My poor yard has been a little neglected of late. I cut some dwarf zinnias and made a cheery little arrangement for the dining room table. Oh, and I forgot to share the news that we have baby birds again this year! I'll try to snap some pics over the weekend. I named last year's pair "Bert" and Ernie", and I'm taking name suggestions for this year's fledglings.
What is everyone else up to this holiday weekend? Have a great time, and stay safe!
I really want some potted ones for my back deck, but big dog Dodge will probably eat them. Funny thing - I mentioned to my Mom my newfound love of the geraniums that I used to think were so hideous, and she laughed so hard because now those "ugly" geraniums are the only plant that my Dad simply won't allow in their yard. I suppose I'm not the only one who remembers them as 70's flowers. More info about geraniums here.
Aren't my nephews adorable? And they are so well behaved, they know not to touch anything (although the guards were still giving us the eye because I'm sure they catch other children trying to climb sculptures from time to time). I'm so excited to see my little guys this week!
Above - a flowering quince in my side yard that was here when we bought the house. Through most of the year I find this thorny bush to be an ugly beast, and in fact it looked so pitiful last year that I thought it was dying. But when it presented a plethora of almost garish pink blooms this year, it made me so happy that had neglected to cut it back. Below, one of a zillion iris blooms. Last year I had only 3 blooms. Although they look a little blue in my pics, I think these are the purple iris that are our state flower.
Above: Wildflowers growing in the lawn. Below: one of my little toad friends in the front garden. This one was hanging out by the spigot.
Pretty little mosses grow along the large tree roots in our front yard. While I was taking this pic, my husband came home from work and found me laying on my belly in the front yard. He wasn't quite sure what I was up to...
Weeping cherry in bloom.
Another little toad friend, this one was hanging out hear the front porch.
Ok, so this isn't a great pic, but I had to show off our freshly pressure-washed patio. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention in past years, but this year I'm really noticing the scents of flowers that I've never really recognized before for their scent. This crabapple tree's blooms smell like roses. And the masses of iris blooms smell divine. Please ignore my patchy grass. Between the rocky soil, two active dogs, and my refusal to have a chemical lawn, it's tough to have a pretty lawn.
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Although I didn't get much accomplished chore-wise, we did find some fantastic things for the shop, I have a fresh new bob-with-fringed bangs haircut, and had a fun picnic with Mr. Cheese's family (except for when my brother-in-law beaned me in the nose with the football Marcia Brady style. Yes, it hurts and my nose looks ugly today).
Jeanne has filled the shed with all sorts of vintage pieces, both decorative and functional.
And it's so tidy!
A gorgeous view out of the numerous windows...
Jeanne and her husband recently added a greenhouse to the back of the shed. See her Russian Sage in the foreground?
As a finishing touch, Jeanne intends to paint the saying "Carpe rutila" somewhere in her shed. It means "Seize the spade".
Click here to see a few more pictures of the shed. I'm hoping Jeanne will be posting pictures throughout the season (pretty please, Jeanne?). And be sure to visit Jeanne's shop for some really cool vintage items. Here are a few of my favorites:
Thanks so much for allowing me to sharing pics of your delightful potting shed/greenhouse, Jeanne!
Sorry for my quickie post - I'll be a busy bee the next 10 days or so getting ready for yard sale and doing taxes (yes, I'm one of those procrastinators. 'Tis easy to put off the chore when you are self employed and will be paying versus getting a refund).
These pom-pom vines are great do-it-yourself project, even for the not-so-crafty like me. From Rifle Paper Co., instructions here.
This began as a decor post, but I just had to include the Peach Orchard Dress (also available in a longer version) from junejulyseptember. I want it.
Sweet little succulent plantings via Apartment Therapy. Pass them on to close friends and family members as favors after the occasion.
Lovely centerpiece via Apartment Therapy.
Looking for modern centerpieces for your event? Fill these tiny concrete planters from TortoiseLovesDonkey with succulents.
For quick, easy, and low maintenance centerpieces, try air plants. No soil, no mess, just rest the air plant in a little lotus bowl or your other favorite dish. These also make great wedding favors. Again, quite modern but also kind of prehistoric looking, yes? Plants shown are from TortoiseLovesDonkey.
Butterflies. Enough said. Via Martha Stewart.
Homemade jam! (yes, jam does deserve an exclamation point). These yummy wedding favors double as place cards.
Vibrantly colored glass bottles and vases allow for use of just one or two flower colors. So easy, and they make a stunning display! Found on photobucket.
