Through My Garden Gate

Welcome! Please step through the arbor gate and come join me in some much needed Spring clean up! Note the trumpet vine, blooms opening but many were zapped by the three night freeze last weekend. You can just see the climbing rose starting on the left side and it will eventually climb the arbor. Cut it back each year because it grows so much. It's a rather odd pinkish red shade so luckily the orange trumpet vine has usually finished blooming by the time the roses are out - a bit of a clash of hot color there! Oh well, in a cottage garden everything Nature provides for our eyes to feast on is gorgeous. I keep fairy lights on year round - like to see them sparkling as I drive up in the dark.

Directly back from the arbor is "Jasmin Cottage" my potting shed, built about 8 years ago. I painted it sage green with purple shutters. Stencilled a "rug" of roses and grape vines, hung a chandelier and just made it a fun place to pot, paint, and putter.

I'll be adding some new fun things to the garden this coming week - I went a bit crazy at SuzAnna's Antiques yesterday - the big items should be delivered tomorrow. I took all these pics today before the storms arrive!

The back garden is quite pretty now - trees have leafed out, azaleas still blooming despite the cold snap, and perennials such as Hosta, Solomon's Seal, Lilies, are really coming along fast.

You can't see it but I have a Wisteria on the right side of this arbor. It was a tiny plant in a pot from a now deceased dear friend's garden. I planted it in the ground and have been tending it and loving it for four years - at long last it's growing and I will be training it to grow on the arbor.

The major job today was to clean the gazebo and deck of the heavy pollen - it's been really bad this Spring. DH helped - we moved out the dining furniture, hosed everything including the screens. It was so clean and shiny we decided to grill out and enjoyed dinner in the gazebo. The birds were our musical entertainment - singing constantly as they came to the feeders for their supper. Discovered a Chickadee nest in the white bird box on the back fence - several tiny speckled eggs with babies just hatching! Also a Wren's nest in a flower pot in the window box on the potting shed - no eggs in that one yet.

In case it's not obvious, I just love my Victorian style gazebo. Last Summer we built a new extended deck and added the totally screened gazebo so that I can eat outside during mosquito season - I'm so allergic to those nasty flying meanies, they make my life miserable! It's large enough for a round table and four chairs, there is a ceiling fan and light with a dimmer. Extra outlets allow for a heater and fairy lights - at Christmas we had a tree and hung big paper stars - very pretty. Now the weather is pleasant you will find me out here for morning coffee, afternoon tea, and often supper, and it's the best place for paging through those decorating and gardening mags. and reading a good book!
Hope everyone is having a good weekend - I know the weather is very bad for some of you - we are due storms tonight. Stay safe dear friends.