HAPPY EARTH DAY

 

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for He founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.  Psalm 24:1-2

Spring Blossoms

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden."
-  Ruth Stout 

Spring blossoms outside my door today:

 Poppy

 Iris

Cilantro

What's blooming in your world?

Spring Seedlings

Happy Spring!

Seeds are sprouting here ...

tiny lettuces in a blue bowl-

Sugar snap peas ...

Sweet peas, Nigella, and  more salad mix ...

Why the chicken wire?  

It seems I'm not the only one who has a fondness for container gardening.

There's Sadie the cat, who finds bowls and pots of soil an irresistible place to nap (she has 2 other of her kind who are likewise inclined) ...

Also Sweet Annie the dog, who loves digging in my gardens and pots and also has an odd fondness for eating green things.

And then there is the four year old who is as least as, if not more, destructive as the animals ... though she really believes she is 'helping' ...

Gardening is never simple here, try as I may.  Someday perhaps.


But here is a simple to grow plant that is one of my favorites- dianthus

Fortunately for me, Annie doesn't seem particularly interested in these first blossoms of the season.  

What's blooming in your world these days?

Springtime Thoughts

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~ Ruth Stout

Spring is in the air here at The Still Room.  

Lavender, sage, and rue are in bloom much to the butterflies and bees delight, as well as mine!  

I planted basil, dill, parsley, Greek oregano, sweet marjoram, thyme, and rosemary in the raised beds and scattered an assortment of herb seeds throughout the front gate garden.  

I am beyond blissful at the prospect of harvesting armloads of herbs and flowers from this new garden spot. 

I'll post photos when I can (a new camera is on my wish list).

 Still much more to do, but the work is pleasant and the rewards are great. 

I've got tiny Sweet Annie, Tulsi basil, and others popping up in starter trays ...

What's sprouting in your garden these days?  

Herbal Blessings,

Catherine

Winter's End

Quiet here lately.  Not my intent, it is just that life off the page has been anything but quiet lately.  It has been a season of busyness; one that drained my energy and left my mind spinning in a dozen directions ... not conducive to creativity or writing.  Oh, as always, I would think, "I need to post about this or that," but something else more needful seemed to always crowd out my writing time.  And so the blog lay silent for a season.  And that's OK.  To everything there is a season, said the wise writer of Ecclesiastes.

But now, Spring is in the air!  And I do love the changing of seasons, especially from winter to spring ... the grass is green, birds are singing, and even a few flowers have dared to bloom their welcome to springtime.
In keeping with the seasons, I've simplified things to create more 'room to breathe' in my day, and am ready to once again spend time here.  I have plans to rework this site- simplify things here, make it more readable and even more interactive (I love a good conversation, even a virtual one!).  I want it to be a place of encouragement and hope.  As I am working to make our home more of a sanctuary- a peaceful, welcoming place for my family, friends, and even those strangers that the Lord brings to our door ... I want this place to reflect those same values- simplicity, peace, hope, beauty, and offer a quiet place of rest where you can refill your cup before heading back out into the world.

In keeping with my quest to make this place more interactive, I'd love your input!
What do you like here (or not like)?
What topics would you like to read about and discuss?
How can I make Love Living Simply a better place for you?  

And on a lighter note- since I'm thinking all things spring these days ...
What are your favorite spring flowers?
I am planning a trip to my favorite organic garden center very soon and flowers are at the top of my list.
I love poppies and roses, so those are a given; and I'm thinking about a rather wild cottage garden, with old fashioned favorites such as hollyhocks, stock, bachelor's buttons, daisies, etc., etc., etc.
But I'd love some ideas from you, too.
When you think spring garden, what flowers come to mind?

My favorite scripture for this season-

For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
¹² The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.  Song of Solomon 2:11-12

Blessings at this winter's end,

Catherine

Thinking Spring

Spring weather is popping in and out at my house these days.  These warm, breezy days bring out the gardening bug in me quickly.  I am ready to plant a new herb garden; but first a garden spot has to be established and the soil prepared.  I prefer no-till or lasagna gardening, but since we are going from established yard to garden, tilling is the quickest and least expensive way to get started (at least that's my husband's perspective, I'm still not convinced ... we'll see who wins this one!).   Once we have the soil prepared and garden beds installed, I let things be and only cultivate with hand tools, letting nature's gardener's (worms and other soil dwellers) do the tilling and soil turning for me!  It is much healthier for the garden and the environment.

I have a few winter sown herbs popping up in raised beds and containers- dill, cilantro, and comfrey are all showing signs of life.  The scented geraniums are enjoying sunny days outside, as are the bay and lemon trees.

It is time to prune the sage that has gotten ugly and leggy over the winter, and cut back the lemon balm, rue, and mints in preparation for new spring growth.


I'm still perusing seed catalogs, plotting and planning what new things I want to grow this year.  Holy Basil is one new to me herb I plan to grow.  I recently tried a tea made with Tulsi or Holy Basil and it is very nice.  Now I want to grow my own Tulsi tea!  And since rose is the Herb of the Year, I plan to add roses to the garden- some will be container grown, some planted along the fence to climb and vine and do what roses do!

I'm thinking Spring, how about you?
What are you planning to grow this year?  Anything new?
How about starting a new garden?  Do you till or do raised beds, no-till, containers ... all of them?!  

Tell me what your plans are for the herb garden this year!

Happy Spring!

Today begins a new season.
I am most ready for the promise of new life that each spring brings.
I've been hibernating in a sense myself, mostly due to work, bad weather, and then a string of minor family illnesses.  But the warm weather and sunshine has prompted me to wake up and start fresh in some areas, this blog for instance.  I'll be doing some work here in the coming days, changing a few things and posting more regularly.
The beginning of spring ushers in one of my favorite yearly activities- planting the spring greens!
We've already tucked in seeds and a few seedlings and have been plotting and planning, in order to grow all we can in our little rented patch of earth. 
Today is the perfect day for a picnic at the community garden, wandering along the creek, and giving thanks for the beauty of a new season.
How do you mark the changing of seasons?

To everything there is a season ... Ecclesiastes 3:1

Ducky Dreams & Chicky Cuteness

Isn't that the cutest thing? 

I want one for Easter ... maybe two, I wouldn't want it to get lonely. 

Seriously, I asked my husband if a little duck pond would fit in the backyard,  the backyard that is currently under construction, or deconstruction in order to turn it into something other than ugly.  We've trimmed trees.  Oh the grey hairs that man gave me with that one, up a tree with a chainsaw in hand, hanging like a monkey, blowing in the wind...good grief; but the tree has been conquered!  We've removed overgrown, ugly bushes and relocated other plants, and still have a lot of work to do before the yard resembles anything close to the lovely cottage kitchen garden I have envisioned!  We are also in the process of building a home for a bunny (3 bunnies actually), and a chicken coop is next on the list (did I mention we live in town, are renters, and have a small yard?). 

So ... my husband was less than enthusiastic about my duck idea (He was rather enthusiastic about a silly shovel, which I tried to show some interest in ... whatever makes him happy...).  But, because he is the wonderful man he is, and almost always grants my dearest wishes... He said, "Yes, there is room for a small duck pen and a pond but (there is always a but it seems) someone (and he meant me) would have to clean out the duck pond every day (he was very firm about every day), because ducks aren't so smart and they make their water all nasty and someone  (me) will  have to clean it every day." (sigh) 

And, since I know that doing most anything every day is not really my style (hey, I do lots of things and I can't always get to them all every day, ok) ...

I'll just move the ducks and a pond to my wish list for when we have a real farm.  Then we can have a big pond and nature can clean up after the ducks so I won't have to! 

Beware visiting the feed and seed stores this time of year...

The cuteness is hard to resist!

Just so you know, these cutesy little Fruit Loop colored birdies will most likely all be roosters. So unless you are in need of an alarm bird or live on a farm, you should just take a photo, pry them from your children's hands, and move along ... though it won't be easy (someday I'm going to buy them just because they are so, so cute)!

Joyous Easter to you!

Springtime Sweetness

Is there anything sweeter, than ...

chubby baby fingers grasping the first Dandelion of the season? 

Maybe this:

Yummmm... dandelions are tasty, too. 

Happy Spring! 

It Is Springtime

To whom it may concern: It is springtime. It is late afternoon.
~Kurt Vonnegut

I would just like to add, "I'm in the garden."  to this quote, and then it would be perfect! 

Actually, this would be more fitting:

To whom it may concern:
It is springtime.
I am in the garden.

Now wouldn't that be fun little sign to post by the front door?  ... No time at present, I have to get back to the garden.  Oh, I do have a cutesy little chalkboard that I could hang up in a snap. 
Spring Fever, this manic behavior is certainly caused by Spring Fever!

Spring is Springing!

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven -
All's right with the world!
~Robert Browning

Signs of spring abound here- birds singing, bees buzzing, bulbs about to burst into bloom, busy children building fairy houses and Barbie swings in the backyard... oh the simple joys of springtime!