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!

Another Noro Wrap and Straw Baling

After posting the Ojo de Dios wrap a several weeks ago, I remembered how much I enjoyed knitting it. It is knit with Noro Silk Garden, which is an incredibly nice yarn and their colourways are fantastic.

I saw this colour and I think it was the bright limey green and rich blues that drew me in. I am an easy sell in the colour department! 

When I finished and blocked it, I really liked it but the colours looked quite autumnal to me. I mostly wear bright clear jewel tones. I am thinking well someone might like it as I was sitting on the fence about it.

 

I then thought I'd switch it up with one of my brighter blue jackets. Yah baby, we are in colourtown!!

It always is amazing to me how certain colours can just pop out when teamed with a complimentary colour. I think playing with colour and textures are the best parts of knitting for me.

My shawl pin, which is more limey green in real life, looks OK! I did see another Noro colour combo in more wintery shades I really really liked too ....hmmm.

The more exciting topic-straw baling

We planted lots of different veggies in our bales and the good news seeds are sprouting!! Can I have a woot woot!!

 

We have planted lettuce, beans, peas, cilantro, radishes, arugula, spinach and carrots. 

And of course the obligatory strawberries!

And tomatoes too!

 

We still have bales to plant, that are located on the hotter side of the garden. Most probably peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, maybe cukes and a few other things will go into the bales as soon as it is warm enough. I have been reading up on edible landscaping a lot and am trying to incorporate more edibles in my garden. After reading Nicole's post on permaculture, I was in! I was talking to my friend Tangi about it and her daughter designs edible landscapes and is quite an expert on permaculture. Synchronicity!!Gives you pause to wonder sometimes!  I have a lot of different ideas I want to incorporate into our garden this year. We have been digging and weeding and weeding a lot.

Thai cooking

Mung bean noodle salad with shrimp

Recently, my friend Heather had a Thai cooking class. Oh my, it was lots of fun and the dishes were amazing!! We all cooked up a storm, ate a great lunch and waddled home!!

Chicken soup with coconut milk

                                              Pad Thai

 

I love Thai food!! I have bought some Thai basil and lemon grass to go into my herb garden. And cilantro, lots of cilantro!! I am in the process of replanting one of my big planters with herbs, beneficials and pollinators, whew! Lots to think about and plan. That is a whole other big topic!!

Have a great week friends

Keep smiling!!

Chris