Teaching and my Spring yard
I am catching up on my domestic and work life this week after a super busy Spring. I taught a delightful group of newbie (mostly) free motion quilters at Meissner Sacramento last weekend and I took exactly two photos:
I am sooo proud of Sally, who took the class last year and came back for a refresher. She has completed SEVEN projects in the meantime! That warms my heart; she has taken her quilting life into her own hands and enjoying the results. And get this, this quilt was for HER – what a concept!
I really don’t think to take photos of my classes and students; I just get wrapped up in the moment. I did manage this photo where everyone is working. It was a super class! There was a lot of energy, excitement and feeling enabled. That is just what I hope for – students that feel like they can go home and begin to quilt their own quilts!
I also presented at and led the Meet the Teacher event last week for the Northern California Quilt Council. We have two Meet the Teacher events each year, one in person and one on line. April’s MTT was in person:
It is a great opportunity for teachers to connect with guilds and shops and meet each other in person. When I first began teaching I got most of my gigs through the NCQC MTT. We are lucky to have such an organization for our area.
I want to share my yard with you. We have had a rainy spring and my yard is almost at peak spring right now. Soon it will be hammered with 100 degrees and more, day after day, so I thought I would record it in its glory.
Peonies and Lily-of-the Valley are my two fav flowers:
The fragrance! These are right by my front door.
I didn’t know there were non-fragrant Peonies when I bought these two. I was so disappointed. But their blooms are glorious. It’s kind of a trick to make Peonies happy where it’s dry and gets to be 110.
The red on these Kalanchoes is ridiculous.
I expect a bumper crop of Hydrangeas by Mother’s Day.
My Tri-Color Birch is stunning but so hard to capture in a photo. It has a delicate and unusual beauty with its pink leaves.
My Spirea is still a little shy of its full color.
Love my grasses! My Maiden Grass will have beautiful plumes later in the season.
Miscanthus is beautiful year round with its striped leaves.
My Smoke Tree is reeeeally smokey this year!
Side entry to my backyard. I like the reveal.
This riot of color was planned but it still surprises me each year when the color comes back in.
I will try to remember how it looked before the heat arrived.
Of course none of this would be possible without Bayley guarding the yard.
I enjoy my yard daily. I used to think having a hill in my backyard was a negative; but it is oh so wonderful to have your plantings in your face! I hope you enjoyed my garden tour. Back to quilty things next week I hope.
I’ll be linking up:
Nina-Marie’s Off the Wall Friday
Your garden is extraordinary- so beautiful. I always enjoy my garden everyday and I only have plants in my backyard – no grass. It’s such a peaceful pleasure. I am grateful for gardening and quilting and all the friends it has brought into my life.
How cool, no grass! I’ll bet it is gorgeous and there’s something to look at every day. These things give us daily beauty and joy that I think prolongs or lives.