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
    • 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 spring

Potting on the Porch

April 26, 2025 at 9:18 am by Claudia

Mother Nature has determined that I need a day of rest. It’s been raining since last night and we’ll have thunderstorms today. To be honest, I’ve known this was coming and boy, oh, boy is it welcome! We really need the rain and I really need to rest.

I’ve been working on clearing out the garden beds on a daily basis as well as driving back and forth to the nursery to see what is available. Yesterday, I cleared the garden beds on the far side of the house. Later in the day, I took a run to the nursery and another plant on my list was available. I’m still waiting for the final 3 and then I’ll be done.

Just the beginnings, as these pots will look very different once the plants take off.

This is lobelia. I have it in the pot in the first picture and in another pot on my little blue chair, which I’ll show another day.

Nothing has been officially arranged yet, but it’s the usual; big pots of impatiens on the benches, as well as my geranium which I overwinter every year. It’s on the bench near the porch entrance. I have two hanging pots of impatiens and two hanging pots of scaevola – those beautiful purple flowers that are super dependable. The impatiens will last until the first hard freeze, as will the scaevolas, lobelia, and calibrachoa. I can’t afford to change out the contents of my hanging pots from spring to summer. What is there is there, and it has to last for the next 6 months. Oh, and the pansies, in pots just outside the porch entrance – they last the longest of all of the flowers.

I’ll take more photos after a little time goes by. Hopefully, I can get everything potted by sometime next week. I also sowed the seeds for morning glories and zinnias.

It’s tiring, but necessary. Don is so adorable. He knows how much I look forward to spring and gardening and every time I come back from the nursery, he greets me with “Did you find anything??”

Today, some rest for my back, some household chores, and an episode of Gardener’s World. Don has a gig at a winery this afternoon.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

 

Filed Under: flowers, porch, spring 12 Comments

Green

April 17, 2023 at 8:32 am by Claudia

As you can see, the garden beds are still full of leaves, but oh my goodness, it’s so green out there. I don’t know whether it’s because I’ve been sick or traveling back and forth the NYC, but this has taken me by surprise this year. Usually, I’m watching everything like a hawk, waiting for some sign of spring. This year, however, I didn’t have the energy to do that. Add in three days of temps in the 90s and we have this. Green.

It’s raining today and will rain pretty much all day long. We will definitely need to mow the lawn this week. Every year, I look forward to our first pass at the lawn. The grass in the Secret Garden is really, really long!

Don’s surgery is a week from this coming Friday. He’s in such pain all of the time. Sometimes he’s short tempered, and I have to remind myself that living with pain all day, every day, takes a toll on a person. I suspect he’s handling it better than I would. I can’t wait until he has the surgery and can start the recovery process.

Does that mean I will have to cook?

Oh boy, we’re in trouble.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Don, spring 26 Comments

Art, the Girls, and Egg Cups, Part 4

March 21, 2023 at 9:43 am by Claudia

Second day of Spring! Fittingly, I happened to look outside yesterday afternoon and four robins landed in the yard. Two pairs. Hurrah! It seemed like they’d just arrived from somewhere else, but I might be reading into that. We watched them, entranced, as they looked for food, right on the very first day of Spring.

This morning is sunny. My mood, as of yesterday, is so much lighter. I’m sure some of that is due to the knowledge that Spring has arrived. It’s also warmer and sunnier and I know it isn’t a mid-winter fluke, but the harbinger of what’s to come. I was talking to a friend yesterday – it happened to be her birthday – and she said the same thing. She felt a lift in her spirits and her mood.

We moved the sheet music cabinet upstairs to the office yesterday. As impossible as it might seem, we managed to cram yet another item into that space. We switched it out with a table that was next to the overstuffed chair. The table went to the wall at the top of the stairs. While playing with that space, we moved the big framed poster that was on that wall downstairs to the gallery wall and hung the beautiful watercolor that had previously hung above the music cabinet in its place.

Eventually, we want to fill this whole wall with art and take advantage of those high, skylight-lit spaces.

Pippa urging Mei to go outside with her because it’s Spring.

Both girls had been wearing sweaters, so they needed a change of clothing. Mei is rocking her Crocs.

Egg cups, part 4:

1.   An adorable pig holding up an egg cup. Made in Japan.

2.  A goose pulling an egg cup. This one is beautifully painted. Made in Japan.

3.  Another Fanny Farmer egg cup. I have two of these – I believe they were a gift from a reader.  You can sort of see the words Fanny Farmer on the base (in brown.)

4.  And another favorite, this little girl in a bunny costume holding a polka dot egg. I am always smitten by this cup.

I’m off to start in on some more research.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, egg cups, spring 19 Comments

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 17
  • 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 - 2025 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT