June

We've had endless rain in these parts.  Good for some plants not so good for others.  Mainly some of my veggies.  Hydrangeas are starting to bloom and my David Austin right outside the dining room window is bursting at the moment.  I like the idea of seeing flowers out every window.  Brings pure joy to the soul if you ask me.

June has been about breaking out of routines.  Not many projects or makings have gotten done minus some baking with the beans.  Rolling out of bed late, make believe, popsicles, bike rides, books, bathing suits, day trips and play dates have been filling up our days.  We've really enjoyed this time to just be.  How is June wrapping up for you?

Enjoy the week Friends!  

loss in the garden

Every season the garden teaches me something.  Whether it be patience, perseverance or simply to be still, I always come away changed from what unfolds.  This season has brought about some loss in my garden.  The biggest loss to swallow is my maple that is in the center of my shade bed in the front garden.

  I began to notice that large branches were dying and with this being the second year that it has not produced seeds I knew that something was wrong.  After consulting with an arborist we have come to learn that one of my favorite trees in our garden has girdle root which means that 20 something years ago when this tree was planted someone most likely planted it incorrectly by leaving it in its metal basket.  The roots are basically suffocating the tree by wrapping themselves around itself instead of growing outward.

I will miss the change of seasons with this tree and all of the memories that have come with it.  When my son was born I would look out his window into its canopy on cold November days as I fed him in his room.  Its brilliant autumn color when the beans were headed out to go trick-or-treating will be missed as well.  Yes,  I am mourning my tree.  Comes with the territory of life.  Nothing is permanent and we all have to adjust our sails to the changes that come.

So you shift and get busy heading in a different direction.  Or as Liz Taylor would say....

Though I don't wear much lipstick I do think this quote is fantastic and so it has been my mission the last few days to walk around my imperfect space to look for beauty.

 {my newly planted Oenothera tetragona by my bird statue}

 {quick combo...Campanula and Foam Flower}

{My new shrub Calycanthus Floridus....Allspice is beginning to bloom brilliantly}

 {long view of the back bed as it unfolds this spring}

 {golden rod, phlox, butterfly weed, roses and sedum filling in and getting ready to bloom...almost covering utility box...finally!}

 {Rambling Red climbing rose and Hyacinth Bean which is an annual vine to fill this season as the rose grows}

{the little guy cutting lettuce for dinner}


Beauty elsewhere

{a visit to the arboretum}

And today we went down to visit some family and enjoy the farmers market.  So many organic farmers selling their beautiful vegetables and plants.  And whatever your stance is or isn't on GMOS,  any crop that is sprayed with crap is bad for the Earth and all who inhabit it....bottom line.  

and to take in a little of this....

my brother entertaining the whole market with his tunes...

{photo taken by my lovely sister}

John Till Music

My tree was special.  The garden is ever changing as nature is.  It's our job to keep on going and seek out the beauty.

I hope that whatever your garden, whether it be a window box or a farm, that you pass on your love of it to just one person.  Together our seeds will transform the future.

Pass on the garden folks and make it a great weekend!  

Happy Growing!  

a patio before and after

Hey everyone!  I hope your week is ending on a great note!  Our lower patio that caused us so many headaches over the years is done.   All the flooding and drainage issues from this space have been resolved.  To finally be able to sit in this space and not despise it is a great feeling I must say!

the blank slate 

The chair is from Ikea and the little sofa is from World Market.  I got the throw pillows from Target and  everything else we had.  Potted up I have a white geranium, boxwood, lily of the valley, and a mixed pot with oxalis, sweet potato vine and a begonia.

I think I may just have a glass of wine out there later!  

And here is just a pretty photo from our walk in the park today!

Happy Making, Baking, and Growing!

day trip

With summer approaching and school coming to a close we were able to start exploring today.  I must say that I've never been to the farm we visited this morning and I have lived in this area my whole life.  What a treat when you can find a bit of magic right out your own backdoor.  Kline Creek Farm is a working farm that has been setup to model how the farm looked and ran in the 1890's.  The summer kitchen was in full swing on the property and women dressed in 1890's attire were busy baking cinnamon rolls.  The beans took in story time under the tree and were able to select books that once belonged to the Kline children.  After helping gather eggs from the chicken coop the beans learned about how all the meals that are made daily on the farm come only from what they grow and raise.  A lesson we've been talking about as my bean boy collected greens from our garden to make a salad for dinner last night. The flower gardens were packed with Irises, Columbines, ferns, Alliums and Corydalises.  In the center of the property they had a large vegetable garden growing where all of the food harvested goes to feed the workers and volunteers who run the farm.

A place to clear the head and take in a slower pace.  Something I have been needing with all of the busy that surrounds daily life.  Hope you find a little bit of magic this week too.  Happy June!