A Flourishing Garden

"The gardens that make us

happiest flourish because

we have taken the time

to make sure they feed our souls and fill a special place 

in our lives."

"Sometimes you have

to really think about

what you want in your

garden... once the beds

are laid out and the 

rose bushes planted."

~ Lindley Karstens ~


I combined 3 elements to

create these garden-themed,

printable tags. Two feature an

old-fashioned, white rose.

I kept the others simple with

portions of an ornament.
The ornament reminded me 

of both stylized branches

and metalwork from

something like a garden

gate. The background is

a receipt from Berry Seed

 Company.


Thank you for stopping by!

Garden of the Heart

"Let us, then, plant

with diligence and care
the garden of the soil,

but let us, with far deeper
earnestness, tend the

garden of our hearts."

~ from The Cottage Gardener, 1849 ~

Here are the original

postcard images from

a set, Floral Favors,
found on TuckDB:


Carnations
Fruit blossoms
Violets
Roses & forget-me-nots
Primrose
Roses


Thank you for stopping by!

The Birds' Christmas Tree

I designed most of the images

to be cut out together (as seen below)

then folded and glued (I used a glue stick). 

Sit under a heavy object for at least 10

minutes to prevent the paper from curling.

It's sweet to think of others this time

of year - including the local birds! We like

to put out extra birdseed and hang suet

cakes in the tree by our living room window.

If you're already putting

together a gift basket for a gardener,

or just looking for a simple gift

for teachers, etc. Buy a few suet

cakes at the store (or make homemade

bird tree ornaments with your kids)

place in a brown paper bag, fold down

the top and punch 2 holes.  Weave

jute or ribbon through, and add one

of these cards or tags ~ done! 

Here are the free
graphics & sources:


*TuckDB*
Postcard image ~ robins

*The Feathered Nest*
"The Birds' Christmas Tree" poem


Thank you for stopping by!

1945 Berry Seed Co.

I bought a seed catalogue a few years ago, while antiquing with my mom.  At the time, I bought it because my last name is Berry, and I loved the graphic design of the cover.  My husband and I also enjoy gardening, and he farms... so I couldn't pass it up.  Once home, I looked through, and found it to be an interesting piece of American history.  I've kept it stashed away until now...

This letter, written by J.F. Sinn, the President

of Berry Seed Company, was written before

the end of WWII. You can read it by left clicking

on the image and then enlarging to full size.

This was the order form

enclosed in the catalogue.

Here's some interesting history about

the town of Clarinda, Iowa, and

Berry Seed Company:

The best known national firm in Clarinda for many decades was Berry's Seed Company, a mail order farm seed distribution business founded in 1885 at Clarinda by A. A. Berry. Berry's Seed Company diversified into retail stores in the 1950s, but the stores were sold off over the following decade, and today the company, known as Berry's Garden Center, operates from its one remaining retail outlet in Danville, Illinois.

In 1943 during World War II, an internment camp designed for 3,000 prisoners of war with sixty barracks and a 150-bed hospital was built in Clarinda. German prisoners were the first to arrive at Camp Clarinda, followed in 1945 by Italian and Japanese POWs.

Hope you've enjoyed this 1945

Berry Seed Co. catalogue, as I have.

Graphics in this post are free for your

personal use. Thanks for stopping by!

Rewards of the simple life...

"To find the universal elements

enough; to find the air and the

water exhilarating; to be refreshed by

a morning walk or an evening saunter;

to be thrilled by the stars at night;

to be elated over a bird’s nest or

a wildflower in spring: these are some

of the rewards of the simple life." 

~ John Burroughs ~

Journal card ~ approx. 3 x 3 inches

Printable ~ journal cards & 2.5" round graphics

Journal card ~ approx. 4 x 5 inches

 

Journal card ~ approx. 3 x 5 inches

Here are the  free graphics &
sources used in my artwork:

*TuckDB postcards*
English cottage scene
Catherine Klein roses

*The Sum of All Crafts*
Delicate rectangular frame

*The Graphics Fairy*
Round apothecary label

*Lilac & Lavender*
"Antiqued" lined paper


Thanks for stopping by!

Autumn's Crowning Glory

"In the garden, Autumn

is, indeed the crowning

glory of the year, bringing

us the fruition of months of

thought and care and toil."

~ Rose G. Kingsley ~

In my garden, pink cosmos,

burnt orange mums, and

'Autumn Joy' sedum are blooming.

Our crabapple is loaded with red

berries... the birds will be happy long

into winter.  My husband's tomatoes

and peppers are still producing,

but everything's winding down. 

Today, I'll be planting daffodils with

my son, in preparation for the

coming gardening year.

Nothing like enjoying Autumn

in the garden, while thinking

ahead to Spring!

"And at no season, save perhaps

at Daffodil time, do we get such

superb color effects as from

August to November."

  

~ Rose G. Kingsley ~

Here are the free graphics

sources used in my artwork:

  *Antique Images*
Handwritten Poetry
 Grungy Wallpaper texture

*Vintage Images*
Catherine Klein pansies
Catherine Klein yellow roses

*The Graphics Fairy*
Round frame

*Just Something I Made*
1891 book cover

*Lilac & Lavender*
Blank postcard

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little Patch of Dirt

As a little girl, Dad gave me ownership over a shady corner of our garden. I could do whatever I wanted there. That usually meant play in the dirt and plant an occasional flower or two, while Dad worked nearby. It was never really about growing anything as much as it was about giving me a place to play - keeping me occupied while spending time together.

Years later, I wanted my children to grow up the same way. As soon as they could go, I took them for walks to see what was growing, to hear the birds, see beetles and butterflies. We've spent a lot of time outside together.

When my daughter was about 4, I asked if she'd like her very own garden... she was so excited! Sunflowers, zinnias, daisies, daylilies and a butterfly bush have all grown there. She used to have a brightly colored birthday plate she loved so much. She ate her dinner on it almost every evening. Then one day, it slipped out of her little hands and broke. She was devastated... until I suggested we use it to decorate. It's been out there a little over a year now, and she still points to it and tells people about her favorite plate.
                                  
My son has a garden also... although it's not as big as his sister's.  It's a little triangular plot, about the same size mine used to be. Right between sidewalk and gravel driveway.  We always put our pumpkins and squash there at the end of autumn, and by the next spring he usually has dozens of sprouting seedlings.  This year has been so dry, it's nothing but dried up grass and dirt.  Up until today, he's used it as a construction site for his little tractors and backhoes.

Now it's a rock garden.  Olivia informed me of her plan this morning, and the three of us went looking.  Some were gathered from my flowerbed borders. Others were found in daddy's freshly plowed vegetable garden.  The finishing touch was a bit of hay placed around everything.

I've been sad my son's garden didn't grow... even as he happily played in the dirt of the construction site, completely oblivious to my concern.  He did ask me why there weren't any pumpkins this year, but then said, "It's been too dry, huh mom?"

Next year his garden may go back to being a place where green things grow. Maybe not - we'll figure it out. Today it was nice watching my kids work together, have fun, and not stress about things not going as they usually do. All thanks to a little patch of dirt.

Garden Journal

"Where you have a plot

of land, however small, plant

a garden. Staying close to

the soil is good for the soul."

~ Spencer W. Kimball ~ 

Have you ever kept a garden journal?

I started one a few years ago, and come

across it every once in awhile.  It's good

to flip through and think about what has

improved, and what I need to try again.

 

Here are the free graphics &

sources used in my artwork:

*Vintage Feedsacks*

Hollyhock seed packet

(unsure of copyright information,

so personal use recommended)

*Lilac & Lavender*

"Antiqued" lined paper

*The Graphics Fairy*

Round frame

*Dafont.com*

Showboat font

*Deviant Art ~ Sagawa*

Old paper texture
 

Grandma Hazel's Geraniums

My husband's great-grandfather

Kermit took pride in his roses.

His great-grandmother Hazel,

enjoyed her geraniums.

Here are the sources for

"Grandma Hazel's Geraniums"

gift tags & lined stationery:

*Vintage Images*

Red geranium

*The Graphics Fairy*

French sheet music

*Altered Bits*

Grungy texture

*Green Paper*

green frame

What are your favorite flowers?

An Amazing Place

This is the day the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

~ Psalm 118:24 ~

I've been spending more time outside, enjoying beautiful weather.  Sunday afternoon I asked for help clearing out some weeds from a front flower bed.  After much-appreciated shoveling and pulling, I was left to the fine-tuning.

Sitting there, my hands and thoughts were busy.  I was thinking about my sister-in-law and her newborn son.  It brought back memories from when my children were babies. There were sleepless nights and times of worry, but also laughter and many tender moments. I felt a twinge of longing and a bit of sadness.

Just as I was getting lost in those thoughts, my little boy of 5 years ran over.  He didn't say much, just plopped down next to me.  Like he sensed I could really use his company.  After catching his breath, he asked what I was doing and if he could help. With that, he brought my focus back.

"Children have neither past nor

future; they enjoy the present,

which very few of us do."

~ Jean de la Bruyere ~

He grabbed a shovel and was able to get some dirt turned over here and there.  Then he looked for worms.  Soon, he was just there, sitting next to me.  Out of the silence, I heard, "Mom, I like being with you."  It made me look up at him and ask, "Why?"  With his green eyes linked to mine, he said, "Because... you're so Mom-like."  Then he smiled and went back to his dirt.

If I ever needed to hear those words, it was in those moments. Yes, I've raised my babies but they're still my little ones... they'll grow into bigger children. Teens, adults. But they'll always be mine, and I'll always be "Mom."

There are still the occasional sleepless nights and times of worry... they will exist, as long as my children and I are together on this earth. But for all that, there's still so much laughter and many tender moments yet to be. We've come through much to end up where we are. Right now the present is an amazing place to be.

"Rejoice in the things that are

present; all else is beyond thee."

~ Montaigne ~

Sweet Girl & Spring Flowers

"It often happens to children

and sometimes to gardeners

that they are given gifts of value

of which they do not perceive

until much later."

~ Wayne Winterrowd ~

Here are the free graphics

& sources used in my artwork:

*Vintage Images*

Girl with wheelbarrow & flowers

*The Graphics Fairy*

Back of an old photograph

*Lilac & Lavender*

Antiqued lined paper

Green fabric - book cover

8"x8" image:

The little girl graphic may be from the 1930's

or later - and therefore not out of copyright.

Please use these for personal use only, thanks!

A Wonderfully Ordinary Day

Yesterday I woke up to sunshine and a sweet little girl curled up next to me. Time for us both to get up, since it was a Kindergarten day. She looked so peaceful. I waited a moment before giving her a nudge. She opened her eyes and focused on me, smiling. We stretched, yawned, and made our way downstairs. Soon my son was up too. Another happy child... it's so nice when they both wake up "on the right side of the bed."

Didn't take long before I had two kids chiming in for pancakes... how could I say no? I flipped as they ate. My daughter ran upstairs to put on school clothes and finish getting ready. While cleaning the mess of dishes, my son came closer and asked, "Mom, what are we gonna do today?"

I paused and glanced outside. "Would you want to help me in the garden?" His grin and eagerly nodding head were my answer. Olivia came back downstairs, and we stood out on the porch as I finished doing her hair. We said our morning prayer and had a laugh when we thought a yellow cement truck was her school bus. Sure enough, the real one came, and we waved goodbye.

Soon after she'd left, we decided to make Jell-O. My little guy picked out strawberry. He handled it pretty well when I told him we couldn't eat it just yet. I'm sure it helped we were heading out.

Once in the flowerbed, I started digging and pulling... and noticed there was a growing number of toy dump trucks and tractors lining up. Zach stood beside me, a little winded, and said, "We're ready to help, mom!" As I pulled up clumps of grass and other weeds, he loaded them into his various little trucks and transported them to a designated dump site.

While working, we talked about grubs and worms and those noisy birds chirping in the crab apple tree. At one point, I heard, "Oh, I forgot something!" and looked up to see an excited little guy running inside. He returned - carefully balancing our Jello and 2 spoons.  "Is it ready now?" It was. So we took a break and he leaned against me, saying, "You know... I love helping you work in the garden, mom." One of the best moments of my day.

We went on to pick my daughter up from school, have supper and bath time... I tucked my son in to bed first. He said, "I can't wait for more weeds!" and thanked God for our garden in his prayer...

I gently shut his door and led my daughter to bed. We noticed the moon in the sky, and she shared how she loves to look up at it sometimes from her bedroom window... "even after Daddy tucks me in bed." Moved, I said I've always loved the moon too. I turned to face her, and said, "You know, today has been one of the best days I've ever had." To which she responded, "Well, that's good... now just go to sleep."

I chuckled at her perfect timing, got up to leave and smiled while closing her door.  In fact, I smiled until finally drifting off... reluctantly closing the book on a wonderfully ordinary day.

In the Garden ~ gift tags

"My garden of flowers

is also my garden of

thoughts & dreams. The

thoughts grow as freely

as the flowers, and the

dreams are as beautiful."

~ Abram L. Urban ~

 I can't wait to actually start working

in my flower gardens... until then,

I'll settle for thoughts & dreams

of what it might become!

Here are the sources & free

graphics used in my artwork:

*The Graphics Fairy*

Victorian garden house

*Bumble Button*

1800's lush floral frame

(I digitally hand-colored this graphic)

*art-e-zine*

"In the Garden of To-morrow" sheet music

*Altered Bits*

textured book page