Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses seem to standout among the fall foliage with their colorful plumes.  But I can't remember seeing them while growing up.  We lived in Washington, DC, and my parents loved planting flowers and fruit trees.  We had a huge grapevine on the side of our two story house, covering the entire width and height.  My brothers dreaded climbing the ladders every summer to pick the grapes so my mother could make wine and jelly. My mother also had a garden where she planted  greens, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and corn. But, like I said, I don't remember seeing any ornamental grasses.  Until recently.

I think they're relatively "new" to landscaping. Today, looking around at most landscapes, you're bound to come across some form of ornamental grasses. This time of the year, they seem to be everywhere. As part of my communities' landscape design they're growing at the end of my back yard and they are absolutely beautiful. 

 I read somewhere that "the only purpose of ornamental grass is to be pretty, to be an ornament." And that they are.

Ornamental grasses offer graceful habits of movement.  If you watch a group of ornamental grasses on a windy day, they seem to be swaying with the autumn breeze.

I planted a couple of small ornamental grasses in my rock garden back in June.  Today,  one has pink plumes and the other, wheat color plumes. 

  I can imagine in the next few years these plants will look pretty much like the ones at the end of my backyard.  How wonderful that will be!

Enjoy!

Bleached Fall Leaves

Why is it once you have an idea in mind sometimes it's very hard to find what you need. I've been to several craft stores looking for light shades of leaves other than yellow to go with the white pumpkins I have. I can find off white sunflowers and bundles of wheat, but no white fall leaves.  I tried painting leaves white, but I didn't like the results.  They just didn't look natural enough.


Some, like the ones pictured are available online.  Just google dried white oak leaves and a couple of sources will appear but once before I posted a web site but they've since stopped carrying them.

                                                             




So I decided to bleach my own to see what I could come up with.  Right now, leaves are hard to come by in my neighborhood.  The trees are slowly changing and not too many leaves have fallen. I did manage to collect a few just to see if bleaching them would truly work.  Most of the leaves I collected had turned brown.  One was still green. 

 I put the leaves in a cup of bleach in a pyrex dish and let them soak over night.

                                     The bleaching process was amazing to see.

You can clearly see the "skeleton" (veins) of the leaves  .   .   .   .

                                               Simply beautiful!

 
 I was quite pleased with the bleaching and the way the leaves changed.  The longer they stayed in the bleach the lighter they got (naturally)  .  .   .  but also, the more delicate they became.  I had to be careful removing them from the solution because they would come apart easily.

After drying them on a paper towel, I bundle them together with a piece of raffia and tied them on my white pumpkin.

      I love this look  .   .    .   .

and the variations in color and patterns.  I definitely will be bleaching more leaves.

Enjoy!


                                                                          
                                                                                          

 

                                                         

Chocolate Covered Cherry Halloween Mice

I came across the cutest little dessert for kids and, of course, adults, to make for Halloween.
It is quite easy and quick to make.

You will need:

• 24 maraschino cherries with stems  
• Waxed paper
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 24 milk chocolate Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped
• 48 almond slices
• Tube red decorating gel

 To make the Mice:

1. Drain the cherries and pat them dry with paper towels. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
2. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until smooth.
3. Holding a cherry by its stem, dip it into the melted chocolate and swirl it around to completely cover the cherry. Set it on the waxed paper and immediately press a Hershey's Kiss onto the cherry for the head. For the ears, gently wedge two almond slices between the Kiss and the cherry. Repeat to make 24 mice. 
4. Dab beady red eyes on either side of the chocolate kiss with the red gel.
5. Refrigerate until set       

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator til ready to serve.

    Kisses!
                                         Sooo . . .      cute!

    And, yummy!       A friend enjoying this treat! 

Delicious!!!

Enjoy! 

Whimsical Purple Lace Pumpkin

 Where would we be without the dollar store? Those of us who are on a budget and can't get enough of crafting would be "up a creek without a paddle." As I've said before, I'm not really into Halloween, but I can't help but get on the bandwagon when it comes to crafting. I got several Halloween items from the dollar store in hopes of participating in a few of the parties out there in blogland.  I think everyone has gotten the cute little orange pumpkins that are readily available there.  The problem is knowing what to do with them so that they end up looking a bit different from all the others. Can you imagine a party where all the dollar store pumpkins showed up and they're whispering to each other saying, "Can you believe it? Look what I've been turned into." Ha! I know I sound crazy, but isn't it fun thinking of ways to make that little orange pumpkin over?  I've been racking my brain, and looking at my stash of crafting aids to come up with something.  And you know the lover of purple would have to come up with something that involves purple. Yes, that's right, I'm doing something in purple.  Please, don't yawn. 

 A few years ago I made a "purple" dress to wear to my nieces' wedding.  It had a lace insert and I had a little bit of the lace left over.

  I've always admired the black lace pumpkins out there.  Something about the black lace  .  .  .   Well, I have purple lace and I decorated my little orange pumpkin and a few tiny little pumpkins, too! 

 Whew, that's enough purple and orange for now.

Enjoy!

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