Saturday, May 17, 2014

bits of happy...the start of the 2014 garden

This time of year my art is no longer created on canvas with paints, it's created in the garden.  Looking for color combinations, textures, and forms.  

foam flowers and goat's beard
{white spots are organic smelly critter repellent}


the start of our new patio with my corky red chairs








This kitchen garden makes me happy!  Stepping out our kitchen door to get some herbs and greens for meals makes everything good.













a fun place at our local nursery...thought this was a great place to get lost!



and the beans....playing away!



Happy Making, Baking, and Growing everyone!
Here is to a great weekend!



Partying at....



50 comments:

  1. Look how beautiful everything is!
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  2. Love those red chairs - very important part of gardening is sitting in it . All looking beautiful Nicole xxx

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  3. It is so pretty. When we get our new home you have to come over and help me do my garden. That will be in three years now.

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  4. The ferns and hostas together are so lovely. And that huge pot is really great, I love the size, the shape, the weathered colour, everything about it. Everything's doing really well, you have some beautiful spots in your garden. Enjoy the rest of the weekend Nicole. CJ xx

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  5. Your garden looks like it is coming along very nicely. Isn't it fun to see everything turn green, fill out, and bloom? I love spring. It seems like everything grows an inch after a good rain, which we've had a lot of lately. My garden hopes have dimmed since I broke a bone in my foot last week. I'm in a soft cast and getting around is easier now, but there's no bending or getting down to weed level. It will be a long battle to get the weeds back under control with limited flexibility.
    Here's to hoping the weather gets nice again soon.
    Cindy

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  6. Lovely to see your growing spaces and places - and those chairs - very quirky. The hostas and ferns look fantastic together - a little woodland garden. How quickly the salad leaves have grown in your new washtub garden, like you say, nice to be able to step outside and pick something fresh and green. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

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  7. Oh it's all looking so lovely and established, Nicole. I'm so envious! I'm still at those early stages and it's so easy to get overwhelmed with how much I have to do. Agh! Loving your new chairs and your kitchen garden is soooo lovely!!! Happy Sunday to you:) x

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  8. My goodness, Nicole! You are QUITE a gardener! How lucky your kids are to grow up with a Mom that loves gardening and makes them a part of it, too. Beautiful gardens!!!! xo Diana

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  9. Oh so lovely.... it mus be so nice injoy the garden by sitting on that red chairs

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  10. Oh Nicole!! Your garden is looking beautiful, everything is growing so fast, your hostas are about 10 times the size that ours are!!!! I think that I need to feed and mulch ours more. Love your new chairs, they look gorgeous in the garden and also as though they are very comfortable! I see that the seeds that I remember the beans planting are coming up, they must be very excited to see things growing!!!! So lovely to see what is happening in your garden!!! xx!!!!!!!

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  11. I love to look at other peoples gardens always gives me ideas.
    Merle......

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  12. So pretty & relaxing looking! And I especially love those red chairs!

    Angela @ Number Fifty-Three

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  13. It all looks so lovely, just like the kind of space to spend time.

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  14. That made me happy just looking at all your pretty pictures!! I can see your garden growing so beautifully, and I feel like sitting in your cute red chairs soaking it in, visiting, and watching the kids play. Sounds like heaven to me!! You are an inspiration Nicole!

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  15. Hi Nicole,

    Your garden is lovely and isn't it great having herbs and vegetables growing.
    Loved seeing your sweet children happy playing outdoors.
    Enjoy your Sunday
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  16. Your garden is so pretty. I enjoyed this post of yours.

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  17. Looking great and nice o see the tin.bath. Your chairs are a awesome colour :)

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  18. Oh Nicole how I wished I had your green fingers! You garden is always so pretty xxx hope you're having a lovely weekend my dear x

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  19. Your garden looks amazing, so healthy & fresh. Love your red chairs. Have a great week!

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  20. Great pictures Nicole! I like the red chairs!
    Happy sunday
    Helga

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  21. Love those chairs!! I remember my little bean, now a strapping big sprouted 6ft plus bean, climbing trees, that photo of yours brought back a lovely memory :)

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  22. Nicole, your spring garden on gorgeous!! The goat's beard, grape hyacinths and columbine are so pretty! Your kitchen garden is coming along nicely, especially your salad tub!! Isn't it almost luxurious to simply step out of one's back door and pick something to cook with? Thanks for sharing your beautiful garden! I'm so happy spring is finally here! Have a great week, friend!!

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  23. Well that is stunning! So Lush and green, I wish I had "smellacomputer" I bet it smells fabulous out there! Love the droopy red and white flowers, sorry, I know nothing about plants, they look awesome! I gave up trying to grow my own herbs, everything just dies here in the desert, except for cactus! hahahaha!

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  24. Looking gorgeous as usual, friend. I need to put my vintage metal wash bin to use, too. Poke holes in the bottom and such...
    Cute chairs!
    xo
    c

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  25. Your garden is looking beautiful and ready for you and the beans to play outdoors for months on end.

    I love the shape of those fun red chairs.

    Do you grow most of your summer veggies?

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  26. I cannot believe your green thumb, woman!!! I can't pick a favorite amongst it all (the hostas always make me swoon - SO envious!). Diggin' those red chairs - wishin' they were mine, but they wouldn't look a quarter as cool as they do in all that green. Happy Sunday, Nicole - love that the Beans are learning to climb! XOXOXO

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  27. What a wonderful start to the growing season! Your hard work sure is paying off, everything looks great! I have my herb right out the kitchen door too. So handy. Lets hope this beautiful weather continues, so we can keep digging in the dirt!

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  28. It's all looking beautiful already. I really love those red chairs, they're very cool. I'm glad you're able to enjoy yourself digging in the dirt again. :)

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  29. All the plants are beautiful, and I just love those red chairs.

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  30. Everything is looking fabulous! Love the red chairs, I have a miniature kitchen garden this year, just a little pot that sits on the deck railing. I needed to keep the slugs out of the lettuce this year. Last year was so bad that I wondered who I was gardening for. Your garden is going to keep filling in and become more and more gorgeous. Can't wait to see more!

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  31. Gosh it's so enchanting to watch all your photos.. love the new patio setting. I remember having those chairs back in my mom's place. The kitchen garden looks wonderful with lovely pebbles. Have a great week ahead!

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  32. Wow, your garden is looking amazing. So much inspiration here. I'm hunting out winter colour to plant in our garden, and after seeing your post I would love the have little havens of colour dotted about. The red chairs are fab! xo

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  33. I love all the different texture elements in your garden.

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  34. oh, wow--look at the shape of those chairs! so fabulous! And I love your little herb garden...what a perfect spot!

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  35. your gardens are just so perfect! and I love your red chairs-too fun! enjoy spring!

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  36. I like those cute little red chairs Nicole. The garden is looking good. I must pot up some herbs by the back door. It is a nice idea to have them so close at hand.

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  37. Bit of happy is exactly the right term.

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  38. Your garden is exactly what I yearn for! So much beautiful green! We have had so much heat and wind....all of my sweet peas are gone now. :( Grass is dying...quite depressing. This post brightens my day...thank you for that! xoxo Jen

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  39. Your garden is looking good! This weather certainly helps, doesn't it, Nicole. I started doing bits and pieces this weekend, mainly planting veggies. I love this time of year! Those chairs are ultra cool and stylish, I could do with something like that. The beans look like they are having great fun! I hope you have had a super weekend. :)

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  40. Since I don't have a garden to call my own, looking at yours flourishing so well really makes me smile :) Those red chairs are so cool!

    Rowena @ rolala loves

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  41. amazing amazing garden! and i love your red chairs. i would love to have my lettuce survive so it can go straight to our kitchen. :)

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  42. The red chairs rock. I'd so enjoy sitting in the space and sipping my coffee. Your garden is coming along beautifully. So nice to have a kitchen garden isn't it!? I can't wait until ours grows a bit more - that usually solves the "what's for dinner?!" dilemma in our home.

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  43. Those red chairs are awesome!!! And that gosh darn tierella is still on my wish list. I hope I find some this year - that I can afford! I saw Goat's Beard the other day and ALMOST bought it, but I wasn't familiar with it, so I let it be. Everything is looking great. Love your little kitchen garden. How fun! You can send the kids out at dinner time to pick fresh herbs, love that! And that pot in the picture with the hostas is fun - with the purple-tinted plant. And that urn - are you kidding me?! That thing is amazing! You have the most amazing readers. I've noticed lately how you get TONS of comments. That's so awesome. Gardeners are the best kind of people. Well, those and the ones that like to eat. :)

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  44. Those hostas look healthy, the slugs just eat them overnight in my garden which is a pain because I have some shady patches that would be great for them. It is all looking pretty fab!! Jo x

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  45. It's growing beautifully Nicole! You have such a gorgeous garden :)

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  46. I love your garden! So natural and free flowing. That large metal basin with the herbs in it caught my eye! Great idea! I have one of those. What do you have planted in it? I need ideas!

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  47. oooh, it's a delight!! love those red chairs, anyone who has true style has red chairs in their garden (cough, cough - me!). Planning and maintaining an oasis is definitely an art form - creative, expressive and good for the soul. Loving your work :)

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  48. Thank you so much for the kind words on my blog. I agree whole heartedly with you views on comments and love your garden...wish I had a garden.

    Allie of ALLIE NYC
    allienyc.com

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  49. So green and lush. That patio with the limestone is going to be wonderful.

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Your comments brighten my day! Thanks for stopping by!