Potting Sink and Antique Architectural Salvage

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This piece of antique architectural salvage is in the garden under my balcony outside my mother's patio. It came from a local house where I bought it. The man said his dad removed it from an old building in Newark NJ that was being demolished. It was a roof element on one of the dormers. I love the form and the original surface.

Gardening Wallpaper, Dahlias + An Owl

I photographed this delightful gardening wallpaper when life was normal in the powder room during a broker open house.

This is a screenshot from Instagram @mccormickcharlie one of my favorites. Of course, he lives in England and raises award-winning dahlias on his property, a Manse alongside a beautiful country church.

Have you ever seen a more determined owl. He's definitely on a mission. This is also a screenshot from Instagram @animalswilder

Garden #2 and SOME GOOD NEWS

Looking left inside red circle is the first garden I put in over the winter on mild days. The daffodils from my mother's garden are in bud and should be blooming soon. I am excited about the red poppies later too. Wish me luck. The daffodils that are completely dried up and crispy on my windowsill came from the garden on the right. 

I'm not sure how I found SGN (SOME GOOD NEWS) on youtube, but I did and it is very enjoyable.

Click here to watch if you cannot see the video above. I love John Krasinski and look forward to watching all the episodes I have missed.

Sunday Morning Views at My Cottage and a Mask

A rarely shared corner of my living room this morning. That glow in my bookcase door is a Himalayan Salt Lamp. I leave it burning 24/7 with a 25W bulb inside. I have one in the basement too. I didn't even know what they were when I purchased them at the Annual Firehouse Sale last September. My friend knew immediately and she has one in almost every room in her house. She told me they helped purify the air and a lot of other things too. The one thing I have noticed is increased concentration. It could be all folklore but maybe not. I like the nice glow, so why not?
The one I have with a dimmer is available from Bed Bath and Beyond for $24.99. I leave mine on all the time and it makes a great night light. (Good luck, Penny.) 

I found this image on Instagram. It is probably photoshopped but maybe not. Masks were common in the Elizabethan era to help keep out the noxious odors everywhere. This one is quite beautiful.

I made a new garden I can see out my kitchen window. There is another new one to the left near the bluebird house to be photographed later. I had the antique sundial already and the base is something I have had for a long time but wasn't using. It is perfect among the snowdrops and daffodils transplanted from different locations on my property. This was a fun project that started very early in February during the mild winter days. It sort of evolved with no plan. I just started out wanting to see my mother's daffodil clump near the house that I couldn't see without physically going outdoors. I planted them near the birdhouse and also planted a year-old packet of red poppy seeds, Papaver rhoeas. That was certainly a challenge, like planting ground black pepper, only finer. It took me forever to space them out a pinch at a time and I'm happy to report they have sprouted and I am beyond thrilled. Nothing is blooming there currently since the snowdrops have stopped but will post when something springs forth. Stay inside and be safe. xo

Miniature Daffodils on Sunday

Last spring I went to a Broker Open House and the realtor was giving out pots of miniature daffodils instead of having a luncheon for the agents. I rushed home and divided the pot into three clumps and they are such a source of joy in these trying times.

They are planted near my hellebore.

I am still overjoyed with having this hellebore in my front garden. The window in my pantry where my laptop lives, overlooks this area behind my birdbath and I can see it from my living room too.

This intense shade of yellow is stunning.

My front yard photographed in the late afternoon yesterday. The governor officially closed down New Jersey last night to all non-essential travel and we are to stay home in order to prevent further spread of Covid-19. Stay put and be safe. I will continue to checkin and post frequently. xo

Snowdrops are So Delightful

This photo doesn't begin to capture the true beauty of a clump of snowdrops along my walk and almost against the foundation at my front door but it will have to suffice. I moved a few more clumps I found in the woods to different locations in the front and back yards. I cannot ever remember doing so much gardening so early in the year and I'm loving it. Hooray for mild winters. All of my snowdrops are the result of just a few clumps I brought from my last house. They are trouble free and they multiply like crazy. The bulbs are very tiny and it is hard to weed around them later in the year without pulling up a few so I try to dump the weeds in certain spots in the woods so I can dig them up again a few years later after the clumps become sizable.

Take care, try to stay healthy, and wash your hands often. The only thing I have stocked up on so far is Bathroom Tissue. I went to Costco yesterday and there was none...the shelves were bare. I went immediately to Wegmans and got what I needed and then some to store away. It's my favorite brand anyway. No panic buying there....yet. xo

My First Hellebore Plant

I had a hard time picking out the perfect first Hellebore and here she is. I put her in the ground right away and topped the soil off with a fresh bucket of wood chips. It rained lightly overnight and I am thrilled with my new shade-loving perennial. The flowers are beautiful when there is nothing else in bloom except the snowdrops. We shall see when they bloom next year. They are also called Lenten Roses and this one is called Glenda's Gloss (Helleborus x 'Glenda's Gloss' PPAF)

I have been transplanting a huge grove of snowdrops I found in my woods where I used to dump my weeds. There is always a bulb or two in the mix and they multiply like wildfire. It's nice to have another flower in the garden before the daffodils are in bloom. 

Dog Topiary in London

Love this. I saw it on Instagram and just had to post it. One of the comments said she saw this dog topiary in Islington London. It is simply wonderful, isn't it? This post is short but sweet. I had an 8:30 annual eye exam this morning and my pupils are still huge from being dilated. Have a great Friday. xo

Kitchen Garden Near My Cottage

I photographed this raised bed kitchen garden all ready for planting on Thursday at a Broker Open House up the street from my cottage. There was a huge fenced garden with raised beds on the other side of the house too. I love the design of this one. It looks just right for herbs and vegetables. I will keep going back to see if anything gets planted since the gorgeous home is now for sale. I love the doggie door too that opens into a mudroom off the kitchen.

Perfect Greenhouse + An Appalachian Cottage

Dream on. 

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Cottage in Appalachia.

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I took a road trip in Baby Shark this morning to the Department of Motor Vehicles to return my old license plates and it was wonderful. I left around 10:00 and there wasn't much traffic. It is a trip I usually dread but it was painless in my new car. I am still learning things about it. I didn't even turn on the radio because I wanted total concentration. I was familiar with the route so it went very smoothly. I love the way my Honda handles and we are becoming fast friends.

xo

Wonderful Greenhouse Interior

I love every detail of what I can see of the interior of this greenhouse. The door is especially beautiful. via Click photo to enlarge and swoon.

My Snowdrops are Starting

I took this photo on Saturday and was shocked to see a large clump of snowdrops emerging. They usually don't start until February. There is a lot of very cold weather coming and I hope they can withstand it. They are such dear little things and unusually hardy too. Fingers crossed. xo

Small Garden w/ Greenhouse + Washing Maching Update

This small but mighty garden is so special. There is something to oooh and ahhh over everywhere you rest your eyes. I cannot believe there is even a sizable greenhouse behind the dahlias. A tall wooden privacy fence, assorted picket fences, pea gravel paths, raised beds herbs, flowers, lawn brick patio, etc. Too many amenities to list! Swoon. Found here.

Washing Machine Update: I washed two woolen sweaters by hand in the kitchen sink this morning. It was quick work and I folded them somewhat and took them downstairs to my laundry room and put them soaking wet in my new Maytag washer. I set the dial to "drain and spin" and walked away. I was very pleased at how nearly dry they were. I always take my window screens out for the winter because they block so much light. I put a screen atop each of two wooden drying racks in my furnace room and put a terry towel atop each one. I took a while to arrange them and reblock them somewhat and to pat and shake out the wrinkles.  I went back downstairs after a couple of hours and they had already begun to dry. I shook each one and turned them over. I was afraid to use the handwash cycle but am quite pleased with hand washing them myself. If you try this make sure you have two or more items for balance in the spin cycle rather than just one.

The Garden Path by Frits Thaulow

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Frits Thaulow (Norwegian, 1847-1906), A Garden Path. Oil on canvas. This artist is new to me and I adore this painting. Click to enlarge.

Fall Garden Crops

I love every single food on this chart. Fall is so exciting on so many levels. via

Wicker Baskets for Plants

These wicker baskets look wonderful on either side of the front door. Maybe they are having a party! They look very festive, con't they?

Rowena Cade: Reading Chair

I blogged about this photo in 2012. It's much more meaningful since I learned all about this remarkable woman in an episode of Penelope Keith's Hidden Villages on PBS. Read more here. I love her hair and her outfit from head to toe. I am rather certain this was not staged but a chance photo by someone catching her unaware. She was such a hard worker and a real artist in cement and stone at the open-air amphitheater she created in Cornwall. Numerous links here.

Daffodil Cottage

Garden Goals. via

Tomato Pie Recipe : Looks Delicious

photo by Black Sheep Kitchen

Do you have Beefsteak and a variety of heirloom tomatoes in your garden? If not, when fresh homegrown tomatoes appear at the farmer's market, pick up a few and make this delicious looking tomato pie. You can make one large pie or divide up the dough and make individual ones. One large pie would be my choice. The right hand side of the pie above is multicolored heirloom tomatoes. I like the flavor of these ugly tomatoes best. YUM. I would be tempted to add some corn off the cob too. Tomatoes are the best part of summer food. xo You can Google the recipe: Tomato Pie Garden and Gun

Limelight Hydrangea Cutting Rooted in Water

It took a while but my Limelight Hydrangea experiment is working. A while back I showed you a cutting from my "Mother" Limelight that I pushed into the ground when I pruned her in the fall several years ago and the cutting rooted itself and is now a baby shrub. I took a cutting from the baby and put it in water at my kitchen sink and I got my first little roots this week. Plant propagating is another form of thrift and you know how much I love getting something for nothing. It takes patience and luckily I have plenty of that. I need to plant the two containers of lavender in the background that are full of roots.

My grandmother and grandfather purchased their retirement home in Greenville, SC and rented it out for years and years and years before they could actually live there. My grandmother rooted all of her boxwood at her sister's house nearby and they were mature when she transplanted them in their final resting place. I guess she was the one who gave me lessons in patience. She love African violets too and actually bred them on her window sills. 

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. Enjoy your celebrations. xo