Sometimes hire a professional.....

They arrived early one morning, the professional crew who would build 'the great wall'. Actually it's a small wall but what a difference it makes in the front garden. This bed running along one side has always been a problem. While trying to keep the earth from eroding on the slope, it spent several years buried in ivy that eventually climbed the huge double trunked oak - and required professional removal! We then edged it with bricks, packed it with mulch, planted it with edging creeping and crawling plants. Nothing would keep it in place and looking attractive so a wall was the only answer.

The wall last evening as the thunder boomed and the rain came down.

Above and below, views of the wall constructed of Belgard stone topped with stepped capstones - comfortable enough to sit on if the party moves to the front garden!

Now the bed is contained and mulched I'm adding more plants - think they'll do well here and hopefully a few edging plants will eventually creep over the top for a true cottage look.

Mountains to Molehills

Whew, that was a job...............and he was my salvation! Thanks dh for working side by side for almost two entire days as we spread the ten cubic yards of cypress chips! That old wheel barrow was filled so many times we lost count. Here you can see just a small portion of the mountain dumped on the driveway Friday morning. As dh loaded and transported, I raked and smoothed. Luckily my recently healed shoulder didn't hurt from all the raking. Have to admit the old back needed some TLC by Sat. night.............and yesterday afternoon I relaxed in a massage chair while a sweet lady gave me a fabulous pedicure.

Well, I am worth it, aren't I?

This huge amount of lovely golden clean wood chips covered our entire back and side garden areas - nice to walk on and makes the grass, shrubs and beds look good too.

Even had enough to go around the potting shed..........................

........................and the benches where I like to stop and sit a while when watching the birds and squirrels.
Here's dh putting the last load around the arbor. The wisteria is at last growing - but no flowers yet even though this is the 4th year.


Yeah! - it was hard work but well worth it..........................this is me snapping the very last of the mountain.

Later I'll show you what went on in the front garden last week - we left that job to professionals!

Sorry I'm Late Mother.....

Today I'm dressing up - my son is taking me to a belated Mother's Day brunch at a very nice restaurant. Hopefully the crowds will be smaller, the decibels lower, the fish fresher, and I can enjoy a conversation with my 'boy'.

Beautiful Victorian framed print at SuzAnna's Antiques.

Pretty in cream, white, yellow, green....and of course pink!

My visit to SuzAnna's Antiques this week was so much fun. I met up with Vanessa who found me via my blog and said she would like to treasure hunt too!

Vanessa is originally from Brazil, a beautiful, charming young woman. She brought her sweet little girl Luna along. The three of us had a great time with Luna ending up with a cute child size chair and table to use on their patio.

Afterwards, they came home with me for tea and while I showed Vanessa around the cottage and garden, dh entertained Luna...............he's great with little girls and even dug out our granddaughter's stuffed animals for her to cuddle.

~~~ Some treasures spied at SuzAnna's this week~~~

Sam's Country Porch is next door to SuzAnna's.

This birdhouse came home with me - couldn't resist it with that vintage book used for the roof!

First attempt at this post I added more descriptions however it will not post and I lost it!

This time you just get the pics and must guess what I said about all these pretties.

Thursday evening I'll return for SuzAnna's ribbon cutting party to celebrate the new addition to the shop - sounds like a fun time.

....and the winner is..............

We were up bright and early this morning...........things were happening around the cottage which was washed with heavy rain last night. The garden looks fresh and shiny clean, the plants and shrubs have gulped down gallons of the 'good stuff' that only comes in the form of Nature's own elixir, water from the heavens!

But on to the fun stuff as promised................as dh sipped his big morning mug of coffee, and our granddaughter Jasmin woofed down oatmeal and waffles (she spent the night here), I presented my trusty garden hat filled with the names of those of you who entered the giveaway to celebrate my 300th post. Jasmin of course got to do the honors.

Drum roll please...........and the winner of this neat book is JANET at Housepeepers . If you don't know Janet be sure to visit her, she will have you laughing instantly!

Congratulations Janet - please e-mail me with your mailing address (and full name) - I'll get the book in the post next week.

After all that excitement, a huge truck arrived bearing the ten - yes 10 - cubic yards of cypress playground chips we'd ordered. They promised "the small truck" because we have trees overhanging the driveway and we dislike the free trimming a big truck does. Guess someone goofed there! Anyway, they were unloaded at the top of the driveway and the guy drove off with twigs and leaves waving from his truck - only one rather large branch was broken off thank goodness. Here's Jasmin getting ready to leave for school - you can see just a small portion of the chips.........................so guess what dh and I are doing now? More on that later.



Many thanks for taking time to enter the giveaway and for leaving your very kind comments. I enjoy sharing many aspects of my life with each of you. I hope to keep my blog interesting so you will return often - that way I, in turn, get to visit with you in so many exciting and beautiful places around the world.

Painted Beauties

Time for a little decorative dreaming as Spring cleaning progresses. Although I somewhat dislike the actual cleaning part (believe me it gets more painful and tedious as one ages!) I love to dream about pieces of furniture I might enjoy having move into my home. Luck has it that with a small cottage size house there is no more room for additional furniture. The only way is to replace a piece already here!

"Meubles peints ~ un style reviste"
"Painted furniture - revisiting a style"

According to recent issues of French decorating magazines - I sometimes treat myself to one now and then because they are always beautiful - painted furniture is regaining popularity in France. On this page I found the delicate toile effect on this painted chest really elegant. It would be perfect with my sofa fabric and toile pillows.

Below is another one, similar in color, less formal, can imagine it in a cottage home and would be perfect with these lovely roses I received for Mother's Day.

Love, love this one - the shape, the corners, artwork, colors and...........

..............can you believe this one below is actually mine, purchased several years ago for my dining room. I wanted to 'bring the outdoors in' as the large window looks out onto the front porch. I've found it to be such a great storage piece - guess it's now quite stylish according to the French!

Would love to see any painted beauties you enjoy in your home!

Celebrating Three Hundred Posts!

ometimes, when I come across something I really love, I like to buy two, one to keep and the other to give to a special person. Here is one of those little finds worth sharing. This wonderful book, written and beautifully illustrated by Abbie Zabar, allows one to share an entire gardening year on her New York city rooftop. She proves one doesn't always need acreage to grow a garden. Abbie also shares wonderful quotations, written in her own handwriting. This is a little gem both for dedicated gardeners and for lovers of gentle books and charming art.

This book can come to sit on your bookshelf or bedside table. Or, it can be gently tossed on the wicker chair or porch swing, ready to be picked up and a few pages read as you enjoy a cool drink on a hot, lazy Summer's day. To celebrate my three hundredth blog post, and the joy of knowing many of you for well over a year, I would love to read a comment from each of you, toss your name in my Spring gardening hat, then draw a winner.

Leave your comment on this post only please by this Thursday evening. I'll have dh pick a name on Friday morning.........he enjoys that part!

"As for rosemarie, I lette it runne all over my garden walls, not onlie because my bees love it, but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friends.

......................Thomas More, English Statesman, 16th. Century