Spring is Springing

 I have shown you pictures of the Dinosaur Food (gunnera) in mid-Summer when it is already huge so I thought you might like to see it when it "springs" to life.  It dies back when it frosts in the Fall.  I saw off all the huge leaves and we wait anxiously for signs of growth when Spring arrives.  Right now these leaves are about the size of my hand up to the size of a dinner plate.  It went from nothing to this in about 10 days.  Amazing!

 This is how the emerging leaves look.  That thing just left of center, behind the leaves, is one of those "blooms" that will eventually grow to about 36" in height.

 It shares space with the dratted ferns that spread like weeds around here.  The ferns will inherit the earth.  Seriously.  This gives you a close look at the spines on the Dino Food stalks, too.  Uniquely evolved to catch the rain in the huge leaves and channel it down the stock to the root.

More progress on the new raised garden bed.  We are just about ready for soil, just in the nick of time.  Spring is springing around here!

One Estate Sale X 2 + A Caveman Thing

 I found one good estate sale this weekend.  It was good on a couple levels.  Not only did I score an avalanche of lace but I also had the pleasure of running into sweet Annette from Andy's Attic.  It is always nice to have a chance to visit with a blog friend in person!
So what is that wire thing in the picture??

I had to take it out to the driveway to get a picture because the camera looks through her.  She stands about 2 feet tall.  I added a few plastic flowers from my stash and she now has a new home as a faerie in Alexa's Secret Garden.

 I went back to the sale the next day and found a few more things I hadn't spotted on the first day, including a little bag of buttons for 25 cents.  This picture is pre-washed and some went in the trash but click it larger and you can see there were a few pretty neat buttons for the price.

One Dinosaur Food leaf had leaned waaaay over the path to the potting shed so we had to duck to get past it.  I asked The Husband to just go ahead and cut it off.  He got out the Ginsu knife we received as a wedding present in 1975 (I wonder if it could still saw a can in half??) and sawed it off.  I was amazed he agreed to let me take this picture.  He even smiled!  It must have been a caveman thing.

All In A Days Work

 I finished my mail art cards for the International Mixed Media Postcard Swap v.2.   Check.

All of them the same but each one a little different.  Four are going to international addresses and 6 to domestic addresses, including one to the North Pole, AK - how fun!

 A quick stroll through the VOA yielded a pack of wrapping paper that included several sweet vintage sheets plus I was able to pick up some sparkly rhinestone bling.  Check.

 This vintage Christmas wrap is pretty faded but still love the little elves!

 Blue rhinestones on a sheet of vintage wedding shower paper.

 I have pierced ears but these earrings are so pretty I might even try wearing them.

 While I was occupying myself with those pastimes The Husband was brewing beer.  He made my recipe today - the finest light beer in the land!  Check.

 A walk around the backyard to "survey the plantation".  Check.
The Dinosaur Food is high as an elephant's eye now.  It seriously grows several inches every day.

 The ferns are gorgeous at this time of year and the Foxglove and Cranesbill are coming on .

I bees are wild about the Cranesbill so I guess I should plant some next to the tomatoes.  Hey you guys, would you mind moving over there for a while...

Blooming Dinosaur Food And A Mail Art Swap

 My Dinosaur Food plant has two "blooms" this Spring!  It is also known as Chilean rhubarb but the real name is Gunnera.  This picture only shows the top of the bloom.  This come-shaped thing is actually about 3 feet in length, maybe a little more.  The plant grows to about 12-15 feet and the leaves reach 4-5 feet in diameter by the end of the season. It is quite spectacular!

This is the second bloom on the other side.   When the first hard frost comes in Autumn it droops to the ground and I have to use the Ginsu knife I received as a wedding gift to saw off the stalks.  At least that knife comes in handy for something - LOL!  The stalks are easily the size of my forearm.  The whole thing dies back to the ground and starts over again in Spring.

The structure of the plant is pretty amazing.  It is a water-hog and the giant leaves collect the rain/dew and channel it down the prickly stem to the roots.  A plant evolved to survive!

I am joining up with a fun swap at Musings On Realities.  Make 10 mail-art postcards to swap with 10 other people around the world.  Sounds like fun!  I tried to add the button to my sidebar but couldn't get it to work.  Follow the link and join the fun!  Do you think I should make 10 the same or 10 different?

Update on steeping the lavender...  Well, I brought it to a boil and then let it steep 24 hours, then strained it.  It smells wonderful but the water is the color of tea.  Definitely NOT something I would spray on laundry.  Any ideas what I could use it for??