It's been a while since I last updated the changes we've accomplished in the new to us house. Here's a quick peek at some of the things going on. Like the new lilac on the east fence, we are growing where we are planted. Like the plant, we don't quite look like the picture yet -- full of blooms -- but the promise is there and flourishing! Finally found some artwork to fill in the empty space in the front hallway between Grandfather Clock and the front door. A garage sale in the neighborhood :-) The price was right. At first I thought it would be a placeholder, but it is growing on me for several reasons. And yes, you noticed! The wall color is different than what I showed you almost a year ago. We've gone from Before to After to After II. When everything in the hallway ... [Read More]
Gardening
New Home — Week 40 Update
It's been quite a while since I've shared a peek of the projects going on as we make this house our home. Here's just a few of the things we've been doing. . . * means a tutorial will follow. Eventually :-) While there was still snow on the ground, we added some rugs to the tile floor. This one is in dining room and looks like the one in the back entry. It's a fun contemporary pattern. The big front entry rug uses the same colors but in a more traditional pattern. I've had a difficult time finding curtains. These lined tab top curtains* are made from tablecloths! We also began a big project in the fully finished basement, adding a wall of built-ins* to the game room and a bigger one in the media room. This one in the game room is almost finished and the storage is in ... [Read More]
The View from the Office Window
The view from my office window will be changing soon. . . .because the sign in the front yard changed. . . Had open house one Sunday and accepted an offer the next Sunday! For a different view. . . Here we are looking toward the office (where the light is in the window) from the vantage point of the photographer's drone! The photographer did a fabulous job and made us look really good! It was fascinating watching him manipulate the quad copter and snap pictures using his cellphone to control the camera. We will miss this deck!! Another great shot by Andy, the photographer. The perennials, mostly hostas and other shade lovers, were in full bloom. I didn't put out annuals this year -- no time! -- but I did buy a few hanging pots for a bit of color. You can tell it had just ... [Read More]
Garden Tour 2014
Welcome to our garden! When the cold of winter and rain of spring finally gave up and allowed us to actually BE in the garden, we took the opportunity to rework everything! I'd love to show you the results! Our yard is very shady so you'll see lots of hosta, coral bells and astilbe! This collection stretches along the neighbor's fence to the east. Clematis are growing up the arch in the middle. This is looking the opposite way. The white lattice behind the blue heron figure hides the big electrical box that started this project. Last year the power company dug up and replaced the lines all through the neighborhood. We painted the fence gray to match the house -- a big improvement from the dark brown it has always been! Lots of pictures coming. . . . I like to tuck ... [Read More]
How to Squirrel Proof Your Planters
This cheeky fellow was standing on the corner early one morning, watching me through the window. Not a blink. I ate a bowl of oatmeal while he stared at me. He was issuing the spring challenge for the squirrel tribe that races through, around and over our garden. Go ahead, he taunted. Plant those cute little flower starts. See how long they last before we uproot them, chew them up and spit them out. Bring it on baby! He seemed to swagger as he broke his stance and scampered up the tree behind him. A few days later, this fence went up in the backyard. We put it up to keep children and pets in the yard and to block the view from the cul de sac behind us and the street beyond that. The squirrels, of course, saw it as a highway installed just for them. All day long they scampered ... [Read More]
Garden tips and Ideas
Moms Need to Know -- 10 Most Popular Vegetables to Grow in Containers Premeditated Leftovers -- Vegetable Container Gardening The Frugal Girls -- Tips for Growing Delicious Corn Tipnut -- How to Grow Strawberries Veggie Gardener -- Companion Plantings with herbs Weekend Gardener -- 9 Tricks for Growing Onions Chiots Run -- Tips for Growing Great Carrots Garden Web -- Vegetable Arch from cattle panel Grow Garden Tomatoes -- How to plant tomatoes Its A Green Life -- Vegetables You Can Grow in the Shade You might also want to check out these posts: Grow Potatoes in a Container Building a Raised Garden Bed -- Part 1 in a four part series where we built a raised garden bed, filled it with soil and planted, plus what we'd do differently. I’m so glad you stopped by ... [Read More]
