Finally, the stump of the old tree that was taken down is being honored. I felt so sad when I had to get rid of the very old tree. It was a liability and dangerously close to the house; besides, it was showing signs of disease. But the tree refused to go down; it came to life again. I thought of a way in which to make us both happy.
I trimmed its new branches. My husband built a replica of the farmhouse, and we placed it atop the trunk. He decided to paint the window trim blue as well. Our window trim is white, but we thought it would look better that way. The inside painted in yellow suggests that the lights are on. We added a few woodland critters, a welcome sign, a mailbox, and sitting arrangement on the porch. I recycled those miniatures from the faerie garden. I think he did a great job and I love it. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Side view. All materials, with the exception of the gray paint and clear coat, are recycled. We want to build or paint a faerie door on the trunk. (Photo by M.A.D.)
We added a color changing spotlight. I took this picture from indoors through the window glass at night (too many night crawlers around). The rosebush gives a nice touch to it. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Same view during the day. (Photo by M.A.D.)
This is a project that we had scheduled for some time this year. The original plan was to add faerie lights and a Clematis plant or a type of vine to the trunk; however, we thought that a spotlight would be better, and the tree branches that grew again took the place of the Clematis plant. Hope you enjoy reading about this project.
UPDATE
My husband finished the faerie door. All materials used are recycled. I think he did an awesome job. Love it!
Faerie door using recycled materials. Photo by M.A.D.
“I’m standing here in summer sun, where rabbits hide, and small quail run… I listen to the prairie’s song in every breeze that comes along.” – Betty Lou Hebert, “Prairie Gentian.”
In our youth, we imagine life turning out a certain way; we are full of dreams and less experienced. We set out to conquer the world. As we mature, experiences, good and bad, have placed some weight on us, influenced our desires and dreams, and our footsteps hold firmly to the ground. Steps become steadier and more careful, less rushed, and bit more planned. Some of us find ourselves living the life we dreamed, while some of us might not, and others might be half-way there. For many of us, the life that we dreamed once might not be the life that we want to live now. Whatever the case might be, dreams remain. The adage, “When you stop dreaming you stop living,” might have a bit of truth.
From small dreams to larger dreams, it all seems to propel us forward in life, whether we want a fancy life or a simpler life. There are setbacks, new dreams, and things don’t always turn out the way we dreamed or planned for, but this doesn’t diminish the preciousness of life, and each day presents a new opportunity to dream again; each day, an opportunity to do a bit better than we did yesterday. After all, and on the way to a dream, we become our own judges, that is, in relation to our dreams in life.
What does a 90-year-old person dreams of? Maybe what we all seem to take for granted – to enjoy another day. What does a person with a terminal illness dreams of? Maybe for one more day amongst friends and loved ones. A person contemplating suicide? Perhaps for a better day, each day. In the end, no matter what one’s dreams were about or how these turned out, we seem to ask for one more day. In perspective, that is all we have, one day at a time.
This year mushrooms grew everywhere, especially in the faerie garden. These are huge. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Size comparison. Unfortunately, these mushrooms decompose very fast, and they smell like a rotten corpse. Bees, flies, and ants are attracted to it. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Two decomposing stinky mushrooms. They will melt and disappear. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Pretty colorful ones too. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Mama Turkey and her adorable babies stopped by. Could not get a clear picture as they moved fast. (Photo by M.A.D.)
The blessing of early Mums. (Photo by M.A.D.)
All little things that make me stop and smile. Hope you enjoyed the pictures.
In as much as a single flower, exists a whole world, a world of color, patterns, texture, lines, dimension, shape and form, of beauty and awe, when you stop to carefully and mindfully observe it. It can only speak of the magnificence and magnitude of its creator.
It is always lovely to spot a few friends in the garden.
I have not seen these birds before, but they are adorable. The tail’s color is my favorite shade of blue.
The deer are always visiting.
“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11 NIV
Some things are meant to be, simplicity, findings, and awe, with all the blessings of God.
Photo by M.A.D.
Mama Bird has been teaching her four babies how to forage for food and eat on their own. Sometimes, they want her to feed them, and she keeps on walking with them until they start pecking at whatever they find on the ground. There is a little one that has been a slow learner, and follows her until sometimes, she gives in and feeds him something. Photo by M.A.D.
From the garden. Blessings come in all sizes and colors. Photo by M.A.D.
If you visit this blog from time to time, you know that I love plants and nature. I have been restoring a derelict farmhouse and its abandoned grounds, where there used to be a garden that was eaten up by weeds. Weeds? By other native plants, I should say. I thought about that the other day and realized that God didn’t make weeds; instead, he created all kinds of beautiful plants, and we decided to call them weeds, but He did not. I have learned to incorporate some of these “weeds” in my garden and let them be beautiful.
However, this DIY journey has taken years and patience. There is much to be done yet, and I have an impatient spirit sometimes, but I have learned to listen to what this old farmhouse wants, and to what the land is asking for. Most of the time, I have listened well. It is when I have become too restrictive and “boxy” that I have made some mistakes, in the garden that is. Although it might apply to my life as well.
Living a simple life, as well as creating a dream of this old farmhouse and its garden requires quite a bit of patience, and endurance I might add, or I should say quite a lot. Many people find it too much work, inconvenient, and would not put up with it. Exactly the reason why the unpolished gem sat on the market for some time until we picked up the loupe and found it. Have we polished it or has it polished us?
A gardener waits and waits, and … A gardener endures the seasons patiently. A gardener changes with the seasons. A gardener watches the death of a garden and awaits its rebirth. A gardener is not afraid of trying a new approach. A gardener plants in faith, and harvests in gratitude.
In hindsight, it has been like writing a story without an outline. It is mostly how I write as well, so in a way, it has become a natural endeavor; however, it requires the patience of a saint (as the adage says) but I rather have the patience of a gardener.
This time of the year is perfect for working outdoors because it is not too cold and not warm yet. It is when we try to do as much as we can before the warm weather and bugs arrive. The weather has been good enough, even during winter. This gave us enough time to tackle some chores that needed to be done. We enjoy this type of work, so when it is done during cool weather, we like it even more. Most of it was repainting all the areas that needed to be redone, such as light posts, porch posts, veggie garden, old planting pots that needed some love, garden tables, and the wood around the house. We are sticking with the color Barn Red by Minwax, a semi stain, and we love it. One coat is just enough. We replaced the wood on the work bench and repainted it, spruced up the side door, and weeded out some broken things. We also introduced a new area in the garden, which will need some further development. Tired flags were changed, grass was cut, and leaves were collected once more after the very windy days we had. Overall, most of the heavy work is done by now, but we still have some things to tackle before the summer. We are also planning other projects before the end of this year, some of which I will share here.
New garden area that needs more work. This year we introduced three new areas in the garden.
We have come a long way.
In the beginning … there was chaos everywhere. You can view the renovation of the old farmhouse and garden under Restoring an Old Farmhouse posts.
It turned out to be a mostly mild winter after all, with a few very cold days and nights in between. We even hit six degrees at night once. This week will be random temperatures of all kinds, with some 20s at night. But that is March around here in Virginia; it is the unpredictable month. Winter temperatures started early, and I thought that we would have a very cold winter; not so. The birds have been arriving again, in February, a sign of an early spring, I thought; not so. We had a bit of snow last week, just when we were expecting rain, and so far, the only time it snowed around here. March is hard to predict as far as gardening projects.
Thanks to the mild weather in December through February, we were able to tackle many projects around the home. Most of them were cleaning up, setting up areas, clearing brush, and overall getting things ready for the planting and gardening season. Most of the dead trees were chopped, and all the wood that was put out for people to take and use for heating is gone. Most people prepare a season ahead, so wood is always in demand. Most of the wood was oak and maple, with other species in between. All of it appreciated for sure. I am glad that the large tree near the kitchen entrance was able to keep on giving, and that it lived beyond in many ways: as wood for heating people’s homes, as garden decor here at the farmhouse, and as mulch for new gardening areas. I loved that tree and hated to have to cut it, but it was a liability at this point. I am happy that the tree lived beyond and nothing of it got wasted. We left the enormous stump and have decorative plans for it. Here are a few pictures of the work we did during this mild season.
Debris and more debris on top of debris … all cleaned up, but still more to come. It has been very windy.
An attempt to start seeds early.
The tree that kept on giving. We cut round slices to use for the garden to elevate some pots at the front area.
Mulch from the same tree.
Two new areas in the garden were started with plants that survived the winter.
Round slices of the tree being used in the garden.
The small trails were cleared of the leaves that covered them. We use the larger logs that have fallen to delineate the pathways. We are not finished making the trails because it is a large project and time consuming.
Every time I find a small cedar growing in an area where it should not, I place it in a pot and grow it until it reaches at least one foot, and then, I plant it in the perimeter of the wooded area. Eventually, these cedars will grow, and it will look lovely. This particular one was about an inch when I found it.
The bit of snow we got this winter, so far.
Find the bird.
There are many other chores to do around here, weather permitting that is. All due in time. Hope you enjoy this post.
Sometimes, beauty takes you by surprise and makes you gasp and smile. I took the first two pictures this morning: something unexpected but delightful.
The sun had come up and it illuminated this tree at a perfect angle because it looked as if the raindrops were dangling and glistening like tinsel. A magical sight from my favorite chair. I had to run and grab the camera before it was over. This oak tree is on my closest neighbor’s property. It keeps its dry leaves until the spring. What a lovely sight.
This is just the reflection of a drop of water that is on the outer side of the window glass. As I was going down the stairs, I noticed what I thought were shards of glass on the window. As I got closer and attempted to grab them, I realized it was just a reflection. I thought these were beautiful to look at, and I had never noticed them before. I went downstairs quickly and grabbed the camera once more. What a treat. I know, the window needs cleaning on the outside, but it is winter.
I took this picture the other day. The garden has gone to sleep, and we have had temperatures on and off in the 20s at night and even hit 6 degrees one time, but this plant refuses to go to sleep and keeps flowering. It is the only one in the garden that is still offering its colorful beauty, that is, besides the forsythia plant next door that always blooms in December. A lovely sight.
Every winter, I look forward to seeing this Forsythia bloom in December. So far, this plant seems to prefer winter blooms and not blooming in the spring. For the past four years, I have noticed her early blooms and enjoy it.
Inkspeare 