Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Sunday Morning

May 20, 2018 at 9:22 am by Claudia

The sun is trying to make an appearance after yesterday’s all-day-long rain. I’m hoping it meets with success. We could use some sun around here, if only to dry up the soggy grass.

I’m having a slow morning, but there are chores that need doing; cleaning bathrooms, washing sheets. That will keep me busy until Don arrives later this evening.

Yay!

Meanwhile, here are some photos I took on Friday.

The forget-me-nots that I planted in the memorial garden from seed a couple of years ago have really taken off this year. And when I say ‘taken off’ I mean that they are now on the other side of the fence as well.

They’re sturdy and dependable.

The chokecherry is back at the base of the maple.

The lavender is budding.

It’s so green everywhere!

The morning glory, zinnia and moonflower seeds sprouted very quickly this year.

I think Don will get at least one sunny day while he’s here. Tuesday looks questionable. Fingers crossed!

Happy Sunday.

 

Filed Under: Don, flowers, garden 30 Comments

Pots and the Porch

May 19, 2018 at 10:17 am by Claudia

Getting a bit of a late start on this post as I just finished watching the Royal Wedding. I cried, of course. It was simply lovely and the perfect way to start a rainy Saturday. (I used to sing at weddings when I was a young thing and I always cried. Didn’t have to know the bride or the groom. Nope. I cried anyway.)

I had an idea for the vintage English pots I purchased the other day. Since I’ve given up on doing anything, for the time being, with the bed I wanted to create in the area behind the kitchen, my thoughts turned to the pots as a way to add some prettiness. So I trotted off to our local nursery and, after much deliberation, chose some pretty plants.

I filled them with coleus, lobularia, and silver leaf licorice plant. All three will trail and look even better with time, though I think they’re looking pretty good now. I love the deep red of the coleus.

Another shot:

They sit on cinder blocks that I found on the property long ago and lugged, one-by-one, to this area last summer. (Don lectured me afterwards about my back. But he was in California, so what was I going to do?)

Not the best time of day to take this picture, but you get the idea. It’s a sort of secret area behind the kitchen. I added those stepping stones to the left a few years back. They lead up to the back forty. Honestly, I’m thinking of getting two more pots. So there would be one further down toward the stepping stones and one more to the right.

I’m happy to say that I finished most everything yesterday, so except for ongoing weeding and maintenance (plus occasional additions because I want to fill my garden beds) I’m done with all the big spring cleanup.

Here are some pictures of the porch, taken yesterday.

The dove is here for the moment. I like to look at her/him when I’m sitting on the glider.

Rick came over for a while yesterday to talk about the garden and get ideas for their place. (I highly recommended purple coneflowers.) Anyway, we had a lovely chat, while sitting on the glider. It was a beautiful, sunny day.

Today is rainy. But that’s okay as I have to clean my neglected house. And I have no food, so there’s that.

By the way, some changes are happening on blogs and websites because of a new European Union policy on privacy and data collection, the GDPR. If a site is read by anyone in the European Union, a privacy statement about cookies and the way data is collected has to be written. Frankly, it’s daunting. I have no idea what to write or what I should write. But I’m researching it. The first thing you may notice in this newest version of WordPress is in the comment section. Those of you who comment frequently are used to your name and email address being ‘remembered’ after leaving your first comment. Today, if you want to be remembered instead of filling in the required info each and every time you comment, you have to check a box at the bottom of the form. Then it should be taken care of for the future. If you don’t want that, then don’t check the box.

Happy Saturday.

 

Filed Under: flowers, garden, porch 54 Comments

Antiques and Gardening

May 18, 2018 at 9:15 am by Claudia

Today promises to be dry – more rain tomorrow and Sunday – so I’ll be working in the gardens. I have a few more plants to pot for the porch and a bit more mulching to do and then I’m pretty much done with all the garden cleanup. It will be time to move into maintenance, i.e., mowing and weeding and adding plants here and there.

I mowed yesterday but there was a section of the front lawn that was so wet that I was making tire and foot tracks, so I stopped. I’ll finish it later in the day today.

The lilacs took a pummeling in the big storm earlier this week, so they’re not looking as perky, but they should be fine for Don’s visit on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Yes, he’s got an extra day off this week because of some event. What a treat it will be to have him home for two and half days!

Here are some photos of the shop I visited this week; Milne Antiques and Design. The next time I go, I’ll have even more. I was quite caught up in making my choices and making sure the parking meter didn’t run out of time.

I just saw a feature which highlighted a greenhouse that someone made out of windows. Now I’ve got my eye on these. I really, really want a greenhouse. It’s good to have dreams.

This mantel was huge. And gorgeous.

This area is on the shore of the Rondout Creek and  the Hudson River. Lots of marinas and boat builders and those interesting beams reflect the building’s boat industry past.

She has a lot of great vintage signage. I kept thinking how great this would look over the arch in our kitchen.

My favorite sign is the one below:

“Milk and newspapers in office” is much more practical than you think. When the newspapers have all been purchased and there are none left, you flip the sign to read:

Isn’t that amazing? I love the graphics.

To the left, you can see the pots and planters that the owner has had shipped in from England. They’re gorgeous. If I was independently wealthy I’d be buying a whole lot more of them.

Happy Friday.

 

 

 

Filed Under: antiques, garden 26 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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