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5 Orange Potatoes
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A blog inspired by our everyday life and love of all things nature and learning. I have children's activities, sewing, folklore and gardening on the blog.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'Nature'
make leaf rubbing plates
Here's another good reason to get a laminator! You can make your own leaf rubbing plates....READ MORE....
milkweed mice
Three blind mice?Hardly! Can you tell what they were made from? Here’s a hint- fluffy and soft, little ones (and big ones) like to make wishes on them……READ MORE....
leaf mask
A fun Autumn tradition for us is making masks of pressed leaves.....READ MORE....
Bog and Pollywog
I was up very late last night finishing Bog and Pollywog here. I made Bog out of a green cotton sweater sleeve. Pollywog was made from a piece of scrap wool sweater. This pair is for Araina for....READ MORE....
scarlet maple
Our scarlet maple is at its peak of color this week! READ MORE...........
autumn splendor
After a wet and cloudy week the sun decided to show her face this morning. We are having a knockout Autumn full of color thanks to our beautiful Ohio deciduous trees. I found myself being beckoned outside to photograph the sun’s rays hitting these ...
Photo Editing
What you see is what you get when it comes to my photos. I am a realist and I have never edited a single photo that I have shared on this site….until today. I like the challenge of using the natural light to enhance my photos, not a computer genera...
Plantain Insect Sting and Bite Remedy
Romeo: Your plantain leaf is excellent for that. Benvolio: For what, I pray thee?Romeo: For your broken (cut) shin.-William ShakespearePlantain (Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata) is easy to find and easy to use (there are over 200 species). It ...
polka dots!
Berry Picking Bucket
Berry picking time! A beautiful blogger friend, Jumbleberry Jam, made the cutest berry picking buckets out of felt, ribbon and yogurt cups. She inspired me to make some berry picking buckets too, but we needed them to be a little bit bigger because w...
Jewelweed Poison Ivy Remedy
It’s that time of year for picking wild blackberries and elderberries. And wherever the berries grow, the poison ivy grows. Here is the remedy I use to prevent or treat that horrible itch (and other plant related rashes)!You need: jewelweed, calend...
How to Raise Eastern Black Swallowtail Caterpillars
Every spring we plant a lot of parsley, dill and fennel in hopes of luring the Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) to lay her eggs in our garden. Last year we released over 25 EBS butterflies, which we raised from larva to adult. This year ...
Make a Pretty Paperweight and How to Press Queen Anne's Lace
For today's post visit 5 Orange Potatoes at Wordpress. I'm anxious to know opinions...........
Being Kissed by a Toad and a Thank You
Now, my toad kiss to you and a Thank You!Thank you everybody who commented on my "moving" post. I can't tell you how much help you have been. I am still toying with the many options out there; really loving the photo flexibilty on Wordpress. My Bl...
The Milkweed Community
That wonderful intoxicating smell of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) blossoms lures all kinds of little critters to it. The majority of insects that feed on a milkweed are in some form of red/orange and black due to a chemical in the sap. Fascina...
Fauna's Melting Flowers Wishing Game
Now I'm sure you've seen frozen flora before used as ice cubes or winter ornaments, but Fauna came up with this fun wishing game using them. It is the PERFECT game for a HOT summer day!You need: Flowers, Muffin tin, Yarn, Water, and a Tree to hang wi...
Our Nature, Creation and Inspiration Table
The Magic Onions, is hosting a weekly Friday's Nature Table, which celebrates nature and imagination. I thought I would share our "nature, creation and inspiration table." The Little Ladies and I have MANY nature tables throughout the house. The one ...
Lesson on Predator -v- Prey in a Calendula Blossom
I was harvesting calendula blossoms when I came across this little dead honeybee. I thought to myself, "oh, poor little thing." As I took a closer look I saw a perfectly camouflaged yellow spider having his late morning meal a la honeybee. Do you see...
Become a Citizen Scientist
I received this challenge today in my inbox from the My Wonderful World Blog. I think some of you might be interested in some of these "Citizen Scientist" projects. The following information is from Melissa at My Wonderful World Blog. Have you ever...
Herbal Lore 2
Hens and chicks (Sempervivum). Gives protection from evil and lightning when grown in the garden. Has many folk names- Jupiter's Beard, old man and old woman, stonecrop, wall pepper, and my favorite- welcome-home-husband-though-never-so-drunk. Albert...
Life in a Queen Anne's Lace Flower
Queen Annes' Lace (Dacus carota) is blooming all over our yard right now. The Little Ladies and I love hunting for the QAL with the "prick of blood" floret in the center. We noticed that some of the florets seemed to be moving in a way that flowers d...
A Perfect Summer's Day Is:
Finding a sleepy bumblebee and giving her a gentle touch. Harvesting a basketful of herbs: lavender, sage, red clover, beebalm, catnip, and calendula. Gardening in the vegetable patch and spotting a friendly toad. ...
Where Do Bumblebees Sleep at Night?
It's 8:30 PM EST, the bumblebees are getting tucked in for a good night's sleep. Bumble under Feverfew Bumbles under Fairy Roses Bumbles under BeebalmWhere do bumblebees sleep at night? Under the flowers in the moonlight.Why are they so tired, why do...
Queen Anne's Lace Fireworks!
Don't these colored Queen Anne's Lace flowers look like fireworks? They would make a beautiful July 4th decoration and you'll have a chance to teach the kids some botony on the side. ;) I saw Joy, You know how we're an art family, do it with her fami...
A Groundhog Up an Ash Tree?
I had no idea that groundhogs could climb trees; actually for a second there I thought this chubby guy was a koala bear, then I remembered there aren't wild koalas in Ohio! The poor thing was terrified because our brute of a dog, Sofie, had it on a r...
Nature's Style of Playground Equipment
We had a horrible wind storm back in September which caused a few trees and branches to come tumbling down in our yard. We haven't exactly cleaned these trees and branches up yet because they make GREAT natural play equipment for the Little Ladies! O...
Milkweed Transplant Guerillas
This year we are so excited to report that we have a lot of milkweed naturally growing in our field. We are hoping to find monarch caterpillars all over those beautiful plants this summer. Most of the milkweed is growing tall and some is even almost ...
Japanese Beetles
I have had a couple questions asked of me about these dreaded summer visitors. I am by no means an expert but I just had to share a way that might keep these critters away from your plants this summer. I have never tried this before, but I got the id...
Mud Critter Sculptuers
What do you get when you take mud, Leaves, twigs or any other treasures found in nature, And two little ladies that love mud???? Yes, she is kissing the mud! Mud Critters! Mr. Rocky Hairy Mr. FeFeFlappyCheck out more mud lovers at Freeflowing Ways...
Weaving with Nature
While I was in my garden today pulling those "misplaced plants" that were growing where they shouldn't, I came across a grapevine using my iris as a trellis. Fauna picked up the vine and wound it around her head like a crown; with those pixie-like ey...
