Alstroemeria. 6.24.22

 I made a trip to the store and saw these.  They were pretty messy but the price was quite good, so I bought a couple.

I think these are described as deer resistant, so it's a test.  Plus, some survive the winters here.  I have larger Alstromeria that I from divisions last year, in my garden, overwintered from last year.  But these look like they will become quite colorful.  I think they will fill in and bloom a lot more, once they establish.

Hardy Chicago Offset Cutting Starting To Grow Seven Months Later. 6.24.22

 In November I cut an offset from the big Hardy Chicago fig tree.  I was unable to obtain more than a few tiny roots.  I planted it anyway.  This week I noticed a significant start of growth.  Seven months later, and all of the other fig trees are already lush and green now.  I gave it some balanced fertilizer and water.  Now that it is growing, I want to continue the TLC and see if it establishes and becomes a tree.

It's difficult getting the I-phone to focus well on such small buds, so they are a bit blurry.

This is the offset that I started with in November.  I didn't have a lot of expectation it would grow, but fig trees can be surprising.  That's really not much root for such a big top.  On the other hand, sometimes fig trees can be grown grow dormant cuttings that are all stick and no root at all, when they are started.

 

Planting More Seedlings. 6.24.22

 There are a few more seedlings to plant.  

African marigolds - planted the rest of them.  The ones already in the ground are already perking up.

The cosmos seedling that I set out a few days ago are growing.

More seedlings to plant - mostly French marigolds from home saved seeds, cleome, and thunbergia seedlings that I think don't like chilly nights and cool days we have now,

I want to plant those during the next couple of days,

An Excellent Gardening Aid for an Older Gardener. 6.20.22

 I bought this at Bi-Mart.

In this position, it's a nice seat for resting or working in raised beds.

In this position, it's an excellent kneeling pad.  The cushion is just the right firmness, and the side handles make standing up again a LOT easier.

 What a great tool.  

Starting A New Star Quilt. 6.20.22

 I've been wanting to start this quilt pattern for a year.  As with some other projects, I'm using fabric from mens's shirts bought at estate sale or thrift shop.  A lot is left over from other quilts.  There were some that I especially liked so I'm  using all of that I can.  

Each square is different, but with recurring themes of fabrics and shapes,  Here are the first two.

These have in common with the last quilt that the blocks are made from nine squares, but these squares are made by piecing together smaller squares and triangles.  

The pattern was published in Today's Quilting, a UK magazine, last year, by designer Lynne Goldsworthy.  My version will be more monochromatic, blues, greys, whites.

Here is a nine patch block before sewing together.  It's a challenge matching the corners and edges.    Also, I am using a crinkly fabric for the white areas, but it's too thin so I temporarily fused it to a white background fabric, which makes it like card stock.  The adhesive will wash out when I wash the final quilt, making it softer again.