Mini Flowers

 

 

Hello Friends,

We have spring blooms outside and inside. All of the blooms that I am sharing are mini blooms.  I love the petite bouquets I can create using these mini flowers.

Above I used mini daffodils, squill and tansy greens to create a petite bouquet. 

 

 

This is my second year of owning this orchid and it is the second year that it is blooming for me. My mom was gifted the orchid and asked me if I wanted it after she enjoyed it for awhile.  I killed the last orchid I had, so I was a bit nervous taking over the stewardship of this sweet orchid.

The flowers are small on this variety of orchid.

 I love how long the bloom lasts. 

 

A bit of squill and spring greens.

 

Happy Spring Flowers!!

 ♥

 Carla

This and That

 Hello Friends,

A little of this and that for the month of August.

August is my second favorite month of the year.

I love my August calendar page. That garden girl is me. 

 

My dog Ernie was listening to a podcast with me while I was doing dishes. I had to laugh at how it seemed to be he was soaking in the information right along with me. His "dolly" is close by too.

 

 

 

A summer bouquet for you, from me.

And now for a stroll in the garden.

 

Happy August my friends!

 ♥

Carla

 

Joy List Monday

 Joy List Monday

 ♥ a weekly ritual ♥

a reminder to stop and pay attention to the little beauties and graces that make life magical and to set aside time for gratitude each day 

 

♥ enjoying matcha 

 

 

♥ my orchid bloomed

 

 

♥ spring has arrived in Wisconsin

♥ fresh growth on our climbing rose William

 

 

 

♥ strawberry plants waking up from their winter nap

 

 

♥ spring green ... my favorite

 

 

 ♥ my first bouquet of daffodils of the season

 

Wishing a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile.

 ♥

Carla

 

 

Pass the Salt and Pepper and it is the Hodgepodge

 

 

Hello Friends, we are still waiting for spring blooms, I am sharing a past bouquet full of lily of the valley, tulips and more. And now on to the Hodgepodge. 

 Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. What's a lesson you've learned from a mistake?

 I have learned ... PATIENCE!!!

 I have been impatient recently. I will dig up plants thinking they did not make the winter. Yet... they are alive just not ready to wake up to wish me a happy spring.

I told my husband the other day, PATIENCE is my new word for 2025!

 

 2. Do you salt food while you're cooking or let diners add their own?  What's a food you think must be salted? Do you like pepper? 

I let the diners add their own.

I like to add salt and pepper to any egg dish, fried, scrambled, quiche and more.

Yes, I like pepper.

3. What was the last gathering you attended and what did you do there? 

We had a family birthday party for my son's girlfriend Cate. 

It was  held at Sam and Cate's duplex. She showed me all her indoor plants. We got to play with the their cat Joey. Their other cat hides when people come over. 

We enjoyed pizza. And I made a strawberry tart for birthday dessert. Cate loves fruit desserts. We gave Cate her birthday gifts.

Homemade Strawberry Tart

Happy Birthday Cate, my husband built Cate a plant stand.

 

Sam and his birthday girl, Cate!

 

 

4. Your favorite shade of purple? What's your favorite purple flower?  

I enjoy all shades of purple. 

Purple sweet peas are a favorite. I also love my purple bearded Iris. 

I have a dark purple gladiola, that is almost back. I really like it too. 

Oh, I just LOVE flowers.  

 

5. Share a favorite spring travel memory. 

 

It would be a hike we took with our boys when they were in their early teens. We were hiking to a rapids along the Flambeau River. The usual route was washed out. That did not stop us. The boys made a make do bridge for us to get across with old logs and rocks.

 

 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The annual TePaske Easter Cake is being created in my mind. For those of you new to The River, I bake and decorate an Easter Cake for our family. We make a big deal out of the Easter Cake Reveal. 

A couple photos of years past... 

 

 

Hello Spring and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Spring Skies

 

Hello Spring in Wisconsin, we have snow one day and it melts the next. All in good time we will soon see leaves on the trees and green grass. 

Now it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun. 

 1. Spring has officially sprung (in the northern hemisphere anyway)...did she roll in more like a lion or more like a lamb in your neck of the woods? What needs more of your attention in terms of a good spring clean this year-your house or your garden/yard? 

What needs more of your attention in terms of a good spring clean this year ... the yard. Yesterday we had some big limbs cut from our neighbors tree that over hangs into our yard. We decided to clean up the mess after to help with the cost of the project. Our amazing tree surgeon... climbing and cutting. You will see a photo of him below.

Time to roll up the sleeves and clean up all the limbs, branches and more.

As far as how did spring come in to Wisconsin? I am going to say like a lion. We have had very strong cold winds. We have had gusts up to 40 mph several days this month. 

 

 

 2. What's put a spring in your step lately? 

Sunshine... I just love that spring sunshine.

 

 

 3. When you were a kid, what was the best snack to find in your lunchbox? If you didn't do the lunchbox thing, tell us what was your favorite after school snack. 

I loved finding my mom's no bake chocolate cookies. They still are a favorite treat of mine that my mom makes and she seems to be the only one that can make them so delicious.

  4. In what area of your life are you planting seeds ? 

 

I am starting seeds. I also have had the great privilege to help a young lady start seeds.

My friend A's daughter in law is starting to get interested in gardening.  She has asked if I can help her get started, to teach her some tricks that I have learned along the way in my many years of gardening. I am so excited about it, I love to pass on my love for gardening. I am planting seeds ... of the love for gardening and seed starting.

 

 

5. Why do you live where you do? Would you consider living somewhere else? Why or why not?  

 My husband landed his first job here in Cameron, Wisconsin, we were just married and moved from my hometown to Cameron.  We did not know anyone when we first moved here. It was not an easy transition for me... but I met wonderful people, who became dear friends. And now Cameron feels like home.

My husband and I do talk about moving when he retires. When we have this discussion, we do plan to stay living in Wisconsin. 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

My first bouquet of 2025. Using the branches with buds from the tree limbs that were cut yesterday, I created this springtime bouquet.  

Happy Spring!!

 

 

September Birthday ... No, December Birthday and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Northern Lights the night of September 16th 2024.

Hello Friends, it is time for the Hodgepodge. 

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 1. Something that's had you 'chuffed to bits' recently? 

 

 

 Our garden harvest, flowers and fresh veggies. And the Northern Lights.

 

 2. Tell us about an instance recently where you were tempted to 'throw a wobbly' (expression used to describe tantrums thrown, usually by adults or people who should know better) 

 

Well... some current events have made me 'throw a wobbly'.

 

3. Something everyone seems to love but is not your 'cuppa tea'? 

 

Flavored coffee... just give me a good dark coffee with a little cream.

 

4. Fish and chips, bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding...which entree would you choose? Yes, you have to choose.

 

Fish and Chips

5. Something you want for your birthday this year? 

 

At a recent wedding for a friend.. our boys.

 What I want for my birthday this year, is to spend  time with those two in the above photo. 

 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 

 My husband installed some new lighting in our greenhouse. I love it. With the nights creeping in earlier and earlier, the extra light helps me finish my garden chores. It is getting dark here at 7:30 pm already.. oh that is the hardest part for me.. saying goodby to all our spring/summer light.

 

Spring Bouquets

 

Hello Friends, 

My friend Kim from Exquisitely Unremarkable asked me to share what flowers I use in my spring bouquets.  You will spy daffodils, tulips, greens and pussy willow. 

 

♥

Carla

 

February Article for the Cameron Chronicle ~ Sweet Peas

 Hello Friends, today I am sharing the article I wrote for our local paper, Cameron Chronicle.. "The Little Paper with Personality."

Sweet Peas

By Carla TePaske of Cameron, WI ~ The Little Garden That Could

Sweet peas are the perfect flower if you are looking to add fragrance and romance to your garden.

Sweet peas have a hard seed coat. To aid germination you may find it helpful to leave the seeds in a small saucer of water for 24 hours before sowing.

Sweet peas do not like to have their roots messed with. An easy way to sow sweet peas early in the house is to use a rootrainer or a toilet paper roll. They are ideal as they provide a deep, narrow area for the root to run. If you choose to use the toilet paper roll, you can plant it right into the ground when you are ready to plant out your sweet peas.

When there are three or four pairs of leaves, pinch out the leaders – just squeeze off the growing tip between your finger and thumb. This promotes vigorous side shoot formation, with the energy of the plant directed toward growing out, not up.
Check your plants regularly and water them lightly if the surface begins to look dry. About a month from germination, check the bottom of the pot for white roots. 
When potting out make sure you plant your sweet peas alongside a vertical support such as a tee-pee, an arch or a tunnel. Plant 2 plants to each rod of a vertical support.

As the young sweet pea plants begin to grow, tie them into the frame – don’t leave them to flop around. They’ll grow more quickly and make stronger plants tied in regularly.

Feed and water your sweet peas. They are hungry plants and do not like to dry out.

You can let your flowers go to seed and collect the seed pods in the Autumn. Let the seeds dry out for a few months and store in a labeled envelope. The seeds that you collected may vary slightly from the parent, especially if you grew a mix of varieties. You will have created your very own unique sweet pea.

Until next time, happy gardening!

Joy List Monday

 

Joy List Monday

♥  a weekly ritual   ♥

a reminder to stop and pay attention to the little beauties and graces that make life magical and to set aside time for gratitude each day

 ♥ enjoying the garden

grasses

morning glories

and more

morning glories

 

♥ apples and pears

a dear friend let us pick apples and pears at her brothers orchard

 

 ♥ making crab apple jelly 

 

 

 ♥ dehydrating pears

 

 

♥ another fun flower year

closing the Flower Shack for the season

 

 

♥ a few more bouquets from the season

 

♥ wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile ♥

♥

Carla