Collage of Curiosities No. 12

This Spring has been one of exciting new undertakings. Now that I finally feel settled inside our home, which is still an ongoing project, I’ve turned my attention overwhelmingly outside. Is it the Spring energy? I’m sure that’s a big part of it but I now feel I can spend my time getting stuck-in in (I watch too many British gardening shows) the yard without neglecting our interior home. If you’re anything like me, however, your yard is as much a part of your home as anything else. I try very much to have an indoor/outdoor living style.

I’ve been creating masses of new planting beds and areas for Kenny and I to relax in. Most of these projects are still being completed but you can bet that I’ll be sharing all kinds of before and afters of the new garden outside my studio, which leads to our new gravel firepit area “sunken” into more planted beds. I’ve created a new cutting garden as well as a pond surrounded by apples and pears over by the chicken/pig yard. More on all of that later when I have some images of the garden flourishing.

For now, let me leave you with some of my favorite detail images from the gardens this year. Oh, did I mention I also have a new addition on the farm? Scroll below to read all about him.

Ink drawing of Scabious flower from my garden.

Drawing foraged plants from life.

Climbing roses against the aged cedar of our house. The blooms smell of fresh lemonade. I don’t know the name but would love anyone who does to let me know in the comments below.

Meet Mr. Darcy. He’s a 13-week old Lionhead Rabbit.I’d been scouring adoption sites for rabbits after giving myself time to grieve the loss of my sweet Beatrix in 2022. Instead, I fell in love with this little guy at a chicken swap when Kenny and I went looking for new feathered additions to our flock. We didn’t leave with any chicks but left with this handsome fellow.

Mr. Darcy is incredibly sweet and curious. He may think he’s one of the black cats. His mutton chops and mane are consistently full of bedding. I can’t wait until he’s litter-trained, but he’s still a bit young. So far, some of his favorite treats in addition to his normal food are strawberry tops, small bits of kale, and parsley stems.

Here in Florida we didn’t get the full totality of the eclipse but instead a partial obscuration. We had high winds that day and were almost fully overcast but the sun peaked out from behind all the clouds occasionally and I was able to view the eclipse through the lens of my phone. No retinas were harmed in the making of this image.

“Pink Mist” Scabious from my garden in an antique silver sugar bowl. Also included are some of the Scabious seedheads and plumes from foraged Deer tongue grass.

Drawing of Aquilegia (Granny’s Bonnet) from the garden.

Kenny and I visiting my sisters and their husbands in North Carolina.

A Nigella (Love-in-a-Mist) flower in my garden that self-seeded from last year. Variety is ‘Miss Jekyll White.”

Where to next?

Inspiration for the natural daydreams collection

Birth Month Flowers

list of all the birth month flowers and watercolor paintings