Friday, May 27, 2011

Sensory Overload!

Iris, Peony, Roses...all blooming at the same time!

Sensory overload, indeed, but love, LOVE!

Link parties:

Tales From Bloggeritaville
Fishtail Cottage

Tootsie Time
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Brambleberry Cottage

A Thoughtful Note

On Sunday I went to church by myself for the first time since Hub's illness
 and found this in our mailbox:
...with these inside.
The ribbons were too pretty to throw away so I used them to make a barrette...
for S's birthday.
         Wonder if Rachel knew I LOVE M&M's?
Thanks, Rachel, I enjoyed every one of them and managed to stretch them into Thursday! :)


Monday, May 23, 2011

Akebia 'Silver Bells' Chocolate Vine

In my PREVIOUS POST on my outdoor space, several questions were asked/commented on the vine climbing  the pergola. In years gone by, I'd visit landscape/nursery business in the fall, in search of year-end bargains. This one was one of them. Though I had never seen or heard of this one, I was intrigued by the name 'Silver Bells Chocolate Vine,' priced at, I think, a dollar, and decided I had nothing to lose! At the time, I temporarily planted it at a small arbor because the front pergola wasn't in place yet. The following year the front pergola was built, so I transplanted it there, thinking it was its permanent place. But that was before the pergola was built in the back where it found its final resting place! By then, it had grown quite a bit as it needed to be untangled to re-train it up the post. I used grapevines threaded through the spaces to give it support for the vine to cling to which worked really well.

 The smell of these cute, little flowers are amazing!
The description given more than lives up to it!
The details...
and grown in Canada!

DIL M wants a start of this vine, so this spring I buried a still attached, new growth stem underground, hoping it will root. The leaves stay on into late, late fall and because they are small, tend to be a little messy. But I'd buy another one in a minute, it's so lovely!

This was one lucky buy for me!

I was featured at:
 An Orgeon Cottage

Side bar links:

Masterpiece Monday
Tuesday's Treasures
An Orgeon Cottage
Metamorphis Monday
Keep it Simple Sunday
Southern Hospitality

Friday, May 20, 2011

New Garden

The last two summers I used the greenhouse as a spring/summer garden and, alas, it was simply too hot for that to be practicable. So I passed the greenhouse on to DIL M this spring. How the men of our two households accomplished this, I don't know, but accomplish it, they did! Believe me, I saw it leave with 'a wing and a prayer!' :)
I used it for storage this winter and the weeds had a heyday by the time it was moved!
It almost fell apart in the transfer to the trailer.
Blurry, I know, but by now no one wanted to stop and pose for a picture as it was leaving! :)
I was left with this weedy, messy area to transform into a lush garden!
(glory, glory!)

The first thing I did was to clear the worst of the weeds; the second thing I did was to plant the raspberry plants I got from DIL M that were sitting around for several weeks that managed to survive. I made a wire cage to protect the lettuce from those cute (NOT!) hoppers that feast on tender, young plants and that worked well. I used the railroad ties to make a raised bed for a few strawberry plants.

Using lots of muscle, I managed to move those heavy monsters (Hubs was not well) to where I wanted them, linning it with Weedx fabric to keep the little underground buggers out and used grass edgings and composted manure to fill it up. In the perfect gardening world, that should have been done last fall so it could all beak down into a beautiful mixture of loose, composted soil...but hey, this ain't perfection!
After working on it between doctor appointments, surgery, getting supplies and the rain, it's planted and some lettuce is ready to be eaten...yumm-i-o! The sun shone long enough today to take a few more pics.
Don't forget to compare this with the 'before' picture! :)
The before-mentioned lettuce cage and the STURDY tomato cages with their lovely plants!
PS. the marigolds are supposed to keep certain predators away beside lookin' pretty!
There's around one hundred onion starts, several green bean seeds and a jalapeno pepper in there somewhere, too.
And the oh-so-handy water supply...rain barrels!

I like to think my little plot of earth is organic, making us healthier, wealthier and wiser! :)

And, O glory...
the peonies are coming into bloom!



...happy gardening!

 Link parties:

Brambleberry Time Travel Thursday
Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk
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Thursday, May 19, 2011

My Favorite Outdoor Space





Home Mayd Kate

Kate is part of a four-link parties going on this week by four different women. I'm linking up to inspiring outdoor ideas and sharing my favorite entertaining space. It overlooks the back gardens and is close to the kitchen - two reasons why it's my favorite!

When we moved here seven years ago, there was only a concrete slab off the dinning room. I added a brick apron on two sides and dressed it up as best I could.

The next summer, son L added a larger apron with pillars at the corners.
The next year, we added a raftered open roof and planted Akebia Silver Bells, a fifteen to twenty ft vine at the one corner...it was its third move in as many years!
And the next summer we added a composite floor over a part of the concrete slab,
 making the floor space bigger.

Today, when we entertain outdoors, it looks like this. I used HD drop cloth (what else?!) to make panels to fit in between the rafters, using Velcro to fasten them. It makes fabulous shade but does get really dirty if left on for the summer. Good old Clorox takes the stain out!
Last summer, I held a tea for twenty-two ladies here. The table looks like it goes on forever - but it was beautiful!
I used two sets of dishes and alternated them to serve these beautiful ladies.
- five years ago -
- today -
My favorite sitting place is the swing (behind the vine), even if it's only taking a breather from work or just simply to drink in the beauty!

I love this outdoor space!



Link parties:
Cottage Flora Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
Beyond the Picket Fence
Tootsie Time
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Feathered Nest Friday
French Country Cottage

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

White - Why do I Love Thee?





Let me count the ways!

- white bedrooms -
- white buttons - white dishes - old books -
- mirrors reflecting white walls-
- ironstone -
- white bedding -
- clean white laundry in the sunshine -
 - outdoor teas with a white tablescape -
- chippy paint -
- dreamy outdoor bedroom -

White is amazingly easy to live with and quiets the spirit!
(all pictures from Fleur Cottage)


Linking to Faded Charm

Monday, May 16, 2011

Miss Kim

I love my Miss Kim lilac! I thought I was losing it last year - three fourths of it died. It looked really pathetic and I nearly dug it out. But its recovered very nicely. I placed a small bouquet on the kitchen table on Saturday and the smell wafted throughout the house. I brought a second arrangement in this morning.
Love, Love!

I was featured!
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Linking to:

The Tattered Tag
An Orgeon Cottage
Metamorphis Monday
Masterpiece Monday
Tales  From Bloggerita
Stories From A to Z