Spring Beginnings

White flowers are thought of as purity, innocence, and beginnings among other beautiful meanings. Yesterday I began planting with sweet white alyssum along borders in my rock garden around a tree. The annuals like full to partial sun and tolerate arid conditions which is great for my high desert area. Though alyssum are tender annuals and are susceptible to frost, they can surprise you and thrive again after winter as a couple of mine have done. I got alyssum happy and planted two six packs in my rock garden around a tree. They'll look so pretty near my red salvia plant.

Here are my "new" pink gloves with the zinnias I also planted. Next on the agenda for next weekend is to put more red mulch in the rock garden. Incidentally, those nice new pink gloves don't look so nice and pink now. They have been broken in real well already this past week.
I'm linking this week to:

• The Charm of Home
• Pink Saturday

Flower and Vegetable Spring Gardening

Raised garden bed or square foot gardening? Maybe one can do both. Each one looks neat and not too difficult for a beginner to try. The following video offers information on gardening with a raised bed for your vegetables and flowers.

My fixer upper cabin cottage came with a cacti garden. One of my recent photos that I just love is from one of our recent snow days. 

Last year I decided to plant a new flower garden on a corner of our lot beside a fence. In this flower garden I've planted rose bushes, miniature rose plants, lavender, sage, and a few other plants. Our fixer upper cabin cottage came with lots of rocks, so I used the rocks and red mulch.

This photo was taken after a few snowfalls this winter and before pulling weeds.

The funniest thing that happened after planting that garden last year was that near the spigot some type of berry plant and a corn plant sprouted and grew. I've been considering either using raised beds or square foot gardening to plant vegetables near my flower garden, close to the area in the photo. I have the book, Square Foot Gardening, by Mel Bartholomew that teaches you to build your garden in a series of squares. The nice thing about the square foot method is it works for one person or a large family and a small or large area.
My plants have withstood the winter, snow, and rain - even a couple of annuals. That extra precipitation kicked in the growing spurt for the weeds as you can tell. I've already been pulling weeds and getting the garden areas ready to plant. Spring arrived on the calendar last weekend. Weather-wise, however, Spring is a bit delayed with snow this week.


Check in again soon for the update on my gardens.
I'm linking to Cottage Flora Thursday.

Spring Flower Shopping

Spring arrived, and I couldn't resist shopping for at least a few flowers last weekend. Unfortunately, a chilly wind blew in with Spring. That must have been my fastest flower shopping trip ever. I went to Lowe's to browse through the flowers and plants available and found several on sale for 88 cents. Though I chose a few of them (I'll share in a future post soon), I just walked, browsed, and dreamed about what I'll be coming back for. I have a rose bush area mixed with lavender, sage, and a couple of other plants. I plan to add a rose bush and a miniature rose plant. The plans are to start on another area with organic vegetable area (more of this later, too). For now, you must see this little beauty I saw when browsing.

Happy Spring planting!
I'm linking to Good Life Wednesdays,
Wow Us Wednesday.  

Shamrock Plant and Pink Thermos

Did you know there are at least two types of Everblooming Shamrock plants? I found that out yesterday when my friend told me she was bringing me a late birthday present (my birthday is January 8th, same as Elvis Presley's). She misplaced my birthday card and never found it. Instead, she said she was giving me a plant - a plant like a gorgeous one that she has and that I love. It's an Everblooming Shamrock. She found some more that have a different color leaf and flower. Her plant has white flowers and green under the leaf. If you're not familiar with the Shamrock plant, the leaf closes in the evening and opens up during the day. When it closes, you see the bottom of the leaf. This other Shamrock that my friend found has purple underneath the leaves, and the flowers are light lavender. This morning I got my gorgeous Everblooming Shamrock plant - the one with the purple leaf and lavender flower. Isn't she pretty?

A close up so you can see the pretty leaves.

Here she is with the pink thermos gift Mr. Fun gave me once and with my little green case. All three items are lovelies on my desk. Yes, and they all have green for St. Patty's Day.

A very close close up. Get a real good look at those dainty leaves. Don't they look like butterflies?

Shamrock in Afternoon - see how the leaves have perked up?

And I just love this frilly thermos. It keeps my coffee hot, just the way I like it!!

 Happy St. Patrick's Day, my blogging friends! Have a fun day!
 I'm joining up with Treasures and Trinkets Linky Party.

I'm linking up to Pink Saturday with my frilly-looking pink thermos. 

Blue Flowers

Spring bursts with colors galore when a garden is filled with varieties of flowers. I love all colors, but blue has been one of my most favorites as long as I can remember. This past weekend at the library where my writer's group meets, I parked my car beside beautiful blue bushes filled with bees. "Should I take my chance parking here?" I asked myself. I took the chance and made it out of the car and back in the car after my meeting without one bee traveling with me.

Blue Beauties! Shall I park here?

The flowers are so pretty I want to hug them, but I don't lest I hug a bee.

Look close to see the bee.

Blue Everywhere!

Happy Blue Monday!

Join me over at Smiling Sally's Blue Monday.
Join me at Wednesday Window.

For the past week I've loved admiring and taking pictures of flowers blooming everywhere already and so soon after the cold and snow. I carry my camera everywhere with me. The Blue Flowers photo I'm sharing at Wow Us Wednesdays is part of my weekend inspiration.
Join me at Whassup Wednesday.

Pinkish Purple Magnolias

Magnolias.

Sweet fragrance. Beauty. Gorgeous white flowers.

That's what comes to my mind when I think of magnolias. However, when I went on my recent outing for my friend's birthday, she suggested that we go to this park where she saw a "purple" magnolia tree. I'd always thought of magnolias as white. At first glance, I saw pink flowers - lots of them. We stopped and got out of the car to walk close to the tree to admire the beautiful "purple" flowers. Okay, I'll call it pinkish purple magnolias. How's that? Pinkish magnolias for Pink Saturday that it's time to link up to.

Lovely, aren't they? Join me over at Pink Saturday.

English Tea White

Want to make your tablescape look like an English tea setting in white? Or maybe you are looking for a window table setting in white. Try something like this little tea shop window setting. Of course, I just had to take a photo of the window setting. Country and English style in white.

I'm linking to Wow Us Wednesday.
I'm linking to White Wednesday.

Antique Shopping

How would you describe the experience of discovering an antique shop? Exciting? Delightful? Like your pet dog that just found a new bone? YES! That's how I felt Saturday when I took my friend, Karen, to an antique shop I discovered. Karen and I had spent the day in So Cal at a fabulous Victorian tearoom at Barbara's Tea House with tea and brunch from 10:00-12:00 and gift shopping in Rancho Cucamonga, the British Emporium shop in Upland to purchase a few UK goods, then finally to Precious Times Antique Mall in Redlands.

 

Karen at Barbara's Tea House

Cactus at Barbara's Tea House

Vintage Rooster Family at Barbara's

British Emporium

Precious Times Garden

Antique Wire Grocery Cart

Rooster at Precious Times

 Roosters have drawn my attention lately. One day soon the right one will come home with me for my kitchen patio. I loved this wire rooster. Wire gadgets and items have also been attracting me lately. Notice the little wire grocery cart. Doesn't it look ancient and so cute? Toward the end of my shopping day I purchased three plants 50% off - all three amounted to only $4.00! Now I can't pass up plants at that price. After all, it is time for Spring planting.


I'm linking to My Finds from Saturday's and Tuesday's Treasures.
I'm linking to Tiggerific Tuesday. 
I'm linking to Tea Rose Home.

Wire Baskets

Wire and wire mesh are used in home and kitchen for limitless purposes such as baskets. Wire baskets are handy in home, garage, and for gifts. I found these two lovely treasures last weekend at an antique shop. 

oval shaped with tan wooden handles

darling dragonfly with pink and lavender jewels

wire holder

The oval basket cost only $3.00. The dragonfly basket cost only $1.50. I purchased the wire holder at Pier 1 Imports for about 68 cents! You can't beat that for thrifty antique shop and store prices. I was delighted with my precious finds. 

Looking for ideas for decorating with your wire basket? Here are a list of things you might use wire mesh baskets for:

1. St. Patrick's Day display or gift basket
2. Easter gift basket
3. Fruit basket
4. Wall decor
5. Office supply storage
6. Garage supply storage
7. Pet supply storage
8. Light bulb fixture

I would love to know about your other wire mesh basket uses. I know I could think of more if I had more time. Any more ideas?

I'm joining Pink Saturday with my little pink jeweled basket.
I'm joining Thrifty 101 March Mingle Weekend party.
I'm joining Show and Tell Friday.

Stylish Blogger Award

Stylish Blogger Award
 

I've been honored to receive the Stylish Blogger Award by New England Home and Garden, a delightful blog by a sweet lady. I fell in love with her grape tablescape and her "Mom's Cave". Her decorating ideas are beautiful and inspiring. 

If you are unfamiliar with how the Stylish Blogger Award works, these are the rules: 

1. Link back to the person who passed on the award and accept.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award on to 15 recently discovered bloggers and let them know about the award.

So here goes...

1. I love gallivanting with my husband on free days and weekends to discover new things, places, and shops.

2. I love to visit with family and friends.

3. I love tea, coffee, and scones.

4. I delight in antique shops and tearooms.

5. I love to read and always have a book or a magazine with me.

6. I'm a PK (preacher's kid). 

7. I'm the youngest of three.

I'm enjoying these lovely and inspiring blogs that I'm passing the award to and would like to share with you:

1. Beatrice Banks
2. Raw Thoughts and Feelings
3. On Sutton Place
4. Blessing Reflections
5. Katherine's Corner
6. Sixty-Fifth Avenue
7. Sweet European Dreams
8. Dobermans By the Sea
9. Joy's Blog
10. Small Town Living at Its Best
11. Encouraging Words for Writers
12. Urban Farmgirl 
13. Amy's vintage cottage
14. The Thrifty Groove
15. Unshelved Words

Happy Wednesday, my blogging friends! Enjoy your day!