Get To Growing Garden Goodies

Get to growing garden goodies grow a long way in the beautification process of the spring flower and vegetable garden.

get-to-growing-garden-goodies-graphic

Planting cool and warm season crops in the South is common practice with many farmers and gardeners who believe Good Friday to Easter represents a symbol of fertility and rebirth.

Get to growing garden goodies inspiration often comes from a flower or vegetable garden sight to behold.

country-garden-geraniums-pansies-osteopermum-silver-petiolaris

House & Garden Magazine is a phenomenal source for lawn & garden inspiration, and it is my pleasure to share these enchanting examples.

English cottage gardens visually fascinate me.

At our last house I designed and planted a small cottage garden, and although small in size, it commanded a large presence among the total landscape.

Osmanthus Tea Olive Shrub with White Fragrant Flowers

Planted in the garden right outside our bedroom window was a sweet olive tree.

Fragrant scents floated through the late afternoon into evening air, making spring into summer deck sitting times an aromatherapy session of sorts.

fragrant

adjective

having a pleasant scent or aroma; sweet-smelling; sweet-scented:
a fragrant rose.

delightful; pleasant:
fragrant memories.

Stanton-Residence-garden

In regards to planting your own English cottage garden, there’s no need for a large parcel of land or sprawling estate.

Better Homes & Gardens offers plans for creating the perfect cottage garden suited to your taste, zone, and design vision.

Here’s the link:  Garden Plans for Cottage Style 

Garden Plans for Cottage Style

Illustrations by Mavis Augustine Torke 

Aim to create a quaint garden space rich in color, fragrance, and charm.

knee-high-mix-sweet-pea-seeds

Knee High Mix Sweet Pea Seeds

The design objective of the cottage garden is refined undesign.

color-rich-English-cottage-garden

“I am rooted, but I flow.”

— Virginia Woolf

Quote means something altogether different, but I thought it fit the occasion.

hollyhocks

Laying out the design of a cottage garden is similar to styling a coffee table.

High, medium and low is a working concept with considerations to factor in.

When I’m styling a coffee table I sit down on sofa, chair, etc…  and choose the primary sight line.

X marks the center spot- the prime location for a medium or low height object placement.

Outer areas balance the method with graduated heights to continue the flow, theme, and visual engagement.

Border Charm Peony Roots

Color bursts runs intertwined in greenery grandeur.

English-cottage-garden-hyacinths

Mix and mingle annuals with perennials, textures and patterns, the shabby with the chic.

Contrast produces an informal, romantic, distinctive and visually pleasing aesthetic.

Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea White Flowering Shrub Bare Root

Weave unique planters, chippy garden statues, and accents of interest throughout.

Woodland Excelsior Foxglove (Digitalis) Mixture Live Bareroot Perennial Plants (5-Pack)

When planting and placing, work with the design rule of odds.

Sunday Lilac (Syringa) Live Deciduous Plant Purple Flowering Shrub

Groupings of three or five fashion the essential casual yet elegant design concept of the cottage garden.

Inese-Bite-Garden

Fencing of wood, iron, or hedge complete the desired intention of creating an intimate space.

Dark Green Metal Garden Fence (9-Pack)

Montebello Wrought Iron Garden Edging

Montebello Wrought Iron Garden Edging

Knockout roses.

garden-roses

Climbing roses.

Pinkie-New-Dawn-Climbing-Roses

Garden roses.

salmon pink rose

“There is simply the rose; it is perfect
in every moment of its existence.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Grand Freesia & Ranunculus Bulb - Set of 25

Thankfully, the ice storm spared both the flowering quince and azaleas.

flowering-quince

Did you know azaleas are classified as an evergreen shrub?

pink azaleas

Harsh winter weather was cause for concern with so many of our plants and shrubs; however, these Southern Indica azaleas are rated for down to zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Spring’s in full bloom gift graces the vases and tabletop places in the home.

pink-white-azaleas-in-vase

Our Deep South planting soil to temperature zone indicates the essential need for particular plants to be planted in the ground and growing by Easter in order to be strong enough to survive the heat of this region.

Some planting zones, climates, and soils ready for spring gardening quicker than others.

My steadfast rule and suggestion to fellow gardenistas is to first consult a zone map to know the best time for planting vegetables and/or flowers in your part of the world.

usda_plant_hardiness_zones

Two gardening go-to sources I consult is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and the Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide from the  LSU AgCenter.

In this area April is the time for planting eggplant, okra, squash, cucumbers, peppers, snap and lima beans.

Based on information gleaned from a host of gardeners in the know,  azaleas, jasmine, viburnum, camellias, and flowering quince are prime for pruning as soon as they finish flowering.

What, how, and when to cut back to promote new growth is a question for our local extension service-  a get it growing source of valuable lawn & garden information and get it growing tips.

bees (1)

Beauty and the bee is all the buzz, and you know I’m all about the theme.

bee plates WSBee Salad Plates

Marble Honeycomb Salad Servers

Marble Honeycomb Salad Servers

garden fresh salad ingredients

Antique Royal Bayreuth Bavaria Pumpkin Tomato Creamer

Antique Royal Bayreuth Bavaria Pumpkin Tomato Creamer

Pass the buttermilk dressing.

 

Bee-outdoor-pillow

Outdoor Throw Pillow in Bee Script

 

Outdoor spaces decked (porch or patio) out in color, texture, and pattern invite the look of the season to sit in style for awhile.

tomatoes-in-sink-Delft-tiles-photo-Johannes-Mueller

House & Garden – Photo by Johannes Mueller

Crisp lettuce.

Tom Thumb leaf lettuce seeds

Leaf Lettuce “Tom Thumb” Seeds – Butterhead 

Home-grown tomatoes.

Beefsteak heirloom Tomato

Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato Seeds

Fresh from the garden vegetables deliciously complement spring and summer grill it up favorites.

hamburger-patties-ready-to-grill

garden-vegetables-citrus

Edible Plants

There’s a whole host of reasons for gardening.

Gardening is:

Therapeutic.

Relaxing.

Visually gratifying.

Expresses creativity.

never-underestimate-the-healing-power-of-a-quiet-moment-in-the-garden

National Garden Clubs Inc. 

Early spring is an excellent time to plan, plant and Easter parade your flower and vegetable gardens accented with get to growing garden goodies.

spring signature

 

Curb Appeal Projects

Buckets of rain threatening the weekend tend to put a hold on curb appeal projects.

What you hear about the weather in the South is true- wait five minutes and it will change.

Curb Appeal Projects

Repainting the rockers on the front porch has been a long time coming.

wet-paint-rocking-chairCaution: Wet Paint

Behr Grassy Savannah is the current star of our curb appeal show- a shades of gray-green-brown perfection.

grassy-savannah-behr-marquee-paint-colors

Behr Grassy Savannah N340-5 Semi-Gloss Enamel Exterior Paint

paint-formula

Soffit, facia board, and box end repair is the necessary project.

Rotting soffit and facia is not only an eyesore and curb appeal deal breaker, it can allow squirrels and goodness knows what other varmints to gain entry into the attic.

replaced-soffit

Now that the boards have been replaced it’s ready for paint time.

house exterior front

Benjamin Moore Simply White for the bricks, Behr Grassy Savannah for the cedar shakes, and Sherwin-Williams Pure White for the soffit, facia, and columns is under consideration.

exterior-paint-colors-2019

Another change will be changing out the painted wood shutters for louvered vinyl exterior shutters.

Sanding, scraping, priming, and painting the existing louvered wood shutters every two to three years (Louisiana heat and humidity takes no prisoners) is becoming tiresome and expensive.

Vinyl exterior shutters can be cleaned with soap and water and can be painted when and if needed.

Tauba Copper Finish Mailbox

Brown Copper Metal Wall Mounted Mailbox

Nine years in and I’m still happy with the copper mailbox and address plaque.

1-Line Wall Address Plaque

Wall Address Plaque

Elements of classic design joining together with a mix of metals creates curb appeal interest.

2e Architects

2e Architects

Classic curb appeal notables include wicker furniture and Boston or Kimberly Queen ferns displayed in decorative urns and/or hanging baskets.

fern-rocker-dusty-miller

fern-rocker

Wicker accents prove to get better with age.

International Caravan Chelsea Resin Wicker Porch Rocker

International Caravan Chelsea Wicker Patio Rocking Chair

modern French facade

Michael J. Siller Interiors

How lovely is the Spanish artichoke finial?

Spanish-artichoke

Spanish Artichoke

Patrick Ahearn Architect

Patrick Ahearn Architect

Jay Blue Sherwin-Williams

Jay Blue from Sherwin-Williams

Thomson Cooke Architects curb appealThomson Cooke Architects

Captivating images come together to inspire curb appeal beautification projects.

Kadlec Architecture + Design

Kadlec Architecture + Design

Gorgeous!

Island Architects

Island Architects

Thomson & Cooke ArchitectsThomson & Cooke Architects

First impressions make lasting impressions.

Curb appeal projects lead the way to big returns, impressive results, and beautifully welcome style home.

Darleen-signature-love

A Most Fetching Friday

fetch·ing

/ˈfeCHiNG/

adjective

adjective: fetching

attractive.

synonyms: attractive, appealing, sweet, pretty, good-looking, lovely, delightful, charming, prepossessing, captivating, enchanting, irresistible

I thought I would bring back my A Most Fetching Friday series for the spring and summer season.  Today’s spring and summer fetching Friday kicks off the series with a collection of images drenched in color and seasonal decorating inspiration.

she-shed-garden-decoratingCountry Living

iced-teaSouthern Living

54c1c92c4f6f3_-_ed-peterson-4-xln-xlnELLE DECOR

Friday-will-be-fabulousRedbook

Lucille-BallHarper’s BAZAAR

MoroccoDomaine

Banana_Leaf_Wallpaper_in_Green_and_Pink_design_by_York_Wallcoverings_aa448458-675c-428d-ad2a-0baa567e685a_2048x2048Burke Decor

Venetian-Painted-Armoire1stdibs

Have a wonderful weekend!

enjoy-hydrangea