Just A Bit of News

 It has been a bit of a blogging drought around here and I have been trying to catch up but haven't been able to quite fit everything in. 

As soon as I can I will get up to speed 

Lots of change and interesting things happening....and unfortunately my Mac bit the dust and I haven't had a chance to replace it, so many of my photos are in limbo right now 

But...all is good and fall is finally here with beautiful cool mornings and a chance to garden again after a scorcher of a summer

We have a new fountain in the parterre garden and the roses have all been moved to new locations because of the changing shade and sun from the large oak trees.  

 Each of the quadrants will have a large pot with a boxwood topiary and then underplanted with hydrangeas.  The surrounding hedges have filled in and seem to be loving the new shaded area.

The canopy has grown so thick that the roses were not all that happy.  A good problem for the oaks but the roses were really "leggy" and not thriving as they should.  Moving roses is not my favorite job but I think I only lost two out of about 30 plants.  I have one bed left to move but it will be easy now that the weather is cooler.

 We decided to add a small dining area in the main living room of the house.  It's small but cozy and I like the big gas station pennants above the old pine table.  

 Two great old chairs from a Maine cottage on the ends and a large Swedish pine bench and an antique plate rack above.

Some how the odd assortment of wicker seems to fit.  Lots of pillows and ticking are just right in this small intimate space.  

 Over the summer I worked on the rear perennial beds.  Sculpting and removing sod and adding more flowers and interesting foliage 

 Throughout the year the beds will have color and new plants and bulbs.

 Apart from the vegetable beds the perennial beds are my favorite part of this garden.  Lots of work but always great rewards.

The lavender acts as a nice backdrop to the new plants and adds height to the beds and I really enjoy the color and interest that the variety of plantings provide.  It is also a never ending supply of things for arranging in little vases.

I hope you are enjoying a lovely fall....my favorite time of the year !!!!

See you soon

xo

Power to the Purple

 The garden is in full bloom right now 

 The colors are all wonderful...but the purple flowers are beyond pretty

 I designed this garden with large areas of purple and orange

and it has really started to make a statement... 

especially in the spring

  I usually cut flowers in early morning or at dusk

 Right now I use the kitchen as my arranging and cutting area 

but I am working on the mudroom 

and it will have a nice spot for just this kind of thing

 Little simple baskets add to the arrangement...this is a Native American 

vintage basket

 I wont bore you with all of the varieties of plants..

but there are probably 12 in this bouquet

 the long and spikey Veronica

 butterfly bush

 Woolly Lambs ear....left unchecked and blooming

 So where to put this pretty purple project?

 It ended up in the master bedroom...

yes, a perfect purple spot

 Power to the purple!

have a wonderful and restful weekend

best,

 Kelley

Vintage Picnic Tins

 On a recent antiquing journey

 I found a really tattered and dirty old picnic basket

 Although the basket was really unusable, when I opened it up it was full of these wonderful old picnic tins.

 They are porcelain with interesting locking lids....

there we two inside!

 And next to the tins were two wonderful old wicker covered flasks in really great shape...I think I was pretty excited by then...you know the feeling!

 And a few other assorted wicker covered jars and glasses

oh my gosh....a gold mine of wonderful wicker

and all for 30 bucks!

 What is it about vintage wicker that is so warm and interesting 

That is an old asian gardeners hat....just in case you were  wondering!

 Paired on a table next to the last of this seasons roses

the wicker makes a nice little vignette

 I never tire of the David Austin roses...

but they will be gone until probably April

For some reason this photos seems to say that summer is over...

I'm looking forward to fall...how about you?