Plant – Violets

On April 19, 2017April 18, 2017 By TimelessladyIn Plants10 Comments

I love violets in the Springtime, not only do they add color, they are gently fragrant and a scent I seek out at this time of the year. Violets self-seed and will pop up in unexpected places, like this one under my hydrangea bush. I have violets everywhere, offspring of the dozen or so I transplanted from the creek bed years ago.

“Do you think amethysts can be the souls of good violets?”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Violets are one of those wonderful garden plants that will grow in between the cracks of stones and in other tight places. They are also perfect for arranging in miniature bouquets.

“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” ~ Mark Twain

Perspective & Prose – Small Luxuries: Violets, Robin’s Eggs & Anne Shirley

On February 6, 2015February 6, 2015 By TimelessladyIn Perspective2 Comments

There are some blessed with more money than they know what to do with, others have just enough, and then there are the rest of us who make-do with what we have and keep appliances, furniture and clothing for as long as we possibly can.

Frugality is a good habit to develop, and a good way to live, but all of us now and then need the boost of a small luxury. For me this usually means a houseplant, a new art supply or something for the garden.

African Violets can often be found for a dollar or two, but a year or so ago I spotted a sample of this beautiful violet at the Philadelphia Flower Show and just had to have it. I don’t know if it was the frilly edge of green circling each petal, or maybe the name “Mystic Mermaid,” but my heart pitter-pattered and I reached for my wallet at the African Violet plant stand. The violet I purchased was double, perhaps triple the price of a grocery store violet, and consisted of half a dozen leaves, but I took the speedline home with daydreams of the plant blooming in my home. It has taken quite awhile for my violet to fulfill my dreams, but it has been worth the wait.

We all need a few small luxuries in our lives. I still get excited about robin’s egg pieces I find when walking in the Spring. I carry them home in the cradle of my palm, but they are extremely fragile, and shatter in a few weeks. Love for the real thing makes me quite the pushover for ceramic, wood and papier-mache robin’s eggs that are often found in shops in the Springtime. These also make my heart go pitter pat. Another small luxury that adds a bit of joy to my life.

Did you happen to notice the backdrop to my photographs? A page from “Anne of Green Gables” seems so appropriate as a backdrop for my small luxuries. The character of Anne Shirley found joy in small things and was thrilled over the loveliness in the world around her. If you’ve never read this book, please do, it is a wonderful story for all ages. There is also an excellent mini-series available in most public libraries based on the Anne of Green Gables books.

And so…this brings me to the end of my post. It might seem a little trivial, but it is just a reminder to those of us in throes of Winter with its diminished sun and cold temperatures; be good to yourself and indulge in a small luxury this week. It will bring a little rush of Springtime to your heart. Blessings!

Photographs – Flowers on Friday/White Violets and Creeping Jenny

On May 3, 2013May 3, 2013 By TimelessladyIn PhotographsLeave a comment

I love the combination of white Violets and Creeping Jenny.

Pressed Flowers – Greeting Cards

On April 23, 2012May 27, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Pressed Flowers3 Comments

Johnny Jump Ups, moss, Vinca leaves, barberry leaf, violets & wild onion curls

I have several books of this seasons pressed flowers dried and ready to use. The batch of cards in this post is composed with spring-flowering pansies and wildflowers. I glue pressed flowers to white or eggshell cardstock with rubber cement. After they are dry I press the finished art inside a book with a weight for several hours or preferably overnight. I then check for any loose spots. If I find one or more I touch these up with rubber cement on the tip of a long floral pin, and after they are dry re-press in a weighted book. When they are completely dry I position them on a complementary piece of colorful cardstock cut into a standard greeting card size. Below each pressed flower photo I’ve listed the plant material I used.

Common celandine, johnny-jump-ups, honeysuckle leaves & wild onion curls

Butterfly: pansy petals, nandina leaf, maple bud, seaweed stems & unknown weed foliage

Wild rose leaflets, wild onion curl, wild mustard sprigs & johnny-jump-ups

Buttercups

Johnny-jump-ups, common celandine, honeysuckle leaves & wild onion curl

Wild onion curl, maple keys (seed pods) fern with fiddlehead, Vinca springs & unknown weed sprig

I thought this card has a definite heart shape, but my husband didn’t see it. He thought the maple keys looked more like wings. I guess it’s proof of that old cliché: “It’s all in the eyes of the beholder.” I like it though, it’s unique. I am going to try to make some dragonflies with the maple keys next. I’ll post the results soon. Here’s another maple key composition below.