Welcome to Summer 2021

Summer is here in my Rochester, NY garden.  My berries are ripening and my tomatoes look fantastic.Always happy for the new harvest in the garden.  Homemade stir fry was dinner with the fresh snow peas from the garden. Tonight will be Enchiladas with the cilantro.  Plan to make some strawberry rhubarb sauce this week. 

The annual changes feel different this year.  With the pandemic restrictions lifted here in NY and the events beginning time seems to be speeding up.  I was excited and scared to have my Johnson & Johnson vaccine the first week of April.  Yes I am One and Done.  As a woman and small business owner, I felt it was a necessary step for me and my family. 

 

I had decided to not do live events for this spring or summer season. When I made this decision, the
restrictions were much tighter and the crowds were severely limited.  Fall & Winter events are up in the air right now.  My focus is on my family and my health first and foremost. 

This is a small Indigo tomato which we hope to enjoy next month.  it will be a blue tomato and they are delicious.  

This morning we had a new guest in the yard, as I enjoyed my morning tea.  The latest of the bunnies has come out ot hiding and spent several minutes dashing around the backyard.  Happy to see the little guy &  no he did not stay still long enough for a photo. 

 

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  FB page  Free the People ROC

 

 I invite everyone to stand up, listen to others, be kind and be ready to support our sisters and brothers. 

#bekind

#blacklivesmatter 

#stopasianhate

#standup

#listen

 

 

The garden

About  two weeks ago, while I was laying mulch, I found this nest on the ground.  I forgot there are several types of birds that nest on the ground. When I found it there were eggs in it so I stopped where I was and walked away form the bed.  Over the next few days it appeared the nest had been abandoned. the eggs are gone and this is the empty nest.  The size is about 3 inches across and tall.  Any idea what type of bird made this? 

 

 

 

 Buy Local from the Maker

 

My shop:  Panda Wear Website
Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

 

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.

Joy in my Spring Garden

Backyard Garden

The joy of the wildlife in the gardens this week was felt deeply by me. We had the privilege of seeing the cottontails courting so that means baby bunnies or kits as they are called.  The snow last week did not stop my greens from persevering.  they are all ding well and I should have some small leaves to harvest end of this week or early next week.  I was able to be outside within 10 feet of this one while she was eating for a whole and then she decided to come closer to me.  Maybe she wanted to be featured on the blog this week.

This beautiful wooly bear caterpillar was very active in the garden this week.  Sunning herself on this rock and moving around quickly to find the right spot to spend time.  She will become an Isabella Tiger Moth.  Hardy to many cold climates they are frequently seen in the fall in my gardens. Not sure what they prefer to eat that I seem to have,: do like to have them in the yard.  Please not not to pick them up, the hairs on them may cause reaction on your skin.  sometimes they are in the veggie garden.  planted the snow peas this past weekend.  One of my favorite things is to eat the fresh ones right out o the garden.

What is a garden without flowers you ask?  two of my easy to grow perennials in the garden.  Forget me nots, Myosotis or scorpion grass & primrose, Primula vulgaris.  they are  greeting me & the warm sunshine in the backyard flower bed in the early morning.  Fantastic way to start the day is a walk thru the yard and smell the flowers with a hot mug of green tea.  Spent time laying some cedar mulch into s few of the flower beds to prevent weeds taking over the areas. This is easiest to do in early spring before the weed seeds germinate.

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  FB page  Free the People ROC

I invite everyone to stand up, listen to others, be kind and be ready to support our sisters and brouthers.  

#bekind

#blacklivesmatter 

#stopasianhate

#standup

#listen

 

Buy Local from the Maker

My shop:  Panda Wear Website
Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

 

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.

This is my "diet" cupcake necklace.  Why not focus on what we want in a fun way?  great gift for the Mom who loves these or making them.  

Garden Design Week 2021

My favorite day is the 1st day digging into the dirt in my garden for the the initial pea seeds of the season. It is about 2 months away.  I am preparing for the 2021 Veggie garden, and will work on design through this weekend. Enjoying the pile of seed catalogs from my mailbox & the many choices.  

 

My garden has some outdoor residents.  this is one of them.  She eats my weeds in the lawn in the warm weather.  Her favorites are clover and dandelion leaves.  This was taken last week in the early morning. She & I seem to enjoy breakfast together.
As an avid gardener, we have dealt with visitors for over 15 years.  We have a 7 foot seasonal fence around the vegetable garden to keep our veggies for the people not the outdoor guests.  as winter has set in here she is frequently uncovering some of my plants and enjoying the dead parts of them for her meals. Most are perennials which regrow from the roots every year so no permanent damage. We have a compost pile which is great for garden fertilizer every spring.  She also seems to like my root vegetable peels and tops from the edge of the pile. 

My inspirations from nature helped me to design & create this.  This is a piece of Rhodochrosite from Sweet Home mine I transformed into a beautiful cabochon.  I believed it need other spring colors to compliment the patterns in the gemstone.  I have not made many pieces in seed bead work so I am learning.  Another one I have in process is a stunning dragonfly.  As soon as my tendonitis calms down, I can work on it again. Rest for it is the best medicine combined with topical anti inflammatory treatments.  My favorite insect is dragonfly and we have several whom visit our garden pond every year.  

 

 

 

Here is another simple cabochon in Rhodochrosite set in gold filled wire. This is not my favorite shape to cut  thought it looks fabulous in gold. Both of these pieces show the real beauty of the gemstone.  Photos do not do either of these justice. 

 Buy Local from the Maker 

My shop:  Panda Wear Website

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

For Education  Search 
 I Can't Breathe
Black Lives Matter 

and read from fact checked news sources.  As a supporter I am speaking up.  Please join me.

 

Garden Visitors in my Backyard

My garden has two visitors every year.  depending on their mood we may see them infrequently or often.  The mallard & his mate stop by usually 2-4 times and eat the tadpoles in my pool cover.  I guess being their snack stop is a good thing.

As a lapidary & jewelry designer I am inspired by the visitors and look forward to seeing them. The deep green of the mallard reminds me of one of my favorite gemstones, kambaba jasper.  It is seen here in this necklace set in sterling silver, Seeds of Kambaba.  Yes there are several names for many gemstones.  This is the name I prefer for this stunning gem. Want a special Mother's Day gift,  please reach out.  I have an extensive inventory.

Before on left, action on right side

Our second visitor is more of a resident. She lives under my in ground pool.  She is a cottontail rabbit.Amazing  has had a litter each year that we have seen for the past 5 years.  We were lucky enough to see two of the babies about two weeks ago. One was bolder than the other.  The  shy baby seems to stay in the backyard and runs for cover frequently.  Because of how tiny she is, often we do not see her.   I managed to get these  pics  on the pond walkway last Friday. Rabbits blend in easily as shown here.



Remember, for every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.  We are in this together..

            Buy Local from the Maker 

My shop:  Panda Wear Website

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest 
Instagram: Instagram

Stay strong and know there are people if you need to talk.
 In NY OMH Emotional Support Helpline: 1-844-863-9314

more help:https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/covid-19-resources.html

stay safe, flatten the cute, stay home during this cover 19 pandemic.