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.
Your garden, porch and hard is so lovely! I can imagine sitting on the porch, walking around your yard. It really makes me smile and it says “Welcome! Come and sit and chat for bit!”
I hope you have a terrific Saturday! May you find some plants at the grocery that say, “Please, kind lady, take us home!”
That should be yard, not hard! This autocorrect drives me crazy!
xo
No more house plants! I’m full up. If I find plants, they will be for the garden and my grocery doesn’t carry them.
Your porch and yard are so welcoming. I love your new pots and your choice of plants. Perfect.
I can’t believe you moved/carried all those cinderblocks but I love what you did with them.
Have a beautiful day and take it easy.
Monica
I did move them. Not all in one day, but in two days, for sure!
I watched the royal wedding too…and I cried…always do at weddings. I love what you did with those pots….perfect plant choices. Yeah…I would
probably get two more of those pots, too….they are perfect. I potted up my tomato, basil and French tarragon plants yesterday. They are potted, and are on our 2nd story deck, otherwise the wildlife would have a free for all.
No rain til tonight…so I have another window to putter in the garden. I have more annuals and a butterfly bush to plant. I’m excited for that…another way to attract pollinators, plus they are so pretty. So…busy day ahead…hope the rain holds off. Enjoy your day! ;)
That’s why I don’t plant vegetables. No upper deck, so they’d be gobbled up by wildlife. My butterfly bush is a magnet for butterflies!
That’s what I’m hoping for…and for the hummingbirds and bees! ;)
xo
I didn’t get up for the wedding but then again, I’m 3 hours earlier then you are. If I were on the east coast I might have made it. Lovely grounds you have, Claudia. I know the hard work you do to make it so.
It’s being repeated on some channels, I think, Wendy.
Claudia, I watched a bit of the BBC coverage. Saw the entrance of the cars and part of the ceremony.
What I’m currently really intrigued by, however, is a live feed of ospreys who have a nest atop a crane along the SF Bay shoreline. I’ve been watching the chicks grow They are now about 3 weeks old. Unfortunately, I’ll be on a trip when they fledge. It would have been fun to watch them learning to fly. sfbayospreys.org. The cam is infrared so you can see the nest clearly at night too.
Neat! xo
Such a beautiful yard and I love your “new” pots and plants…..So gorgeous!
Thank you so much, Carol!
I’m watching the wedding now, I DVR’d it. So moving and beautiful. I love the blending of two cultures together also. Those pots are gorgeous with the plants you choose. Please get 2 more they are so pretty. Your garden, yard and porch are looking so pretty. It is rainy here today also but I’ll go see my girls later today. Blake and Tiger have gone to a Nascar race so it’s just us girls today!
They won’t be exactly like these pots – these were a pair. But maybe I can find other equally attractive ones. Have a great day, Linda.
The hanging baskets with the purple flowers are spectacular!
Thank you, Cara!
Yes, they are! Claudia, what are those plants?
Lobelia.
I love the cinder block wall—and the pots and plantings make it all perfect!
I have to replace two of the cinderblocks with new ones. Hopefully, they’ll age quickly.
Your hard work is yielding a lovely space and sending out a beautiful invitation for lounging and lingering . Enjoy Claudia!
Thank you, Grace!
your yard looks so pretty and fabulous. I hope you get to enjoy it all year long.
Well, at least three out of four seasons!
Claudia – Everything looks so green, lush and pretty.
Judy
It’s that green that only comes at the beginning of spring, Judy!
The cinderblock wall is pretty fascinating. The rear of your property seems so – – I don’t know how to say it – – densely-wooded, like you’re nowhere near a town or civilization. A bit mysterious-looking; impenetrable! The porch is completely inviting. Gorgeous hanging plants.
I’m a bit of an anglophile but I’ve been uninterested in this Harry wedding. I think his antics when a younger man were offputting to me. I’ve just always been much more interested in William. And the headlines leading up to today’s event, about Meghan’s family members, were rather disturbing (of course, we can’t choose our relatives!). But since you and others here seem to have been moved by the proceedings, I’ll be sure to catch some clips. I did see a couple of photos when I logged on today and she seemed swamped by her dress but I guess the veil was a work of art, with flowers of a lot of different countries embroidered on the silk. It must be beautiful to look at, up close. Wasn’t it nice that they got a sunny day when it could just as well have rained.
It’s just a few trees in that area. The area behind it is an expanse of lawn.
I have to gently correct you on two things: Harry was acting out as a young man. He has been very open in his support of mental health issues. He supports them because he lost his mother at such a young age that he repressed his grief for years and it came out in unfortunate behavior and real issues that needed to be dealt with and healed. He sought help several years ago and it shows.
Also – not at all swamped by the dress. It was simply gorgeous, simple and elegant. Maybe you saw a strange angle, but I’d urge you to watch the real thing rather than looking at pictures. The ceremony was modern and traditional, incredibly moving, with a gospel choir singing Stand by Me and the sermon given by the African American Bishop of the Episcopal Church in a very American way that was was refreshing and an extremely powerful statement about the power of love. The whole thing was the perfect blending of cultures.
Claudia I have to agree with you about Harry…the same happened to me as I lost my Dad at 10 years old…we were very close and I too suppressed it and never got over it…Also in my teens I started acting out and doing things for attention like young Harry did…having gone through it all myself I realised what was going on with Harry…William was going through much of the same he was just better at hiding it…I feel very proud of the men they have become now…they are shining reflections of their beautiful mother…she would be so proud!
I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for you to lose a parent at such a young age, Nancy. It’s too much for a child. I think the boys have become excellent young men.
Claudia, I love how pretty you have your place looking. I love the plants you chose for the big pots in back. You porch seating area is so sweet. I think Don is really going to be impressed with all your hard work. Blessings, xoxo, Susie
p.s. I loved the wedding
He’s already seen much of it via FaceTime but I can’t wait until he sees it in person. Thanks, Susie.
So lovely, all your pots and the outdoor furniture-everything. Truly a place to relax and enjoy the summer we waited so long for. I too like to strategically place huge clay pots around our garden for splashes of color. Up on those blocks really showcases those beautiful old pots. I totally forgot about the wedding, so imagine my surprise when I clicked on the NY Times website and saw the headlines morning. And, yes, when I watched the short video of them doing their vows, I cried.
If you can catch a replay of it, do watch. It was simply beautiful.
I really enjoyed the wedding. I watched it on BBC, so it was interesting to hear what they had to say about the several “traditions” which were and were not taken. I was touched by the thought that went into so many of the particulars. It was wonderful to watch something so delightful with absolutely no political antics on the screen. Happiness is quite lovely!!
Love the pots and what you potted! We haven been planting all morning. I am pretty tired right now, so I am quite glad that I put dinner in the crock pot earlier today! Hope your Saturday is a good one.
I started watching it on ABC, simply because that was the channel I landed on but when the hosts started yammering during that exquisite cello solo, I switched to PBS/BBC. So glad I did!
Your porch looks beautiful! I love the little dove. I would never have thought of the cinderblock wall, but I really like the look of it! May even copy it at some point. I agree that another pot or two would really add to the area.
It seemed like a good (and free) way to create a border there. Thanks, Dottie!
OH MY!!!
all so beautiful. and yes. two more of those beautiful English pots!
XOXO
Thank you, Tammy!
wow … great eye, great work, great results! i know there will be time ahead spent tending the plants, etc., but i hope you have time right now (and every day) to just sit and enjoy the beautiful results of all your hard work.
i am especially impressed with your cinder block wall and will bookmark that photo along with the hope that i can some day create something like that, too. thanks for the inspiration.
and yes, that wedding was beautiful, too. very moving to see people so happy and in love. the world needs more of that!
kathy in iowa
It was so nice to turn on the television and see something positive for a change!
Everything you’ve done looks beautiful Claudia!…I too am loving the block wall you’ve done…That is something I have been hoping to do around my willow tree down by the stream…I want to have flowers growing and a bench there to sit and read…it’s a great dream…maybe some day…lol…did you know that if you turn your blocks on their sides you can plant flowers in the holes?
I miss my willow! That was one of the things that made me want to live here, and now it’s gone.
Yes, I know that about cinder blocks. But I didn’t want to plant these blocks. There’s enough crazy growth in that area!
Although there are many Willows naturally in this area…I planted the one in my back yard…it was only a mere twig when I ordered it online…now it is about 15-20 feet high and beautiful!…Maybe you should plant a new one Claudia!
It would have to be far away from our septic system and I don’t think that’s possible. That’s the reason we had to take ours down!
Those flowers look so lovely. I watched the Royal Wedding,but at 11 AM. One of my TV channels on PBS had it repeated.
Marilyn
Wasn’t it wonderful? Thanks Marilyn!
Hi! I tried to comment the other day and got a server hang-up. For some reason I get it quite frequently when I try to comment here. Anyways, I wanted to tell you that Lowes has a product called Brush B Gone, I believe, that will get rid of your poison ivy. I got some for some of my palmetto bushes that have gone wild. It says it takes 1-6 weeks to kill it down to the roots. You might want to look into it. It should make it easier to get rid of it without having to worry about getting the rash.
Sorry you got a server hangup. I haven’t heard that from anyone else and I am notified when the server is down and it hasn’t been. Most likely something on your end because server connection varies throughout the country; a timeout via your browser/server. I encounter this occasionally on other blogs.
The problem with anything like that product for me is that I don’t use chemicals anywhere on my property or in my gardens. So, unless it’s completely natural, it won’t do. But thank you so much for sharing this information, Kathy.