Crabapple allée ~

Every year when the trees in my Crabapple allée start to bloom I try to get a good picture of them...which so far hasn't happened.

This year was no different, I just can't seem to capture how pretty they look, especially in the morning when the sun is coming up. This is the closest I have come...

There are four trees is a row along side the driveway. A curved gravel path winds through them with the pink, old china rose Hermosa planted at intervals between each tree.

At the base of each tree I have planted Santa Barbara daisies and a very vigorous  pink geranium that I don't remember the name of. Clipped Boxwoods frame both the beginning and the end of the path.

Crabapples are lovely little trees offering something to enjoy year around: spring boom; summer foliage; color in the fall, and in winter, fruit for the birds. Because their branches are so malleable I often cut them to make wreaths.

 Before the path starts to the right of the picture above, under a Crepe Myrtle tree that provides summer color I have this grouping of birdhouses.

Can you ever have enough birdhouses in a garden? As soon as I finish the powder room project I want to build a couple of new birdhouses. I have never made them before but I think it would be fun to try.

Thank you for visiting.

Spring wreath ~

Although we are (finally) having a bit of rain today full fledged Spring has definitely arrived. The rain only makes things better and the garden absolutely loves it...I hope we get more.

 I couldn't work in the garden, it was too wet, but I could add a little floral interest to the front porch...

I made a new spring wreath for the front door. I love to make wreaths they are so easy and I like to have something pretty on the porch to greet visitors.

My front door is unique in that it has a little glass door set in. I can peek out at visitors and I can also open it...I think a wreath frames it nicely.

I put this one together by wrapping it with a garland and then adding a few accents. The little watering cans were actually bought as Christmas decorations, but I like them better used this way.

I store my wreaths in oversized trash bags, it works out well, they can either be hung or laid flat.

What about a summer wreath? I am thinking of using little birdhouses, that might be fun.

Thank you for visiting, come back soon

This post has been linked to: http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/ and 

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Le Printemps ~

Spring is here!

So much to see in the garden and so much to do...mulch to spread, time to fertilize and lots of new plantings to put in. Everything seems to be blooming at once; such a glorious time of the year.

I hope that your day is full of wonder and beauty.

The Charming Charmain ~

In the street side garden at the front of the house grows the lovely David Austin rose: Charmain. I first saw it when on a garden tour that was sponsored yearly by the wonderful nursery woman, Mary Lou Heard.  It was so beautiful that I had to include it in my garden, thus, there are two of them, one at each end of the stone wall, both trained as climbers. It is one of the first and last roses to bloom.

Sadly, this rose has become difficult to find, passed up most likely by the newer David Austin offerings. 

It has a lovely fragrance like many of the Austin's and a beautiful, full, elegant flower. This morning I cut a few blooms to bring into the house...they are exquisite; the first of this season.

As you can see they are very happy, full of buds and ready to enchant, accompanied by this little iron ant walking across the top of the wall. He seems to like them too!

Speaking of insects, I found this book at the library, it sounded fascinating. Although I like insects, especially good bugs in the garden I really don't think they will appear in my diet soon. 

How about you are you up to a snack of edible insects? Or would you rather enjoy a rose? Of course you could always do both.

Thank you for visiting ~ I hope you have a beautiful day.

Paint and OOTD ~

I have a horrible time picking out paint. It usually takes me several samples before I find just the right color. 

But this time has been even more difficult and what at first appeared easy turned into a quest. This is even sillier because the powder room I am painting is so tiny, when I picked out the wallpaper I thought finding the trim color for the cabinets would be a cinch.

One door of the powder room lets out to the media/library, the toile fabric I used for the drapes is the inspiration for the color scheme. The room is painted a dark creme color that matches the background of the fabric. The other door in the powder room leads to the  the guest bedroom, my next project after I finish the powder room. I have already picked out the fabric for the drapes...which is the floral you see below. I know it might seem odd but the stripped wallpaper I am using in the powder room unifies the spaces. I have been trying to find the lighter color in the paper to paint the woodwork. Seems easy enough but everything appeared to yellow in the powder room light; light is tricky business.

Well, persistence pays off and I finally found my color: Behr Informal Ivory. Vast relief! Now I can paint.

In honor of this I thought I would share my OOTD, straight from the haute couture designer: La Poubelle...doesn't trash can sound better in french. A very old, very baggy, pair of sweats that I keep just for painting in, as you can see I am a very messy painter...Miss Twiggley beware, you might end up with some added highlights.

I hope to share the results soon, but I still have to wallpaper, and gold leaf the ceiling.

Have a happy day! And, thank you for visiting.

Kitchen table centerpiece ~

I thought it would be fun to put together a new centerpiece for the kitchen table, lately I have been very drawn to ornamental arrangements containing fruit and vegetables, for this arrangement I decided to focus on artichokes.

I love using artichokes, they are so interesting, And hydrangeas look good with almost everything.

So, I put it all together in a basket and for my amusement added a little ant...and this is how it looks:

I think I like it!

Thank you for visiting, I hope you have a marvelous day.

This post has been linked to:

http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/