Landis Valley Herb Faire

I have been very busy the past three weeks preparing for the annual Herb Faire at the Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster, PA. The annual heirloom plant sale is the largest on the East Coast. Gardeners interested in heirloom plants, herbs, vegetables, & garden related wares may want to attend my personal favorite festival, the Herb & Garden Faire at Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster, Pa., on May 8 and 9. I have been a vendor there with my dip, spread, soup, bread & herbal sugar mixes for almost twenty years.

There are over 65 vendors selling heirloom plants, vegetables, native plants, antique roses, garden art & crafts. The Faire is held on the historic grounds of the Landis Valley Museum. It is like taking a step back in time. The grounds are beautiful and it is a lovely place for a spring stroll and a gardener’s paradise.

website for more information.

Living in an old home, I enjoy buying plants that would have been popular when my home was built. The museum’s Heirloom Seed Project offers vegetable and ornamental seedlings historically grown by Pennsylvania Germans at the Heirloom Seed Project Marketplace. I also like to buy heirloom tomato plants. The fair runs from 9 to 5 Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. Admission is $8.00. Proceeds benefit the Heirloom Seed Project. You can visit the museum's

I’ll be in the yellow barn. You won’t be able to miss me-I’m the one with the buffet! I sample almost all of my dips, tapenade, herb sugars & soups.
My booth is black & white toile. The barn is a magical place inside with thousands of tiny white lights wrapped in grapevine garlands that adorn the rafters and supports. Tin chandeliers provide a soft, romantic light. It is truly a fairyland!

The show goes on rain or shine, and this year I’m afraid we’ll have to get out those wellies! It has been raining all week, but the garden die-hards that we are; it doesn’t dampen our spirits much! Besides I have packaged over 1,000 packages of dip mix, cheese spread, soups, and herb sugars. The lavender pound cake is worth the trip alone!

Outdoor Wednesday this week is rainy & chilly. I know from dashing between the house and my workshop. Last week I had the air conditioner on and now I had to break down and turn on the heat! The rain is melting all the blossoms on the lilacs, azaleas, and flowering trees away. The peony blossoms look like wet crepe paper. My husband cut me a bunch of white lilacs and lavender azaleas to bring inside. Their fragrance greets me everytime I come in to the room.

Everyone have a lovely Mother's Day!

A "Gifted Garden"

A “Gifted Garden”
Many of the plants that now make their home in my garden started off in the gardens of family and friends. When we moved into our home, I was gifted with plants from my mother, grandmother, aunt, and neighbors. My cousin gave me a Lavender plant on my wedding day to plant by my front door. I was a complete novice and knew next to nothing about gardening. The previous owners of the house had left me peonies, roses, and unusual double day lilies. My garden has been a constant pleasure and subtle teacher. My friends and I often swap plants, thus expanding our gardens and friendship. My garden is a scrapbook of memories-the Hydrangeas from Donna-peonies from my grandmother-primroses from my former neighbor Bonnie-Iris from my Mom..

Naturalized daffodils on the side bank.

Spring is here, but those lovely spring temperatures still elude us. Some hardy blossoms are putting on a show anyway. The magnolia in my neighbor’s yard is stellar with big fist-sized blossoms. In a little while when the petals drop it will look like a carpet of pink snow.

My old fashioned red primroses turn their little faces to the sun and a bunch of Forget Me Nots has seeded itself in my front bed.

The Lenten Rose is a fascinating piece of art captured up close. The double daffodils were a gift from my mother’s garden as well as the old fashioned bleeding hearts. I have a white variety that has yet to bloom.

Since we had company for the weekend, I needed some color for the back door so I planted a wire basket with magenta pansies. Since we use the backdoor more than the front, this would be the first sight to greet my guests upon their arrival.

The PJM Rhododendron is just beginning its show. With all the rain showers things will really start to burst into bloom.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my early spring garden. Just a little show for

Outdoor Wednesday.

Have a lovely day!

Three or More

It wasn’t hard to decide the theme of my first “Three or More Tuesday” as one of the participants has made himself cozy on my bed while I am supposed to be working in my office just off the master bedroom. As he is so cute, I couldn’t say no, so he is happily purring away snug in the comforter while it continues to drizzle outside my window. Micky is one of our three cats. He is a very sweet orange tiger who was first a stray, then a shelter cat and now king of the roost-(or so he thinks).

His little brother, Pee Wee, all twenty plus pounds of him, is happily snoring away with his head pillowed on my shoes-(If he had been a girl we would have called him Imelda or Carrie. He so-o-o loves shoes!) The Grande dame is Tasha. She is the queen-no mistake about it. She is fifteen this summer and has to put up with the five year olds. The house runs smoothly as long as neither of the boys upsets the hierarchy. So for now it is only three-(not more), but you never know!

Join The Gypsy's Corner for more fun Three or More Tuesday!

An Easter Table-Pretty In Pink

A Happy "Pink" Easter to everyone!

The theme for my Easter table started with this basket of little pink birds. Aren't they adorable!

I decided they would become my napkin rings. I used my red toile napkins I bought at 75% off at Williams-Sonoma. I found the ruched fabric napkin rings at the Dollar store. I had some gorgeous French wired pink ribbon with gold trim I bought for $1.00 a roll at a Fabric outlet. I just wired the little birds to the napkin rings and tied them with a bow.

I continued my theme with the lovely tulip floral transfer plates I found at the Salvation Army for $5.99.

I have been polishing silver all week. I used my silverplate chargers I bought on eBay and tied the whole thing together with a fabulous candelabra I bought in an antique shop years ago. I bought a box of 100 prisms at the antique mall last week. I decided to dress up the candleabra with a few to give it some sparkle. I unpacked my Fitz & Floyd bunnies. I have received them as gifts over the years.

For place cards, I scanned an antique postcard and added my dinner guests names in Photoshop. I had some little bows in pink -(of course!) with a tiny pearl I hot-glued to the card.

The Victorian bride's basket was in pieces when I bought it. Before silver went sky-high, I had it repaired and replated at a local jeweler. I just loved the little bird in the center of the handle.

The flowers I picked up out-of-season for $1.00 each. I just love tulips! The vase is a piece of American Brilliant cut glass. I bought a table full at an auction for $2.00. All of it was slightly damaged, but just beautiful. Only one other person bid against me-you had to pack it up right away. Guess no one else wanted to pack that much glass.

I used my "good" silver, which is a 1940 pattern called Milburn Rose, by the Westmorland company. I had it on Lay Away years ago at a antique shop and paid a little on it each month till it was mine.

Aren't these little bunnies sweet?

Those "faux" silk burgundy placemats came from Target for 97 cents each!




I used mirrors under the flowers and candelabra.

The nest in the center of the candelabra will hold chocolate eggs. I tucked a glittery Easter egg in the fold of my napkin for a little surprise. I bought them at a yard sale on Saturday.



The table by candlelight.

Hop on over to see Susan for Tablescape Thursday. And everyone have a Happy Easter!