Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts

Monday, March 26, 2012

Flowers around the House


While spring pretended to be summer for a few weeks, topiaries wait patiently to go outside for the summer and winter bulbs continue to impress.  The La Paz amaryllis sent up an impressive third stalk towering nearly three feet tall to look at the action outside.


Outside, David Autin roses were fooled into budding.  They didn't hear the forecast for temps in the teens and twenties tonight.


Hollyhocks not willing to wait for raking to be done.



Bergenia (Pig Squeak) blooms are about three to four weeks early.



And peonies make an early appearance to greet the crocus.

At this rate my garden might be done by June.

Linking to Jane's Flowers in the House party today.  Stop in and smell the lilacs.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Confused


Most of the leaves have fallen and we've already had our first snow.



The Christmas trees have arrived at the local garden center.



And my Zephyrine Drouhin rose is blooming?



The nasturtium is putting on a show right near the bittersweet?



One the next street over...


a cherry tree is coming into bloom?


...right next-door to a rose?



And my perennial geranium have started to bloom?



Despite the confusion, I pulled my frostbitten Dahlias to put them away for the winter.




Lavender, which can be a little intolerant to our severe winters...


...gets packed tightly with leaves for insulation.  

It's worked for three years so I don't mess with success.


Amaryllis "Lima"                                         Amaryliis "La Paz"

For the inside, I bought a few different Amaryllis bulbs
that I'll start every few weeks so I can pretend it's spring all winter long.


If Mother Nature can be confused, a few bulbs should work for me.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Transitioning from Summer to Fall


It's time to empty the summer planters to get them ready for fall.  The front faces northeast so it enjoys a few hours of early morning sun.  This year I tried a few Boston ferns for a simple bit of green at the front door.  I've never had luck with Boston ferns in the house but they thrived in the humidity outdoors.


I headed to the garden center thinking I'd get some burgundy mums but when I got there, I couldn't find the color I was looking for.  So I thought I try something a little different.


A grass, purple cabbage and a miniature purple petunia that will tolerate temperatures down to 30 degrees.


The grass is a perennial so as long as I get it in the ground before it freezes, it should be fine.  Under cover of the porch, I also think the petunias will last right up to Thanksgiving.


It's not your typical fall flower pots but I like them.


I'm linking up with Small but Charming's Flower Party.  Check it out here.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Autumn in Maine

Snug Harbor Farm

Here in the city we can pretend it's summer for a few more weeks.   But on Saturday, Carol from Sofas and Sage and I headed up to Maine where fall was definitely in the air.  Carol and I had such fun on our last outing to Cambridge Antiques Market, we made another play date.  I wanted to show her my favorite Maine haunts so we headed up north.


We started at York Antiques where we were gabbing so much we forgot to take any photos.  I think we were anticipating the requisite lobster roll.




We stopped at Withingtons.  That place has some of the most magnificent antiques.



They also have really beautiful lamps which I assume they've made out of old architectural pieces.


Nita, this one's for you!




At Smith-Zukas Antiques, I was enamored with this hardware.



And check out this wooden hat form.  I've never seen one like this before.


We buzzed up to Antiques USA in Arundel, Maine which had so many glass cases my eyes glazed over.    While were there, I saw this guy that looked familiar.  I thought, that looks like that guy that I've seen on TV.  But it seemed so unlikely he'd be at an Antique Market in Maine, I totally discounted it.

As we were leaving, he was right in front of us.  I looked at Carol and the look in her eyes said, isn't that that guy I've seen on TV?  And my eyes said, "Oh, my god, do you think he's that guy too."


Now, I would have left it alone because the last time I saw a celebrity I made a fool of myself.  I was in a  hardware store in Cambridge when I heard an unmistakable voice ask "Can you tell me how to get to Walnut Street?"  It was Julia Child!


I don't think I've ever my mentioned my love for Julia Child but it runs long and deep.  I always dreamed of running in to her so I could debate the best method of making the perfect hollandaise and tell about time I made her cassoulet for Christmas and everyone thought it was "pork and beans."  Oh, we would giggle about that.  And here was my chance.   I ran to the end of the aisle and met her face to face, eye to eye.  We were the same height.

M-m-m-m-m-mrs.  Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ild, I l-l-l-l-l-l-love you.  She smiled, said thank you and out of my life she walked.  No hollandaise.  No cassoulet.  I had ruined what would be my only chance of being Julia's best friend.




photo:  Sandy Poirier and Shag Boston

Carol handled it much better. 

It WAS that guy we had seen on TV.  Steve Santagati, relationship expert, author of The MANual.  He seemed pleasantly surprised that we recognized and graciously stood and talked to us for a bit.  He was looking for a glass doorknob so I gave him directions to Old House Parts.  He asked our names, he shook our hands and off we went.

Let me just say, the dude is REALLY good looking.  No one should be allowed to be that handsome.


On our way over to Snug Harbor Farm we drove past the Wedding Cake House in Kennebunk.




The autumn colors were in full bloom at Snug Harbor Farm.




And finally we stopped at Corey Daniels Gallery where I picked up a big stack of really old Chinese bowls.



They're all a little different and quite primitive.  Each one has a ring of the glaze scraped out of the bottom leaving the the brown clay exposed.  Does anyone know why?  It's not a test; I don't know.  I loved these because they feel like something you would dig up out of a shipwreck.

Anyone craving dumplings?


But this is a test.  I also picked up a pair of these legs.  Not the cat legs; the wooden ones.  Is he a ham or what?


The inner set of legs rotate to make a stand.  The upper part that's a different color has been added.  I'll show next time some of my ideas for these.

Carol was a great partner in crime.  She was much better behaved than me.  She bought a vintage wallpaper seam roller for $1.  I have a feeling we'll be up there again sometime. 



Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Summer?


I'm having a hard time with the fact that summer is almost over.  It doesn't help that this weekend was in the mid-80s and the past few days were in the low 60s.  I almost feel like putting the heat on!




Even my garden is taken off guard.  The morning glory are just starting to bloom.




The zinnias are just starting.




And my nasturtium have yet to bloom.  A cold June, and a hot and dry July really got everything off to a late start.   





A friend visited for the long weekend and helped me finish a few projects.  I've really been at a standstill with the spool bed since getting its new dark brown finish on.  I wanted the finished bed to be sofa height so using a box spring and mattress would have been too high.





So I've adapted it with a few cross braces that have legs.  And then I added 3/4-inch MDF...





....to create a really solid platform for a mattress.  

As with most things in the house, I like them to perform a dual purpose.  This baby is so sturdy, I can remove the mattress to create a stage...




...and reenact River Dance.  

Performances open October 7th with matinees on Sundays.  Reserve tickets now.


Monday, August 15, 2011

Aging Hydrangeas


I recently heard that one of my neighbor's sons did landscaping work.  I don't claim to know much, if anything, about landscaping but I've always like to tinker and experiment with gardening.  But I thought I might a throw little work his way and asked him to clean up my front yard and replace the small holly bushes that had been broken by the mountain of snow last winter with some hydrangeas.



We discussed Limelight, Little Lime...




...Little Lamb and Annabelle as possibilities. 




I came home to find blue Endless Summer.




I've never been a fan of blue hydrangea for some reason.   I think they look wonderful en masse against the weathered gray shingles of an oceanfront house, but I think the true blue color seems out of place when mixed in a garden of other colors.

But maybe I'm changing my mind.

 

The intense blue is softening to pale greens and lavender.


 

Pale green with a blush of pink.  I think this one is simply amazing!




Just like you, they're getting more beautiful with age!



And they're a welcome visitor inside the house as well.