Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

  • About MHC
    • Disclosure
  • Dollhouses/Minis
    • Hummingbird Cottage
    • The Studio (Formerly TSP)
    • Dove Cottage
    • The Lake House
    • The Folk Art Dollhouse
    • The Modern Dollhouse
    • The Beacon Hill Dollhouse
    • Dollhouse Source List, Information and Tutorials
  • On the Road
  • Collecting
    • Roseville Pottery
    • McCoy Pottery
    • Egg Cups
    • Bakelite
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Archives for garden

A Bit of Everything

June 5, 2013 at 9:47 am by Claudia

wildrose

Wild roses are everywhere on this property. Normally, they are a pain in the tush because they grow with abandon and have thorns. Normally, I curse them. But for a week or two in the spring, they bloom and everywhere I look there are billowy tufts of tiny white flowers. And for that week or two, I bless them.

Delicate. Beautiful.

Yesterday was simply gorgeous with temperatures in the seventies and a gentle breeze. I was a bit down, still am, so I comforted myself with time on the porch and the funky patio. I listened to the sound of the birds – I so wish I could identify all the different chirps and calls – and watched them flit and fly all over the property. I heard a woodpecker up in the catalpa. In fact, I hear him now. But every time I tiptoed to the tree, that little bugger took off. He knew I wanted a photo of him.

I heard the cicadas, but only for about 30 seconds here and there. Cicadas have to compete with the noise of traffic on our busy country road. I am still finding some newly emerged cicadas here and there on the property.

housefrombackforty

A view of the house from the back forty.

backforty

Part of the back forty.

I sat on the porch glider and looked at my gardening journal. I don’t keep it up like I did when I first established this garden seven years ago, but reading it helps me to realize how far the gardens have come. I am reminded about the plants that thrived here and the plants that mysteriously failed or simply disappeared. More on that in another post. I read my current Deborah Crombie mystery. And this girl kept me company:

scoutexploring

She spends an awful lot of time sniffing here and there. Her nose reminds me that other critters pass through this porch: cats, chipmunks, squirrels, bunnies, mice.

prettygirl

That face. I absolutely adore that face.

By now I think you know that I am more than a bit uncomfortable with the whole idea of tooting my own horn. Fortunately, I don’t suffer from that little malady when it comes to my husband. I briefly mentioned yesterday that his new album is available for download on his website. Don has a website that covers both his acting career and his music. I have a website for my professional work. (And you thought you knew everything about me!) Anyway. His new album, Out Beyond the Breakers, was recorded in our friend Rob’s incredible studio while Don was working in San Diego earlier this year. It consists of 14 new songs. If you’re interested, you can download them individually or as an album.

Some of my favorites?

  • Don’t Tell Me Heart
  • I’ve Got a Love (makes me cry)
  • Adios New York
  • Say It Twice
  • Guess I Still Get Crazy
  • She Saves Me

No pressure. Since many of you have told me how much you like his music, I thought I’d share this with you. If you’re interested, click on the link and then click on Music/Shop on his homepage. While you’re there you can see some photos of him in various acting roles and read a bit more about him. He’s an interesting guy, that husband of mine.

This is shaping up to be a long post! Since they are here for such a short time, more peony photos:

peonymania

antonpeony

pinkbeauty

Love to you all on this Wednesday.

signature2

Filed Under: cottage, Don, flowers, garden, Peonies, porch, Scout 32 Comments

Early Morning Garden (Sans Coffee)

June 2, 2013 at 8:55 am by Claudia

What else but my garden would get me outside at 6:30 am without having had even one measly cup of coffee?

You should be impressed.

rocket

Dame’s Rocket, which resembles phlox, is a wildflower that grows everywhere in these parts. I know it’s considered a weed, but I think it’s beautiful. This one is growing alongside the house.

lamium

Silver Dead Nettle in the main garden is starting to bloom.

rose

The Lady Elsie May roses are just starting to bloom.

rosebud

clematis

The clematis, which didn’t bloom for four whole years. Once we lost the shade of the willow, it took off like a rocket.

poppies

The poppies. The gorgeous flowers just last a day or two. Then they’re gone.

prettyweed

A weed, though I hesitate to call it that, that just finished blooming.

moreprettyweed

I think it’s beautiful.

wildroses

The wild roses, which any other time of the year I call brambles, are blooming. These are right outside our kitchen window.

viewofbiggarden

The big garden bed a few days ago.The catmint is blooming, as are the poppies.

Oh, heavens. I love my gardens. The camera I got for Christmas is experiencing Spring and the gardens of Mockingbird Hill Cottage for the first time. Camera, meet gardens. Gardens, meet camera. I could easily be outside most of the day taking pictures.

peony

A little overzealous weed-whacking the other day resulted in a cut peony stem. The next day I rescued it and put it in water, pretty sure that the bud would never bloom. I was wrong. Look what awaited me this morning! Hello, sweet peony.

It’s Sunday. The oppressive heat has broken. I’ve been watching the Red Sox/Yankees. I’m reading another excellent Deborah Crombie mystery. I finally cleaned up the porch, even the two bags of salt that were still there from this past winter. We have worries. We have cares. But we also have love, our sweet cottage, our little girl and the glory of spring here in the Hudson Valley.

Not bad at all.

If you’re at all interested, I was recently interviewed by Linda Huffman, who publishes an online magazine for women called Women Encouraged or “We” Magazine. If you want to read the interview, click here and then click on the Market Place page (in the column on the left.) Linda, thanks so much for the opportunity and for such great questions!

Happy Sunday.

signature2

Filed Under: garden, spring 52 Comments

Feeling Nirvana-y

May 28, 2013 at 8:45 am by Claudia

garden2

Nirvana = A state of perfect happiness. That comes awfully darn close to how I feel when I work in the garden. Even the drudgery of weeding brings a smile to my face. Remember when I took those first spring photos of plants peeking up from the soil and I said that I felt like I was reemerging after hibernating for the winter? That was before I left for Hartford and was away from the garden for five weeks. Well, today I feel like I’m exactly where I should be, with the sun on my face and the memory of a long, hard winter slowing fading away.

I’m communing with all sorts of plant life. Getting reacquainted with each plant. Oh, that one. I remember that one. Hello!

garden1

Masses of green, masses of textures.

gardenhosta

Hostas that become more glorious with each new season.

gardenspirea

Blooms about to burst forth.

gardenrosebud

gardenrosebud2

Birds everywhere, their songs filling the air, providing a welcome counterpoint to the sound of traffic.

gardenbunny

This little guy, who plants himself between our car and the dog corral every evening. I think he likes to watch the world go by. Scout runs out, ready to bark at him, but upon hearing my “No, leave him alone” stops and goes about her business. She’s almost getting used to him. He certainly wasn’t too alarmed by my attempts to photograph him.

scoutina

This girl, who sometimes watches all my digging and yanking and planting from the porch. She’d rather be right beside me, where the action is, but is content to watch from afar. But only for a while. Then she gets antsy and starts barking at me. Scamp.

Today, I will plant some seeds. Tomorrow, some things need to be purchased, hopefully, for very little money: a couple of bags of mulch, some potting soil, a flat of impatiens. I really want to buy some hanging plants…but we might have to wait on that.

Money’s tight. I woke up today with worries about all of that. Thank goodness for gardening, which takes me to another place. Where I get a tiny glimpse of nirvana.

Don took this photo of me yesterday. I was pruning some bushes. The weather was perfect and I spent several hours outdoors. See if you can guess what shocked me.

mepruning

The sun made my gray and brown hair look white. Yikes. But danged if my hair isn’t looking grayer. I checked it out later in the bathroom. There’s still brown underneath it all, but it sure as heck is silvery gray. Or perhaps we’ll call this platinum blonde?

Who is that woman?

Happy Tuesday.

signature2

Filed Under: animals, garden, nature, Scout 55 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 215
  • 216
  • 217
  • 218
  • 219
  • …
  • 258
  • Next Page »
  • Email
  • Instagram

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.

Thanks for stopping by.

Searching?

The Dogs

The Dogs

Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

Archives

All Content © 2008 - 2026 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in