Wonderful Garden Design Ideas

Glimpsed through an archway or an open doorway, a well-placed sculpture draws the eye to distant reaches, making a garden feel larger and more mysterious. Above: Photograph by Tony Hisgett via Wikimedia.

As long as you are building a wall, why not add a window? I love this idea! Above: Clematis overhanging a metal grille work window between the tower lawn and the rose garden. Photograph by Jonathan Buckley courtesy of Virago. For more, see Required Reading: Vita Sackville-West’s Sissinghurst.

These were my two favorite photos from the article with many more photos. Have a great weekend and enjoy the last full month of summer. Happy gardening. xo

Delightful English Kitchen

A dog and an AGA cooker, perfect together. Read and see more about this kitchen in a cottage with a thatched roof here. Fawn Interiors’ Design Statement: “Our kitchen project for this thatched cottage (approximate age: 250 years old) had to solve the mix of old, rustic elements with modern appliances and materials. To tie the two together, we commissioned handmade kitchen cabinets in modern colors and mixed these with industrial lighting and fittings.”

Delightful Decorated Chest of Drawers + Another Monarch Caterpillar Video

I love this vintage dresser the owners bought online from a Swedish auction. It has been cleverly covered with Antique botanical prints to increase its charm factor.

O Canada: Mjölk’s Renovated Scandi-Style Cabin on a Lake Click for a delightful tour of this home.

Click HERE to see the video of a sleeping Monarch Caterpillar, a hungry one eating a flower, and a wasp fight.

1829 Mount Fair Farm restoration Charlottesville, VA

I found the article that accompanies yesterday's guest cottage post. The History: The original residence at Mount Fair Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia, was constructed in 1829 as a two and half story Greek Revival home set on 200 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The house stayed in the Brown family until 1930, when the first head of the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia, Edmund S. Campbell, moved in. The property remained relatively untouched in the decades that followed, other than the addition of a kitchen in the 1950s. Interested? Read more and see additional photos (before and after) HERE.

1829 Restored Farm in Virginia

‘Revival’ of an 1829 Virginia farm. Mark Finlay Architects. Mark Finlay photo in Garden and Gun Magazine. I cannot tell you how much I love this! via

The Perfect Beach House

An early house in a seaside setting: what could be better? Did you see the movie "Summer of '42"? This reminds me of that beach cottage. Enjoy August as the last days of summer whiz by. via

Milkweed Plant, Monarch Caterpillar, Limelight Hydrangea

This Limelight hydrangea is three years old and 7 feet tall. WOW. I love it so and it's wonderful to have something showy blooming in August through the fall. The pink flowering plant is a Milkweed that planted itself. The pink flowers are lovely and the leaves are food for the Monarch butterfly caterpillars. I saw my first ones today and took a video. I don't know how to do it on Blogger but it's easy as pie on Instagram. Click here to see my monarch caterpillar video. Click on the arrow in the center of the photo to start the movement. I am so happy I am helping save the Monarchs. Milkweed is their primary food source and it is being eradicated by farmers who consider it a nuisance. Did you know each Monarch lays 500 eggs in one season and only 20 survive? I hope my little plant, in a very protected location, has a better ratio of eggs to butterflies. See you later. xo

The Best Medicine

MADISONSAFERILLUSTRATION: A little warmup sketch.

My Wish for You

I love this calligraphy and its message. via

Nicest Canopy Over Doorway, Ever

This is the best design I have seen for adding some protection from the weather over a doorway without building an addition. Found here on Instagram from the firm in England that made it and the zinc planter also.

Hello, August

August 1939

Good Housekeeping Magazine

I photographed this in a used book shop.

My photo.

HELLO, AUGUST!

Turn Your Life Into A Story

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I like this quote very much.

Don't forget, tonight is the finale of Grantchester on PBS, Sniff. Sniff. Here is a preview. 

Masterpiece. Grantchester. Season 3, Episode 7, the finale. Tonight on PBS.

A True Rocking Chair Porch

This could possibly be the front porch at an Inn or a Bed and Breakfast and it's lovely. via

Small House Big Gardens

I love the brick paths leading to the porch and gardens. The yard, surrounded by hedges, divides the lawn from the cutting garden. How very nice. Love! via The house looks nice too and very manageable.

Ivy Covered Estate with Pool

Swim anyone? This looks very refreshing on a hot, humid day. If it were mine, I would prefer the pool farther away from the house so it wouldn't be an eyesore in the winter.

Most towns require a fence anyway.

The mature landscaping is perfect.

This luxury estate is very lovely, isn't it?
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Home Office Entrance

This must be an extraordinary home office. I wonder if these plaid chairs are in the conference room or the home dining room? via

A Fabulous Potting Shed

I absolutely love this room.

Don't You?

I wouldn't change a thing.

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Nasturtiums in my Garden

I sowed nasturtium seeds in a large outdoor planter this year and I am really enjoying them. The edible flowers are often described as "peppery" but mine are easily as strong as horseradish.  Wow, talk about clearing your sinuses. I love the lilypad leaves too. I am going to save the seeds for planting next year. They are such cheerful flowers! Enjoy your Sunday. xo

My Baby Robin and A Pot of Corriander

I had a robin's nest with 5 baby robins under my balcony on top of one of the brick pillars.

This is the only fledgling who is keeping in touch. Don't you love those eyebrows?

I planted organic coriander seeds in this pot and am enjoying my harvest.

A larger view of the baby bird visit yesterday.

You can see more of him on my Instagram.

Dahlias in Asheville

Originally cultivated by the Aztecs, dahlias are perennial mountain flowers that survive until frost.

The Technicolor whorls of a Café au Lait dahlia.

Read the article about this Asheville NC Dahlia Farm: FOR THE LOVE OF DAHLIAS

“Cosy Corner”. Carl Larsson, 1894

“Cosy Corner”. Carl Larsson, 1894. This rendering still looks very timely except for the pipe. via

Cottage Near Me with Hollyhocks

I've been meaning to stop and photograph this sweet cottage I pass when going to the Post Office to pick up my mail and today I pulled over. There were a few cars behind me and I waved for them to go around me so I could get a decent photo. The cottage is close to the road so I cropped out the asphalt. I love the old-fashioned flower garden with beautiful hollyhocks, don't you? Click on photo to enlarge.

Nice Formal Living Room

Formal but cozy. I like the conversation area around the fireplace. Found here.

Cutest Farm Cottage

Very nice, indeed.

It's awfully close to another dwelling though.

But I like it.

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The Perfect Summer House

The Blue Awnings and Blue Shutters are perfect for this house. I love the simple plantings and the window boxes too. The Chippendale railings are pretty as well. Have a great weekend. via

Wonderful Paintings

This is an absolutely lovely room. I could easily live with and love every single item I see. via

It belongs to Bunny Williams.

Wonderful Home Office

This home office is spectacular.

There is no window for daydreaming so you could really get a lot of work done there. I once converted a walk-in closet to an office and I loved it. via

New Home in Williamsburg

The Simpson House

Yes, please. I love this new reproduction home in Colonial Williamsburg. Want to see more? A lot more? Click here. It's much larger than it looks. Wait until you see the back view. Love!!!!

Historic Farmhouse

A Southern California couple bought a 1700s stone farmhouse in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York and have slowly been restoring the interiors ever since. Filling the space with vintage and antique finds sourced locally, there are plenty of nods to the history of the area. 

The structure is wonderful. The link to the tour is no longer available.

Cat with her Mini Me

Two of a kind. Really! Love this photo. via 

The link says their names are Floof and Floof, Jr.

Milkweed Seed Pods

I have one volunteer milkweed plant growing in the bed next to my Limelight Hydrangea. I can't wait for the seed pods to form and take me back to my childhood when we lived in a house with fields full of these plants the Monarch butterflies love. via

A Very Welcoming Home

I like what I see here, don't you?

The architectural detailing is wonderful.

The rest of the house is probably amazing.

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Enjoy your Sunday Evening. I'm planning to spend it with PBS.

Library at Top of Stairs

This is a nice glimpse into someone's home deor and I like what they've done. The landing at the top of the stairs is especially nice since it has great bookshelves and walls of artwork. found on Google Images.

Blueberry Cake Photo YUM

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I wish I could tell you I had the recipe for this particular delicious-looking cake but sadly, I do not! I found another one that looks similar -- recipe here. I am finding I can decrease the amount of sugar called for in all recipes, and the taste is still fine and not overly sweet. Enjoy. xo

A Porch with Two Swings

Read about this 660 square foot cottage here. When the page opens, scroll down immediately to get rid of an annoying banner that won't go away.

Happy July 4th

Some fireworks for your July 4th celebration.

English Decoration: the book

I know how much most of you love authentic English decor with rooms that have evolved over the years. Tour 18 quintessentially English homes in this new book here. You will love what you see. Have a great July 4th. xo

A Pup Named Morty

8 weeks old

look at the size of those paws

love the bleeding hearts in the background

his name is Morty

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Hello July

This is truly picture perfect.

Happy long weekend.

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Great Art Studio / Home Office

Wonderful Space. How nice to have such a large, cheery room in which to work. The rest of the house must be amazing. Happy Friday! via