My Cottage Photographed from Way Back

My cottage from the back 40 showing all the natural landscaping since I haven't mowed this section in about 3 years. I still mow my walking path though. I posted this on Instagram several days ago. My dry spell is over and everything is as green as can be and the wild raspberries will be ripe soon. Happy summer. xo

Hello July. Pool + Garden in Normandy

I am blown away by this wonderful place to swim in Normandy France. I love the natural tall grasses planted as a hedge around the wooden decking. This is where we shall have our virtual swim this week to welcome in July and July 4th. via

Cozy Cat in A Box

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This photo makes me so sleepy. Good night to all. xo

Blackberries in a Basket

My mother and I used to love to go blackberry picking. We knew a huge patch where you could stand in one spot and pick enough for a pie. Sadly, it has been developed and the blackberries are gone. Sob. via

Best Pool

Time for a virtual swim and this is the pool I have chosen for mine. via

Swan Lake: A Terrier in Paris

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I'm assuming this is somewhere in Paris. The little dog seems very calm, doesn't he?

P E R F E C T I O N

If this isn't perfection, I don't know what is!

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Have a great weekend!

Beautiful Entrance

This door surround is stunning. I love looking at architectural details and wish I could see more. Have a great weekend. xo via

Sheep Admiring the Poppies

I guess you know why I liked this photo, right? via

Happy Bunny with Vegetables

What a wonderful garden and a pet rabbit too! via

Lacecap Hydrangea and a Poppy Pod

I took this photo late in the evening last night before putting the house to bed. My lacecap hydrangea is covered in beautiful blossoms after a dubious beginning. As you can see from the burned leaf edges, it suffered twice from killing frosts in March. This woody shrub blooms on last years growth so I didn't cut anything back and I am glad I didn't. I shall cut it back quite severely after the blooms die off this year and give it plenty of time to put out new growth for next year's flowers.

I will harvest this seed pod soon to encourage more blooms on my poppies. I already have quite a few for planting in the fall or early spring. These flowers are giving me great pleasure every time I look out any of my rear windows. They are responding to my nurturing too.

Old House Random Photos

You all know I love a good painted floor and this round rag rug is no exception.

Same room showing the decorative painting on the woodwork.

Is there no balm in Gilead?

Custom Adirondack chair reflecting the owner's love of dogs and a life well lived raising and training them. I do love seeing old houses that were never "modernized" in an attempt to keep up with trends. I listened carefully to the comments from the public about the things they would do and I hated all of their suggestions but said nothing. I took customers but stayed behind after they left to take my time and will go back again next week for the broker open house. xo

Borzoi Father's Day

If dogs celebrated Father's Day, this would be a happy day in this Borzoi household. They are also knows as Russian Wolfhounds. It's a wonderful family portrait, isn't it? via And a great article about this breed here.

Rogue Poppy and Raindrops

We had a nice overnight rain and I have a rogue poppy with an all yellow center. I'm not complaining but I was a little surprised since all the other centers are black. We shall see if blonds have more fun.

My Lady's Mantle was very happy this morning after capturing so many raindrops from the overnight showers. It is drought tolerant but was looking a little puny as it always does after showing off so in the spring. It is prized more for its leaves than for its flowers. Have a great weekend. xo

Happy Friday

Yesterday afternoon in my poppy patch.

Here is the same flower showing the beautiful black center in portrait mode. I'll try to find something else to post today besides poppies! See you later. xo

Illustrated Quote by Khalil Gibran

I love to go outside in the morning in my bare feet to look at what happened overnight in my garden. Windy days are a favorite too as long as they aren't the dangerous kind. via

Another favorite quote of mine along these lines is:
“The best fertilizer for a piece of land is the footprints of its owner.”

Lyndon B. Johnson

I can honestly say that my footprints are on nearly every inch of my land.

Coreopsis grandiflora 'SunKiss'

This clump of coreopsis or tickseed survived its first winter because it was planted in the ground. I lost several that were planted in outdoor containers. I transplanted it from the front to the back very early in the spring and it has taken off.

Here is a wider view of my 4 poppies that bloomed yesterday and there were no additional blooms this morning.

I have tons of buds and am looking forward to seeing them open. I have done some research about the seeds I planted and have learned I did everything wrong. I had already transplanted daffodils and covered the newly dug patch with wood chips before I got the idea to plant my poppy seeds. It was a very laborious process pulling away the wood chips with a chopstick and dropping in a pinch of the tiny seeds and covering them up. I repeated this process over and over to cover the entire area. Now mind you, the daffodils were going to emerge first leaving the seeds under the foliage of the bulbs. You are supposed to plant the seeds and barely cover with almost no soil so they can get sunlight in order to germinate. They also need cold for germination and I did that part correctly. Was this beginner's luck or is there more than one way to plant these annual seeds that will reseed and keep coming back? I can't imagine doing it any other way and I didn't thin them either. I will let some of the pods go to seeds and save them for next year. xo

Poppies in Bloom at My Cottage

An overnight miracle.

Four poppies bloomed.

This one befriended the giant mullein.

I am happy beyond words.

Garden Update at My Cottage

The Giant Mullein is living up to its name.

Here it is shortly after I first transplanted it where it had self-seeded next to the foundation of my cottage.

The tangle of poppies haven't bloomed yet but they should be opening soon. The clouds are pretty today.

I haven't missed a day deadheading the gazanias (African daisies) and it has paid off. I am glad they are planted in containers so I don't have to get down on my knees to do the clipping/pinching.

The past several days have been so cool, breezy and pleasant for working outside. xo

Old Teddy Bear Posing for Me

This is one of the first photos I took while trying to master portrait mode on my latest iPhone. I posted this on Instagram this week too and it was well received. I didn't notice that his left ear was turned back but maybe it adds to the charm. At least it's not chewed off like a companion bear's that sits beside this one in an antique child's chair. Webster was responsible for that mishap. Anyway, I hardly ever use my big 35mm camera because it doesn't fit in my pocket. Smile☺

I was asked on Instagram if this jointed teddy bear was mine as a child. Sadly, it wasn't. I picked it up at a garage sale or estate sale long ago in a pile of modern toys for a song. It is a lovely cool Saturday here at the cottage and I have already been weeding for an hour or so. Enjoy the weekend.

My Poppies in Bud Stage

I planted the seeds for these red poppies on a mild day in March when lockdown first began. I had just transplanted my mother's daffodils in a spot that was visible from my kitchen window. It dawned on me that I would have to look at their withering yellow foliage after the daffs stopped blooming. I decided to plant these poppies to take over where the daffodils left off and it worked beyond my wildest hopes. The seed packet was over a year old and I had no idea whether or not the seeds would germinate. Poppy seeds need cold before they can grow and fall is the best time to sow the seeds. We had plenty of cold weather in April and May so my late sowing was successful. Will post more pics when I get blooms.

Enjoy the upcoming weekend. xo

Stunning Flower Photography

There are no words for the beauty of this yellow poppy. via

The Most Beautiful Secret Garden

Oh my goodness, such beauty should not be hidden. If you lived here, wouldn't you want to look out the windows of this charming cottage to see these gardens? Or would you prefer to have it as a hidden garden, behind the hedge? via

Cats and Books

I found this new cat poster on Instagram yesterday and thought the cat looked familiar.

Look closely. It's the same cat. I posted this one on my blog back in May 2017 snd it has been reposted on Pinterest again and again. This expressive artwork by an unknown artist is perfect for so many quotes, isn't it? xo

William Morris Floral Wallpaper

William Morris and Co. via

Red Gazania Unfurling Sunday Morning

In case you are tired of Peonies, I will share another African Daisy that was showing off in my front garden this morning. I love watching the petals as they unfurl. They are such fun flowers! Have a great Sunday. xo