will make a thick sauce we can pour over frozen yogurt tonight.

GOING GREEN

The raspberries, moldy or over ripe, under ripe and miscellany went into the compost bowl.

Yes, we compost almost everything. I buy GREEN paper products that decompose.

Our vegetable waste, eggshells, coffee grounds, and tea goes into the compost bin and eventually to the pile. In the bowl, you can see the rinds of the casaba melon we had this week, and the lemons from our tea, and eggshells from breakfast. Now out it goes to the turning bin with some compost starter. 

Sorry to end on the note of garbage, LOL. But that is the day in the life of a gardener, toad keeper, nymph enhancer and composter.

Thanks for stopping by, and please come back again.

Sandi

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or posts. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Green and Shabby Shopping

(A 2015 post revisit...I just need an Antique show right now!)

ANTIQUE GARDEN SHOW ~ Northwind Perennial Farm, Wisconsin

Fabulous shopping at the Northwind Perennial Farms Antique Garden Show  

Nestled between Burlington and Lake Geneva in southern Wisconsin was this wonderful shabby chic garden show on the weekend of June 10--12, 2015 We arrived about 2pm on Saturday to cars and pickups lining the sides of the country road and the anticipation only grew as we watched people loading their cars with GREAT STUFF!

The perennial farm itself was gorgeous--in full late spring bloom with iris, campanula, and flowering trees and bushes. Winter was hideous in the midwest and this Spring, she dragged her cold wet feet into early June. Everything was at least 2-3 weeks behind in blooming.

 

ANTIQUE GARDEN SHOW ~ Northwind Perennial Farm, Burlington, Wisconsin

Each of the farm buildings displayed unique country farm and garden antiques, as well as vintage and new gift items. These are available all the time. Vignettes were accented with plantings and pots filled with their huge varieties of perennial plants. 

Here, two vintage concrete chickens share the front of the coop with real chickens, while real ducks wandered here and there, sometimes beneath your feet or hiding under the huge hostas. Cats, goats, and a goose here and there added to the authentic OLD FARM atmosphere. 

 Down winding paths of crushed rock or laid brick were magnificent perrenial plantings mixed with vintage accents such as this lovely maiden calmly feeding imaginary, or maybe not, chickens!

 We lost track of how many ponds and pools dotted the landscaped grounds. The paths went on forever and were landscaped to show Northwind's fabulous design skills as well as their plants. Every peek around a corner was breath-taking and natural. Careful selections showed these perennials thrive in the hard midwest winters and almost all were mature with not a bare spot to be seen.

 

This dry river bed lined with rocks went on forever laced with three foot tall Iris and clumps of blooming chives, along its path edged exhibitors of shabby, garden and farm antiques and collectibles.  

Here is the link  The Northwind Perennial Farm website:

One of the many great booths was Diane Passi -Floral Designs and Antiques. Here is here simple display of Porch Pole Candle holders or simply artifacts. Nestled between them are Northwind's rosemary plants and a potted succulent. Simply staged in front of old shutters, the candles and original paint on the posts was most inviting. I snagged my shelf here.

You can reach her at https://www.facebook.com/diane.passi and she has some great pictures of this show posted.

My original source for this fabulous show was this exhibitor, Jeanine with more wonderful pictures of the show. HER booth was fabulous as were all the booths. 

Check out her blog with pics http://chippyshabby.blogspot.com/2010/06/antique-garden-show-northwind-perennial.html

My finds: a unique wire basket, a really kitschy three tiered metal shelf from the 50's, a heavy grain scoop. Sorry nothing that will land in my shop, https://www.etsy.com/shop/BarberryLane

E found several items, including a mounted horse head plaque and more. A successful and wonderful day in the country---worth the 150 miles round-trip wandering the Midwest Wisconsin roads. There are rumblings of another show in fall…sign up at Northwinds for an event calendar or visit them The Northwind Perennial Farm website:

Thanks for looking 

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

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

Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

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Sandi