Last night we covered our plants outside due to a freeze warning. Today we’re heading to the nursery to buy more flowers for the yard. This is the stuff we deal with in Illinois. Regardless, I’m looking forward to summer gardening and thought I’d share container flower garden ideas to help inspire you with your…
Viewing Gardening
The Beauty and Serenity of a Garden Pond
Pond season has officially begun and I couldn’t be happier! Relaxing by my garden pond and watching the fish is my favorite way to de-stress and enjoy nature. And with today’s pandemic, I’m more appreciative of the outdoors than ever before. Today is the first Saturday of May so I’m once again joining my…
Country Garden Tour in Upstate New York
We’ve had several gray days in a row where I live and I’m craving sunshine. And with the news being bleak at the same time, my guess is that all of us could use a little bright spot in our day. So today I’m re-sharing a beautiful country garden in upstate New York. I hope…
7 Tips for Beautiful Window Box Ideas
Whenever I move into a house, one of the first things I do is add flower boxes under the front windows. It’s a feature I’ve always loved and is a must-have for me. Here are seven tips for creating beautiful window box ideas to amp up your home’s curb appeal. 1. Sunny Location: Choose…
12 Charming Picket Fence Ideas
A few years ago we replaced our rickety old picket fence with a new one. While I held a certain endearment for our “charming” fence, a lot of the pickets were rotting and we simply couldn’t let it go any longer. I’ve always loved a picket fence and am happy to share some quaint picket…
How To Force Hyacinth Bulbs Indoors
Have you ever forced spring bulbs indoors? It’s a wonderful way to scratch your gardening itch and enjoy spring flowers in your house before they appear outside in your garden. See how easy it is to force fragrant hyacinth bulbs indoors. (This post contains affiliate links.) Hyacinth bulbs – and any spring bulb for…
Cottage Garden: The Beauty of Messy Flowers
Is it too soon in the year to talk about gardening? Because I want to share the beauty of messy flowers that are the signature look of a cottage garden. What is it about messy flowers that pulls at my heart string? My mother’s garden was always very tidy with perfect groupings of flowers…
Tour a Country Garden at the Farm
Is there anything more quaint and nostalgic than a country garden? The image conjures up scenes from the past when America was a young and growing. Old fashioned flowers, heirloom vegetables, corn bins, and simple farm animals all come to mind. I think this is the last post about my trip to Door County,…
Why Fall is the Best Season to Enjoy Gardens
Some people think that fall is the end of gardening season. But I think fall is the best season to enjoy gardens. The earth is so full of color this time of year and weeds are no longer prolific. Today is the first Saturday of the month and that means it’s time to join…
Beautiful Gardens of Stone’s Throw Winery
Have you ever visited a winery? We enjoyed a trip to the beautiful gardens of Stone’s Throw Winery in Door County, Wisconsin. A couple of weeks ago my entire family and I were vacationing in Baileys Harbor and drove past a pretty winery and decided to make sure we took a trip there before…
Garden Pond Tour: My Favorite Outdoor Space
Summertime – and the livin’ is easy! It’s super hot out but I don’t care because I love summer. Especially when I can spend time enjoying my garden pond. Everything is lush and green in my backyard and it’s my favorite place to be right now. I feel blessed because having a pond is…
Charming Cottage Garden Tour with Fountain
Walking through pretty neighborhoods to look at landscaping is how I get most of my ideas and inspiration for garden spaces. On occasion, I stumble across a beautiful garden tour online like this charming cottage garden with a unique fountain. Photo by Mom’s Design Build When designing garden spaces, it’s always helpful when the…
Creating Garden Spaces in My Yard
Many of you know that we got a new pond last summer, and little did I know how much that would change my world! My backyard went from drab to fab and that led to sprucing up and creating new garden spaces in my yard. The above garden pond photo was taken before the…
10 Mosquito Repelling Plants for Your Garden
Summer is my favorite season but the one thing I don’t like about it is – mosquitoes! Rather than use chemicals or sprays to keep them away, I prefer a more natural method, like this list of 10 mosquito repelling plants! Basil. Did you know that basil essential oil is deadly to mosquito larvae? The…
Yes, You Too Can Grow Orchids!
Contrary to popular opinion, orchids are fairly easy to grow once you know what they like. And if you’re the type of indoor gardener who forgets to water her plants, then the choice to grow orchids is perfect for you! Watering Requirements Orchids don’t like wet feet and won’t live long if their roots…
A Picket Fence for Front Yard Curb Appeal
Ever since I moved into my humble home I’ve toyed with the idea of adding a picket fence for front yard curb appeal. I love the idea of a quaint little fence defining the landscape with an element of charm. Photo by Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects Once the fence is up, garden areas can…
