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Have you spotted the first signs of spring in your neighborhood? A couple of weeks ago, I saw my first robin in the front yard. Now, crocuses are blooming, daffodils and rhubarb are emerging, and today I noticed buds on the forsythia hedge—spring is here!  With last week’s warm weather, spring fever set in, making it hard to focus on indoor projects. It’s still too early to work in the garden, but I’ve ordered seeds and spent plenty of time planning.  I'm thrilled about the indigo seeds I finally got from Grand Prismatic Seeds Last year, I waited too long and every place I looked was sold out. I plan to try fresh leaf dyeing, which appeals to me more than the traditional vat method. This technique produces more aqua and teal tones rather than deep blue. I can’t wait to experiment—but first, I have to grow the indigo!  Along with indigo, I bought seeds for a new coreopsis—the narrow petals of the 'Mardi Gras" variety should add a fresh shape to my eco-prints. The black magic bachelor's buttons were an impulse buy; they’re so different from the cornflower blue ones I’ve grown before, and they’re a dye plant too!  
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A pink and orange combo always captures my attention with its playful energy.
Week 1  Week 2  Week 3  Another month ending - week 4 of my August Concertina Sketchbook "Breathe the sweetness that hovers in August." ~ Denise Levertov  The finished 4 panels  End of the month collages using leftover scraps
Pink and orange are a great color combo in the garden too. The photo on the left is from Harkness Memorial State Park. I took a walk there this week and the cutting garden was amazing. They change it up a little each year with different color and plant combinations but it is always lovely. The other two photos are of my garden. A light pink cosmos and a cactus zinnia mixing with orange cosmos.
 It can be tricky to get successful eco-prints from flowers. You've chosen bright-colored flowers to use, and you're all excited about unwrapping your bundle after 'cooking'. Then you see very little or nothing at all on the paper. I've been there and know that feeling of disappointment : ( This used to happen when I was first learning the eco-printing process. Now after much research and many experiments, I'd like to share with you my #1 'must have' and absolute favorite flower for making eco-prints is Cosmos sulphureus 'Cosmic Orange'.  This annual flower packs a big punch of happy color in the summer garden. They are super easy to grow and if you don't have space for a garden they also do well in pots. These are heat and sun loving flowers so I wait until the ground has warmed before planting. If the weather has been warm I'll plant them at the end of May but more often than not they get planted in early June. I don't bother starting the seeds indoors as they have always done so well when I plant directly in the garden. Cosmos flowers will bloom throughout the summer starting in late July until the first hard frost here in the Southeastern part of Connecticut. I always have more than enough flowers to print from fresh and to dry for later use. They can grow to approximately 3-4 feet tall with 2-inch flowers, love full sun, and attract bees and butterflies.  The prints can range in color from pink, orange, to even red, depending on the paper and mordant used. They never disappoint, they make the best and most consistent prints of any flower I've tried.   Bonus: The leaves, which have an attractive lobe shape, also print well.   To keep the bees happy, and so I'll have seeds for next year, I always leave some of the flowers unpicked. Look how pretty these spiky seed heads are.  Subscribe to my StudioNews
and receive a free PDF featuring 'My 9 Favorite Flowers for an Eco-Print Garden! Have you been enjoying all the May flowers? I sure have. Even though I see the changes of color in my garden every year I still get surprised by how each color seems to have its own time to stand out. Early spring always starts with a flood of sunny yellow from the daffodils and forsythia. Summer moves into the hot and bright oranges. I’ve been outside doing a little weeding and prepping so I can plant my veggies this week. As I walked around, I saw pops of white everywhere. White flowers are certainly taking center stage in my garden right now.  I saw my first hummingbird of the year along with a butterfly and a bunch of bees enjoying the blossoms on this white azalea. I look forward to this shrub blooming each year. The flowers have a special glow, especially towards the end of the day.  
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| Candytuft | Mrs. Bateman Clematis |
Blueberry blossoms
Tiarella
"The white flowers of spring
are the dreams of winter."
- Khalil Gibran
are the dreams of winter."
- Khalil Gibran
If it's spring in your part of the world I bet like me,
you're enjoying all the new growth and beauty the season has to offer.
I don't know what flower signals the arrival of spring more than the daffodil.
They bring such joy to my garden each year with their bright, cheerful blooms.
you're enjoying all the new growth and beauty the season has to offer.
I don't know what flower signals the arrival of spring more than the daffodil.
They bring such joy to my garden each year with their bright, cheerful blooms.
I'm enjoying them even more than usual this year.
If I'm inside I find myself stopping at the windows and pausing for a moment to admire their beauty.
When I go for walks in the neighborhood I enjoy seeing so many different varieties.
I knew there were many but Google just told me that there are over 26,000 varieties of daffodils!
For the past 6 years I've taken this same photo of my backyard from an upstairs window. It's one of those spring scenes of yellow that catches my eye every morning before I go downstairs. You can see that over the years it varies as to what is in bloom with what. For the 3rd year in a row I managed to capture the moment when the dogwood tree has just started blooming, the daffodils are breathing their last breath and the forsythia is still going strong.
April showers bring May flowers.
"In the world of safe hues, like black, red, and white,
yellow shouts: Look at me. I'm happy!"
- Joy Sewing
Author
Hi, I'm Kathy an artist working in the mediums of collage, eco-printing, rust printing, and slow stitching who loves to teach. I enjoy sharing my process and guiding you on your creative journey.
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