Beautiful Lake Erie

My friend and I celebrated our August birthdays in our favorite half-way point: Freeport Beach on Lake Erie in North East, Pennsylvania. We each travelled about two and a half hours to reach our destination.

 We had such a beautiful day for our visit.

Corrosion is a big problem at the shoreline, so tons of large rocks were recently dumped on the beach and in the water, making swimming for children pretty difficult. In the photo below you can see the rocks and how difficult it would be to walk in the water. The beach is also covered with the rocks, so wear very sturdy sneakers.

Lake Erie is ten thousand square miles and seems to go on forever like an ocean. I've been there on off-season with the winds whipping up and the waves can get very high. I love it!

Freeport Beach is wonderful because it is very small and what I would call rustic. On a beautiful day in August, there were few people there, making it a peaceful and quiet place to visit. There's a park-like area right there with a playground and picnic benches, as well as a rest room.

Next to the beach are a few beautiful Victorian homes lining the waterway off the lake that dries and swells with the seasons and the weather. Oh how I'd love to live there!

This little blue home with its gingerbread and flower boxes is so charming.









Some of the homes are vacation rentals while others are year-round living for the homeowners.









I loved seeing the wildlife enjoying the sunny day.

These birds are pretty tame and not interested in this visitor doing a photo op! I love how they sleep with their head tucked behind them - and on one leg! They are enjoying the sunny day, too!

North East is the home of Mercyhurst University. We pass the campus on the way to the beach.

We had a delicious lunch at "The Cork". The flower photos are outside The Cork outdoor dining area, and of course you know they had to be snapped by me. Ferns, begonias and New Guinea Impatiens. Gorgeous! Actually flowers and beautiful landscaping are all over this sleepy little college town.

If you are reasonably near Freeport Beach in North East PA, check it out. Lake Erie is lovely and it's simple rustic beauty in the midst of vineyard country is worth the trip.

Happy gardening, my friends!

~Ann 

A Northern WV Gardener: Beauty in a city block

Weirton, West Virginia is a small industrial town of 17,000 people. As a reference point, the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia is about 40 minutes West of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. The Panhandle is surrounded by Ohio and Pennsylvania and consists primarily of four counties: Hancock, Brooke, Ohio and Marshall.

My goal in writing this garden blog is to introduce you to the beautiful area that makes up Northern West Virginia and its wonderful gardeners, besides gardening on a budget. I hope to share commercial and community gardens, but my heart is mostly with home gardeners like myself.

Becky Walker has been a gardener her whole life and has lived in the house she’s in with her husband for ten years. She is a West Virginia University Master Gardener.

If you click on any photo you will get a slideshow of all the photos and you can see the details better!

The front yard was replaced with raised beds . "When I moved in there was two ugly shrubs in the front. My husband said do whatever you want as long as I can mow around it!" To the right are three water feature urns.

The back yard is a steep slope, then flattens out.

A dry riverbed meanders down the yard...

Pampas grass, butterfly bush, red hot poker plant and Joe Pye Weed line the stream

A fairy garden sculpture made by Glenn Zarfos overlooks the garden

This greenhouse was a kit from Harbor Freight that Becky and her husband put together.

Peony located on the slope

Deck overlooking the back yard

How did Becky become interested in gardening? "I was inspired by my grandparents who taught me to love flowers - and how to pinch them off, root them and take care of them. I wanted to do two things when I retired from nursing: quilting and gardening. I now have a winter hobby and a summer hobby - and I love them both!"

If you know anyone in the Northern Panhandle that has a beautiful garden that they would like to share with us, please let me know. Email me at libbylottie@yahoo.com

Thanks for reading and I'd love it if you would sign up for my blog and make a comment.

Happy gardening, my friends,

~Ann

Wedding Flowers - Unique at West Farms in West Virginia

While researching photos for one of my posts I stumbled across a unique farm - West Farms in Lewisburg, West Virginia.

West Farms is a cutting flower farm with three acres of beautiful healthy specialty flowers - 120 varieties to be exact! They also grow other things such as herbs. You’ll find them parked at local farmer’s markets in the area as well.

Pam West

Pam West has been growing cut flowers at West Farms since 2000 and has received the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, Women in Agriculture Award in years past.

What is so unique about Pam’s farm is that a bride-to-be can take herself and her bridesmaids on a ride throughout the farm and pick out the flowers she would like to have in her wedding, from bouquets, to corsages and boutonnieres to bunches of flowers in Mason jars hung on a Shepherd’s hook.

See my post on Shepherd's hooks here  .                                             

The finishing touch to the bride’s visit at West Farms is when Pam presents her with a complimentary bouquet of the flowers she picked out to take home.

If you are thinking of a rustic or outdoor wedding, try West Farms for your flowers. They can also give you a list of venues in the area for your celebration.

Please visit West Farms in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Call Pam at 304-647-8195 for directions or more information.

I'd love to hear any comments from you, and if you'd like to email me please do so at: libbylottie@yahoo.com

Thanks for reading, and sign up for all my future posts!

~Ann

Gardening and Quilting Connection

Two things I love the most in terms of hobbies I’ve had over the years: gardening and quilting.

I’ve gardened for a whole lot of years. Having a garden for me is equivalent to putting furniture in my house. There just is no choice.  This actually is what this blog is all about – taking my bare lot and turning it into beautiful gardens! Yes, it feels pretty naked out in my back yard, except for the frozen blanket of snow that covers it.

Many years ago, I discovered a quirky lady by the name of Eleanor Burns. She was teaching quilting on TV. I fell in love with her “Quilt In A Day” program and techniques, and my desire to learn to quilt was born.  I admit I haven’t been as successful at quilting, as I have at gardening, but I love it to this day. I have a humongous stash of fabric and go through it regularly to figure out what I should make. (I know you quilters are out there chuckling.) Sadly I do more gazing than sewing, I'm afraid.

                                                               

I'm in awe at all the beautiful and inspiring garden blogs on the web and I'm amazed at how many of the bloggers also quilt. (And many are artists - paint or drawing or other.)

I wondered what the magical connection between the two might be. For me, I love bright colorful flowers in the garden in the summer and my favorite fabric are the floral types. Maybe it’s the idea that if I can’t have flowers in the winter, I can have them through my fabric. And perhaps it's just the colors....many gardeners are quilters but don't care as much for the floral as the more modern geometric shapes, circles, solids, as well as the brightest of colors you might find in the garden.

Creativity factor's in here, too, as both gardening and quilting can satisfy as wonderful outlets.

Quilting and gardening are intertwined throughout life. There are quilt gardens – gardens that are grown with the design of various quilt blocks.

You can visit the quilt gardens along the Heritage Trail in Elkhart County Northern Indiana Amish Country:

"The Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail joins quilting, gardening and art into a one-of-a-kind event. This colorful patchwork of quilt inspired gardens and quilt-themed murals is linked by the roads that form the Heritage Trail."

For more information, visit here: http://www.amishcountry.org/explore-the-area/quilt-gardens/

Quilt shows take place all over the world. They often are juried, meaning that it is a competition and is judged. Winners can earn big bucks in the big shows. Here in West Virginia the West Virginia Division of Culture and History has an annual juried quilt show. Floral-themed quilts, such as the one below, probably make up the majority of entries.

                                                                      

Evelyn M. Miller of Charleston, Kanawha County West Virginia won first place for this floral appliqued quilt Rose Garden.

Another form of flower-love is seen in incredible creations called landscape quilting.

Nancy Zieman is a renowned sewist, quilter and teacher with a show that has been on public TV for about 30 years, I believe. She introduced  Natalie Sewell, nationally known landscape quilt artist to teach quilters how to do landscape quilting, a very creative and detail-oriented form of quilting flowers and other greenery.  You can go here to learn more. /http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/quilting-2/create-a-garden-using-fabric/

                                                                               

                                       Natalie Sewell, landscape quilt artist

Flowers: We’ll take them any way we can get them- gardening, quilting, drawing, painting – and so much more.

What favorite form do your flowers take?