Images from My Cottage

Storm clouds over my balcony on Sunday at dusk. Moments after I took this photo, the heavens opened up and it started pouring.

The grape hyacinths are blooming and I adore the deep vivid blue color of this sweet spring flowering bulb.

This clump of jonquils is bigger than ever this year. I did everything in the book to them after they bloomed last season to ensure a splashy return and it worked. They are planted in a raised bed outside my mom's bedroom on the lower level of my cottage where she had her own quarters. She had to give up her condo in Charlotte after turning in her driver's license due to her diminishing eyesight. I actually bought my cottage with this living arrangement in mind. We had such fun furnishing the whole lower floor together with treasures from consignment shops and yard sales. She still missed her independence but adjusted to having me be her eyes. I can remember when she planted these bulbs that have numerous blooms in the clump to remind me of the 10 years we had here in my cottage.

The wild violets are back in my front yard. I love them and leave them alone by not mowing my grass for as long as I can hold off.

I have posted all of these photos on Instagram so many of you have already seen them. xo

English Storybook Cottage + Floor Plan

I would be thrilled to see someone build this charming English cottage near me. Could you even find the craftsmen to take the time necessary to pull it off? Masons today aren't often even given the opportunity to construct real chimneys like this or real stucco on the home's exterior. It upsets me no end to see a wooden box go up instead and stone or brick veneer applied later. Why are forever homes becoming a thing of the past? Click here to enlarge.

Broadway Tower Folly: Cotswolds UK

Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower lies prominently on top of a hill close to, and overlooking, the village of Broadway in Worcestershire. It was built for the 6th Earl of Coventry as a folly on his Springhill Estate, and was completed in 1799. The Tower is in the shape of a castle. It is 65 feet tall and its top (at 1089 feet above sea level) is said to be the highest point in the Cotswolds.

As with so many follies or curiosities, more than one reason has been given for its creation. The most likely is that it was used long ago as a signaling beacon since it was visible both from Springhill and also from Croome Court, another family estate some 20 miles away near Worcester.

In later years Broadway Tower was used as a holiday home. One occupant was William Morris, relatively well known (amongst other achievements) for designing fashionable wallpaper - some of which can be seen inside the Tower today.

Broadway was the first town in the Cotswolds I visited back in the early 1970s. The Broadway Tower was closed and I did not get to go inside. Now I want to go back and see the wallpaper!!!

Photo by Richard on Flickr found here

Home Office Under the Stairs

This dear little home office under the stairs is well thought out and I could sit there happily to pay bills. I would, however, need a handrail for those beautiful white twisty stairs. Even a fat rope tight to the wall like you see on boats would be fine. Safety first! Have a wonderful weekend. xo 

via

Reading Nook Under the Stairs

This is so much better than a closet under the stairs, right? via

Flower Girl

I simply adore this garden woman.

“The Gardener” 2002 Poster Art Print by Lizzie Riches

Plants On My Balcony

I repotted my ancient red geranium and divided it too.

This geranium is light pink and has buds.

Three more baby geraniums on the bottom shelf of this corner plant stand. It's missing a foot on the right side but it is still very stable. This flaw resulted in a bargain price at a garage sale!

Rosemary plants. The big one in the center is the mother of the others.

Yesterday at sunrise. I love long morning shadows.

Today, it's pouring rain. I brought them all inside last night and I can tell they are eager to go outside again. Maybe tomorrow -- baby steps. See you later. xo

Roswell Georgia Dream Cottage

New cottage. Looks old.

Kitchen/dining combination.

Wonderful porch.

You will definitely LOVE this wonderful article from Southern Living Magazine about a designer who returned to her hometown to build a new cottage that looks old. Tour it here with LOTS of photos.

"Building a house in your own hometown takes creativity, flexibility, and a little bit of guts. Anna Braund brought all three—plus a clean palette and a respect for local traditions—to her old-meets-new cottage in Roswell, Georgia."

J is for Jasmine

The Jasmine Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker via

In heat of summer days

With sunshine all ablaze,

Here, here are cool green bowers,

Starry with Jasmine flowers;

Sweet-scented, like a dream

Of Fairyland they seem.

And when the long hot day

At length has worn away,

And twilight deepens, till

The darkness comes—then, still,

The glimmering Jasmine white

Gives fragrance to the night.

Since their first publication in 1923, Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies have enchanted both adults and children alike around the world. The botanically accurate drawings in the 170 original illustrations, coupled with the enchanting fairy images based on real children from Cicely's sister's nursery school still endure.

House Plants Outside on Work Table

I found this primitive old work table on the side of the road quite late on the last day of the town's junk days for residents. I have had it for a couple of years or more. The top had some kind of covering and a million rusty nails. I honestly didn't know the front stretcher was in old blue paint too. The paint was what attracted me to it in the first place in a huge pile of discarded items, probably from a barn. Yesterday I removed the composite top and all the rusty nails and scrubbed it down with hot soapy water. I moved some of my house plants outside today and it is starting to get me excited about my balcony again. I washed it down yesterday with a deep cleaning deck wash in a bucket of hot water and swabbed it with a mop. It is looking almost new again in the hot sun this morning. The sun is continuing to bleach the embedded mildew. I shall stop obsessing about it now and maybe concentrate on a little inside cleaning. (Smile)

I adore my roadside finds and feel good about saving this table from the landfill, especially since today is EARTH DAY 2018. Happy Sunday. See you later. xo

Mother Flamingo with Her Chick

-- A long way to grow by Laurie A. Reuben --

I don't think I've ever seen a baby flamingo.

So Cute!!!

Garden Shed / Art Studio

Tiny but powerful and it ticks all the boxes: dutch door, garden tool storage, greenhouse, art studio, cupola, weather vane, roses, and more. Very sweet. via

Rolling Garden Bench in Pea Green

One of my most popular posts ever was on a rolling garden bench I have in one of my out of print English gardening books. See the post here. This one above with the slats is nice too and I like the paint color from England. 

But this rolling bench remains as 'The Garden Bench of My Dreams'.

New Farmhouse Cottage to Love

I love the simplicity of this newly built farmhouse style cottage, don't you? Everybody knows how much I like an exterior photo with all the lights on inside the house. A lot of thought was given to this design and it all works beautifully. Great job!!! via

Vintage Gas Stove in a Kitchen

I always stop to study small kitchens with vintage gas ranges. I could work here happily! via

Big, Beautiful Bathroom

The black and white basketweave floor is my favorite tile. This huge master bath is quite wonderful, isn't it? You don't often see one that has walls with subway tiles up to the ceiling. Just think, these people will never have to paint anything in there except for the ceiling and the current paint might last forever. This classic design is timeless and will last forever too. The large antique bovine print in a black frame must have some personal significance. How very nice! via

Organizing Your Potting Shed

Whether you store your gardening items in its own potting shed or in your garage, as I do, you might get some ideas from this article. The few nice days we had this week sent me into a frenzy of pulling every weed in sight and more. Yesterday, I deep cleaned my Trex balcony floor with my hose on the jet setting to clean out all the fine debris from the cracks. After that I scrub brushed it by hand with a mixture of Dawn and bleach and it looks almost brand new. It was way too early in the season for this task but I wanted to take advantage of an 80° day. I might have to do it once more later but it will be much easier the second time around with just a mop. Have you been killing yourself outside too? 😅

Dutch.Door.Love

A Dutch door is perfect for this tight spot. When the top is open, there is still access to the drawers and cabinet doors and the closed bottom is like a safety gate for kids and animals. I wouldn't mind if all of the doors in my cottage were Dutch doors. via

Beautiful Pink Hollyhocks

Some cheer for a cloudy day. I always stop to admire hollyhocks even though I've never grown them. They are my favorite old-fashioned flower. via

Mary Delany Flower Collage 1776

Narcissus by Mary Delany (1776)

Narcissus Tazetta (Hexan. Monogynia), from an album (Vol.VI, 98); Polyanthus Narcissus. 1776 Collage of coloured papers, with bodycolour and watercolour, on black ink background.

How very lovely!

Mary Delany (née Granville) (14 May 1700 – 15 April 1788) was an English artist, letter-writer, and Bluestocking, equally famous for her "paper-mosaicks" and her lively correspondence. Her biography reads like a fabulous historical novel. Collage source: British Museum

Antique Planter with Tulips

Could anything be pretier? Just look at the size of those trimmed evergreens on either side of the magnificent planter. The size of this copper vessel is amazing and the patina is wonderful. Love this photo!!!via

Screen Door Season

Screen door season is almost here and boy, am I ever ready! via I like this large entrance hall too.

Vineyard Haven MA Dining Nook

‘The Gray Barn Farmhouse in Chilmark'
 Holmes Hole Builders, Vineyard Haven, MA.

I like a sawbuck table next to a window wall. via I love the cupboard wall and the paint color.

Gorgeous London Photo

I wonder how long it took for so many red busses to cross the bridge while composing this gorgeous photo? via

I woke up to snow again this morning but it stopped in fewer than three hours and is melting quickly. I got in two full days of manual labor outside this week. I severely pruned (hacked down) the bushes that were obstructing my view of oncoming cars at the other end of my half-circular drive drive. I have wanted to do this for years and for some reason the mood struck me on Wednesday and Thursday. It felt so good to do some hard work in between snow storms and before the hot weather sets in. I took down some large weed trees too called Trees of Heaven. They spread like wildfire and are an invasive species from China and they grow very tall in one season, thus their name.

Enjoy your Friday. xo

Inga Moore: Animal Interior Design

Badger certainly has a beautiful home. I love illustrations featuring interior design by animals. The Wind in The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustration by Inga Moore via

Round Leaves: Hydrocotyle Verticillata

I love plants with round leaves. via Hydrocotyle verticillata, also known as whorled pennywort, whorled marshpennywort or shield pennywort, is a flowering plant found in South and North America and the West Indies.