In the picture above, clockwise from the top: tansy (large pot), shasta daisy ‘sunny side up’, viola, passionflower, yarrow, goldenrod

This afternoon I finally got out to the garden to do some clean up and to decide once and for all what plants are coming with me when we move and what plants are staying behind. I am trying to be very disciplined with myself and not take transplants and cuttings of everything. This is not an easy task for me as I tend to get very attached to my plants. For example, I have had the same oregano plant, chives, and mint for nearly 10 years now! Some plants are easier than others to dig a bit up and take with you.

hollyhock in flower

I am willing myself to take mostly seeds and only a few transplants. I’ve gathered seeds of hollyhocks, chamomile, calendula, and some other favorites. I decided to dig up a few of my dye garden plants such as goldenrod, madder, and tansy. I just couldn’t part with them entirely.

I dug up this pretty little viola and potted it up. It was just too pretty for me to leave behind.

this sweet little viola is self-sown

Although both can get weedy when it comes to self-sowing, I still have to take some seeds from my borage and Queen Anne’s lace. I just love them too much to not grow them in the new garden.

borage in flower

It may self-sow like crazy but the bees love borage. Because of this I always plant some by my tomatoes.

Queen Anne’s lace seeds

I still need to dig up just a few more plants before the big move. I am also wanting to take some Egyptian walking onions with me as well as some of my French tarragon that has been with me through four moves.

I get excited when I think about starting over with a new garden but as I went through this garden today I could not help but feel a little bit sad. So much of one’s heart and soul go into raising a garden. It is very hard not to get extremely attached.

These days I never seem to have enough time in the day to do the things I once found so enjoyable. Things such as maintaining this blog and just being on the computer in general have become luxuries that I am missing greatly.

These days I can be found spending more time at the pediatrician’s office then in the garden. My two youngest children (my baby and 4 year old) continue to have multiple health issues that keep me incredibly exhausted and too drained for much. Certainly this blog has payed the price as well as numerous other areas of my life I am afraid. Perhaps one day I will sit down and write all the ups and downs I have dealt with in these past few months.

My garden is in such a sad state of affairs and I have absolutely no pictures to share from it. It looks tired and ready for its winter’s break. I do have some pictures to share from a couple of weeks back when I harvested some wild goldenrod for my dyepots.

Goldenrod is one of my favorite plants for dyeing with as it makes such a beautiful shade of yellow on wool when you keep the temperature low.

(*Note: the above photo is linked to Flickr and is a large picture that would make a nice wallpaper image for those that might be interested and like photos of a bright cheery yellow!*)

I steal moments here and there to work on my various projects that require yarn. These projects are keeping me sane through these trying days and bring me some sense of calm while I deal with blow upon blow brought on my family.

I apologize if this post is not as upbeat as I try to make this blog. My life is what it is right at this moment and this moment is a rough one.

To my faithful readers (if you are still out there!), please do not give up on this blog just yet as I do miss you all and thank you so much for being here these last two years.

Here is a picture of the yarn I just dyed with Goldenrod.
I had a heck of a time getting a picture that really showed off what a nice yellow this batch of yarn turned out to be. I just love the color I was able to get this time and am very happy with the results.