Flower to the power...

When the hubs and I were first getting to know each other, I sent him a list entitled "5 Things You Should Know About Me." I figured, if things worked out, he'd be exposed to these oddities of mine anyway - why not see if they made him bolt for the hills right from the start?

I was frank about my affinity for shoe shopping, up front about my need to (loudly and at decibels that threaten glass) comment on others' driving skills, and was quite forthright (if not a little boastful) with regard to my ability after consuming cranberry juice to outbelch any sailor foolish enough to challenge me. What I neglected to disclose to the dearest, future hubs was my excessive addiction to flowers. All of them.

We are now in Year 2 of the grand, three year gardening plan. Each year produces a healthy list of new bloomers that "must, must, must" be added to our wasteland of a backyard. A certain nursery sends emails that I am their #1 <insert your city here> customer (hey, I'll take blantent, non-sincere flattery anytime).

Warm weather and more-rain-than-is-typical has had us in the garden every weekend (hence, the dearth of blog posts). Delightfully, we are now seeing some Year 1 results and are deep into random Year 2 projects:

This weathered window frame is a sister accent to the blue window box featured in the last post. Scouting around at an antique shop yielded the frame and the darling petite hanging urn. I promptly spray painted it with flat white paint and now it acts a perfect foil to the bright yellow (formerly black) window frame.

A cascading Vinca vine fits perfectly in the shallow urn.

The flowers planted two weeks ago in the blue window box (featured in a previous post) are thriving more than ever! See the complete post here.

 A resounding success from Year 1: Snow in Summer borders the paver steps.

These pops of color petunias are some of my favorites. An iron plant pot ring lets you hang them directly from a fence, post or wall.

Arizona Sun Gaillardia is living up to its name even only having been planted about a month ago.

So what could be better than flowers? Shoes with flowers, of course. I had to have these pretties as soon as I saw them. Now, I'll just take a bit of the garden with me. ;)

Seychelles Joan Espadrille

Off to play in more dirt!

For dear Mamá...

Mother's Day is just around the corner and I wanted to share a project that is perfect for mothers of all ages.

I had the delight of combining two of my favorite hobbies this weekend - antiquing and gardening. It is a lovely thing when I can indulge in both at the same time. In this post I mentioned the local "Paris Street Market" held throughout the summer here in Denver. I cajoled the hubs into accompanying me (hey, someone has to carry the heavy stuff) and off we went to experience the mayhem for the first time. What a blast! With so many wonderful treasures to be had it was hard to narrow my focus. But focus I did and scored a fantastic 'window box.'

A quick trip to the garden center and I was armed with lobelia, pansies, alyssum, and gerber daises aplenty to complete my project. I added some D-ring hangers to the back of the window frame to affix the box to a blank fence section that borders the flagstone patio.

You could hunt down something similar at your local antique/craft/garden market or create it on your own. This one was built from an old window frame (glass removed) and attached to a simple rectangular wood box. These window frames are a very common find at shabby chic antique stores but you could also look for them at garage sales or donation centers. When making your own, paint it your favorite color but I loved the French blue on this one and snapped it up before the hubs could hide the wallet.

Adding a broken ewer spout to the flower bed creates a unique focal point and breaks up the long horizontal line. Find your own unique garden accent at this great Etsy shop that specializes in miscellaneous metal pieces.

I just love the way the purple of the lobelia and the French blue compliment each other.

Although the trip to the street market lasted a bit more than my patient husband would have preferred, planting the box took less than an hour. A project such as this is a great way to make a personal gift for any mom. My window box hangs outside but you can find or create one in a smaller scale and line it with potted plants for a charming and easy-care indoor vignette.

 

For these lengthly, warm weather excursions, I reach for my tried-and-true sandals. I maintain that "flip flops" can be stylish. I can walk for hours in these without my feet getting tired and who can resist lovely, white flowers, I ask?

FitFlop Fleur

Happy gardening!