Another Seedy Sunday coming up!

Seedy Sunday - Peterborough Ontario - Coming up!

Please click the picture above and link to more info.

~ Italian Basil seedlings ~

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Peterborough Seedy Sunday, here in Ontario, is fast approaching!

I'm looking forward to attending!

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Sunday March 13th, 2011 - 1 pm to 4 pm

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St. James United Church
221 Romaine St.
Peterborough, ON

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If you're in the area, come on by and get inspired by Spring!

A Free Event!

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I'll have Seed Balls, Plantable Paper, and more than 140 varieties of organic, open-pollinated heirloom and native seeds available for purchase.

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Hope to see you there!

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FYI ---> To find Seedy Saturdays & Sundays in your area,

please visit: Seeds Of Diversity

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Pamper Youself Naturally - The Home Spa - From the Garden!

Lavender Loves Sage - Organic Bath Salts

Lavender Sole Food - Organic relief for our Feet!

Honey-Vanilla Milk Bath

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The garden brings us many joys. Countless hours playing in the dirt is good for the soul.
If you're like me, a nice hot bath is sometimes welcome, after working/playing in the garden, and perhaps you also believe in products for the body that are free of man made chemicals.
As far as I'm concerned, they do more harm than good.
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That's where the garden ties into the bath.
After playing in the dirt, it's nice to decompress and feel like one is visiting a spa!
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Well, I started reading the labels on bath products I was purchasing, and like many of you out there, found that some of the ingredients, which are too complicated to spell or pronounce, made me question as to whether these were any good for mine and my families health.
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After researching some of them and finding that many were indeed not good for me, I turned to my garden for answers. I decided it was high time that using the natural and organic ingredients I grew myself was more in line with my way of thinking.
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For instance, I grow lavender and sage. I dry both. You can see the picture above, and all it contains is dried lavender, dried sage, both which I've grown organically, dried, and then ground up and mixed with a variety of natural bath salts and other ingredients.
I know what is in my bath! I can pronounce and spell all the items that I'm bathing in, and, I know that they benefit me in many ways.
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This is why I started my business.
All that I'm doing, many others can do too.
But if you aren't interested in creating your own bath products for home use, or to give to friends, but would still like to indulge, please feel free to visit my Etsy Store @ http://www.wallflowerstudio.etsy.com/
where all my products for the garden and the bath created from natural and safe ingredients.
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Shop safely and securely through my shop via PayPal. Your information is never shared, and your purchase is protected.
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Spring is knocking at the door ... It's almost time to play in the dirt!
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Thanks and Happy Gardening!
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Gardening under lights... for now at least!

English Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) ... Starting to sprout!

Little Amaryllis bulblets. So cute! From the main plant.
(See below)

Amaryllis bulbs
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I picked out the small bulblets and have potted them up in their own container.
They're under lights now, along with all the other seeds I'm starting.
Herbs for the most part, but a few heirloom tomatoes, and other Veggies.
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This is all a gardener can do when there's still 4 feet of snow outside!
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March is almost here and that heralds Spring!
Thank goodness. It can't come soon enough for me.
Happy gardening!
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Mesclun Mix - Planning to Plant in the Garden

Some salad greens from last year. I love a variety of colour and foliage.

Wall Flower Studio's Mesclun Mix - Lots of variety!
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The word “Mesclun" means "mixture."
For me, it's when early sweet lettuces and tangy, tender greens are pre-mixed,
then sown and grown together.
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Mesclun is actually amazingly easy to grow.
Most seeds will even germinate in cooler weather conditions.
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The key, I've found, is making sure that the soil is evenly watered until the seeds germinate, which will usually take place within a week.
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I've noticed that Mesclun mixes are becoming increasingly popular as people discover the wonderful ways to use different greens. Many can be container grown, so it's an accessable way for people to grow their own food.
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I've created a custom blend for Wall Flower Studio.
Many unusual and tasty greens are included for growing,
and no two salads grown & harvested will every be alike!
I kind of like the sound of that!
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The seeds included are:
Red giant mustard, Red deer tongue lettuce, Russian red kale, Mizuna mustard, Arugula, Tom Thumb lettuce, Black-seeded Simpson lettuce, Parris Island Romaine, Persian Cress, Lacinto Kale, and Reine Des Glaces Lettuce.
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If you don't have a lot of experience growing from salad from seed,
I'm thinking that a Mesclun mix is a great way to start.
Ending up with a great harvest with very little effort is my kind of gardening!
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Would love to hear if anyone else is growing their own salad mixes.
Thanks for stopping by!
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Red Lion Amaryllis Budding Now

To be honest, I forgot about this little fellow. It's a Red Lion Amaryllis.

It has a really pretty deep red velvety colour flower with a nice sheen on the petals.

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It has been, without me meaning to, been tucked away in the dining room, behind some other larger plants. Oops!

Was happy to see a bud starting to sprout from it, even after my neglect of it for a couple months. I guess that's what it needed!
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That little clay worm on the pot is my favourite little kitschy decoration.
I love the stunned look it has. : )
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Thanks for visiting!
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Seedy Sunday . Toronto . Get the Jump on Spring!

Seedy Sunday - Toronto - Sunday February 13, 2011 12pm-6pm

Click the picture above for more info!

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Wall Flower Studio's Seed Stand
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Entrance to Seedy Sunday is By Donation - Pay What You Can!
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"Seedy Saturday and Sundays are the days when the new gardening season begins in earnest. You can have an opportunity to learn more about gardening, hone and share your gardening skills, and buy or exchange vegetable and flower seeds."
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Basil Seeds - Tender Annual - I like to grow them indoors all year long!
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Dragon Tounge Bush Beans (Heirloom) - Prolific & Rust Resistant, too!
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Almost finished packing all the seeds! It doesn't seem like work. : )
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Become a Guerrilla Gardener!

Chuck a Seed Ball. In your yard, or somewhere else!
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Wall Flower Studio is pleased to participate in our 3rd Seedy Sunday in Toronto!

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Come on down. Visit and purchase from the people who are growing & providing seeds for the food you might eventually be putting on your family's plate!

These are seeds that you know are open-pollinated, untreated and Non-GMO.

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Happy Gardening!

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A Green Idea. Grow Flowers from Plantable Paper!

Chickadees

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Butterflies!
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Plantable Paper!
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These days, thankfully, many people are opting to go green, even when planning special lifechanging events like a wedding.
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We are all seeking ways to celebrate and give gifts that are not going to be added to landfil.
Making environmentally friendly decisions throughout the planning process can be easy!
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Here is my green idea:
Handmade Plantable Paper
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Not only are these great for wedding favours, but also as gift tags, name/place cards, business cards, or even bookmarks!
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This can help ease the burden and lessen, at least a little bit, our carbon footprint on our planet.
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Many colours, shape and sizes available!
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They are made with, mostly Native, but all, open-pollinated, organically grown seeds,
embedded in 100% recycled post consumer, handmade paper.
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So many wonderful uses. Please feel free to inquire.
Each one comes complete with instructions on how to grow them.
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Click the picture to visit my Etsy site.
Purchase safe and securely with PayPal!
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Seed List
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-Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
-Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja spp.)
-Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)
-Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)
-Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
-Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)
-Red Columbine (Aquilegia formosa)
-Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata)
-Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
-Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
-Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
-Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii)
-Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria lanceolata)
-Shrubby Penstemon (Penstemon fruticosus)
-Common Camas (Camassia quamash)
-Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)
-Turk’s-cap Lily (Lilium michiganense)
-Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus)
-Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum)
-New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)
-Fawn Lily (Erythronium oregonum)
-Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
-Ox-eye daisy (Heliopsis helianthoides)
-Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
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And more...!
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Happy Gardening!
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Feed the Soil - Not the Plants. Gardens Thrive with Compost!

Food Scraps for the composter

Some Composting Tips:

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To get started, make a layer of leaves or other brown vegetation.

Then add a layer of green plant material.

Add kitchen waste as it accumulates.

Dig this into the pile or cover with a thin layer of soil.

Continue adding material, alternating layers of brown material, green yard waste and kitchen waste.

Brown yard waste is generally high in carbon.

Kitchen scraps and fresh yard waste are high in nitrogen.

Both carbon and nitrogen are needed to build a balanced compost pile.

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Fine materials such as grass clippings should be added in thin layers so that they do not compact.Keep the material as moist as a wrung-out sponge.

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Covering the pile with wet newspapers may help to retain moisture.

Water the pile occasionally if it becomes too dry.

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Turn the pile every few weeks or whenever it becomes compacted, too wet, to prevent any odour.

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A garden fork, rake or pitchfork can be used to turn the pile properly and keep it aerated. Mix the material from the edges of the pile into the middle for more even decomposition.

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How to make yourself a 3 Bin Composter - -(U of Kentucky, College of Ag.) http://www.ca.uky.edu/ENRI/PUBS/enri310rev.pdf
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If we all composted, even just our kitchen scraps,
just think of how much garbage we could keep out of landfill.
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Plus, your garden will thrive on the organic nutrients you provide.
I never use ferillizers in my garden.
Chemicals cannot replace or even compare to what Nature has already perfected.
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Happy Gardening!
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Sowing Seeds today ... Heirloom Tomatoes etc.

Many of you are doing this too, I'm sure!
Just couldn't help but be inspired by all the great seed and gardening talk the other night at #SuperSowSunday on Twitter. I had to get started!

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Loving the fact that while I'm sowing seeds, the sun is shining, and of course the music is on, too!

Makes it seem like Spring is actually on it's way.

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Some of the tomatoes varieties I've grown before, and some are new to me.

If you've grown any of them I'd love to hear about your success /failiures.

Just enjoy sharing the info.

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Polish Linguida (Amazing paste tomato)
Black Prince (From Siberia)
Mennonite (German, and tomato is a yellow colour)
Mountain Princess (From the mountain region of the West Virginia)
Black Krim
Principe Borghere
Earl Of Edgecombe (from New Zealand)
Also sowing:
Cocozelle Zucchini (19th century Italian variety)
Globe Green Artichokes
Pepper (Purple Beauty)
Green Curly Endive
Eggplant (Diamond)
Red Seeded Citron Melon (Citrullus lanatus)

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Just "sow" glad it's that time of year again...

Happy planting!

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A Closer Look at Seeds @ Wall Flower Studio

Gaillardia aristata "Goblin" Seeds

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Dragon Tongue Bush Beans
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Red Seeded Citron Melon seeds
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Borage Seeds

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Arikara Sunflower Seeds

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Beet Seeds

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Sharing a selection of heirloom seeds that I was packaging up today.

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All the different shapes, sizes and colours.

I just can't help but think how beautiful seeds are.

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Especially if they haven't been tampered with.

(Say no to gmo's.)

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All of these seeds are available

at Wall Flower Studio's online Etsy shop.

Heirloom & Natives seeds.

All open-pollinated and organically grown.

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Thanks for visiting!

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Mother Nature spent millenia perfecting #Seeds

Lot's of seed packing happening now..

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Painted Lady Scarlet Runners & Tom Thumb lettuce seeds
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Hollyhock seeds
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"Golden Sweet" heirloom Peas - These are very rare
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Rattlesnake Bush beans - Heirloom

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So why is it that giant corporate biotech companies like Monsanto, (the co-creator of Agent Orange), think they could possibly do any better than Mother Nature??

It's absurd and illogical to say the least!

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They must have gigantic egos over at Monsanto.

To think they could actually perfect anything that took Nature millions of years to create, and by injecting genetically modified organisms, which respond only to harsh and poisonous chemicals, is beyond belief & lacking in any rationality.

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If they weren't such a big scary corporation, with WAY too much money, power and control over the legislation and policy making of governments around the world, then I would be laughing at them.

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The way I see it is that Monsanto wants us to pay them, so they can poison us!

I'm sure they're laughing all the way to the bank.

But, the joke's on us if we let them do it.

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So... That's why buying from local, organic, small seed companies, who've taken the Safe Seed Pledge, and offer open-pollinated varieties, is so very important to the biodiversity and well being of the planet and all it's occupants, i.e: us.

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Wall Flower Studio is proud to state that we've,

(well, it's actually only me here!),

has taken the Safe Seed Pledge..

(Please scroll to the bottom of this page to read it)

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Please shop ethically!

Thank you!

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Happy Gardening

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Feeding our Feathered Friends . Suet is for the Birds

Homemade Suet Balls

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Feeding our feathered friends in Winter can be fun, easy, and economical.

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Ingredients:

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-1 pound lard or fat

- 3/4 cup peanut butter

-1/2 cup flour

- 1/2 cup cornmeal

- 1 cup sugar

- approximately half a loaf of bread crumbs

- 1-1/2 cups of mixed seeds, nuts and chopped dried fruits

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Directions:-Melt the lard and peanut butter over low heat.

Mix flour, cornmeal, and sugar and stir in.

-Add enough bread crumbs to absorb all liquid.

-Add fruit, seeds, and nuts as desired.

-Pour into a 9 x 5″ bread pan (lined with plastic wrap), or pour into suet cake molds.(molds can be saved from store-bought suet.)

-Allow to cool completely.

-Keep refrigerated or in a cool place like a basement.

One batch makes about four cakes.

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If you're snowed in today, as many of us here in North America are, and you have nothing better to do, why not create a treat for the birds?! Kids love to help with this too!

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Have fun!

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