Garden Fever!

 

  Warning,  this is a LoOOOng one!  grab a cup of coffee! and click on the photos to see them LARGER if you'd like! ;)
  Hmmm, where to start? 
these past few days have been such a whirlwind!
  oh who am I kidding,  my whole life is a whirlwind!  I like to squeeze out every last minute,  racing to beat the clock every day just like you guys I am sure!
  Well at this time of the year especially I feel like the race is on working extra hard in the garden preparing the boxes and beds,  pulling weeds, planting flowers,  planning, dreaming, doing.
  the great thing about my garden is I get to plant up 3 great places!
 My own home,
 the Shop,
 and my mom's yard.
 that's what I have been working on these past 3 days.
Each place has it's own unique qualities,
 I'll start with my Shop.  the great thing about this place is that it's right downtown in the heart of the city,  yet I am one block off of main street located in an old home,  so not only do I have the luxury of being downtown,  but I also have the old charm of a vintage home.  complete with wood siding, and a charming yard to work with.
  I love the fieldstone, and brick, and the tiny paths and nooks and crannies I have to work with.
  Each year I get to plant up my big horse troughs, and every year I like to add a few extra perennials to the garden. it's always nice to see what comes back each year.
  My roses, and phlox are coming back, hostas in full bloom,
and so much more....




 I spent so much time working in the yard all day here it was great seeing how lovely it all turned out,  we came by at night and saw the landscape lighting turned on lighting up the yard  so beautifully.
  then the next morning I get a call from my friend Gayle who opened the shop for me on saturday morning, and noticed that somebody had come along and kicked down my railing and ripped up some of the landscape lighting during the night!
  one of the many FUN aspects of having a downtown location!
 WHATEVER!  they won't rain on my parade! I still love being downtown even though you have to deal with vandals on a regular basis!



 it still looks nice despite the fact that I get to add "buying a new railing" to the mile long to-do list.


 SO moving on from here I went to my moms house,
we visited the greenhouses first and loaded up....


every inch of the truck was packed.
 my mom, Fiona and I headed on over to the place where I grew up.
  I love this neighborhood. it's so charming!
 all of the homes have their own unique flavor and style.
many of them painted very colorfully like candy coated houses.
  some of them are old victorians, some are just simple craftsmen style cottages.  it's on the historic register, so the homes are protected.
most have charming yards, and the streets are lined with mature trees.
  I grew up here running wild, playing hide and seek, riding my bike, walking to the little store up the street for penny candy, or down to the corner to the washtenaw dairy for an ice cream cone.
  I spent many days on the porch swing reading a book, or watching the world go by.
  it was paradise.






 trees that I grew up hanging on.....

 lovely leaded glass windows, from a time when they used high quality materials to build a house!  there are also beautiful french doors inside, and solid wood trim, and doors throughout.
 original lighting from the 1920's, it's amazing.
My sister and I haved vowed to never EVER sell this house.
 we want it to stay in our family for as long as we are alive.
too many great memories here.
 


 So after we finished cleaning off my mom's porches and filling her planters we headed home to work on our deck and yard.
  Now our yard is the lease exciting of all of these places,
in fact it doesn't get more boring with a 1960's tri level, but it's my home, and it has it's own type of charm.
 I like the privacy of my back yard with the privet hedge, and
large deck enclosed by it.
 I planted up my large planters with hibiscus topiaries this year, filled the bottom with lovely blue lobelia.
 


 I bought a big ole honkin dahlia for my mexican pot....
the bloom on it magnificant!

 and a tomato plant for my horse trough,  I love that it has a green tomato already on it!

of course we had to drag out the kiddie pool for Pearl,
it gets hot on that deck, and my girl needs to lounge poolside too ya know! ;)

even the barbies got into the action,

 those shameful little tarts were lounging poolside too,  while we were working SO hard shoveling two truckloads of mulch.
my body is so sore and tired today, but we have one more area to go.....weeding everything by hand.....

 as I was pulling weeds here yesteday I noticed that quite a few things were missing.  hmmmm.
 I was wondering where my SHRUB went,  a climbing clematis, a few perennials, and some other goodies.
 on further reflection I realized my NON gardening, NON green thumb husband had pulled out things he thought were weeds!
  CRUD! 
thank goodness for him he's cute, and i'll keep him,  but shOoEY!  that can be grounds for a pounding in my book!  ha ha!
  anyways,  now I have a blank slate, and I am thinking container gardening with tomatoes and zucchinis in pots because we have lots of little rabbits running around here.
 So we have MORE mulch to move, and more weeds to pull.....

but in the end it will be a nice place to hang out and dine al fresco.....

surrounded by natures beauty!



i'm always amazed at what perfection lies in nature.
 I love to have my hands in the dirt nurturing things, and watching things grow and bloom,  there is something so rewarding about it.
 So on that note,  I am off to shovel more dirt and move more mulch,  before we head back over to my mom's to work in her yard, take a class on I-movie at the apple store, and work in a pool trip! Phewwww!  i will need to be in a lounge chair by mid afternoon!  :)
 our swim club opened this weekend,   Now don't think that little Miss didn't enjoy her first dip of the season there on saturday, the first day it opened!  ;).....


look at her new teeth growing in!  she is so excited about it, she said "mom!  pretty soon I can eat CORN!"  ha ha!
 such a funny little free-spirited girl! love that!

 hope you all are having a nice and relaxing memorial day...
hope that there are barbeques, pools,  parades and gardens in your future,
or that you have something fun planned. 
 now because I have military people in my family, (my mom was in the army, my dad in the airforce, Ian was in the 101st airborne division), I have a strong sense of patriotism even though in reality I DO not like war, and believe in PEACE,
I do feel we need to support our troops and am proud of our country,
SO today remember to raise your flags...
show your pride in your country today and always.....
  we have so much to be thankful for!
love to you ALL,  thanks for stopping by to take a peek in on my world!
XOXOXOXO
 
 



 

Comments

[Meghan Cobble]

Your posts are always like funky collages to me!

I have read you for over a year now.

It cracks me up how scattered you report yourself to be, yet how much you seem to accomplish in your creative world.

I feel much like you at times.

Flying by the seat of your pants comes second nature to those who create for living.

.mac :)

[laurie]

Thanks for the peek at all your gardening work you did...you have been a busy gal! I worked in the yard this weekend too - peonies are so close to popping open! Funny your hubby tore up a clematis, shrub etc. My husband is NOT to cross the bricks that line my flower beds. I learned the hard way when he took some weed-be-gone to a dahlia coming up. He is FORBIDDEN from crossing those bricks and I mean it! GGGGRRRR! Great house you grew up in - I would sooooo keep that in the family too. Your shop is also so incredibly charming - i sure wish it was closer so I could pop in periodically! (bummer about the railing too...but life goes on)
Happy Memorial Day!

[isabel f.]

Hi Catherine :))
love you, your blog, your work and ........your garden :))))
I wish one for myself too, just like that :))
I am giving you a award in blog:D go there if you want to pick it :)) I would love your visit :))
hugs Isabel

[Kathy Kupferschmid]

Your shop looks so inviting and the flowers are beautiful!! I think everything your hand touches turns out to be magical:) Have a wonderful day!

[mary@found]

Those poppy and iris photos are amazing!

My muscles are aching from just doing my front yard - all I can say is "wow" when I look at your flowers, and "ahh..." when I see Fiona in midair above the pool.

Isn't this time of year great?

[Linda Crispell]

How could someone vandalize the prettiest spot in Ann Arbor? Heartbreaking.
Your garden(s) are lovely, especially the honking dahlia!
Fiona is so sweet, you can feel her joy.
Your Pal,
Linda