Geranium Vinca Bouquet

Tiny flower bouquets can easily brighten a room corner. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Geranium Vinca Bouquet

I can’t remember the last time I saw a home decor article talking about small flower bouquets. They are not only more easily possible from our small gardens but can also provide a nice pop of color in a room corner.

As more people work at home, these small flower vignettes are also the right size for a home desk and den corner.

One of my favorite flowers for bouquets are geraniums. Usually grown in pots as an annual, I keep geraniums inside through the winter. Geraniums are hardy and will continue to bloom inside when most other plants have gone dormant.

This peach-colored geranium is a personal favorite, I’ve had the mother plant for several years.

Geraniums also last a long time as a cut flower, a good 1-2 weeks.

To keep the potted plants happy, provide a soluble fertilizer every week or so.

Geraniums are hardy cut flowers and prolific bloomers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The other annual that easily weathers over inside are vincas. This is a sweet daisy-like flower that easily adds a good contrast to other bouquet flowers.

Both of these flowers are short stemmed so they are perfect for small flower vases.

Vincas are usually grown as annuals but can winter over inside. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

In the top photo, I also added a few gooseneck loosestrife flowers but they don’t last as long as the geraniums and vinca.

You can find small flower vases at local thrift stores and your kitchen cabinets. Small juice jars and jelly jars make great small bouquet vases.

Look around at nature to get your color combination possibilities, that’s how we select colors when making quilts like our Standing Cats Lap Quilt.

If you want to have these blooming through winter, plant them together in a pot. Geraniums and vincas have similar growing conditions and easily winter over together.

Charlotte

Asiatic Lilies

Asiatic lilies make lovely cut flowers to brighten up a room. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Asiatic Lilies

Besides orchids, Asiatic and Oriental Lilies are my favorite room decor addition. Any room will look better with a sprig of fresh flowers, be they wildflowers or lilies.

They are not the same but are often confused for each other. The easiest way to remember the difference is Asiatic lilies do not have a fragrance. Asiatic lilies also bloom earlier than Oriental lilies.

Asiatic lilies are native to several areas of Asia. The plants reach mature heights of 1 to 6 feet and have long, slender, glossy leaves. They are hardy, early bloomers that produce flowers in a wide variety of colors.

I started adding Asiatic lilies to my garden when I wanted a pop of red. I ound several packets on sale, usually in spring where I live in mid-Missouri USDA Hardiness zone 5.

Beware of Exposure to Cats

Asiatic lily pollen can be deadly to cats. I know cut the pollen tips off and wash all pollen off the flowers before bringing them inside.

I also keep the flowers in a spot where the cats can’t get to them.

In my garden, both asiatic and oriental lilies grow in dabbled sunshine. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Asiatic lilies thrive in nearly any type of well-drained soil. The bulbs multiply quickly and can double every year.

Oriental Lilies

By comparison, Oriental lilies are native to Japan. The plants gain height every year and are considerably taller than Asiatic lilies. The deep green leaves are wider , somewhat heart-shaped, and further apart than the leaves of Asiatic lilies.

Oriental lilies bloom about the time Asiatic lilies are fading.

The huge blooms, primarily in shades of white, pastel pink and pastel yellow, are heavily scented.

The bulbs multiply much more slowly than Asiatic lily bulbs.

As with most plants, they both benefit from splitting the bulbs every few years to prevent overcrowding.

Asiatic lilies are pretty in both outside gardens and inside bouquets. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I now have both growing in my garden. Since Oriental lilies grow after Asiatic lilies, that gives me an extended growing season for these lovely plants that make excellent cut flowers.

To Keep Asiatic Lilies Fresh

Change the water in the vase every couple of days. Cut off an inch from the bottom to help the stem absorb moisture. Keep out of direct sunlight.

Charlotte

Pick Dame's Rocket

A lovely Memorial Day weekend bouquet in my den. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pick Dame’s Rocket

When planning a garden, I have heard some gardeners say these flowers are not to be picked because they add to the landscape. When it comes to Dame’s Rocket, these are definitely flowers to be cut. They have a long life in a vase and add a lilac-like scent to any cut bouquet, better than most other plants grown as bouquet fillers such as baby’s breath.

I see them often planted in flower beds with iris and peonies, which bloom about the same time. Now in some parts of the country, they are considered invasive so double check your area before growing.

To use Dame’s Rocket in a bouquet, I first let them sit in a vase of water all by themselves. That way they can drain the toxins they produce that may kill or shorten the life of other flowers, similar to daffodils.

Dame’s Rocket make lovely cut flowers all by themselves. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

When first placed in a vase, they an easily take up a lot of water so monitor the water level, you may have to add more.

Once they stop taking up water, it’s time to add them to other flowers blooming at the same time. Combined with peonies, they have a lovely scent.

Dame’s Rocket growing in my north apiary where i cut the flowers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins0

This is definitely one of those wildflowers you want to cut and enjoy inside for a couple of reasons!

Charlotte

Door Wreath Visitors

My neighbor’s front door wreath including a bird’s nest. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Door Wreath Visitors

The sign on the front door said “Please place packages in front of the garage door.” I was at my neighbor’s house with yet another package addressed to them and delivered to my door step by mistake.

As I picked up the box I had just placed on the door step, I saw the evidence of recent visitors. Scattered on the front door mat where twigs and dried grasses, a sure sign of bird nest building.

Signs of recent birds nest building activity at the door. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Looking at the wreath, I spotted the birds nest at the top.

I held my camera up as high as I could to see if there were any occupants.

Sure enough, the birds nest was occupied.

See the robin blue eggs in the top birds nest? Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Over the years I have had birds nesting in my outside wreaths. i now add a birds nest to my front door wreath. Some years it gets occupied, other years it is just decorative.

The wreath at my front door with its birds nest. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I can usually find the nests around my garden in fall after the leaves have dropped. It’s fun to go looking for them and picking just the right one to add to a wreath. Some birds reuse nests so leave the ones you find and don’t use.

Adding a birds nest to a door wreath is a sweet way to personalize the wreath and recognize that song birds in the garden are sharing this earth.

Charlotte

Old-Fashioned Lilacs

Old-fashioned lilacs brighten up any room. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Old-Fashioned Lilacs

If there is one flower that should be brought inside its lilacs. In particular, old-fashioned lilacs with their strong lovely scent. Where I live, I see many old-fashioned lilacs in bloom especially on old home sites. Old-fashioned lilacs were often planted as privacy screens, combining both practicality and beauty.

One of my spring routines is monitoring how soon lilac buds appear; it’s yet another sign of the arrival of spring and the promise of beauty to come. My lilacs tend to bloom along with peonies, iris and other Mother’s Day May 10 blooming flowers.

To bring lilacs inside, you need to cut them off the plant when the flowers are just starting to open.

Cut old-fashioned lilacs when they are just starting to bloom. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Once cut, either smash the bottom of the stems with a hammer or cut them with your pruners. The stems need a little help to take up water to keep the flowers fresh.

After putting them in a vase, let them sit for an hour in your kitchen so you can easily refill the vase. Lilacs will at first take up a lot of water so monitor the water level.

Also place the lilacs in a vase in indirect light and away from heat.

One person I know suggested placing the lilacs in the fridge overnight to extend their life. I never have enough room in mine to do that but I have placed them where I know it’s a cool spot in the house.

Old-fashioned lilacs planted under windows. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

You can enjoy the scent of lilacs by planting them under house windows. My old-fashioned lilacs where some of the first plants I put in after building the house in 1982. These lilacs share their scent when I open up the windows.

Each sprig includes dozens of teeny tiny flowers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Old-fashioned lilacs (Syringa vulgaris), are also known as common lilacs. They have green, heart-shaped foliage and fragrant flowers from spring to early summer,. This European native can grow up to 20 feet tall in sunny spots in most soils from USDA Hardiness zones 4-8.

Once finished blooming, trim the bushes so that it will bloom again next year.

Charlotte

Cat Wall Collage

A wonderful cat illustration from a friend many years ago. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Cat Wall Collage

As we all spend more time at home with family, this is a good time to make, capture and display original art work.

Over the years, I have collected a small collection of favorite cat-related framed items, from a theatre bill when our local campus hosted the traveling production of the Broadway musical “Cats” to Anna’s charming thank you cat drawing.

Every one of these cat items has a special place in my heart and mind.

Another original cat illustration from a local charity auction. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This modern cat illustration was a win at a local charity auction many, many years ago. I liked the colors and the silhouette but almost didn’t bid on it. It reminds me to go after what I want, I may just succeed.

I received six copies of this cat cartoon, a sure sign it deserved to be framed. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

There is something very funny about this little cat cartoon. Enough so that six friends all sent me a copy so I had to get it framed and added it to the cat collage.

This was the one framed photo I used to keep on my government office desk. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

When I worked in a formal federal government office, this was the one cat photo I kept on my desk. Two of the cats are no longer with me but this photo has good memories of the times I shared with them. And I still live with the other two younger ones.

Love this framed silk print of a cat with a parrot. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This piece of silk may be from a piece of clothing. I love the cat at the bottom watching the parrot. I used to live with our family parrot so this scene has good memories.

That’s one of the criteria I use when deciding what to add to a wall collage. Looking at the parts should generate good thoughts and feelings.

Here they are all together, wonderful memories all in one spot. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Once I paint the wall the collection will be more evenly spaced. Right now I have them on a wall to frankly protect them until I can get to updating this small bathroom. That’s the key to a wall collage, it should capture, and bring back, good thoughts and memories!

Charlotte

Dogwood Branches

Do you recognize this flower? Early dogwood blooms are green. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Dogwood Branches

If you are like me, you also enjoy bringing the garden inside and this is an easy way to add greenery, and some fun to your rooms. We all have trees and bushes that need spring trimming., Consider placing the trimmed parts in water in a flower vase and seeing if they will bloom inside. You may be surprised!

One of the first bushes I remember was good for cutting was spring-blooming Forsythia. I have a bush still blooming outside my living room window.

Spring-blooming forsythia is a popular shrub to bring inside. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

At this stage yellow Forsythia and the pink Eastern redbuds are far along in their bloom cycle but this way you can see how pretty they are.

Eastern redbuds starting to bloom in my garden. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Usually trimming occurs closer to February and early March when plants are dormant with little showing on their branches.

The warmth of the house helps the trimmed bushes bloom.

It can take 2-4 days depending on how warm the conditions are. It also helps to recut the bottom of the stems and place them in fresh water daily.

Another tree that will open inside once cut is the Flowering Dogwood, Missouri’s state tree. The branches in the photo were off of a trimmed tree without any flowers. Within two days the trimmed branches were in bloom. The early flowers are actually green.

Flowering dogwood tree branches now in bloom in my kitchen. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Here are the same flowering dogwood branches now 5 days later. The flowers are white.

Cut dogwood branches in water slowly unfurl their pretty blossoms. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Another wonderful bush, or small tree, to trim are pussy willows. In addition to the fuzzy catkins, the cut willows in water produce lovely flowers.

When you trim other spring trees and bushes, place them in a vase in water around the house. The branches provide an elegant focal point to watch and wait to see what pops out, literally!

Charlotte

Teddy Bear Hunt

Mary Tary Bear is on my front porch ready for the Teddy Bear Hunt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Teddy Bear Hunt

Our mid-Missouri community is pulling together to give kids a new fun activity, a Teddy Bear hunt April 3-12, 2020.

The idea is to place a stuffed teddy bear in a window so kids cruising by, either by walking or driving, can spot the Teddy Bear. I don’t know who started this locally but I remember a Frenchman distributing teddy bears a couple of weeks ago to brighten children quarantined for COVID 19.

Panda, left, and Squeaker were treasured childhood friends. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

There’s something soothing about a Teddy bear. Named after US President Theodore Roosevelt, Teddy Bears have been a part of my life. From Squeaker and Panda, my first stuffed bears, I have had a number of special teddy bears that have kept me company.

Smokes is a gift Teddy Bear from colleagues at Ft. Leonard Wood. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

There is a bear that was a gift when I left the US Army Engineers public affairs office. And bears that my mother made.

This tiny Teddy bear was my childhood travel bear, now watching me from a desk. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

And Mary Tary Bear, a very large bear given to me by an old friend. Mary is huge compared to my tiny travel bear that now lives comfortably in a rocking chair in a desk.

So I can personally attest, there is something warm and cozy about having a teddy bear close by in a room corner, or a front porch.

Stay well!

Charlotte

Office Geranium

This hot pink geranium has kept me company for a good 8 years or more. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Office Geranium

As we all set up and maybe even dust off home offices, remember to add something green and growing, the sight of a plant will lift your spirits and make the space comfortable.

It doesn’t have to be anything special. I’ve had this geranium in my office for more than 8 years and can’t imagine the room without it.

Geraniums are originally from South Africa. They do not survive outside over winter in USDA Hardiness zone 5b, where I live so they tend to be tossed at the end of the growing season.

There are several reasons why I love geraniums. They are easy to grow, love sun and bloom almost continuously. They are also not very expensive. You can usually pick up plants on sale by June and almost given away by fall.

We tend to see them in tiny pots or among other plants. When given the space and right growing conditions, they can turn into a substantial focus plant. This pink geranium was a sale plant I picked up a good decade ago. I placed it in my office thinking it could spend winter with me and then go outside. It’s never left my office.

Why?

Take a look at this stunning color.

The geranium colors are so bright and cheery. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

What’s more, this geranium tends to bloom most of the year, taking a short 1-2 month break usually in fall.

I make sure it stays evenly watered sitting in a south facing window.

The last time I measured it, it was close to 4-feet tall.

I do clean out the dead leaves periodically and give it a weak fertilizer. I also periodically give it fresh rain water.

Geranium in a southern facing office window. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I can personally tell you how much this plant has lifted my spirits when I was working on a project deadline. Not just the greenery of the leaves but the bright cheery flowers.

If you want cut flowers, geraniums make nice tiny flower vase companions, perfect for a little space on a home office. I have snuck a few over the years to my kitchen when I had nothing else in bloom.

With these plants, you don’t mind that it isn’t even spring yet!

Charlotte

Refinished Foot Stool

How I end my day thanks to this charming refinished foot stool. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Refinished Foot Stool

I can’t remember where I picked up this footstool but I have had it for a number of years. Originally it was stored in a closet for that day when I would be retired and had nothing else to do but refinish it.

That day never came.

Instead, Jessie Scrivner-Gunn of Sister Bee came to my and the footstool’s rescue and volunteered to give it an update.

More like a facelift!

This is the original walnut wood stool with the old cover. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

By some great luck, the stool padding itself was not damaged so it was a matter of carefully removing the soiled green fabric.

Once all pieces were removed, the new fabric was tested. What do you think?

This bee fabric was perfect to give the foodstool a new look! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Aw, come on, you weren’t really surprised it was a bee themed fabric, were you?!

The wood part was given a quick update with Howard Furniture Refinishing in walnut. I carry it. You can also find it at a local big box store.

I have used Howard Furniture Refinishing Products for decades and love how quickly it can update wood stained with water marks and gouges.

My favorite of all of these products is Howard Feed ‘n Wax. Itt quickly rehydrates wood and often is enough without further refinishing work.

Howard Furniture Refinishing products easily available locally. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The footstool was finished but we needed something to replace the old gold trim.

I had some gold rope from my mother’s crafts stash and we kept adding a layer until Jessie and I both thought we had enough.

After three rows, we decided that was enough.

The last touch, using gold braid to finish off the new look. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Jessie has helped me restore a couple other pieces I will share later so if you need some help, let me know and I will be glad to pass on her contact information.

Hard to think this lovely piece was once that soiled green-fabric covered stored footstool!

Charlotte

Teapot Bird House

Lorri Thurman also gets inspired by the teapot bird house. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Teapot Bird House

Last year I was guest speaker at a beekeeping club that meets at a University of Missouri Extension office with a lovely demonstration garden. I invited several of our local bee club planning group members to join me in a garden tour before the evening’s presentation.

During the garden tour, this little teapot bird house caught everyone’s attention. What a clever way to reuse a teapot and give birds a nice nesting area.

Here’s another look at how the ceramic teapot was hanging from the homemade wooden platform.

Here it is, close up and hanging from a wood panel. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The most challenging part of this project would be to carefully drill a hole in the teapot bottom so that it could be secured to the homemade wooden platform.

Actually for me the hardest part was finding a teapot I wanted to use. I did find a cute owl one with Lorri’s help but I failed miserably. The teapot is now sitting in my dining room.

Close up of how the teapot is held up. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This charming garden addition inspired several new birdhouses, after the hunt was on for a ceramic teapot. Thrift stores, resale shops and consignment stores were checked, and shared.

This teapot has a flower hand painted on its side.

Hand painted teapot found at a local thrift store.

Two teapots ready to welcome tenants. (Photo by Lorri Thurman)

Glues today are very - hardy but I still would not trust tiny creatures to just a glued teapot.

Lorri felt the same way and secured her teapots with extra protection.

Not just glue, this teapot is also secured at the handle. (Photo by Lorri Thurman)

If you have an old chipped teapot, this would be a great way to repurpose it and still enjoy having it around!

Charlotte

Picking Daffodils

My first daffodils starting to bloom in a coffee table vase. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Picking Daffodils

It’s the start of the daffodil season in my Missouri limestone hillside garden, something I look forward to every year.

I have a nice variety of daffodils rescued over the years. There are daffodils that bloom throughout the season. And one of my favorites may be these tiny, old-fashioned daffodils that cower in the shadow of some of the other varieties.

These first bloomers have a special place in my heart. They are the first ever daffodils I was given, and have since rescued. They tend to naturalize around abandoned home sites so I planted them where they can naturalize on my Missouri hillside.

More importantly, most daffodils can be cut still in bud form so they will bloom later inside.

My first daffodil bouquet picked the day before. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I usually wait until I see a flower tip showing through the bud before I cut the daffodils. I also cut the stem as opposed to pulling at it or breaking it with my fingers. The gentle, clean cut is less traumatic to the bulb and allows for easy water uptake through the hollow daffodil stems.

This mixed daffodil bouquet was picked in the bud stage and is now keeping my kitchen cheery. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

One more important note: don’t mix daffodils with other flowers until you let them sit in water for 24 hours. Daffodils have a toxic  chemical, lycorine. It will leave through the stems once cut.

If you want to add other flowers, place the daffodils that have sat in water for a day in fresh water; then add the other flowers.

I  will have to check my garden diary but this is the earliest I can remember ever having the tiny yellow daffodils in bloom. Yet another sign spring may indeed be early this year!

Charlotte

Repurposed Shadow Box

Repurposing an antique walnut shadow box over my writing desk. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Repurposed Shadow Box

If you haven’t seen these at auctions, yard sales and thrift stores you may have one sitting in the attic like I did. This was a very old walnut shadow box that once belonged to my mother. I have some photos of her sitting next to it but I don’t recall what was originally in it, probably a collection of Hummel figurines. She had a collection from when she worked in Germany after World War II.

Two old clock cases she left me were also used as shadow boxes to hold little figurines of some sort. One still has the mirror shelves where the items were placed. They are still sitting in a box as I decide how to repurpose them.

As I was moving this shadow box yet again last year, it occurred to me that I could use it to highlight what I hoped would be my first published book. In spite of how many books one writes, the first one is always special. Just like making a first quilt.

Now this was not my first planned book. And I wrote another book that didn’t get published but this is the first published book. I ended up writing this one to help beekeepers struggling with managing clubs to help other beekeepers. It’s basically a management book but I tried to make it fun, approachable and helpful with checklists and planning guides. And I love Jake Tupper’s illustrations so being able to see the front cover was not only inspiration but fun.

This old shadow box had two issues. First, the glass on the front was placed too far forward. I took it to my local glass shop and after discussing options, I had that replaced so that the glass fit farther back.

The make shift backing was also permanently attached, making it impossible to get into the inside of the shadow box. See how that was solved?

Added hinges to the back make the shadow box backing easy to remove. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Small metal hinges were attached to one side with the other side glued to the thinner backing. It was too thin to add nails or screws so I chose a good strong glue to make sure they were solidly attached. I won’t be opening it often anyway, I would be using the hinges only to get my book inside the box.

After dusting the wood, I applied Howard Feed N Wax to rehydrate the wood. This combination of beeswax and carnauba oil quickly brings most woods back to life, I love to use it on older pieces without having to refinish them.

Howard Feed N Wax rehydrates the wood to give it a nice sheen once buffed. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I left the wax on the wood for half an hour then gently buffed it with a soft old t-shirt.

The shadow box is now hanging over my writing desk, holding my first published book as I work on my third one. It’s nice to walk by, and look up, and see that first accomplishment. And that charming book cover.

Ok, now on to the next one!

Charlotte

New Cat Bed

The new cat bed under observation prior to use. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

New Cat Bed

I usually pass by these cushy cat beds at our local Aldis, a great place to find gifts to spoil one’s pets. My two cats have their own favorite napping spots usually involving a piece of my clothing or a favorite quilt. Better yet, a new cardboard box!

This particular day, though, it crossed my mind that Shirley Honey, my long-haired yellow rescue might like one of these new soft cat beds. She loves spending hours under lap quilts and sometimes rugs, a legacy from being born in a neighbor’s dark composter. I thought if she had a cat bed that was already set up, she could easily climb in and not have to wait on me to settle her in. Or have to come get me and guide me to the sofa where I would settle her under a quilt.

After a good rounds of debate with myself, I brought the new cat bed home and settled it on my den sofa, where Shirley Honey usually curls up next to me.

At first she kept her distance, watching the new addition to the sofa from her nearby perch. I know better than to place her close to the item, she will take her time warming up to it.

Getting a closer look of the new potential, warm napping spot. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

When I returned later to the den later, Shirley Honey was on the sofa near the entrance to the new cat bed.

I waited before settling next to her.

If she liked this cat bed, I thought, she could easily climb in and out without my having to set up her favorite lap quilt over the sofa corner with a stuffed animal as the outside anchor. She likes it just so and can’t set it up herself, although she tries. She will dig at the sofa corner to let me know it’s time to set up her napping tent.

I settled in to watch her.

Oops, looks like the new cat bed is already occupied! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

And who should pop out of the new cat bed but my other cat, Boo Boo Bartholomew. He apparently found the new napping spot and claimed it before Shirley Honey even had a chance to look closely at it.

Now look at what I’ve done. Do I buy a second one? Do I leave them to battle out who gets this one?

What was I thinking!

Charlotte

Pussy Willow Blooms

White or maybe soft pink pussy willow branches now in bloom. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pussy Willow Branches

Every once in awhile I come across articles and posts about cutting tree and shrub branches for home decor. The idea is enticing, especially mid-winter when I’m getting tired of the cold weather and starting to pine for spring. It certainly is an easy way to bring a piece of nature into a room.

This year, we’ve barely had winter in mid-Missouri. It has been more of an extended fall, short cold periods dotted with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Which has me a little worried about what is happening to my plants, I have iris leaves up and fruit trees budding. But I’m still expecting cold weather, at least off and off over the next couple of months.

In between, I have been doing some work in the garden, primarily mulching. Some others have also been out in their gardens trimming bushes. In particular, pussy willow bushes, one of the plants I’ve had on my list to add to my garden. In addition to the charm and versatility of the unusual-looking plant, it also happens to be an excellent source of pollen for bees.

This is how I originally found the pussy willow branches, cut and discarded.

This is how they started, discarded pussy willow branches. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I found a similar stash of cut pussy willow branches late November, now rooting in pots in my basement. Those gave me a delightful surprise, burgundy-colored flowers that reminded me of Magnolia blooms. They are now springing new leaves, which hopefully will become new plants later this year I can move out into my hillside garden.

The new pussy willow branches have been carefully cut. Some are in soil; another collection is in water in a vase in my kitchen. These are now starting to bloom and may be a different pussy willow variety. These latest ones have a lighter flower bud than the darker, burgundy ones that bloom before Christmas.

After four days in water, the pussy willows are starting to bloom. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I love having the branches in water in my kitchen and office. What’s even more fun is walking in every morning to see something new popping out, in this case flowers.

White pussy willow blooms from cut branches blooming in my kitchen. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Other cut winter tree branches that easily produce flowers in water inside include yellow Forsythia, Witch Hazel, Magnolia, Eastern Redbuds, Crab Apple, flowering Quince and flowering Cherry.

Charlotte

New Gift Poinsettias

One of my cats checks out the “Winter Rose” Poinsettia gift. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

New Gift Poinsettias

A friend recently surprised me with one of the many new gift poinsettias on the market. Poinsettias (Euphiorbia pulcherrima) are the iconic Christmas flower, the traditional red of their leaves, or bracts, adding a bright Christmas vibe to any room.

And before I get started on some of the new varieties, poinsettias are not poisonous to cats or children. They do have a mildly irritating white sap that when ingested by pets can cause diarrhea. Some pets may also try to regurgitate the sap because of its bad taste. My advice is keep the plants away from both pets and children and you won’t have to worry.

Some New Gift Poinsettias

This ruffled leaf variety in the top photo was new to me so I did a little research. These beautiful poinsettias with the leaves turned under are called “Winter Rose” poinsettias. They certainly do look like roses in full bloom.

Winter Rose Poinsettias reportedly will last a couple of months longer than the traditional red poinsettias.

The popularity of poinsettias has encouraged breeders to come up with some other new poinsettia varieties.

This variegated poinsettia has white specks on red leaves called Red Glitter. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

German farmer Albert Ecke began breeding poinsettias in Los Angeles in 1909. Following in his father’s footsteps, Paul Ecke founded the world’s first poinsettia nursery in Encinitas, California in the early 1920s.

The Eckes are the source of these new poinsettia varieties in a wide array of salmon pink, peach, and a wild range of variegations.

Though Ecke Ranch was sold to a Dutch grower in 2012, the site is still home to the largest poinsettia growing and breeding operation in the world. 

If you like poinsettias, there are a number of new colors that would make this a plant for use year around. These pink and white poinsettias would work well for Valentine’s Day.

Pink and white poinsettias have been around for awhile. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Blue flowers are rare in nature and frankly non-existent even in hybrid flowers. This “blue” poinsettia is most likely a Pure Glow poinsettia sprayed with blue paint to get this blue mottled color.

The same approach is taken to get blue orchids, blue roses and even blue daffodils.

With Classic Blue being the color of 2020, this unusual blue poinsettia would definitely make any room the height of fashion all year.

These are painted blue, not bred to grow as a blue variety. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Here is the original Pure Glow poinsettia, often sold as a “white” poinsettia.

Compared to a whitish sofa in the background, you can see the poinsettia color has more of a yellow tint to it, which I’m sure inspired the “pure glow” name.

This is a good choice to have around after the loud Christmas holiday decorations are put away. It has a calming, almost winter vibe to the hue.

Pure Glow poinsettia is now common on the Christmas gift market. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

As much as I enjoy seeing, and caring for some of the new poinsettias on the market, there still is a very special place for the lovely original red poinsettias in my home. I can remember seeing them in their native Mexico growing to the size of small dogwood trees..

The original traditional red poinsettias, still very pretty on its own. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Legend has it two children approaching the manager carried a bouquet of weeds, or wildflowers. An angel transformed the weeds into a poinsettia as they approached the baby crib.

Poinsettias may be a favorite Christmas plant but i enjoy mine all year!

Charlotte

2020 Color Classic Blue

This Pure Glow poinsettia has been spray painted to be classic blue. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pantone 2020 Color Classic Blue

Are you blue?

You should be if you want to be in style for 2020. Ever since the rash of country blue and mauve pink home decor colors of the 1980s, not personal favorites, I have tracked Pantone’s yearly colors to see how they get incorporated into our homes, quilt fabrics and now even fashion.

For 2020, the color is “classic blue” or a color I refer to as true blue.

"It's a color that anticipates what's going to happen next," said Laurie Pressman, the vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, which selects the Color of the Year. "What's the future going to bring as we move into the evening hours?"

The first color of the year was selected in 1999, Cerulean, a basic blue color. As a quilt designer, I have incorporated classic blue in a variety of our custom quilts including our All Blue Double Wedding Ring Quilt. From my experience with fabrics I know colors can impact moods and set the tone of a room. So why blue for this next year?

Classic blue incorporated into one of our custom double wedding ring quilts. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The Pantone Color Institute said it recognized feelings of instability gripping the world today. It settled on a shade that offers the reassurance, confidence and connection that people may be searching for in an uncertain global milieu.

Pantone has named a color of the year for more than two decades. In 1963, the company created the Pantone Matching System, a proprietary system used in a variety of industries such as printing, graphic design and fashion design to manage, and match, colors. It also ensures that the same colors are compatible across the many multiple uses.

The 2020 Color of the Year isn't just for the seeing. 

In collaboration with partners across industries, Pantone created a multi-sensory Classic Blue presentation, which it showcased in Manhattan at its 2020 color reveal. The color experience apparently is now expanding.

The fragrance of Classic Blue wafted through the air while Classic Blue sounds resounded. Classic Blue-textured cushions littered the floor and Classic Blue drinks were served.

This is one of my favorite embroidered pillows featuring bluebells. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“It was, beyond dispute, a Classic Blue sight to behold,” reported Pantone. But interpreting the color through the other four senses is a far less objective task. 

The official Classic Blue scent is described in part as a "contemplation of where sky and sea meet;" the taste as "flowering vines;" the touch as a "soft velvety texture;" the sound as "vivid nostalgia."

Another interpretation: Classic Blue has an earthy, floral musk; a sugary flavor evocative of blue raspberry syrup; the feel of a brand new, plush couch; and an underwater, ethereal sound. 

Vintage barn swallow post card in a classic “classic blue” color. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Each year's color is decided through a long and thoughtful process that takes into consideration lifestyle and industry trends, said Pressman. 

"Typically, trends that we see in color are reflecting big macro trends that are taking place in culture," she explained. 

Color influences can come from art, upcoming media, movies, lifestyles, socioeconomic and political conditions, travel destinations, new technology -- really anything. 

The name of the color is an important factor. 

"If you have a color called Brown Dirt, versus Chocolate Fudge, it takes on two completely different meanings," said Pressman. "The name really has to resonate with the message that we want to get across."

True to its name, Classic Blue can be regal, restrained and boundless. But it can also be edgy -- even anomalous -- utilizing a variety of tonalities, materials and prints.

I’ve had this classic blue vase giving my basement a shot of color for a couple of years. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

For those who want to sport the 2020 color, Pressman recommends Classic Blue accent pieces such as a scarf or watch strap, or a vase or candle for your home or workplace.

But incorporating the color into your life could be as simple as adding blue foods to your diet. Yes, apparently this trend is moving into having a color-coordinated diet. Aligning with the growing emphasis on health, foods and beverages that are similar in color to Classic Blue are rich in anthocyanins that are thought to bolster the body’s defenses against ailments from cardiovascular disease to cancer cell proliferation.

Adding the classic blue color foods will be healthy step but not sure that qualifies as a fashion statement.

Wearing a classic American fashion, though, most definitely will.

Traditional work jeans represent the classic blue Pantone is heralding for 2020. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I didn’t grow up with classic jeans. We lived overseas and spent time in homemade clothes. It’s been in the last 10 years as I wade into hours in my garden that I have developed a nice collection of work jeans strong enough to endure my falls down my hillside.

Hey, now I’ll be fashionable. Well, except for the rolling down the hillside part.

Charlotte

Cork Wreath

Peaceful Bend Windery turned corks into a charming holiday wreath. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Cork Wreath

Oh, heavens, I was about to make “wreaths’ plural and realized it could take a long time, or a lot of wine, to have enough corks to make this cork wreath. Luckily living in mid-Missouri where we have a number of excellent wineries, we have easy access to the corks. The wine, too.

The project would involve collecting a number of wine corks, which would mean visiting wineries and selecting wines one likes all four seasons. Then drinking it. To get the cork, of course. Or you could enlist friends to go with you so they would participate in the wine cork collecting. Unless they were also making their own wine cork wreaths.

I have a number of wine corks I have saved - somewhere, reminders of lovely meals with friends at wineries such as Peaceful Bend and Meramec Vineyards. I tend to use my corks as stoppers for my beekeeping smoker, which sometimes get lost in my garden.

Now I will have to decide which is more important, collecting corks for my wreath or putting out the fire in my smoker.

Decisions, decisions.

I was told the corks were hot glued onto a wreath frame. Since they are so lightweight, it is easy to do and to hang. In this example they used a wide ribbon tied to the back so that the wreath could be displayed under a wall light fixture.

The red bow was pre-made and came off a gift basket. Nice repurposing there!

A wide ribbon attached to the back makes it easier to hang. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I suspect I may end up making a teeny tiny one for the next year. The fun part will be in collecting the wine corks!

Charlotte

Pussy Willow Flower

Pussy willow branches now in bloom with lovely burgundy flowers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pussy Willow Flowers

Every morning when I head over to look at these pussy willow branches, how did I miss knowing about this. The pussy willow branches I was trying to root had another idea: they are in bloom!

When I think of pussy willow blooms, I think of the tiny yellow flowers that spring from the grey flowers in spring. Maybe it’s the memories of vintage pussy willow post cards like this one. My grandmother used to include them in the old books she gave us for Christmas. She would include them as book plates with our names on them.

The vintage post cards I recall included pussy willows where the nubs where actually little cats:

A vintage post card with pussy willows as cats. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I now have two collections of pussy willow branches. One is in a pot in my kitchen, the other was in the basement in a flower vase full of water . According to some of my research, I didn’t need to put the branches in water, they would have lasted a long time just cut.

The point of having them, though, was to try to get them to root so I would have plants to add to my garden later next year.

Willows are supposedly easy to root from cuttings either in water or soil.

I have several pussy willows already growing outside but I want more. Willows are an excellent bee plant. I would like to have a nice larger collection so I can easily take cuttings to enjoy more inside.

I was quite happy watching the cut off branches with the gray nubs until one morning, I noticed something odd. The little grey nubs were slowly popping off, pushed off by a lovely burgundy flower.

I was so intrigued, I decided not to take the risk that they would root in water and quickly potted the pussy willow stems in soil.

Pussy willow branches, now in pots, with burgundy flowers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Each flower starts slowly, a knuckle of a burgundy bump infolding from under the pussy willow nub.

Here is one of the more developed flowers, which resemble a magnolia bloom.

Pussy willow flowers unfurling on the cut stems. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Every morning there is a new set of burgundy flowers starting to pop. It has crossed my mind that even if these stems don’t root, they certainly have made this fall and winter an interesting one.

I think this one stem has rooted. I now have a new leaf! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Not so fast. As I was turning the branches in my kitchen, I spotted a little brand new leaf. I may now have at least one new pussy willow plant!

Charlotte

Winter Bee Bouquet

A tiny glass bee tops my winter bouquet, the closest thing right now to bees. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Winter Bee Bouquet

My handyman keeps a closer watch on weather than I do. When he old me the temperatures were dropping and we were under a winter watch, I knew what I had to do. Grabbing my flower shears, I walked through my house looking for whatever was in bloom. There wasn’t much but there was just enough.

This hot pink geranium in my business office is still blooming. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I found a hot pink geranium with a sprig in bloom in my business office. The office faces south so I can usually coax flowers through winter from this plant. I love the brightness of the flowers and their rich depth, sure to add beauty to any flower vase.

Checking my den, I found a hanging basket of Lantana had turned from bud to flower. I moved the basket to my kitchen pass through so I could enjoy the plant as I washed dishes.

A Lantana hanging basket has decided to put on a show. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Not much else was in bloom but it doesn’t take much to brighten up a room corner, especially with small flower vases.

I appreciate winter. I am happier, though, with fresh flowers around me, even if is just a sprig. I keep a small long-necked green vase handmade in Germany on my writing desk, where sometimes just a single flower sits in it. The flower has company, a tiny glass bee I found at a St. Louis hand blown glass shop. Didn’t know what I would do with it at the time but it was a bee. Now it’s very much a fixture with whatever flowers I add, a reminder that I miss seeing my real girls hopefully tucked and warm outside.

Winter is also the time I tend to put my Wildflowers Lap Quilt on the foot of my bed. The riot of flowers brighten up the room and add a reminder of the garden to come next year. Some people use these quilts in the summer. I prefer to have them on the bed when nothing else is blooming.

The green vase now also has a little glass ladybug hanging down the side, a find at a local crafts store that reminds me of spring and summer days in my garden. It was going to be a glass charm but I get to enjoy it here more so here it will stay. For now.

The flower vase that keeps me company during cold winter days. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Studies show that fresh flowers do have a positive psychological effect and lift spirits. The research confirms what florists already know; flowers do contribute to our well-being.

Winter bee bouquet on my writing den desk. Cozy. ({Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The bouquet is on a coffee table in my den, adding a nice pop of fresh color in an otherwise cold, winter day.

Ok, it can snow now.

Charlotte