Posted in Flora, tagged joy, nature, nature photography, Nova Scotia, wildflowers on June 20, 2012 | 24 Comments »
Waves of purple, pink and white lupins splash across Nova Scotia this time of year.
Their spires decorate the wayside and abandoned fields.
Although they’re not our provincial flower (the mayflower is), their image is often found on postcards and their seeds are sold at shops catering to tourists.
People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.
~ Iris Murdoch
Text and photographs copyright Amy-Lynn Bell 2012
Posted in Flora, tagged nature, nature photography, Nova Scotia, Wild Edibles, wildflowers on June 2, 2012 | 17 Comments »
Violets have been blooming in the woods and yard for the past few weeks. Their time is coming to an end… Soon I’ll be able to mow the lawn without having to worry about cutting them down.
Wild white violets growing in the lawn
They’re so delicate and small that they’re frequently overlooked. Perhaps it’s their half-hidden shy nature that makes them so endearing. The Lucy in Wordsworth’s poem must have been a wild violet…
SHE dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
A Maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love:
A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!
Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky.
She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and oh,
The difference to me!
~ William Wordsworth
Tame violets, on the other hand, are a deeper more showy purple with large leaves that are easier to spot in the flower bed.
Tame violets
If you have the patience to pick them, wild violets are edible and an aromatic addition to teas. They can be dried or eaten fresh.
A violet tea with sponge cake
Violets are a reminder of slower times, when people took a moment to take notice of the gentler arts on a regular basis. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could make an effort to take back some of these enjoyable moments, if only each year at Violet Time.
You can learn more about the Manners of Wild Violets in a previous post here.
Text and images copyright Amy-Lynn Bell 2012
Posted in Cow Bay, tagged art, Canada - Nova Scotia, color, Cow Bay, earth day, feathers, fur, irish, irish chain, leaves, nature, nature photography, quilt patterns, quilts, Trees, wildlife on April 22, 2009 | 7 Comments »
To commemorate Earth Day 2009, I thought I’d design a couple of quilts using earth colors. Real earth colors. I created a palette using photographs I’ve taken in my yard over the past six months, made squares and then arranged the squares into a quilt pattern. I decided on a Double Irish Chain pattern, as the Irish were among the first Europeans to settle in Cow Bay.
The first quilt employs colors taken from feathers and fur: Bunny Brown, Blue Jay Blue, Jay Tail Feather Blue, Ring-neck Green, Pheasant Grey and Squirrel Red. I don’t think Martha Stewart could have come up with a more beautiful selection. Here is the finished virtual quilt:
Double Irish Chain Quilt with Feathers and Fur Palette
For my second quilt I made use of colors found in photos of trees and leaves: Inner Birch Bark, Spruce Green, Balsam Green, Ivy Red and Sapling Bark. The white is an authentic ‘Snow White.’
As a quilter, I’ve often wondered how strange it must seem to non-quilters that we cut fabric into small pieces, only to sew them back together again. As crazy as it may be, the process of creating a virtual quilt (without a program for doing such) is even nuttier. (This is what happens when you spend too much time with the squirrels).
Happy Earth Day!
Double Irish Chain Quilt with Snowy Trees and Leaves Palette
