In the garden, purple is ready to be harvested -- elderberries, Sambucus spp., to freeze and make medicinal syrup later. And some for more ice-berry dyeing -- the silk organza in the bowl was dyed with some of last year's frozen elderberries. The St. Theresa grapes are ripe for picking, to freeze and make into juice or jelly. Someone told me to freeze them first because it makes the juice even sweeter (you know who you are!). Stanley plums -- however many the squirrels leave us, we share.
They say that purple is the color of royalty and also most preferred by teenage girls. And they say that because it's the combination of red and blue, purple can either stimulate or calm. That's quite a wide swing there, but I'm hoping to calm down today because we've been dealing with a wasp nest. Yes, not only did we welcome a swarm of bees, we also became the unwilling hosts of yellow jackets. I feel bad but, seriously, our house is off-limits.
If you happen to go thrift shopping later today, you might see me. I'll be the mellow one with the purple fingers.
such a lovely purple from those elderberries.
ReplyDeleteAll that beautiful purple...
ReplyDeleteHa! I am laughing about your purple fingers and thrift shopping :)
Your garden must be magical!
Such lush abundance.
it's good to have limits.
ReplyDeletethose berries are so pretty & the cloth,too.
that first photo reminds me of setting out the fruit at school to show the size relationship between all of the planets.
Purple yeah! I don't have much of them in my garden at this time of year. Enjoy yours though - Hugs Nat
ReplyDeleteDeanna, yes, the frozen elderberries gave some lovely color -- the wool took it very nicely, too... It took 2 hours to strip these berries off the clusters. But worth it, I guess.
ReplyDeleteMarie, thanks -- the garden has slowed way down now. As soon as I get a few more things picked and frozen, etc. I will welcome a good hard freeze! My hands are very purple but it took so long to strip them off the cluster that I didn't make it to the thrift store. Tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteCindy, oh yeah, especially with yellow jackets. I do not enjoy waking up in the morning to a yellow jacket cruising the room. It's been crazy. My whole body has been so tense. I think we've seen the beginning of the end now, we finally called the professionals.
ReplyDeleteFruits for a lesson on the solar system -- great idea!
Nat, you're probably just starting to enjoy spring, aren't you? When we're in the thick of dreary cold winter, you will warm us up again with all your summer-dyeing projects --I remember that from last winter...it actually works out quite nicely, doesn't it, this internet business. We can entertain each other from our respective hemispheres!
ReplyDelete