Creative in Chicago: a decorating blog

Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts

Aug 31, 2015

Drying Summer Herbs

Posted on 12:57 PM by Unknown

Dear Chicago House,

I would love to have a huge vegetable garden and fill my kitchen with a bountiful harvest. Alas that is not the case but I do grow herbs.

This past weekend I have harvested and bundled my sage and oregano ready for drying.

It is as simple as gathering sprigs togather and tying them simply with string.

They are now hanging in my kitchen to enyoy on a snowy Chicago day!

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Garden

Jan 12, 2015

Tutorial: How to Make an Ice Lantern

Posted on 9:01 AM by Unknown

Dear Chicago House,

There is nothing like bringing in the New Year with a blast of Arctic cold is there? With temperatures colder than my freezer last week I put that frigid air to good use and had a go at making some ice lanterns.

Aren't they fun, whats more they are easy and even better, FREE to make.

How to make an Ice Lantern

You will need

A pair of containers one bigger than the other. I used a large yogurt pot and a dixie cup
Tape
Embellishments, I used slices of orange and some greeny clipped from a garden shrub
Boiled water that has cooled, using boiled water will result in clearer ice
Floating candles

Prepare your embellishments.

Half fill your larger container with the boiled water, then tape the smaller container into place as shown.

Once the smaller container is in place slip your embellishments into the gaps around the edge.

Top up with water.

Leave somewhere cold...my garden worked last week but overnight in the freezer would work too.
To remove containers run under hot water for a minute or so, the containers will slide off.
Light a candle and plop into the ice vase. The heat from the candle will slowly melt the inside of the vase and you end up with a pool of water. using a floating candle will ensure the flame stays lit!

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: decorative accents, Garden, Holiday Projects, How to, How to's, Tutorials

Aug 20, 2014

A Garden Party

Posted on 2:20 PM by Unknown

Dear Chicago House,

Chicago teen threw a fun garden party yesterday and despite a rainy start to the day we had a lovely sunny afternoon.

As usual she put together the menu and with a little help from me, we whipped it all together.
The menu was kept light, nobody wants to stuff themselves stupid on a hot summer afternoon and the main event of the party was an ice cream tasting so she wanted eager bellies for that too.

We had a selection of elegant finger foods including

Fancy sausage on a stick

Quite possibly the worlds daintiest sandwiches

Cucumber canapes

Tasty pin wheels

Some artistic melon and strawberries

Cherry Pies on sticks

and last but not least a selection of home made ice creams for a taste test. She made four flavors, vanilla, coffee, mint choc chip and strawberry lemonade. They were all so yummy.

All the party supplies were generously donated by Party Pail

Love from

Creative in Chicago

Categories: Food, Garden, teenager

May 26, 2014

A Robin's Nest

Posted on 5:58 PM by Unknown

Dear Chicago House,

We have had a new resident.

A beautiful robin built a nest on top of an outdoor speaker, the perfect place that was safe and protected from the elements. She sat on the nest through rain and even the freak snow storm, for five weeks and we were looking forward to robin babies. But then just over a week ago she disappeared and has not been seen since. The nest was abandoned.

A quick quick Google search told me the eggs should have hatched in two to three weeks.

Mr Chicago House took the nest off the speaker this weekend...it was rather unsightly up there..and in it were two striking blue eggs.

The nest itself was exquisitely made of soft grass and even had some dried hydrangea flowers

We shone a flash light through the eggs and there was nothing in them. The baby Robins werw never to be.

Sad ...but that's nature.
Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Garden

May 23, 2014

Spring has arrived in Chicago!

Posted on 11:44 AM by Unknown

Dear Chicago House,

After the most horrendous winter I have ever experienced, I can't tell you how pleasant it is to be able to go outside and take in the life bursting forth in the garden.

The fact that the majority of the plants in the garden survived the Polar Vortex and a temperature low of -19 deg F is quite staggering but here are the photos to prove it.

Allium are one of my favorite flowers, I had a bumper crop last year ( and even brought them inside so I could enjoy them all year long )

These delicate bleeding hearts are another favorite.

and I am able to grow spectacular hostas thank to this amazing DIY deer repellant.

and now a few more gratuitous photos!

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Garden, Pretty

Mar 27, 2014

Unique Wooden Bird Feeder

Posted on 8:51 AM by Unknown

Dear Chicago House,

I am. by nature, an optimistic person. I want to believe that Spring is right around the corner and I will soon be enjoying the hundreds of bulbs I planted in the fall and keeping my fingers crossed that one ones I planted in previous years, survived the wrath of the polar vortex.

I am so ready to get outside and start enjoying a bit of gardening and am currently drawn to anything outdoorsy. In a farm shop I visited the other day I found these treasures... bird shaped bird feeders

The bird's body gets filled with seeds and it is delivered on the white tray underneath.

This lovely yellow one was my favorite and I would have bought one but I feared the shape of it would give the squirrels that plague my garden, too easy an access ...despite using a baffle.