A Gardening Knitter - Helleborus, Iris Reticulata

My blogging has really suffered this last couple of months while I've been busy with family matters but my sister has at last been able to make the move to Milwaukee to live with her daughter. I hope it will work out and be as wonderful as she wants it to; and that it will be a lifetime of enjoyment for her. While my knitting has been almost none existent the last several weeks that's okay. I was able to spend time with my sister and I loved every minute of it. I lined the pink Melly bag and gave it to her while I was there (she adores anything pink and I can always make another bag for my niece). I emptied the bag she was using and placed the contents in the new pink bag and she took it with her for her last Doctor's appointment in SC. As of this morning, the bag now resides in Milwaukee.I've done a bit of knitting on the Nashua Theatre sweater but am a long way behind. It is a pretty fast knit so I hope to finish it in time to be able and wear it a few times this season. The Nicky Epstein bag is setting in a project bag with a dozen bobbins hanging from it, waiting to be picked up once more. The Chris Bylsma, Crayon Box jacket is begging to be worked on and Lily Chin's Central Park jacket still has not found gage. Maybe I will ditch it and try to find something else to use that $100.00 worth of yarn for; what a shame and a waste.

I had wonderful notes from almost every member of my Monday and my Tuesday night knitting groups while I was away with my sister. What remarkable and caring people they all are. I am so fortunate to have such fantastic friends and I dearly love each of them. I've also had notes from some of my inter-net swap partners and they too are appreciated. I've found some of my best friends to be knitters and gardeners; both wonderful worlds to be a part of.

The Helleborus have begun blooming out in the wooded area at the rear of our property. I was so pleased when DH called to tell me they were in bloom. I had checked them a few days before I left for SC and was disappointed that they were not yet in bloom. Generally, they began blooming in January and sometimes as early as December at our previous home. This is a clump of a white hybrid and in the middle of the clump is the beautiful pink. It will be interesting to see how this clump developes next season. Another pretty bloom, although with a deep turned down blossom, is this deep rose. And still another is one of the darker helleborus which is a deeper pink with a tint of purple in the blossom. For some reason I seem to have loss the foetidus (green stinking) helleborus this year, normally the easiest of all helleborus to grow and so far I've not found the 'niger' (almost black in color) ones.

In a front bed, there are snowdrops and crocus blooming and on the south side, the Iberis or Candytuft, is already started to bloom and out by the mailbox is a gorgeous clump of Purple Gem, Iris reticulata. Since this is February, I feel a bit uncomfortable with nature sprouting so early, we're still over a month away from spring, a long time where plants are concerned.

DH and neighbor have been working in the wooded areas at the back of our properties, bush hogging and cleaning up the brush; maybe I will get the garden I've wanted after all. Neighbor has decided it would be nice to have a place to sit and relax with a glass of wine in the afternoons and this, of course, appeals to DH. While I was away, a vegetable garden was build for me to grow vegetables this year. It is a large and nice, deep raised bed that we will add trellis to for beans and other running vegetables. Since our clay soil is so heavy and poor this will be a way to grow decent vegetables. I am looking forward to having a productive vegetable garden this year.