~ Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing you a wonderful Mother's Day

See Y'All Soon~

~ Update the Instant Garden ~ Fast Growing Summer Border ~

Click on link for an update on The Instant Garden.

(The last post didn't update in feedburner.)

The above picture is for semi-shade summer gardening,

with lots of watering.   

See Y'All Soon~

Donna

~ Instant Garden ~ Fast Growing Summer Border ~ Update

Here's an update for 2012:

This proved to be really a perfect little spot of flower garden. As had been the case previously, the Purple Coneflower did very will for about half the summer. As before, the combination of very dry to very wet with a short span of days, was too much for it. At least in this particular spot, though I have tried it in other places of the yard as well. So this year I probably opt for getting that same color with another flower and getting the look of the flower with an African Daisy.

Of course the Pentas, Purple Buddy,  Bush Daisy, Purple Fountain Grass, and Purple Heart did exactly as expected. They can take the heat with good watering, the bloom all summer long. The Mystic Spires Blue Salvia also lasted the the whole summer into fall. It is considered an annual but many slavias come back or re-seed. This area received not tender loving care over the winter, and the salvia did not come back. But it probably would have if it had been better care during the winter.

For 2012, I will definitely be using the same flowers that I mentioned above that did so well. That border was planted in the heat of May and somehow it happens to be May already! Time to get to it.

Here is the original post with before and after shots. The flowers have been in the ground a couple of weeks at the most in the pictures. The biggest difference was the green sweet potato vine took over everything, much to my delight. 

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 When we began redoing all of the backyard in the fall 2010, the best thing to do was concentrate on shrubs and the foundation things that would be there for a very long time. It was a good idea. The only problem was that the whole area had been flower beds with no grass before we made a very big change to the backyard. I really missed the punch of color and flowers.  As the warm weather came around we were shopping for  mulch and rocks and of course you guessed it .... those little lovely flowers kept jumping out and saying buy me, buy me. I missed the flower beds, but I was trying to fight the addiction for them. Not very well though.

So as not to get too carried away, I removed just three sections of landscaping in three different areas, two in sunny to very sunny and one in semi-sun environment to make way for 3 small flower areas. I had just found an article that I had saved from P. Allen Smith about a fast growing border. It was just too much encouragement to resist. Especially when I saw his background included one of my favorite plants of color, the Purple Fountain Grass. So off I went to look for a few good flowers

I haven't had great luck with the Purple Coneflower in the past. We can get days and days of rain, and I think it just doesn't like wet feet. Of course I bought it anyway, because I can't resist a pretty face.

The yellow Bush Daisy over on the right and in the middle of the bed, is a very easy one to grow. The tall Mystic Blue Spires Salvia has the most fabulous true blue. More blue than many of the salvias I've grown before.

That bright green Marguerite Sweet Potato Vine always does very well. It can take the heat and sun as long as it has plenty of water, which can mean daily if we have no rain that day. The Blackie Sweet Potato is in another area, although it is the perfect companion color with the lime great. Instead I stuck some Purple Heart in for more purple color.

Most of these were purchased in gallon size pots, expect for the Pentas and Purple Buddy. It's an instant garden for someone who can be a bit impatient this time of year of color. It also is fast growing and will be much more filled in within a short time.

Now to keep them all alive and watered through the long hot summer! None of these should need replacing though. They all should make it through this year and into next if they are tended to. Just more time out watering every morning.
(Read at the top for update.)

See Y'All Soon~
Donna

~ Antique Book Pages Idea ~ DIY

A simple stack of antique books can be used in so many ways to add texture and interest to you rooms. I know so many people love antique books. But they can be expensive. Here is very easy and cheap - frugal  way to dress up very inexpensive book pages for a lovely display.

As you can see from the side, these actually are very old, antique books. They were found with their covers either gone or falling off. The pages are aged, foxed and naturally antiqued in color. But you could used ready to discard, almost old books that you could age yourself.

The trick to have an "antique book stack" is what you put on the very top. 

I used an antique book page and printed some of my own art on it. Of course you could use a copyright free, old graphic that you might find on line. It would look best if you had one nice antique page to put on top, but you could also do creative aging to a newer page using coffee, tea or baking in the oven.  Tie it up with with rustic twine, velvet or lace or whatever suits you!

See Y'All Soon~

~ Summer Garden Colors

The warm temperatures came early this year, and came with the promise of much needed rain. The rain never came even with a prediction of 100% chance. And then temps made Florida cooler than Denver, but just for a couple of short days. You just have to roll with the schedule that Mother Nature gives you sometimes, and hope that your plants can hang on as well. 

The window boxes got planted along with a few of the large pots. I don't think I've changed colors much in several years. Whatever colors feed your soul just keep calling you back again.  The sweet potato vines in both the margaurite lime green, and the blackie deep purple, are so easy to grow and their colors and vine habits are so perfect for a window box as well as a ground cover.  They are also fool proof for propagation. Just stick any clippings you have in water and they will grown roots easily and be ready for the garden in no time.

The lighter purple to lavender flowering plant in the front is also a vine and is called scaevola. The back area has angelonia, which will get a bit taller, along with the white pentas.  All of these will take lots of sun as long as they are kept watered. This box should last through the rest of summer.

Mostly we have been reworking the front planting beds. Grass suffers drastically down here high temperatures and lack of rain. When we first sodded out there, it rained for 5 or 6 days with no break. Of course that caused a lot of it to die from fungus due to too much water. And that is the cycle we often have to grow with, too much heat - not enough water, then too much water. It can be tough to find plants that will do well with heat, drought and too much water! But we still try to coax the little lovelies to do their best and be a part of our garden.

See Y'All Soon~
Donna

~ Rocking the Paint Brush & Another Flower

A friend asked me to show her how to make a flower like the previous one here, only in a two tone look. It's very simple. You begin

~ Happy Valentine's Day

Mercury Glass Hearts, Antique Skeleton Keys ......

and a lovely Rose.

Happy Valentine's Day!

May all the Love
You give~
Be given to You
many times over.

See Y'All Soon~
Donna

~ Valentine's Day Mantel Decorated

This year the mantel is decorated for Valentine's Day with some of my art that I have used before, but this year I enlarged it to about 19 inch tall to fit in a frame that I just refinished. I took pictures of the frame before, and some step by step pictures to show you soon. It was an ugly worn out frame that most people might have put in the dumpster. Fortunately someone thought it was worthy of a place in a little antique - junk shop and there it waited I guess just for a person like me who looks for the old and unloved junk waiting for a new life. I love the way it turned out.

The frame was painted with Annie Sloan Chalk paint

~ Fabric Flowers

A little sneak peek at the pillow I'm working on. I wanted something for Valentine's Day, and thought I would use traditional red. But just like Christmastime, I wasn't quite in the mood for really having red in my more neutral color scheme. So instead, the flowers, the pillow and the rest of the decorations will be in the greige, taupe and white colors.

These flowers are made from a thick unbleached cotton, with the edges frayed some, and old lace, with a white felt flower and leaves. The combination is subtle in color and textures.

Just a little sneak peek while I get some photos taken and ready to post.

See Y'All Soon~
Donna

~ Thinking of Weekend Projects & Some Relaxing

As I'm thinking about a little decorating for Valentine's Day, I remembered a post about a beautiful set of dishes that now belong to my Sweet Daughter. So here is a little repeat of that one for you.

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Most of my “old” blog friends have heard the story of how I turned down this beautiful set of red transferware dishes that had belonged to my husband’s grandmother. Not once or twice, but a few more than that. It was quite a while ago. No one in their family wanted them so we were given a chance to have them. Sometime later the set was offered to Sweet Daughter, years before she had her own home, and she happily accepted them. A few years after that, I was sorry I had turned them down. They are so pretty, so vintage, and so charming.

Johnson Bros. England, English Chippendale

I kept them for safekeeping for a several years and used them just like I owned them. By now I had come to appreciate them much better. So I thought maybe Sweet Daughter would forget about them or decide she didn't want some "old lady" dishes from so long ago. But when she bought her first home, she was quick to take some of the dishes to their new home. I still got to keep some. When she recently had a party, she needed a lot of dishes and the red transferware was called into duty.

It was rather interesting how many of the ladies oohed and aahed over those dishes. A few of them had been collecting the same dishes as well. But what they all loved best was the fact that the dishes had traveled through time and family. They had belonged to Sweet Daughter’s great grandmother and that was special to others. It’s a treasure whether you knew the relative or not to have a continuation of your family in your home.

Usually I bring out these lovely old dishes because the red is so perfect on Valentine's Day. This year I'll miss them except for the very few pieces I still have. Lesson learned.

~ See Y’all Soon ~

Donna

~ Celebrating Wisdom & Magic ~ Epiphany

This day is always more like the true beginning of the new year for me. It's the last day of celebrating the Christmas season, and we have a tradition of having one last special meal together, although it is a peasant meal for sure.

I have no better words than the ones I have shared before.......................

What better time than Winter to look within and seek Wisdom? It's a natural instinct to slow down. Although we don't hibernate, it sure seems like everything around us, and within us, tells us to live more slowly and quietly. Some people are almost afraid of silence, but I love it. Not as much as the sound of the ocean or the song of a loved one's voice, but the stillness is beautiful. Of course long term as some monks and nuns have lived would be a bit too much for me.

The story of the, Magi, men of Magic and Astrology who were priests and followers of Zoroaster, has always intrigued me. They had to travel over 1,000 miles from Persia (Iraq, today) to come see this new person predicted by their stars. There is no known number of the priestly visitors, although we often think of only 3 because of the three gifts that are mentioned in the story. It is the the symbolism of the visitors and the gifts that I like to celebrate each year , which are the reminder to seek Wisdom, and to treasure Gifts of the Heart and Spirit.

We look forward to this special day because it means it is time of French Onion Soup! Since we don't eat red meats, I make it with chicken broth instead. I'm sure it's lighter tasting but after all these years it taste perfect to us. It is a simple peasant meal of soup, French Bread and fruit salad. There's always something chocolate, too. This year homemade gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookie dough is the fridge waiting to be baked up fresh!

Wish You a New Year
of
Magic & Goodness
&
Wisdom

Donna

~ Peace On Earth ~ Merry Christmas

~Let there be Peace on Earth~

From our home
to yours,
Merry Christmas
Donna