Mockingbird Hill Cottage
I’m feeling under the weather today. Allergies or cold, I’m not sure, but I feel yucky and have a sore throat. You know that feeling when you can’t keep your eyes open and you just want to go to bed? That’s what I’m feeling.
Hope you have a lovely Sunday. See you tomorrow.
Oh New Dawn climbing rose, I love thee.
Was there ever a flower with such a delicate touch of pink?
It rained very hard here last night and I’m afraid to go out and see the current condition of those beautiful flowers. I can see from the window that the peonies are drooping down to the ground. Hey, rain: I like you and I know we need you, but for the love of all that’s pretty, don’t rain so hard that you ruin my flowers. A gentle rain will do nicely, thank you.
I mowed the back forty and the front lawn yesterday with our push mower. I’m wiped out and my allergies are screaming. (I’m allergic to grass.) But the lawn looks good. Because we live in the country, we don’t have a pristine lawn. It’s a mix of grass, some weeds and some moss. It doesn’t bother me because I’m not one to do all the sorts of stuff you have to do to have a picture-perfect lawn. I also don’t use chemicals on my garden or my lawn. I’d rather it be natural. However, because it is such a mix of green things, it can look ragged pretty fast. Don always looks at me like I’m crazy when I announce it’s time to mow again. But don’t you love that freshly mown look? I do.
It’s my work out. And, since I hate exercising, this seems to be my ‘natural’ form of keeping fit.
Let’s have another look at New Dawn:
Exquisite.
New Dawn, you’re giving my peonies a run for their money. Someday I hope to have you climbing all over the porch rail and up a trellis. I can sit on the glider and drink in your scent. We will take pictures of each other sitting on the glider, reading a good book, surrounded by New Dawn roses. Sigh.
Happy Saturday.
First off, let me just say that if you’re expecting a designery porch with all white furniture and fluffy down cushions, you won’t find it here. Not that I don’t love that look. I do. But practicality and frugality win out here at the cottage. We get a lot of wind and rain that blows directly across the porch. Practicality. Nothing on the porch cost more than $25.00. Frugality.
Our porch wraps itself around two sides of the house. You can see the picket fence gate that I added to the entrance. It keeps the dogs from straying off the porch and it looks pretty. Note Scout barking behind the front door. I was taking photos. She wanted me to start making dinner so that she could scarf up whatever crumbs fell to the floor. The nerve of me.
More of the porch as it wraps around the front of the house. That’s the den behind that window.
You see this bench as you step onto the porch. I found that sign at an antique store about 5 years ago. I keep tools and other necessary things in wooden boxes under the bench. My mom gave me the smaller of the two pots.
This bench is to the left of the entrance. You’ll see lots of impatiens in pots around the porch. They work well there and require very little care. And they keep blooming into the fall.
This is where we hang out. That very chippy glider came to the cottage all the way from San Diego. Don found it for $25.00. The cushions were all bought over the years for a pittance. My favorite is the large one that is covered in very faded barkcloth. I found it when I was living in Boston many years ago.
All of the teak furniture you see on the porch? Two benches, a picnic table and 3 picnic table benches? We bought it all from our neighbors for $25.00.
The porch floor is bluestone. When Don and I first saw this house and walked onto the porch, I stood there and swooned. I do believe that clinched the sale for me.
My favorite step ladder. It came in these colors. Obviously, I had to have it.
I have two of these hanging plants –Scaevola Whirlwind Blue. I’d love more because this porch has 5 perfect openings in which to hang plants. But they aren’t cheap. So two it is. I love hanging plants, don’t you?
The picnic table with my wrought iron thingy (my official name for it) filled with a pot of impatiens and sweet potato vine.
I spend a lot of time on the porch. Mockingbird Hill Cottage is small and having another room at this time of year is such a gift. Yesterday my allergies were making me sluggish and tired. I took a little nap on the glider. Heaven.
I hope you enjoyed my tour. If you were here in person, we’d have some lemonade and a nice chat.
Happy 66th wedding anniversary to my parents, Gordon and Shirley. I love you.
Happy Friday.
