Sparkling Ink

{ welcome fall }

It's the first day of October! We have had our first frost, the leaves have changed into the most beautiful colors and hats and mittens are out of the winter storage. No doubt. Fall is here!

{ images }

by country living and chicago home + garden

{ potato patch }

My dad is the specialist in growing potatoes. So in the potato corner of the garden, I'm a total apprentice. I spent my day head down weeding the potato patch. The potatoes are a later fall harvest kind with beautiful red skin. Even the potatoes need a few more weeks to grow, I couldn't help but look - some of them are already big enough. After weeding, a few weeks of sunshine and refreshing rain, the beauties will be ready. For a change from the office days, physical work feels quite good on my legs and back right about now.

{ market place fun }

After work today, I stopped by at the market place. I did some gorgeous finds of fresh vegetables. They even sold plants like tomato and herbs. Grocery shopping doesn't get better than this.

{ summer dreaming }

I thought I would share some pages from a Finnish country living magazine 'Maalaisunelma' with you. These photographs create a dreamlike summer land feeling. I took a photograph of a wild flower bouquet last weekend in my own summer land. And look at this DIY style outdoor kitchen!

 

{ images }
magazine pages by Maalaisunelma, issue # 5
wild flowers by tiina

{ eating outside }

Food tastes so much better outside. That's what I love the most about the summer season, the pretty table settings and relaxing meals outside. And you don't even need a garden, just a few pretty flowers.

{ images }
1 & 2 - country living
3 & 4 & 5 - ngoc minh gno

{ vintage herb markers }

These markers add a charming touch to a home herb garden. Monkeys Always Look makes the markers from vintage silverware to order.

{ images }
monkeys always look
via design sponge

{ my pansies }

Pansies make me smile. They are a memory from childhood, and definitely one of my favorite summer bloomers. Today, I planted bunches of pansies into a basket. I hope they will grow strong and pretty! I'm not the most experienced gardener, so cross your fingers for me!

First, I sealed the basket with thick plastic. I cut a large garbage bag, and added dirt on top. It's easier to trim the edges with scissors when the dirt keeps the plastic in place. Make sure no plastic peaks above the edges.

After that we are ready to plant the pansies. I fit seven plants in the basket, 4 white and 3 purple ones. They look gorgeous together! Just remove the flowers from the plastic pots, and push firmly in the dirt. Make a nice mix with the colors all around the basket.

Top with a bit more dirt, and push the pansies firmly in their place. They have to know it's their home now. Water generously. Place in a sunny spot, they like the sun.

Pansies are quite easy to take care of; water when dry and feed occasionally with all-purpose fertilizer. Now the balcony is all smiles. Do you grow pansies?

{ rhubarb }

The British magazine awesomeness, Country Homes & Interior knows how to cook. I keep going back to their food features. The food star of their May 2009 issue is rhubarb.

In Finland, the start of the growing season is a bit behind the rest of Europe. The rhubarb season is not quite here yet. I can't wait to make rhubarb pie and jam. Do you have rhubarbs in the gardens already?

{ magazine }
Country Homes & Interiors
May 2009

{ mother's day centerpiece }

Our Mother's Day tradition with me, my sister and Mom is to have a long and lazy breakfast together. When we were kids we hand picked a flower and herb bouquet from the garden to be the centerpiece in the breakfast table.

Herbs and flowers have had symbolic meanings for ages. Using the language of flowers while gathering a Mother's Day centerpiece is a lovely idea.

{ pansy } merriment
{ basil } love, blessing, best wishes
{ daisy } innocence, loyalty
{ lavender } devotion, loyalty
{ mint } wisdom
{ oregano } happiness
{ chamomile } comfort

Write a card that lists the meanings of the herbs and flowers in the centerpiece. A heartfelt way to tell her how much she means.

{ image }
by CountryHome

{ facts }
by The Language of Flowers, 1968
via CountryHome

{ sunny weekend }

I got my first T-shirt tan lines of the year. The weekend was absolutely gorgeous. These all-natural power drinks kept us hydrated in the sun shine. Aren't the cans just too cute?