WREATHMAKER

This week's blooms have been brought in to the house, for autumn bouquets... The flowers included are: Mandevilla vine, pinky-winky hydrangea, limelight hydrangeas, incrediball hydranges, dahlias, solomon seal foliage, coleus foliage, chrysanthemum,dusty miller, buddleia. ..and some johnny-jump-ups in an old lustre cream jug... ..and Rosemary and sage, ready to dry... ...a pleasant sight as I walk through the kitchen... Let us join our lovely hostess, Tootsie , for her weekly gathering of gardeners. Thank you, Tootsie.

Happy Fall, Everyone! It is hard to believe we are into cooler weather now. I am trying to enjoy the remaining flowers in the garden as much as possible, and bringing some blooms indoors to cheer up some gloomy days.    Love the Granny Smith apple green of the hydrangeas...   Buddleia is pretty in the blue vase.. My supermarket mums are coming into full bloom...   Let's join Tootsie for Friday Flower Flaunting

Last night we had a slight frost, but only the dahlias were affected by it....tonight there are frost warnings again... I had so hoped we would have a longer frost free period this year, but soon all our gardening will be a memory...thankfully it is somewhat preserved in photos and of course, our memories. Yesterday I went out and picked lots of flowers and plunked them in various containers: My hubby was up on the roof today, cleaning the skylight, and took a shot of the yard from up there: A few more photos... I am joining Tootsie for her regular weekly flower flaunting. Tootsie is keeping her chin up in a time of adversity..kudos to her...

Last weekend we took my Mom on a little trip to parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. She is almost 92 and wanted to see the places where she grew up and spent her early married days. At Dauphin, Mb., we went to "Threshing Days" where old-fashioned methods of harvesting, etc. were being shown. She loved that! She was keen to go for a ride on this buggy...  ...a wagon load of sheaves being brought to the threshing area... ...and the threshing machine at work... Mom took a pitchfork and was about to demonstrate picking up a sheaf of wheat... We also visited her first log house in Saskatchewan, built in 1937. You can read about it here.. http://millie-manitobameanderings.blogspot.com/2010/08/25-log-house.html The original wallpaper is still hanging on...even though this room has been used for grain storage in the past... The "hardwood" floors were never sealed or varnished and she had to scrub them on hands and knees with a lye solution . ... There have been a lot...

This week I am using Martha Stewart Living magazine - January 2009, as inspiration for a floral bouquet. The magazine includes floral arrangements for each month of the year. This is September: I used my silver - brushed urn and picked leaves and branches from our garden. This is what I came up with: Debbiedoos is having a magazine copycat event this week so I'm taking part. I hope you will visit her blog and see all the lovely copycats over there!

A tradition for Labor Day weekend for us is camping on Hecla Island, The island was settled by Icelandic people many years ago. Fishing was the main industry, and even today, there are many fishing boats in the harbour, as well as a fish station. When the island became a Provincial park, most people were asked to sell their property to the government and move. Some of the oldest buildings are very rustic, and many are rapidly becoming piles of rubble: Below, an old outhouse... This white building is the old boarding house, restored on the outside, but sadly, the inside hasn't been completed There are nautical touches everywhere: More recently, those who wished to do so, could rebuild on the island. There are many new summer homes now, and they must conform to traditional styles. Credit for most of the above photos goes to my daughter LaVerne.

There is a twinge of fall in the air this week, but although some of the flowers are way past their prime, others are hanging in there, and some are finally starting to bloom (some seeds I planted were very slow to germinate!) The dahlias are getting nicer: In front of the house the large pot holds coleus, and a red mandevilla vine, new to me this year.... By the front steps, we have 2 urns which did fairly well this year.. Tomatoes are very plentiful...we've been using them every day I picked some pears at our Son's house this week, just for decoration... The fall mums are arriving at the supermarket now...I hope this one lasts a month! That's all for today . I hope everyone has an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. We have plans... Tootsie has a wonderful weekly gardening event...check it out..