My husband and I visited State Botanical Garden of Georgia outside of Athens, Georgia on a recent daytrip. It wasn’t the best time of year to visit gardens, but without much blooming, I noticed the granite outcrops.
Georgia is home to the largest concentration of exposed granite rocksin the southeastern United States, primarily found in the Piedmont and Appalachian regions. One of the most well-known is Stone Mountain.
These outcrops provide a unique habitat for the plants and animals that live there.
I recently completed the Growing Sprouts and Microgreens class.
I couldn’t wait to begin! Within a week, my sprouts were ready to harvest! Such an easy indoor gardening project to do with children all throughout the year!
All materials were included in my class, but this is one source for ordering materials. Learn more about how to grow sprouts, as well as the nutritional value full screen.
My husband and I started finding dead or dying yellow jackets in our home. At first, we thought they had constructed a nest in the attic, so we had it treated, but we continued to find them in the bathroom, living room, and basement. We stopped walking around barefoot and I feared that I would wake up to these aggressive bees swarming above me!
My husband researched their behavior and spoke to several exterminators. The theory was that the bees were dying due to the cold weather. We were finding them in the toilet and bathtub because they were searching for water. On a warm day, we discovered how they were entering the house on the second story near our bedroom.
The second exterminator believes that they are not yellow jackets, but another kind of wasp that mimics yellow jackets. Yellow jackets usually build their nest underground and are very aggressive.
I regularly listen to podcasts when I drive. These are two of my new finds:
The Everything ECE (Early Childhood Education) Podcast is for educators, as well as parents and grandparents. Such wisdom! I wish every classroom followed her model.
“The Everything ECE Podcast is for early childhood educators, preschool teachers, and childcare professionals who want to grow intentionally and take meaningful action. Host Carla Ward shares real-life insights, expert interviews, and practical strategies to support your work in childcare centers, preschools, and kindergartens. From play-based learning to leadership, each episode helps you stay inspired, confident, and connected to your purpose.”
Another favorite is the hallway conversations podcast.
“We are friends who have been teaching for quite a while, but we still have lots of questions about education. This is our place for thinking out loud about topics we think are important for Christian educators to consider. We regularly have face-to-face hallway conversations, and this podcast is our way of inviting you into our reflections on contemporary education.”
We had a problem with water flowing correctly through our gutters and determined that a solution might be found with a rain barrel. Why a rain barrel? Rainwater is a free resource and I’m already watering my garden with the water I’ve collected. Plants will thrive because rainwater is filled with micronutrients and doesn’t contain chemicals, like fluoride and chlorine. Also, the stormwater running into waterways is decreased, thereby reducing erosion.
“These benefits make rain barrels an effective tool for both environmental sustainability and water resource management.” Plus, our gutters are no longer overflowing!
“The Alpharetta Recreation, Parks & Cultural Services Department is growing a Community Agriculture Program with the help and support of the community.
The mission of this program is to model and inspire the stewardship of natural resources through the use of sustainable practices, while connecting the community through growing food and nature-based education.”
Classes are held at Old Rucker Farm, a two-acre organic farm, in the outdoor classroom.
Outdoor Classroom
I recently enrolled in a cooking class taught by Kalee Tilli of Table Root Farm. She demonstrated how to create early summer salads and dressings. There is nothing like farm to table!
It feels like spring in Atlanta, so I headed over to Chattahoochee Nature Center for a hike. My habit of looking all around, including upward, was rewarded when a heron landed high in the branches above me. Male herons search for branches which they carry to females to build their large nests. Nests are built in a rookery, a collection of multiple nests, high in tall trees near wetlands, lakes, or ponds. Females will lay two to six pale blue eggs which will hatch in 26-29 days.
I’m drawn to community gardens. I love everything about them – the relationships forged, hands in healthy soil, the pollinators at work, and the anticipated harvest.
“The mission of this program is to model and inspire the stewardship of natural resources through the use of sustainable practices, while connecting the community through growing food and nature-based education.”
I just registered for the summer botanically flavored mocktail class using seasonal herbs and flowers on their site, I am so excited!
Learn about an urban community garden full screen here.
I like to design cards and other paper products using calligraphy, watercolors, and hand-carved stamps. When I watched a webinar about pressing flowers by Flower Press Studios, I knew that would be a fun add-on and in addition what a special way to preserve my garden flowers.
I collected easy to press flowers for my first attempt. I’m looking forward to pressing pansies this fall and violets next spring.
The flowers and leaves are placed face down between paper and cardboard (which came with the press I ordered) before the press is tightened.
After a couple of days, the moist paper needs to be changed, so that the flowers don’t mold. This is how the blossoms appeared when I opened the press to add new paper.
I need to wait a few weeks before they are completely pressed, and I can create with them. Lessons on gluing flowers and pressing thicker flowers are next for me.
In a previous post about doilies, I shared how I have been restoring antique and vintage linens that I inherited. When I first pulled them out of the hope chests, they were covered with brown storage or oxidation stains! I wish I had taken more before photos.
But just look at these pillowcases now; the stains are gone, and they look new! The handiwork is amazing! Go here for a blog post with directions on how to remove the stains.
This monogram belongs to my great grandmother, Cornelia (1878-1966.)
My great, great grandmother, Emma (1856-1912), was the owner of the sheets below.
I’ve also restored baby clothes, quilts and many (!) napkins and tablecloths. The dress on the bottom was worn by my grandmother Pauline and the first dress was made for me by my grandmother Charlotte.
I became curious about the materials that were used to make these sheets. Did my ancestors use linen, cotton, or some other natural fiber? I still have so much to learn about this subject.
Learn about cotton in the video below. Go here to view full screen. Read more about the history of cotton here.
Watch the following video about flax full screen here.
I have a piece of linen handwoven by my fifth great grandmother, Roxy Kirby (1797-1842.) I’ve been hesitant about restoring this keepsake.
Both cotton and linen are plant products. Studying these fabrics is a great adjunct to a plant unit, history unit, or an art study of fashion and weaving.
