Crabapple Jelly!

Pennsylvania crabapple season is here

During one of our afternoon nature walks, my kids spotted a crabapple tree that was just filled with fruit. They begged, "Can we pick some to make crabapple jelly?!?"  

Hmmm.... ok.

Fall leaves!

Fun in the leaves

So, have you jump in the leaves yet this fall? I hope so!  If not, perhaps you might live vicariously for a moment?

Painting Autumn Flowers and Fruit

My watercolor inspired by the flowers of fall: purple and white Asters, bright yellow wild Helenium, blue Lobelia, toad flax (Linaria vulgaris or "Dear little bunny nose", as my girls prefer), Persicaria, and a fluffy Pennisetum.

My girls and I have been doing some paintings this week that are partly inspired by the flowers and fruits of autumn... but mostly inspired by the beautiful work of our friend Melissa Ellen. She has been posting some process photos of her watercolor paintings lately. We could not resist giving it a try ourselves!

The Secret Garden Coloring Book by Johanna Basford

Our new favorite book by Scottish artist Johanna Basford

My girls love to color and it is an activity that I like to encourage. Coloring is great for working on hand-eye coordination, detail work and even color theory. And kids gain all this practice while completely enjoying themselves. When I purchased this book on Amazon last week, I knew that it would be a winner. At least, I hoped so.

The Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book by Johanna Basford is more than a winner: it is captivating. I was totally blown away by the intricate styling of this book. Every detail is sublime and every page opens up more discovery. It is part treasure hunt, part coloring book, part drawing class and altogether beautiful. And I wanted you all to see it for yourselves...

My Garden Fairies

My garden fairies flew by the other day. They played under the weeping cherry, made flower crowns for their heads from my clippings, and flitted about pretending to be princesses having a tea party...

Camping & Creeking with the kids

The wooded area just to the right of our camping sight.

Here are a few wild scenes from my family's first official camping trip! It took a bit of courage to pack up five people for a weekend in the woods, tent and all, but I am so glad that we did it. And it went really well! Not too many bug bites, not a drop of rain, and just enough clean clothes to make it home.

We stayed in a truly beautiful spot - the side of a Pennsylvania mountain near a spring creek and a shallow river....

Merry Christmas!

My family's Christmas 2012 photo, taken at the front of our Shade Path garden in October.

Kid play in our garden

My three playing under the tree slide in our backyard. A pruned branch from another garden task adds to the magic.

My kids love to be outside. Give them a few sticks or an unwanted branch (that I finally pruned) and they are happy for hours. When our old tree had to come down (tears) I horded away logs and chips from it for the kids to play with later. Every little thing outdoors is an invitation to explore the world and imagine what they might like to create. Make a place for them to hide and/or climb, add some loose objects - like wood ships, stones, shells or sand - and see what happens!

Grace sniffy those smelly allium! They are from the onion family after all.

Unseasonably warm weather in Pennsylvania Gardens

The Hill Garden: Tulipa 'Ice Stick', Narcissus 'Tete-a-tete' and Crocus vernus 'Grand Maitre'

Can this really be March??

Pink weeping cherry (Prunus) tree in the Cherry Corner Garden at the front of our lot.

Persian lilac (Syringa x persica) leafing out in the Driveway Garden.

In Cherry Corner: Narcissus 'Tete-a-tete', Crocus vernus 'Grand Maitre' and variegated loosestrife's pink shoots (Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander').

Old rose bush leafing out in the Driveway Garden.

By the walk in the Driveway Garden: Hyacinthus orientalis 'Aiolos' with Festuca 'Elijah Blue'.

Crazy kids loving the sun and baby pool in March!

A pot on the back stoop with Narcissus 'Tete-a-tete' and Tulipa 'Persian Pearl'.

See March of last year for a real contrast (Hill Garden and Driveway Garden). Even just a few weeks ago! Snow, snow, snow.

We are enjoying the sun: playing at the park, holding reading class outside, and a trip to the local ice cream shop. I have continued not to feel well, but has been so enjoyable to be able to be outside. Just walking about the garden with my camera is a treat.

Have you been messy yet today?

All the best things in life are messy!

The longer I live, the more I see it:

Eating warm chocolate chip cookies...

stomping in mud puddles...

babies... oh, so cute, but definitely messy...

fresh new paint...

 

And the messiest of all just might be gardening!

What else can get me covered in mud from my knees down in ten minutes, keep me out clipping plants in the rain for an hour, or contrive to lure my hands into gooey mud while strolling around the house?

I love it. And today I am dreaming about it being warm enough to garden in the rain again...

A Merry Christmas Card for you!

From our family to you -

whether you are in snow or sun, 

in winter or summer -

May you know Jesus' great love for you.

Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.      Luke 2:11-12

Late-Autumn Nature Walk

A week ago, before the cold had settled us in the house for cookie baking, we were able to take the kids out around a local park to run through the golden rod, see an old wasps nest and find where the deer sleep. The kids loved it, but I think my husband enjoyed sharing it with them even more. Other highlights included letting the boy ramble through the woods, the girls throw rocks in the creek and all of them have their first wintergreen berries in the woods.

Wispy golden rod seeds in the sun

Girls studying the egg sack on a stalk

Hope you find time to enjoy the last sunny moments of autumn if you are in the northern part of the world. What a nice season it as been!

The best tree on our property...

Our Thankful tree from November

I had to take a few pictures to share before we took down our Thankful tree this week. My kids have loved this activity for November, and it has been infinitely enjoyable seeing what things come out of their hearts and minds. They woke up most mornings saying, "We need to do our thankful tree! We need to do our thankful tree!" But I think it was really me who took the most from it: a gentle reminder every morning not to take our life for granted, even with all of its twists and turns, sticky hands and dirty laundry. Everything is a gift from the Lord God after all.

We planted it in the living room by the girls door

You can guess my favorites :)

Eric Peters in concert at Gilmore Gardens

At the beginning of October, our garden was one of the stops for Nashville singer/songwriter Eric Peters on his Under the Radar concert tour. We enjoyed meeting Eric for the first time back in May. (Go here to see one of his songs featured on WMG.)

Friends seated around our small backyard for an afternoon of music.

Our patio did a great job disguising itself as a stage for this event.

Some fall cookies & cider for extra cheer.

Music for the finches and nuthatches to dine to.

Thanks to Eric and Sam Smith from the Rabbit Room for making the trip up to PA to share a Saturday with us! Oh, and for appreciating the garden tour! 
(You do not think I would let them get away without that, do you?!)


Next up on the Gilmore Cultural Series: 
"Doe a deer, a female deer" performed by Anna, my dynamic three-year-old. Inspired by her first viewing of The Sound of Music.

Leafy fun