wild weeds

photograph by rinne allen

tent caterpillar

while walking through the woods the other day  i saw a tent caterpillar nest.  it was catching the light just perfectly..... i always find their nests so amazing!

photos by kristen bach

magnolia

photograph by rinne allen

rinne's harvest series

since september of last year, rinne has had a series of photo essays running on the new york times' website, in their T magazine section. the series focuses on harvests across the south, both edible and inedible…

rinne has been working on this series for over four years, and her explorations have taken her across the region. she has discovered so many wonderful, interesting people who interact with nature on a regular basis, yielding something purposeful, beautiful...or both. 

here are a few images from her the series so far…enjoy!

japanese maple canopy

photo by kristen bach

pearl's house

years ago, when i was raising my kids in the boulevard neighborhood of athens, i used to always admire this house. it had flowers growing from the porch railing to the street. i thought it was the best house ever. years later, i ended up renting the house from a friend, and came to learn about pearl. she lived there from the early 50's until she died in 1998 at age 98. she was a hard-core gardener. she planted roses, camellias, azaleas and fig trees all around the house that are now ancient, huge and majestic. alas, the front yard flowers had become decimated with neglect and poaching, so i'm excited to rehab it to how i remember it.
i have a picture in my mind's eye of all the phlox, daisies, foxglove, queen anne's lace, roses, etc. that were in the front yard. my son-in-law brought me a dump truck load of compost, which we spread all over the front yard. all fall i went to plant sales and garden shops, planting bulbs and perennials, waiting for spring. now, things are starting to come up and bloom, including snowdrops and hyacinths that i didn't know were there. my plan is to draw flowers all year, and admire...

photos and words  by rebecca wood

columbine

photograph by rinne allen

mandy's spring blooms, part two...

mandy shared some more arrangements with us and they are gorgeous! all of the ingredients were grown by mandy or foraged by her...perfect seasonal beauty!

arrangement and photographs by mandy o'shea of moonflower design.

pink dogwood

photograph by rinne allen

boiled peanuts over the fire

this saturday we went to our friend amanda and jim's wedding at their house in the country.  they were cooking boiled peanuts over the fire in a cast iron cauldron.  this is the best way to cook and enjoy some boiled peanuts!

ingredients

1 case of green peanuts

4 lbs salt

water

directions

-start your fire

-in a cast iron cauldron; fill 1/2 full with water

-add peanuts and salt

-let the peanuts cook for hours.  when they begin to sink they should be ready to eat!

fig and flowers

photograph by rinne allen

native plants of georgia app

today's instant inspiration is a handy tip!

our friend mandy told us about an app that helps id native plants...the native plants of georgia app. while we know a decent amount about native plants, there is always a moment on a hike when we see something beautiful and just can't remember the plant's name...

it is organized by bloom time- which is good for planning wildflower walks- and also by botanical name and common name...

enjoy!

flowering almond

photograph by rinne allen

a little lamb named fleecy

last week a new lamb, fleecy was born over at sweet olive farm and i knew i had to rush over to meet her.   fleecy is sweeter than words and i could watch her prance all day long.   a sweet spring babe. 

photos and words  by kristen bach

keria

photograph by rinne allen

Perla Anne

last week we popped over to charleston SC for a book signing.  on our way out of town we stopped by our friend stacey bradley's printing studio, perla anne.  she was getting ready for the big saturday farmers market but kindly let me peek around and take some photos. 

her studio, covered in vines was tucked away in the woods behind their house.  inside it was filled with hundreds and hundreds of carved wood and linoleum blocks and collections of prints from over the years.  i have always had a soft spot for her work.   many of her prints are sweet reminders of family and the simpler things in life.   

thanks stacey for the fun and inspiring visit!  if you want to read more about perla and anne you can visit her etsy shop here!

ferns

photograph by rinne allen

spring flowers by moonflower design

we will be sharing a few arrangements over the next few weeks that mandy from moonflower design has made recently...all of the flowers are grown on her & her husband's farm, or foraged from nearby.

enjoy!

arrangements & photographs by mandy o'shea of moonflower design

wild rue

photograph by rinne allen

grapefruit and mint spring cocktail

i have a huge plot of mint growing wildly at the entrance of our house.  the other day we were having dinner with friends and whipped up this light and springy cocktail. 

ingredients

1 part freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

1 part sparkling water

2 Tbsp mint simple syrup*, see directions below

2 shots of your favorite vodka

mint to garnish

ice

*making the simple syrup

-boil 2 cups of water and 1 bunch of mint, washed

-when it comes to a boil, add 1/2 cup honey and remove from heat

-let the mixture cool and then remove mint from the mixture

****this drink is best enjoyed on the front porch alongside good company!