summer series

Today brings the first official day of summer.

The children and I drove the 45 minute commute to meet hubby for lunch. We always eat at a great,
little park a few blocks down the road from his office. The air was hot and sticky, but this is where we had our unintentional, celebratory summer solstice picnic.

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plant friday: flowers and finds

Now is a good time to get out and pick up any last annuals you want to plant.

Some may be getting a little overgrown, but they are still workable! Plus, many local places are and will be having sales. Perennials are starting to go on sale too, but I think the best time to purchase and plant trees, shrubs and other perennials, is during the fall. They won't be much to look at in September,

but next spring they will be beautiful. Plus, they will have only cost you half of the spring season price.

Happy planting! And don't forget to sit back and enjoy your hard work and lovely flowers.

As promised, here are just a few of my friend's flowers, as well as her shed sale finds!

 

clockwise from top left:

green, wooden bench - $3 (this was actually a garage sale find)

love the naturally worn pots that came with her house (lucky!) and impatiens

cabinet with vintage door - $175 shed sale find - perfect patio storage

vintage red, metal lawn chair - $25 (i think) shed sale find

old wire basket - $15 shed sale find - i love how she incorporated this into the landscaping

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plant friday: coleus (and vinca)

I always wanted coleus in my garden, but it is not a plant that thrives in AZ.

I tried to stick with plants and flowers that could withstand the AZ summer and winter (desert winter). Most of my pots there were filled with perennials. I did have several pots with annual vinca, though, (read about
vinca here) and it was six years old! I would cut it back every spring, along with my perennials, and it would come back and look amazing. These pots were gifted to friends when we moved away.

 Just a side note; there is a perennial vinca, but it is more of a vine and ground cover. We have quite a bit

of it here at the old house. Okay, so back to my original topic:  coleus. I am, perhaps, a little bit

obsessed with it. There are many beautiful variations of color and leaves. I prefer the trailing kind; it looks great in pots. I have worked this fun plant into most of my summer pots this year.

From what I know, it will do best if it is grown in partially shaded or mostly shaded areas.

Summer conditions in the new city are tropical; it is humid, and the old house is shaded by tall, lush trees and landscaping. So yes, the plants are doing well. I also learned recently, that some coleus plants bloom purple flowers, but if you want seasonal longevity from your plant, pinch the flowers off. Read here and here for
good, quick info about this attractive, fit-in-anywhere plant.

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- our back patio - two varieties shown here -

- found this pot at a yard sale, $2 -

- planter on patio railing - trailing coleus (two varieties) and begonias -

- love this! - i found the photo here -

- perennial vine vinca, annual potted vinca (white) -

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p.s.  more of my flower photos can be seen in previous posts here and here

- please send me photos of your garden, flowers and/or pots- i would love to share them! -

antiquing: shed sale

Is it plant Friday yet?! I am anxious to post tomorrow.

In the meantime, I have to tell you about this sale I went to with my friend a few weeks ago.

Normally, I would know about sales like this, but being new to the new city, I had no idea. When J told me about it... I mean, of course we were going!

The sale was well into the country. J even took us the gravel road route, so then we would have

the full experience. I loved it. We had our coffee and my boys were with us. The back roads reminded

me of driving to the lake that my family goes to every summer. You only find these kinds of roads in this part of the country. It was beautiful.

Many cars were already there when we pulled in to what appeared to be a little farm.

There was a red barn and many sheds, large and small. It was windy and a little cool. The buildings were perfectly rustic and full of lovely displays of vintage stuff. I say stuff only because there was a bit of everything. Lots of wooden benches, wireware (yes!), furniture, fabric, planters, windows and doors from

old houses, all kinds of containers, and some littles (smalls) and decor.

I would love to have a shed full of cute, old things. Perhaps, I will some time. For now though,

the items I purchase have a purpose and a place in the old house (yes, hubby, even my collection of items

in the basement).

- we found it! -

- inside the red barn -

 

- many gals making final purchase decisions! -

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Here are some of my purchases-

- seating for the patio, $40/pair -

- old, painted bench, $35 -

- checkered, metal tray, $2 - time for lunch! -

- hanging, wire plant basket, $5 -

The vintage garden trowel was $2.

The mini tools, picked out by S, are for he and his sister- they use them for making fairy gardens.

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p.s.  i still owe you pictures of my friend's back porch, and i think i should photograph her finds as well

plant friday

 It was a long Friday. I am sure you have these days too.

This is the first time I am sitting down today and I am exhausted. So, I would just like to share with you a few pictures. I had so much fun this week, planting the pots on the front porch. Many varieties of flowers that thrive here, would not live through summer in the desert. And so, I went a little flower crazy.

I blame this partly on my friend. She and I run on Saturday mornings, and after our run, we hit the

farmers market. Of course the cobblestone streets are filled with tables of freshly baked pastries, beautiful and crisp local produce, and flowers. Flowers. How can you pass up flowers from the local farms?

Imagine strolling through the aisles, in the glorious morning sunshine, coffee in hand (purchased, of course, from your favorite local coffee shop right there in the market). The owner of your favorite restaurant is pulling his wagon full of produce purchases for his evening's menu. Then, there are tables filled with flowers ready for you to plant in those pots on the porch.

Many purchases have been made. Luckily, my friend knows all the flowers that do well here, so I listened, asked questions and got to work. Her porch is so cute and perfect for just sitting. I will take pictures and share them with you. Thanks for the inspiration, friend.

- our farmers market flowers from last saturday -

- petunias smell so good -

- i forgot this one's name, but i will ask the gal tomorrow morning -

- this variety:  dreamsicle superbells -

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p.s.  purchases in my market bag:  two dozen fresh brown eggs (yum), honey (for my granola),

romaine, and asparagus

a letter

Dear matching blue and white cars,

Please stop parking in front of the old house. Please stop sitting there looking, pointing and talking.

Please stop driving by multiple times a week. It makes us feel like we can't call the old house our home.
We do not need your approval for the variety of flowers we plant, for who sleeps in which room, for the wallpaper we take down, for any of the changes we make.

Please know that we would never compromise the beauty, age or period of the old house. Please know we will not forget the life and lives this old house knows. We will always honor and respect its history.

We loved this house when we pulled into the driveway last July, and we need the opportunity to feel like it is our home. Before, weeks would go by without a blue or white car parked, and I would start feeling that way. But now, when I float past the front windows and you are there, it feels like being cut off at the knees. And we start over again. We started over 10 months ago. It has been a hard enough journey for our family.

Please give us some space to feel like we are making the old house a home that is our own.

All the best...

I'm back... from Austin!

Did you think I gave up on this whole blog thing? I didn't, and I haven't.

We spent last week with my sister and her family in Austin. It was a great week and a much needed break from the new city, for all of us.

Not more than a few days after being home, I was ready to be back hanging out with my sister.

People say we look alike, sound alike and have the same mannerisms. Funny, because the last time we lived near each other, I was 19 and she was 12. Even with seven years between us, we are in the same stage of life; we have young children. And when you are going through this stage, you need family and

your dearest friends beside you.

I think this is an ongoing frustration and sadness for me. It is true that the new city brought us closer to family (road trips, not plane rides), but it is especially difficult while we continue to adjust to our new surroundings.

But today, when I am thinking that last Wednesday, sisters and cousins were walking through the Austin Zoo together, I will remember the quote, don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

My sister is an amazing Mom, and she is one of my dearest friends. And you know, it is not over,

it's until next time...

- austin zoo and animal sanctuary -

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By the way, this is my brother-in-law. He always makes sure we have a good time.
He is a great daddy and definitely a fun uncle! Thanks A, for the boat time, yummy smoked dinners and
for just making us feel at home.

Until next time...

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