I’ve been working on the pattern for the Clay Pot Pansies and hope to have the pattern for it ready to sell by next week. Keep watch!
In the meantime, I’m thinking Strawberries ….
This is the strawberry pinkeep that I’ve made for several years, selling them successfully on Ebay. Last year, I decided to use this strawberry arrangement for a large candle mat.
It was pretty spectacular. ….
I plan to show this one in the making starting next week and then prepare the pattern for purchase.
It’s not difficult to make at all but it does take quite a bit of time to cut and stitch all those leaves, blossoms and strawberries. Honestly though, it’s well worth the effort. This candle mat is absolutely guaranteed to have a “wow” reaction from anyone who sees it in your home.
After I finish the Clay Pot Pansies, this Strawberry candle mat will be the next pattern release. Expect it by mid May, hopefully.
In other news …
THIS is what ate the pumpkin and squash plants in my garden last year …
No, it’s not a giant rat. It’s a groundhog.
Usually, I don’t mind seeing groundhogs on our property. As long as they stay away from my flowers and vegetable garden, I find them cute to watch.
I suspected that it was a groundhog that ate my plants last year, just because so much damage was done so quickly. But I never saw the creature until this morning. Right there is proof that I’m going to have to fence around my vegetables this year …. or perhaps a certain daughter’s boyfriend will be willing to “take care” of it for me with his shotgun ….
Ok, no.
Although, I would like to trap it and take to to meet one of the other gophers that live further away from our house.
I usually plant tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and pumpkins. The vermin leave the tomatoes and peppers alone but love those flower blossoms on the squash type plants. They’ve even chewed on a few pumpkins too. It’s annoying to spend so much time weeding and feeding those plants to get them growing beautifully only to have them eaten by wild creatures.
I will defeat them this year though … unless they know how to climb fences …..
Happy Day everyone!
16 comments:
Hi Cath, love the strawberries! Here are a couple of tips to scare off your furry friend,
Groundhogs are fearful of humans and generally cautious. To discourage frequent visits to your garden, try adding objects that will blow around in the wind, such spinning pinwheels, or reflective Mylar tape.
Sprinkle Epsom salts on your fruit and vegetable plants - Groundhogs dislike the taste and will avoid eating these plants. Aside from deterring groundhogs, Epsom salts can be beneficial to your plants as well. Unfortunately it also tends to get washed away by rain and will need to be re-applied frequently
OMG he looks like a giant beaver. I can't imagine how you would get rid of it, don't they just come back even if they have been relocated? I think I would put the fence up....maybe those nice Amish men would build you one!!
I love your strawberry pattern, looks beautiful, just like the others!!!
Hugs,
Margaret B
Cath - The strawberry candle mat is out of this world! I can't express how much I am enjoying watching your creations come to life! ~.~
Your strawberry candle mat is fantastic! I can't wait to see this one done in your patterns! :0)
Love the strawberry candle mat. As for the groundhog, we have them too. We live right along a very busy highway, but the noise doesn't seem to deter them at all. I don't know if this works for groundhogs - as the ones I've seen here are always across the road, but I've had good success keeping deer out of my garden by spraying small strips of cotton fabric with body spray and tying them to stakes that used to hold up the fence around the garden. Like the Epsom salts, it must be re-applied after rain, but it did seem to work very well last year as we had no fence and no varmit damage.
Good luck. There is nothing more discouraging than spending all that time caring for your garden, only to find it's been consumed by someone or "some thing" other than you.
Chris in the Laurel Highlands
Love your strawberry penny mat! I visited my local wool shop on Friday and told them about your pattens. I am sending them your blog address! The store is "The Woolen Needle" located in Williamsburg, Iowa.
Your strawberry candle mat is beautiful!! Groundhogs are cute in the movies but not when they enter our gardens. We had a groundhog at our other house/garden. Not fun. None here yet but deer are a huge problem! Everything is tasty to the deer that wander through our backyard! Higher fence will be needed for this year's plants. LOL!
You just continue to amaze Cathy!! I will be buying the strawberry pattern too! It's so pretty!
Love Love Love both of your strawberry candle mats! The red just 'pops' off of them!
Good to read about all the tips on how to keep the varmits away!
Thanks for sharing and can't wait till the patterns come out!
Tanya~friendshipcrossing.blogspot.com
Hi Cath
Love the strawberry matt as always.
I have trouble with the deer and it is so maddening. To work so hard and have them come in and destroy. I now put up tall fencing but it looks so hideous. I'm not sure it's worth all that.
I put my peas in and with all this rain it was a perfect time.
Good luck.
Rhonda
Rhonda
Cool Garden!! I am loving my strawberry pin keep!
Hugs, Lisa
I just might have to get the pattern for the strawberry mat! The groundhog is SO cute, too. :-)
Laura
Call your city and find out of they have an animal control office. In my city and state we have one. They come and set a trap, when your offender is caught in the trap you call them and they come and pick it up...then they set him free in someone else's neighborhood, I mean...in the wild, LOL!
Love the strawberries. Mine are gowing well this year. =)
I would love to make a strawberry mat like this! Wow! And the pin keep! Thanks for the wonderful patterns! Bari
Cath, I love, Love, LOVE the strawberry mat!!! I want one. Can't wait til you have the pattern for sale!! xxoo
Love those strawberries! Looking forward to the pattern! A note about groundhogs... if they can't climb over, the will dig under. My DH's Uncle has quite a few stories about groundhog battles! LOL! Sorry to say, the only thing that works is to "take care of it", or trap it and drive it far, far, away... like maybe 4 hours away? Seriously, once they know there is food, food is all it knows. Now, a great rabbit deterrent is garlic powder! And, reapply after rain...
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