First Day for Wearing Mittens

These red berries really pop on an overcast day with no shadows.

Thawing ice in the birdbath. Love the bubbles!

A gathering of river rocks with water, leaves, and ice.

Handle and knot hole on my bunker door.

The dahlia tubers are inside overwintering.

A favorite brown & white transfer plate in the Aesthetic Movement style. I love the animals in the border, especially the dog. I'm getting Missy for a few days late Thursday afternoon. 

Today was the first day that felt like winter. I wore my mittens when I went to the grocery store. I took these photos when I got back around 3:30. I should have gone out early when I got up to take frost photos but I didn't. There will be other opportunities for those on another day.

Last night I finished the last episode of HOPE STREET on BritBox. Luckily Season 2 premiers in a few days because it Season 1 ended with a real cliff hanger. Then I watched Miss Scarlet and the Duke on PBS Video.

That's all for Tuesday with rain on the way. xo

Almost Time to Store The Watering Cans

I caught up on my mowing over the last three days and it felt good to be outside and working hard. September days are so nice and I want to do some more serious weeding in the front and call it done until next spring. The geraniums that are looking so lovely outside will have to be potted for overwintering in the house. Getting things done before gloves and mittens are needed is my goal. I will be watching, with saddness, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II tomorrow on BritBox (on a continuous loop all day) saying a final goodbye.😢 

xo

image source

 

Covered Open Porch with Brick Floor

 

It will soon be time to throw open the front door and welcome in some fresh air and put the houseplants you have been overwintering outside! via

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Old Cement Planter at My Cottage

Cement planter looking very lonesome while awaiting the return of a large geranium overwintering in the cottage. It won't be long now.

This is a screenshot of my Instagram grid showing all of my recent posts.

I took this photo this morning of the periwinkle blooming in my woods. The intense blue color is amazing and very stunning on an overcast day, like this Sunday morning. See you later. xo

My Kitchen Today

I had some good sunlight shining on my farm table after lunch today. I had three pots of rosemary plants overwintering on the counter where my TV used to be but they died from neglect during the Christmas season. Thankfully, I still have a giant plant that is thriving in my pantry. Yesterday I moved some cookbooks to that spot and I'm loving the new look. I had an old wooden bookstand that I could never find a use for -- until yesterday and I'm so glad I didn't donate it. I moved all the cookbooks I reach for first to this location and I'm going to make pumpkin muffins with raisins later today thanks to the new area. Click photo to enlarge.

New year, New look.

First Naturtium Blossom

The few nasturtiums that survived my overwintering project were planted outside a few weeks ago and I already have one blossom. I learned that they still need a lot of watering while overwintering indoors. I lost quite a few in the basement because I didn't go down there often enough to nurture them. Click here to see them in pots inside my cottage.

Here is a photo of the seed packet.

This photo of mine was posted in August 2008 when my blog was brand new and it still gets a lot of attention from my side bar when viewed on a computer. I remember thinking at the time it was awfully early to see any fall color.

I am planning to enjoy a day with no rain today. Fingers crossed. xo

Overwintering Nasturtiums in my Attic

These two small pots of nasturtiums were dug up in the fall and they have continued to thrive in my cool attic all winter long. I never tire of looking at their bright green round leaves on red stems  and am quite amazed at how hardy they are for annuals. They ask for nothing but to be watered when they begin to dry out. I also pick off the yellow leaves. They bloomed for a long time in the fall too. From now on, I'm calling them tender perennials and I'm happy I'll have a couple of plants to put out in the spring instead of having to wait for my seeds to sprout. 

xo, Rosemary @ Content in a Cottage

Plants Wintering Over Downstairs

I brought in the geranium and the flowering nasturtiums over a week ago and they are both very happy downstairs looking out of the sliding glass door that gets the morning sun. I dug up the geranium that was planted in a large metal urn. The nasturtiums were grown from seeds in the center pot while the pot on the far right contains nasturtium plants I dug out of pots in my front garden on Sunday. They are still in recovery mode. I have never tried overwintering annuals but I read online that nasturtiums are a good plant to try. We shall see.

These pots are too large to display anywhere else in my cottage. Every available spot is already taken on my main floor and in the attic with smaller pots of rosemary, thyme, geraniums, lavender, and more nasturtiums. I like indoor gardening and tending plants rather than leaving them outside to freeze and die. They are very beneficial for the indoor air quality too. 

I have been very busy washing all my sweaters and mending tiny holes here and there. I started out washing two by hand in the kitchen sink. Then I noticed for the first time there was a setting for knits on my 15 year old front loading washer. I decided to try it with 4 dark sweaters turned inside out. I was thrilled with the results. My washer spins everything almost dry and the sweaters dried quickly on drying racks in my furnace room. The mending is another story. I'm so glad I have so much thread but none of it is wool. I matched the colors perfectly and took little made-up darning stitches and mended the holes almost invisibly. Nobody else will even notice and I will have a fresh wardrobe of my favorite sweaters looking brand new in a few more days.

I posted these two photos on Instagram this morning. I usually don't blog using the same pics but they will be new to those of you who don't do social media.

xo