LITTLE CELEBRATIONS

We live in a crazy world … like a Merry-Go-Round that has accelerated to the speed of the Tilt-A-Whirl. No one can grab the gold ring at this pace. So I’ve learned to create ways to slow everything down and appreciate life.  My “Little Celebrations” could be described as a vignette or action that as soon as your eyes rest upon it or you do it, it gives you immediate and total pleasure and brings peace into your world. Something so special you instantly feel a blanket of peace float like a bubble floating from your head to your toes, consuming you.

As you might guess, one of my favorite sites for Little Celebrations is in the garden. It’s easy to create a small vignette or setting that brings you calmness. It doesn’t have to be big either. A tiny focal point in your garden can work as long as you have a place nearby to rest and watch. A pond or water feature is perfect.

Or it might be a quiet place to sit and think as in the photo below

Just the thought of a fairy in the garden can help you relax. What would she look like? What would her woodland clothing be made of? Would she dance, fly? Would she have a squeaky voice? Just think about your secret friend for a few minutes.

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The little fairy door to the left would draw me into a fantasy world that can only be enjoyed at yesterday’s tempo. Imagine who lives there and ponder the insights she will bring into your life when you are calm enough to absorb them. The possibilities are endless.

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In your home, there are any number of opportunities for Little Celebrations. Altars have been special to women since the beginning of time. You can create a little altar of all the things that are important to you. Maybe it’s as simple as a grouping of family photos you adore. I love the flowers (or anything) under a glass dome. There could be a special place in your bedroom that only you know that there is something special  to you.

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My artist friend teaches a workshop in which you create an altar while searching your own soul. Over the three days, you get to know the other participants on a spiritual level by sharing what’s going on in each others lives. By the end, you have your own personal altar that expresses your desires and plans. Here’s one I made …

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A Little Celebration may be artwork or a photo that just melts you when you see it. Place these items  in your daily path for little pauses in the speed of life. Here’s one I love …

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You can make a Little Celebration out of a meal even if you are dining alone. Enjoy a glass of wine … in a wine glass, not a jelly glass, at a table set with a tablecloth and beautiful dishes you love. Ok, the photo to the left may be a little extraordinary but would’t you love to dine there? Or try this one …

By the way, when was the last time you bought and arranged a beautiful spray of flowers just for yourself. I learned a long time ago to wait for someone to send me flowers didn’t work. So buy your own and enjoy them with delight!

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Actually, you can make everything you do a Little Celebration! Slow down enough to think about things you normally do as fast as you can. Try them slowly and enjoy them. Or take a break right in the middle. It doesn’t have to be for hours, just five minutes. Just long enough to look at the sky, the grass, the kids playing in the park, the squirrels gathering nuts. You might even take a moment to speak to someone else and slow them down at the same time!

Try this … just for five minutes!

One of my favorite Little Celebrations is Pinterest.

To whoever invented Pinterest, I salute you!   Eye candy for sure, but the fact that ideas are shared all over the world is incredible. It affords you the chance to make friends on the other side of the earth, and to learn from them while you show them your ideas. The beauty of planet Earth and the creativity of its inhabitants is mind blowing. When I find I’m a little stressed, I just go to “my” Pinterest boards and get lost in all the photos that I have gathered that make my spirits soar. At the same time, my breathing slows, my heart beats easily, and I am at peace.

I think this might be just the tip of the iceberg of opportunities for Little Celebrations in our lives. The point is this … Stop. Slow down. Take a moment anytime and anywhere you can and tell yourself, “all I have to do for the next five minutes is enjoy ____”. You fill in the blank.

NEW STUFF & ART DOLLS!

Been in the shop unpacking new items. How Fun!

Put lunch in the microwave and came down to the office to check emails, and there it is … the Pinterest weekly boards. In trouble again. Thank goodness the microwave stops itself!

One board today is Art Dolls. My Mother loved dolls and obviously believed I loved dolls too. She would buy me dolls and hand sew beautiful clothes for them. One Christmas my Dad made me a small “armoire” for my dolls clothes. I never had the heart to tell my Mother that dolls were not my thing. From the time I could hold anything, I wanted paper, scissors, pencils, crayons, tape and glue and to be left alone! Art Dolls, however, are an exception. They are exquisite! Especially the Fairies! Think there may be an investment in my future. Here are a couple of my favorites from this board.

To the artists who created these, you are all wonderful. Love your talent and your creations!

FAIRY GARDEN TERRARIUMS

Terrariums are tiny landscapes in glass containers of any kind. They can be just a woodland setting or a elusive Fairy Garden home.  Either way, in any container, they are miniature wonders guaranteed to lower your stress level when you gaze upon them.

Here’s What You Need:

1.  Good potting soil

2. Rocks for drainage

3. Ground charcoal for filtering

4. Small indoor plants of the same light and water requirements

How to Plant:

1. Start with a clean glass container. Almost any container from jars to aquariums will work. Your container may or may not have a lid.  If your container has a lid, it will seal the environment and create a miniature rain forest. Don’t place a sealed terrariums near a sunny window since they are at a risk of overheating, and don’t use drought tolerant plants such as cactus since it will be too humid.

2.  Add an inch of pea gravel in the bottom for drainage. Add a 1/2 inch layer of ground charcoal over the gravel to filter.

3.  Add 2-3 inches of good sterilized potting soil over the drainage layer. This should be about 1/4 of the container.

4.  Add small plants that require the same light and water, such as either tropical or drought-tolerant.

Place taller plants in the back. Be sure to trim yellow leaves, tap off any excess soil from the roots, tease the roots gently to relax, and sink the plants in the soil.

5.  Water after all plants are in place, gently washing soil from the sides.

6. Add Fairies and accessories to enhance the environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One more thing … I have always believed in having the right tools regardless

of your project. At Come Into My Garden, we offer this incredible miniature

tool set for working with little gardens for only  $32.

JUST A THOUGHT …

The tiniest dewdrop hanging from a grass blade in the morning is big enough to reflect the sunshine and the blue of the sky. 

TAKING TIME FOR LIFE … GLENDA & LARRY BRYANT

 

 

 

 

You do know you are not going to live forever, right?  Well, if that is the case, you need to take some time to relax and enjoy all the wonders around you.

That’s what Glenda and Larry Brant are doing on their front porch.  Glenda says she would rather be outside and her garden shows she has spent some time there … working.  Now they have my favorite thing … iron rocking chairs … to sit and watch all the critters and flowers, and feel the breeze, and hear the birds singing ………

WHAT IS A FAIRY?

 

A fairy is a tiny being in human form that possesses magical powers.

The English word ‘fairy’ comes from the Old French ‘faerie’ and the Latin ‘fata’, meaning ‘fate’.

The classical Greek Fates were believed to control the destiny of the human race.

Fairies are called by different names in different places.   faerie, fay, fey, the Little Folk, the Good People.  Indeed, every country has it’s own forms of fairies.  Additionally, there is a whole variety of other supernatural beings that are generally classified as ‘faeries’, for example, elves, pixies, brownies and hobgoblins.

The main types of fairies:

FLOWER FAIRIES … Beautiful creations that embody the spirit of a flower, shrub or tree.  They are found wherever plants and flowers grow.

ELVES … Merry creatures who live in colonies under the earth.  They love parties, music and dancing and are known for making mischief!

PIXIES … Playful elfin creatures.  England’s West Country is famous for its helpful but mischievous Pixies (or Pishies, as they are known in Cornwall).  They occasionally mislead travelers.

GOBLINS … Small grotesque creatures that like to make trouble for human beings.  Hobgoblins, however, have a similar disposition to Brownies, being friendly and good-humored (and fond of practical jokes!).

BROWNIES … Helpful little men who sometimes assist with household chores.  They have been said to visit farms in Scotland and get tasks done while the family sleeps.  Dobbie in Harry Potter was a Browner.

DWARVES … are the miners of the mountains.  They never appear above ground during daylight hours because they will turn to stone.

GNOMES … are little bearded men who guard hidden treasure in the woods and hills where they live.

LEPRECHAUNS … are clever Irish fairies who wear three-cornered hats.  Every leprechaun has it’s hidden pot of gold.

Pictured above is Puck, a Hobglobin, characterized by Shakespear in ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’.

from Fairyopolis

COME INTO MY GARDEN

 

It occurred to me that many of you do not know how my shoppe came to be called Come Into My Garden.

My first shop years ago was a garden shop.  So when I was ready for a change, it was natural that I go back to my roots.

In 1979, my father went into heart block.  With questions about his future quality of life, we gave him a surprise Birthday Party inviting everyone he had known … family, friends, customers.  I stood at the door and captured the moments with my camera and was distraught to hear their conversations primarily were a comparison of their operations, the status of their health, and the difficulties of old age.  At home that night, I wrote:

When I grow old and friends come to call…

and I hope they will …

And they begin to speak of their aches and pains …

as older folks tend to do …

I will lovingly reach out, gently caress their hand, and ask …

“Did you see that incredible sunrise this morning?

Why, the sky was as turquoise as a ’57 Chevy.

And that glorious sun, as red as Dorothy’s ruby slippers,

literally leaped over the horizon and tap danced right up to heaven.”

And while they are staring at me, mouth open, as if I have lost my mind,

I will ask …

“Would you care to join me in my garden for a cup of tea?”

Hand-in-hand we will stroll into my lush garden.

We will deeply breathe the fresh air and cleanse our lungs.

We may catch a glimpse of a fairy or two as they bathe in the morning dew.

We will marvel at the simplicities and intricacies of   each blossom

and cherish them as symbols of God’s promise and grace.

I will put my finger to my lips and say “Shhhhh … listen, listen …”

The birds and all of nature’s musicians will serenade us with music

more invigorating than the most treasured symphony ever performed.

We will lose ourselves in the tranquility as water leap-frogs

over stones on it’s never-ending journey in the brook.

The hummingbirds and butterflies will dart all around us,

and if we are very still, Peter, Bambi and their friends may join us.

We will linger in my garden until my friends and I are totally at peace,

thankful that we have been privileged to share another day in this Eden of Earth.

Until we somehow know that each day is what we choose to make of it …

and if we truly see the beauty of nature …

taste it, touch it, draw in it’s fragrance, listen to its heartbeat,

share it with others …

Our aches and pains may become, well, just a little inconvenience.

When I grow old and friends come to call …

and I hope they will …

I will not speak of my aches and pains.

Instead I will invite my friends into my garden …

Even when the only garden I have left is the beautiful one in my mind.

 Copyright jan jones 1997

When setting up the shoppe,  it occurred to me that this is “the beautiful one [garden]  in my mind.”  I am honored to share it with you.

A full page copy of the poem is on the website under “About Us/The Poem”.  Feel free to make copies.  We always have copies at the shoppe printed on beautiful paper for $2 a copy.

HOW TO LINE A PLANTER

This incredible cart was planted top and bottom by Pop at Pop’s Market near Lakewood 400.

 

 

Hanging Baskets, Handle Baskets and all kinds of Planters are in.  Here are two ways to line them.

1. The Natural Way
Moss is beautiful.  If you want a natural look, moss is it.  We have a new shipment of Canadian moss.  It’s best to wet the moss before working with it.  If the bars are wide apart, line the planter with chicken wire first.  Don’t skimp on the moss.

2.  Martha Stewart’s Way

Use burlap, brown or green.  Lay a measuring tape inside the planter.  Cut the burlap 2″ all around bigger than the measurements.  Line the planter …  don’t pull tight – leave some room for the soil to take up slack.  Turn under the edges.  You might want to run a quick slip stitch around the top.

In Both Cases ….

Line the inside with black plastic.  We will have sheets of a good grade of plastic at the show for $1.00.  Poke drainage holes, but make them  small.  We rarely have an excess of rain and hanging baskets dry quicker than plants in the ground.
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Select plants with common requirements (light, water, etc.) and leave some room for growth.

Enjoy!

FAIRY GARDENS HAVE ARRIVED!

Pam & Palmer Haffner, co-chairs of the Forsyth County Master Gardeners Plant Sale couldn’t wait to put the fairy garden at the left in their garden. But that’s OK.  We’ll have more at the April show, along with fabulous accessories for you to do your own little gardens.
Here’s a sneak preview:

If you build it, will they come?

MIRACLES

           One day, I found an insect created structure on the deck.  To protect it from the work about to be done, I put it in a jar and set the jar in the kitchen.  The next morning, I awoke to a beautiful Monarch butterfly in the jar waiting to test its wings!

BE STILL in your garden, breathe deep and let peace
fill your soul.  Look around AND KNOW I AM GOD.

There are miracles all around us … you are one of them.