Livin is easy

My last post was on

my favorite sitting places-

 My country porches

Hope you enjoyed seeing where I like to "sit a spell"

 but now on to this post..........

Remember that song -

"It's summer time and the livin is easy"

Well here are a few porches

I've seen lately that remind

me of that song......

What's better than sitting on a shady porch sippin

some ice tea??????

Aren't you feeling cool and relaxed????

 they look sooooo welcoming??



How about an afternoon nap?????

I'm so there......

What about you?????

linking up to http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/ 
and
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/

Sit a Spell

I'm linking up with
http://www.thevanillatulip.com/2012/04/inspirational-blog-hop.html

My inspirations come from my quite time
on my porches.......

I can remember my mom telling my Dad, after working all day in the yard -

"Why don't you come

up on the porch and "Sit a Spell"

It's a good ole southern saying meaning -

to sit down, rest, relax, refresh

Let me show you where I like

to sit a spell at my country home

My front porch

This is my favorite place
to sit for short periods of time.
Maybe I'm exhausted from
working in my flower beds
or I just want to catch the sun
setting in the early evening.
Often when I'm out on my
front porch neighbors will wave
or even walk over and have a
sit with me

I love to decorate my bench beside the front door
it's always changing with the seasons and my mood

Now let's move to my
back screened porch





We like to have our morning coffee out here
listen to the birds, maybe see a few deer
It's also a fabulous place to unwind in the evenings
with a glass of wine

This is our favorite place to entertain guests

It's a great place for casual meals
or playing cards or games
with family and friends

I created this little sitting place
out of a folding chair, a frilly pillow sham,
an old pillow and my grandmother's
hanky secured in place by an
old broach

I stacked these two little
stools for a place to sit your drink

I love to pick my wild flowers and
place them around the porch in little vases

got to add some birdie love around the porch

I'm having a girls weekend

the first week of May

The event is called

"Party on the Porch"

I can't wait for my dear friends

to come spend time

on my porch

Every Little Birdie says -

Why don't you come up on the porch

and "sit a spell"

I'm linking up at the White Wed Party over at- http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/2012/03/white-wednesday-145.html
and feathered nest friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Flower Power

As most of you know, I love the Victoria Educational Gardens

Victoria Educational Gardens

It's just down the road and I love to take

guest to this beautiful place

One of my favorite events at the gardens

is their semi annual plant sale!!

Our home was finished last July and I

was so excited to go to the fall plant sale. 
I couldn't wait to start planting

in my new flower beds.  At the fall sale I bought two Texas Sage Bushes,
two Pink Salvias,
and two Butterfly Bushes. 
These plants have flourished
and are doing well.

I headed out last Saturday morning to the
Spring Plant Sale to buy some new plants.  

Here is what I found -

Next I spent some time deciding
where to plant these guys
......garden design is serious business

or as my little sign in the laundry room says
"Life is a game, but gardening is serious"

White flowers are black foot daisies

I found these black foot daisies

on the table marked "native plants"

 I added one of them to my galvanized tub,

to hang out with the

"Gold Star" Esperanza 
(which is NOT blooming at the moment)

I want it to look like this one at the Victoria Gardens

Gold Star Esperanza

I put the other daisy in a pot with

some asparagus fern.  If these little
daisy plants take off, as I think they will, 
I will probably move them to their
own place in the flower bed.

One of my favorite "buys" at the Plant Sale

was the "Mystic Spires Salvia" plants.
I bought three ($7.00 each, what a deal)......

here are two of them

and here is the other mystic salvia

cozied up to my Boston fern

I couldn't resist this beauty

the pink geraniums found a

spot in the wheel barrow next

to the fern

Asparagus Fern

and speaking of ferns

I bought this beauty

and used a large pot I had 
for it's home.

I also love the fox tail fern

so I bought this one to go

beside my other one

Fox Tail Fern

I like to scatter herbs through out my

beds.  It deters the deer because they

don't like the strong smells.

I found this "hot & spicy" oregano plant

which should do the trick
(plus be delicious in dishes I cook)

I've also added Rosemary around my beds.
It does very well in this sub-tropical area
and the deer hate it!!

It might be small now but check back next year, it will more than triple it's size

This is a "Summer Pastel Yarrow" plant-

the tag said it produces pastel flowers.

I had yarrow at my other house and loved it

so I decided to give this guy a try.

.....and this plant is called "Society Garlic"

It has pretty purple flowers.

I think I'll be buying more of this

and do a mass planting.

It's quite showy in numbers.

I also bought hubby two chilli pequin plants.

(He loves these hot little peppers),
and for myself-- two small "Indigo Spires Salvia" that will someday be quite beautiful, a couple of "Anne Marie" Lantana plants that should really take off and be quite large by summer and a lovely little plant called "Nicollata Plactranthus"
which I have never seen before but

liked the look of it and am willing
to give it a try.

Here is a little look around my garden -

Mini herb garden beside back door
handy for snipping herbs for cooking

Hubby gave me his old fishing bucket for a cute planter
That's Ivy Geranium growing in it

My neighbor gave me this white Azalea plant
hopefully I'll see blooms soon

A big part of gardening is having patience.....

waiting for your new plants to flourish 

and fill out.  I'll have to post again in the fall

to show you what my beds look like then.

Meanwhile, on to the next big project.....

Grass for our yard!!!!

And then pave stone walk ways......

It's a good thing we love working outside

because there is lots of work to be done.

Every Little Birdie says-

 Happy Gardening

linking up over at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/