Singing Flower Studio Blog
Helping Nature Preserve Our Birds and Plants
I’ve been spending the week tuned into a discussion of ways ordinary people can make a difference to preserve our birds, pollinators and important native plants. Sponsored by the Xerxes Society and thePollinator Friendly Alliance, farmers, suburban park workers, and...
What is Glycerin? And How does Glycerin Benefit the Skin?
A few days ago I discovered that many soap manufacturers remove glycerin from their products and sell it for manufacturers to use in other products. Why would they do this? What is it used for? And why is it a bad ideato have soap with no glycerin? Glycerin is usually...
Botanical Painting
What is a bird looking for when it sees a flower? Birds don’t eat pollen. So, not pollen. What then? A bird is looking for a wriggly caterpillar. Caterpillars eat plants and are full of protein. Great food to feed itself or its new babies. Imagine needing to feed 5...
“Nature’s Best Hope”
Meadow fritillary (Melitaea parthenoides) butterfly resting on flower with bright green background While we are sequestered with winter weather, I thought it a good time to suggest one of my new favorite books, “Nature’s Best Hope,” by Douglas Tallamy.This book first...
Autumn with Its Beautiful Colors
Here in the north, autumn is way too short. But Beautiful! Our colors have turned from green to orange and bright yellow. All the aspen trees are twinkling their yellow leaves along the roads and forests. Pumpkins and squash are piled up for fall purchases, and the...
It’s Apple Season
I love to see the apples turning red on the trees. As the weather cools, it seems to encourage the final ripening of the apples. The tart green orbs turn to reddish and then to brighter red. This year we have more apples than usual. Even the two trees in front of our...
Our August Art Tour and More in September
Every year for the past 13 years we have opened our studios here in northern Wisconsin to our friends and guests. This year we have six artists who will be sharing their art and their studios. We are open Saturday and Sunday August 20 and 21, so if you can make it to...
Our Little Corner on Lake Superior
Singing Flower Studio is located on the westernmost part of Lake Superior in the summers. We settle here from late May until early October, because it is so beautiful. It is also cold. We are about 60 miles from Duluth, Minnesota, the western port of the Great Lakes....
It’s Mosquito Season! How We Can Help
Wow! The mosquitoes are out and about here in northern Wisconsin! So, of course, the inclination is to zap them all. They buzz around our heads at night, harass us while we are gardening, and make kayaking without a breeze impossibly uncomfortable. Mosquitoes seem to...
Eucalyptus Keeps Insects Away
Eucalyptus is an Australian plant that has successfully adapted to keeping insects away. To prevent its leaves from being chewed and sucked, the plant has evolved to contain chemicals in its leaves and stems to prevent predation.We take advantage of this by distilling...
Why Witch Hazel is Kind to Your Skin
You may have noticed that Witch Hazel is used as a base for our Skin Toners, and for our little roll on No Itch. So you may wonder, “What is Witch Hazel, and how does it work?” Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) blooms late in the fall, sometimes as late as November....
Earth Day
I’ve been thinking a lot about our earth. We seem to be stalled when it comes to making changes that will protect ourselves and our animals and trees. A few years ago I planted a small prairie plot in northern Wisconsin. It was quite small. I say that because I hand...
