Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Living wreaths and Salish knitting


I was really lucky this past month to attend two different workshops, one on making Living Wreaths and the other on Salish Knitting. I love attending workshops, there is always something new to learn or learn more about, you meet such interesting people and they are a lot of fun.

Living Wreaths


My friend Heather recently did a workshop on making Living Wreaths for The Roots, Boots and Shoots Garden Club in West Kelowna. She is a co-facilitator of the group as well as a Master Gardener and a Communities in Bloom judge. Whew! Let me tell you she knows a lot about gardening! She is super creative and tons of fun!!



At the meeting, Heather showed us how to make a living wreath using a wreath form, moss, a special soil concoction, drawer liner and different plants.


When I first read about living wreaths, they were usually made with succulents. Heather did a wreath with succulents, one with strawberries and one with impatiens. They were all beautiful. I could definitely see so many fun possibilities.


She also talked about how to re-purpose and rejuvenate old containers. The black pots above are decades old but received a great face lift using some special spray paint. They looked like new! I was kicking myself for throwing some of my old junk treasures away.


This pot is a re-purposed angel food cake pan. She spray painted it black. Seriously. And get this, the hole in the centre of the pan can accommodate her umbrella on one of her patio tables. This woman is genius!!


I love her hanging lettuce basket. I can see making these with lots of great edibles and herbs. In our climate, moss is practically nonexistent and quite expensive. As a cheaper alternative, Heather lined this basket with black drawer liner she found at a dollar store. Looks good and works like a charm!


Heather started knitting in January and she has knit some pretty amazing things already!


Salish Knitting



 I was also fortunate enough to attend a workshop given by Sylvia Olsen on Salish knitting. I think most of us, especially on the West Coast, are familiar with the iconic Cowichan sweater. I remember knitting them for my family in the late seventies.Their popularity has endured the decades since.


Sylvia has authored some books on the history of these sweaters and the women who knit them. It is a very powerful story and an important part of our province's history. She guided the group through a knitted hat project using a different technique of carrying colours than I am familiar with. It was super interesting.


Her knitted samples were fantastic!


There is lots going on with the bales and the garden. I am spending quite a bit of time mucking around with my shovel and bucket still. I love being outside and it is light past 9 now.


Thanks Val!!







Aren't these roses beautiful?!?  They smell divine. I sure wish I had roses like these in my garden. I had three rose bushes in my front yard but the deer had been ravaging them so I decided to move them into the back.

wipe out

Ouchies!! Well one survived....hopefully.Yuck!



Well some beans are up. I will be talking bales next post. I know, the suspense is building......

Have a great week friends!

Keep Smiling!!

Chris

Hansa Rugosa Roses-I won't be moving this one ever!





18 comments:

  1. It sounds as though both workshops were really interesting, especially, to me, the one on the living wreaths. Like you have I heard of ones with succulents before but never other things. Not sure that one with strawberries would be very good on the front door, visitors would be eating them all the time - hee hee!!! Your roses are so pretty, hope they do better after the move. xx

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    1. I saw her today and she was saying her petunia wreath was filling in and she was picking strawberries out of her strawberry wreath,nthey are so pretty! I think your berry wreath would be picked clean if you had it on the front door!

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  2. Very interesting workshops. Your roses and lovely. None of ours have flowered yet.

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    1. Gillian , we are two to three weeks ahead in our season here and everything is early and not lasting as long as it has become quite warm already. It's interesting comparing our seasons and growth .have a great weekend

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  3. The living wreath workshop look like it was fantastic! I really like the look of them. And I am very jealous that you got to attend the Salish workshop. Sylvia is an amazing person, with an amazing story.

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    1. Heathers wreaths are beautiful and I'd love to make one. I'm still trying to get everything organized in the garden. Everything is so early this year. Sylvia really put a different perspective on Salish knitting. Those women worked so hard to feed their families. Her samples were so nice, we all want to knit every one of them. Her poncho was a huge favourite.

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  4. That last shot of your roses is just unbelievable!!! WOW! Is that an old ladder for your beans??? What an awesome idea my friend! That first workshop sounded fantastic....and yes! The angel food cake pan is simply genius! The wreaths are stunning and it really got me thinking about my blank fence wall and how I need to creatively spruce it up! Oh and spraying pots.....Im off to buy spray tomorrow!!! And that knitting workshop sounded delightful as well. Full of history and rich makings! And her examples are a work of art! So glad you were able to take these classes and pass on the inspiration to all of us! So lovely Chris! So glad to see your post tonight! Have a great weekend of making!! Nicole xoxo

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  5. Yes I have scarlet runners and pole beans climbing up two old wooden ladders. It's been so warm the beans germinated quickly. The wreaths are beautiful and if you'd like more info pm me. She had lots of great tips. She did one with petunias too. Beautiful! And spray paint...such a super idea! The knitting class was so interesting . Glad you liked my post! Have a great weekend! Chris

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  6. I love living wreaths they're so pretty ! Well you're very busy with all of your crafts and your beautiful and vibrant garden !! Have a lovely weekend !

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    1. I love those wreaths too! It's such a great project for a garden. There is sure a lot happening in the garden right now, keeps me hopping!?Have a great weekend!

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  7. I couldn't agree more about the value of workshops ... I have had fun on them, made friends on them, and learnt so much from them over the years. And I've led a few too ... that's always fun :)

    I'm loving the idea of a hanging lettuce basket.

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  8. It's always good to go to workshops, sometimes I think well I have knit lots of fair isle or whatever , but you always learn something new or a bit different or meet some interesting people. I bet your workshops were wonderful! The lettuce hanging basket is such a great idea, she's been picking lettuce out of it for a few weeks. It's such a super idea!

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  9. Awesome wreaths! I've spray painted many goodies for the garden. If I don't like the color, I can just paint them again. Too bad about the roses. I just cut one of mine down because I couldn't control the blackspot without using harmful chemicals, which I refuse to do. Le sigh.... He was a mighty handsome rose, too. :(

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  10. It's amazing what a coat of paint will do, and you're right if you don't like it, pick another colour! I checked my roses and they look deader than dead except they both have one green twig of a branch, is there any point in salvaging them or just rip em out? Sorry to hear about your rose, will it come up again?

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  11. A couple of interesting workshops! I've wanted to make a living wreath with hens 'n chicks, but haven't got the form for that yet. I have my mom's sponge cake pan which I probably will never use ... great idea with planting it (& painting it!). I have a couple of Cowichan sweaters from Duncan BC when we visited my brother. Super warm & perfect for camping in the fall.
    Wendy

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    1. The wreaths are beautiful! Heather is picking strawberries off hers, whoops till her dogs ate them. She keeps them horizontal , she has a smaller garden space so this does give her more growing options. Cowichan sweaters are so classic and perfect for camping!

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  12. Another thing to line the lettuce baskets, try old wool fleece, it is sorta its own fertilizer (especially if its the Stinky kind).

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  13. Lynn , that's an absolutely brilliant idea!! Hopefully the birds and squirrels don't want a piece of stinky wool too!

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