Larkspur ~

It is a lovely holiday weekend here, in Southern California, sunny but not too warm. Perfect weather for gardening.

Last week I took out all of my Larkspurs. I have never had such an abundance of them before. Over the past weeks I have picked several bouquets, some fresh for the house and others for drying. 

This is the last bouquet. So pretty and so fleeting. But of course that is one of the things that gardeners must learn to accept. I scattered lots of seeds while I was pulling them out so I am hoping that next year their bloom will be equally luxurious.

Thank you for visiting. I hope you are enjoying the long weekend.

New borders ~

The removal of the big shade tree last year required some changes in the back garden, including a new gravel sitting area and two new borders lining the brick pathway that bisects the garden.

Last year the two new borders looked like this:

This spring they look like this:

Looking into the new border from the driveway

Looking out onto the gravel driveway.

After a spring rain

What you can't see in these pictures is the new gravel sitting area to the left of the path. I eventually want to plant a new shade tree here but I must wait a bit. Meanwhile an umbrella does the job, I hope to share this spot with you in a later post.

~~~~~~~~~

Since I took these picture the larkspur has put on quite a show, this is the first time I have ever had what I considered enough larkspur. I will be cutting lots of it to dry before I pull it out to plant my zinnia seedlings. Zinnias are wonderful annuals for our hot, hot summers.

Thank you for visiting

Bird feeders ~

I have never had bird feeders in my garden before, I was always convinced that in our mild climate the garden alone provided plenty of food for the visiting birds and over the years I have tried to plant things that would facilitate that. 

Then I recently read that hanging bird feeders outside of your windows was a good way to keep house cats entertained...and to feed wild birds at the same time.

So, in what begin as an attempt to have a happier Miss Tiggley, I now have several bird feeders in the garden...outside of the bay window in the entry hall...

another by the kitchen...

and for Mother's Day I received a very charming humming bird feeder as a gift.

I decided to put this one by the Tree Man to keep him company, Miss Twiggley and I can also watch the action from the office

I really did this for Miss Twiggley and it certainly is keeping her entertained, but I can't tell you how much I am enjoying watching the birds too. Now I must get a book on the birds of our area so I can start to identify these wonderful creatures.

I just filled the humming bird feeder this morning, I wonder how long it will be before they discover it...we will see!

Thank you for visiting

A summer project ~

I have always enjoyed my living room but in the past few years it has become very dated.The vintage Laura Ashley floral wallpaper is still quite lovely but way too busy for what is happened in interiors today. I didn't really realize what a muddle it all was until I took this picture.

The whole space needs to be uncluttered, simplified, and lightened up.

 

At first I was just going to strip off the existing wallpaper and paint the walls but the curved ceiling, one of the best features of the room, is best set off with a bit of pattern. Instead I choose the cream striped wallpaper  you see below. The fabric will be used for the new drapes. My plan is for a soft, subtle and more elegant room, with a lot less clutter.

All of the furniture including the settee below (which needs some explanation) will be reupholstered with fabrics in various shades and textures of cream. Raspberry will be my accent color.

And now for what might possibly end up being a good choice or a major mistake.

This french settee was my Mother's pride. I will never forget her delight on the day many years ago when it was delivered. I am planning on using it in the living room. This might be a huge error on my part but I think I can tone it down by adding a long, soft cushion; using a casual linen fabric to upholster it in, and doing away with all of the elaborate tucking.

A few days ago I ordered the wallpaper, when it comes I can start picking out paint colors and dismantling the room. It will be a lot of work and will take quite a while but I think it will be worth the effort. I will keep you up to date on the progress.

At least I will have something to do this summer when it is too hot to work outside in the garden and if everything goes really well it might be finished for the holidays.

Thank you for visiting.