Heirloom Garden

I've combined my love of all things vintage and gardening. Years ago I started acquiring plants from my mom and sister. These plants had a history and had been passed down from my grandparents.  I started with hens and chicks, tiger lillies, little purple iris and pink poppies from my grandma Barbara.

I also dug up mint, which my mom and grandma in German Russian speak called schmucket. All of these I added in to my own perennial beds. But I think my favorite are these hollyhocks. My grandma Lydia planted the initial seeds over 45+ years ago behind their little restaurant, the Dakota Cafe. The cafe is gone, but the seeds have grown and self sown over the years. I stopped by one fall and gathered a few seeds and brought them home. 

They bloom in old fashioned crepe paper colors of salmon, yellow and burgundy. Every summer I'm reminded of my family, their memories remain and flourish in my beautiful heirloom garden.

Recycled Vintage Feedsacks

I picked up a couple of old time feedsacks for $2 each. These feedsacks in their day, may have held, flour, sugar or grains. They are a sturdy and soft cotton fabric almost denim-like, I can see why farm wives in the Midwest recycled these during the depression. They were often used for quilt blocks dish towels and dolls. Two of the feedsacks had an interesting stamp on them, one was the Bemis Brothers - out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I decided to remake my feedsacks into new cushion covers for my two outdoor chairs. First, I gave them a good washing to brighten them up. The feedsacks have imperfections, which give them character and a history. They are perfect for their next life as comfy, worn-in cushions for my patio chairs.