Garden Rows

Saturday, June 30

The Garden is not a Litterbox

 My first year in this house I had grand plans for small garden beds. There were a few places around the house where the grass did not grow very well, so I thought a nice little flower bed would be a better alternative. 


Not only would the areas look nicer, I figured the land lord would not mind since he would not have to weed eat awkward spots in the yard. Yes, that really was one of my justifications! I put in my garden beds in the fall by removing the grass (and roots) with a flat shovel, putting down a cocoa soil conditioner and putting in plants the next spring.

There are plenty of neighborhood cats that wander yard to yard...know where I am going with this? Well, the sweet little kitties LOVED the fluffy cocoa soil conditioner. I went on line looking for ways to ward of the feline interest. Basically all I learned is that cat's will do what they want, where they want, no matter what you do to the garden. This was not a news flash to me because I have a dear kitty of my own, so I know quite a bit about feline determination!

I got some large pine mulch for the front flowerbed thinking dainty little kitty toes would not like the large coarse chunks of wood and bark. I was wrong. I tried to keep the bed cleaned out by scooping any offensive deposits and watering really well...that didn't work either. Not even damp mulch kept these cats out! Aren't cats supposed to not like water? Sheesh!


I went to the pet store looking for cat repellant, but did not buy any. I did buy a jug of ammonia thinking if I sprayed it on the boarders of the gardens it would smell unpleasant. 2 problems with that: I think ammonia smells unpleasant, and I was not sure how the plants would react. So I never used it.

 
So now what?! 


 Rocks and ground cover. 

I placed rocks in the spots they liked to use the most (after scooping and a good watering!).  There is this neat little succulent ground cover around the neighborhood that I brought home a few small pieces of and planted in some of the leftover open areas. It is a nice ground cover to use because it pulls out easily if I change my mind!

see how much bigger they have gotten in 2 years?

The rocks add a nice decorative touch, and make great stepping stones. There are so many options for ground covers. There are a few types of Thyme that are creepers, and some are tough enough to walk on. Just imagine the wonderful smell of walking on a carpet of Thyme!

Sunday, June 24

Vintage Farm Wedding

Ahh summer! The season of sunshine, swimming, extra daylight, fresh fruits and veggies, lots of flowers...and weddings!


My cousin's was yesterday. It was a lovely out door ceremony in the groom's parents yard, followed by the reception in the barn. The weather turned out perfect. It was nicely overcast by the time the ceremony started, saving everyone from a blistering 7pm sun, and there was a sweet little breeze dancing around to keep us comfortable.

I believe my cousin's theme was Patchwork. I only titled the post Vintage Farm Wedding because when I saw the bride with a classy vintage look, the bridal party and the setting all together, that is the post title I thought sounded great. To see pictures, check out Amy Phipps Photography. I was too busy running around having fun to take pictures...plus my batteries were on their last leg, oops.

The tables had tons of wild flowers in a variety of glass bottles. They were also marking the isles of seats for the ceremony. Each bridesmaid had a different colored bouquet. There was yellow, orange, red, maroon and mine was white (pictured above). The bride's bouquet had deep reds, lavenders and a pop of yellow. They all looked great together. The main flower in each bouquet was the elegant snapdragon. I love that she chose this whimsical flower. When we were little her mom (my aunt) always had them growing in her garden. Recently she told me why she loved them so much. It has to do with a trick she liked to show little ones. Gently pinch the sides of one of the blossoms and it looks like a dragon snapping it's jaws! She showed me this trick before I can remember :)


The bride brought a lot of personal touches to the decorating, but also to the bridesmaids. She gave each one of us a hankie, a pin and earrings selected for the individual girl. She also gave her sisters a pin, very sweet!


The pins are leaves, and we each got different styles of pearl earrings. The bride did a nice job matching the jewelry to the girl.

By the end of the night, after hundreds of hugs and blessings from their guests, this lovely couple had a blissful glow!


Congratulations Lovebirds!