flowers

Flowers........READ MORE.

violet syrup, violet cooler, and violet lemonade

Recipes using violets......READ MORE.

natural dyes- walnuts and goldenrod

Making natural dyes from backyard plants (or frontyard) is an activity we enjoy to do in the Autumn, when we can heat up the kitchen and still have a window or two open. Yesterday we gathered goldenrod, walnuts and pokeberry to dye a thrifted wool blanket and some wool roving. READ MORE.....

yellow wood sorrel (ptoe-oxalic acid)

Yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta) is another backyard edible. The leaves, flowers and unripe fruits are edible, with a sour, tart, lemony flavor; it’s sometimes referred to as “sour grass” because of the sour taste. Wood sorrel can be added to salads, soups......READ MORE.

Free Amazing Clipart

I must share this AMAZING free clipart site from Florida’s Educational Technology Clearinghouse.....READ MORE of post.

Time to Breathe

I have had a few friends wanting to know our plans for the possible Georgia move so I thought an update was in order.....READ MORE.

Make a Fairy Doll

My mom made some cute and whimsical fairies for Fauna’s birthday. These fairies can be made with very little sewing skills.......READ MORE.

Acorn Jewlery

One of the most beautiful finds in nature, to me, is the acorn. Acorns are so whimsical with those cute little caps and the crafting possibilities are endless with them! Don’t they make the most perfect little pocket to hold more of nature’s little treasures? READ MORE.........

Stripe Scavenger Hunt!

The hunt for stripes!

Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)


Bumblebee (bombus genus)


Potter Wasp


Monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus)


Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucas)


Cicada (Tibicen linnei)- annual type


We couldn't identify this mushroom.


Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes)

Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold or Poet's Marigold)

If you don't have this wonderful herb growing in your garden, I highly advise you plant some seeds in your garden next year. It tolerates poor soil and will come back every year because it reseeds like crazy. The petals and stems are edible; they make a pretty garnish to a salad but taste a tad bitter. We grow calendula not because it's edible but because of its medicinal value. Herbalists use it for many ailments, too many to list here, but my favorite use of calendula is for the skin. You can use it as a local topical application to boost the healing rate and prevent infection on a wound or other skin conditions. Calendula is also fantastic for chapped and dry skin.

How to make a calendula infusion:

Fauna, my little apprentice, made this calendula infusion. She "popped the tops" from the calendula plants in the garden, put them in a glass jar, and poured grapeseed oil in the jar until all of the tops were submerged. Should you not have grapeseed oil on hand, almond, sesame and olive oil are all good carriers for infusions.

She locked up the lid and admired her calendula infusion. Now to let it steep for 1-2 weeks. Give it a shake periodically; when it starts getting really cloudy it is time to strain out the flowers.

After straining Fauna will have a wonderful healing oil ready to do its healing magic . She can mix the oil with lotion for dry skin or make an ointment or salve using beeswax.

From Shakespeare's Winter's Tale:
'The Marigold that goes to bed wi' th' sun,
And with him rises weeping.'

Waxing Flowers for Preservation

In the 1840's, paraffin began to be produced in quantity as a by-product of the petroleum industry, and ladies soon discovered that they could preserve fresh flowers and leaves by coating them with this inexpensive substance (hmmm, the beginnings of the petroleum addiction?). Bridal bouquets and funeral wreaths, wax-dipped and glass-covered, were favorite parlor decorations of the "Age of Sentiment," cherished for the memories they evoked. (Info from Making Gifts from Oddments and Outdoor Materials by Betsey B. Creekmore)

In the tradition of the Victorian waxed flower bouquets the Little Ladies and I had to try this method of preservation out! We picked all different types of flowers and leaves to see which would work best. The feverfew, daisy and echinacea did not work very well at all; you need more thick fleshy type petals that can withstand the hot wax.

*Pick a cool rainy summer day for this activity; it will warm up the kitchen quickly!

What you need: soy wax, beeswax or paraffin, (I used soy) fleshy petal flowers (zinnia, tulips, lily, orchid, rose), clothespins, double boiler to melt wax, wax paper, narrow-necked glass bottles, candy thermometer (optional)

Steps: Melt the wax until it shows a temperature of about 130 degrees on a candy thermometer (or just wait until all of the wax melts). Remove the pan from the heat. Hold the flower by its stem and dip it into the wax, I used clothespins to prevent my fingers from getting burned. Dip the flower into the wax, deep enough to cover its entire head.

Then lift the flower immediately and shake it over the pan to remove excess droplets. Separate and straighten the petals to your liking before the wax dries.

Stand the flower upright in a narrow-neck bottle until the wax has hardened. Don't let the flowers touch each other or they will stick together. Let them dry and re-dip if you wish. You will notice that the wax catches in the nooks and crannies of the petals and will leave a thick waxy area. Blot these places carefully to rid of the excess wax.

The lily and orchids kept their colors really well after waxing. The wax just seemed to soften them a bit. Here they are before:



And after:

Zinnias lose their color when waxed but they created a really pretty wood appearance. Here they are before the waxing:

And after:

Don't just try flowers, try deciduous leaves. We also tried acorns, pinecones and grass heads full of seeds. It was really fun. Now to go make a garland of waxed leaves to hang across our bow window.

Enjoy!

Polka Dot Scavenger Hunt!

The hunt for polka dots!

Make a Pretty Paperweight and How to Press Queen Anne's Lace

For today's post visit 5 Orange Potatoes at Wordpress. I'm anxious to know opinions........

Fauna's Melting Flowers Wishing Game

Now I'm sure you've seen frozen flora before used as ice cubes or winter ornaments, but Fauna came up with this fun wishing game using them. It is the PERFECT game for a HOT summer day!

You need: Flowers, Muffin tin, Yarn, Water, and a Tree to hang wishes

Plan Ahead Set-Up:

Place flowers in the muffin tin, add yarn and freeze.When frozen and ready for use, place the tray in warm water to loosen the flowers from the muffin tin.

Wishing Rules:
1. Make your wish as you hang the flower in the tree. The object of this game is to catch the flower before it hits the ground.

2. You are not allowed to rub the ice with your hands in order to make it melt faster, however, you may use your breath. And catching icy drops with your tongue is a MUST!

3. Watch over your wishes, you'll want to keep a good eye on that piece of yarn! Making predictions by looking closely at the yarn can be a big help in determining which wish might fall next.

The Little Ladies got very serious at this point, they placed their hands under the wishes they predicted were to fall next (and they moved them to the same branch)!

4. If you catch the flower before it hits the ground, your wish will come true. (Fauna caught 4 and Araina caught 5).

Simple rules, but oh so serious stuff! Good luck! Enjoy!

Our Nature, Creation and Inspiration Table

The Magic Onions, is hosting a weekly Friday's Nature Table, which celebrates nature and imagination. I thought I would share our "nature, creation and inspiration table." The Little Ladies and I have MANY nature tables throughout the house. The one that follows is my favorite! It is placed in our "creative room" right in front of our big bow window. The table is an old thrifted table I found about a month ago for $20 (a steal). It is solid oak, big and wonderful!


On the table you will find projects waiting to be finished with needed supplies of art pencils, watercolors, oil pastels, paint brushes, glue and nature journals. Usually you will find a Little Lady there too, all is easy access for their creative pleasure.

Sewing on leaves project.

Feathers, monarch caterpillars and beetles, and water frogs (from the pet store) are also there for observation and nature journal inspiration.

Baskets of pressed leaves and sycamore bark are there for art projects.

Reused glass bottles full of flowers to be observed or dissected.

Baskets of flowers waiting to be pressed and various flower presses are close at hand.

Homemade clipboards with pollen studies attached.

HA! This table is in the same room as my herb table. This creative room is a room full of "organized clutter," much to my hubby's distress. Since this room is too much to take in for one post I'll save the cabinets full of more nature and art supplies for a later date.

Table Leg Ornament

The tables' contents change daily and will change as the seasons change. It may be a little "messy" to look at from afar, but my little ladies and I find it absolutely beautiful!