Kaseys Korner

watering can vase

& a double pink Streptocarpus ~ the two most notable purchases I made after the garden tour last weekend.  I thought I'd share them with you because I know you'll be blown away by the Streptocarpus (like I was) and the watering can vase is just too cool (and very versatile to boot.)   I can see myself using it for a myriad of different bouquets ~ starting with tulips & daffodils in the spring all the way thru sunflowers in the fall.

Creating a fantastic looking arrangement couldn't be easier thanks to the wire jar lid:

Just so you believe me (and I could prove it to myself), I ran out and bought a few flowers (I don't know why I still don't like to cut from the garden???)

How beautiful is that?  Almost looks like it came from a florist shop, doesn't it?  I swear alll I did was poke the stems thru the wire holes.  If you like it as much as I do, it's a Creative Co-op product ~ maybe you have access to a store carrying their line (or can find it on the Internet?)

Now (drum roll please) ~ the double pink Streptocarpus:

I swore I was done buying them (I already have 'Black Panther' and 'Blue Ice') but try as I might, I couldn't put it back.   Have you done that before? 

"I saw it, grabbed it, admired it, said I didn't need it, put it back, walked away, turned around, picked it up (again), turned it all around, swore I'd never seen anything as beautiful ever but honestly, I don't need another one, put it back down, turned around, then turned back around, snatched it up, put it in the basket and vowed this really would be the last one."

It would have taken willpower greater than I possess to leave it behind...  Maybe I'm totally "weak" but I'm hoping you can see why?????

May I show you to your seat?

You have two choices (all in the garden ~ of course).

Either the front flagstone patio with its new Lime Green chairs:

Perhaps you need to see another angle before we look at option two?

 

OR, if you're in the mood for something a little more romantic, the back patio, illuminated by umbrella lights, is really quite magical:

and an excellent choice as well. 

Drinks are on the house.

Where should I seat you???

patio makeover

A couple days ago one of my old Adirondack chairs broke.  I had been thinking of replacing them, they were cheap, knock-off models that were getting pretty rickety, but I wasn't quite ready yet.  I'd been pondering if I wanted more of them or if I would prefer a change all together.  Since we sit out there all the time, and I hadn't figured out the answer yet, the fastest solution to our immediate seating problem was to move my table and chairs around from the back patio.  Now I'm trying to decide if I like them out front ~ I know I don't like the big void they left on the back patio.  Maybe you can help me ~ and check out the garden at the same time??!!  Here's a side view ~ what you would see walking up my driveway and turning onto my front walk:

and a view from the street:

Not sure I'm digging it or not?  I really think I preferred this look better:

the side view again with the "old" look:

Maybe it's time to break down and get some new Adirondack chairs after all??  I think I miss them already and looking at these photos is helping me make that decision.

Since we're on the front patio, we may as well see the porch again, right?

Maybe not ~ I should have moved that tacky yellow jacket trap before I snapped the picture!  I think I may have overdone the containers this year ~ they are everywhere.  Too much of a good thing?

Swinging around to face the street, you have to take one more look at the orange 'Cleopatra' foxtail lilies:

They are really beautiful this year.  I hope this clump grows and grows over time. 

Thanks for letting me review my options "outloud" with you.  I sure appreciate your input but I think posting has helped me make up my mind.  We'll see if you come to the same conclusions as I am...

a peek around

my own garden ~ on the off chance you would enjoy a glimpse into corners here and there.  The front bed is looking decidedly spring-like with Centranthus, Poppies, Iris, Alliums & now peonies taking center stage:

I heard several people mention (on last weekends garden tour) how we are running at least two weeks behind (from typical bloom schedules).  I would have to agree.  As long as it's green and growing I'm happy tho ~ it was such a long winter of brown and drab.

Below:  Back door grouping ~ you've seen all this (albeit separately) before:

 

Since you've seen the back door, it's only fair to share the front, right??  Here's where your opinion counts ~ see the column with the birdhouse on top??  

That's my latest display, idea, experiment (gone wild) and I'm wondering if it's going to manifest as I envision.  There's a mandevilla vine in the birdhouse so my thought process was ~ instead of training it up, why not let it drape down (and around the column).  What do you think?  Will it work or should I just start over now (and save myself from a flop)??

Below:  Side gate area where, believe it or not, I "need" another container! 

Don't you think the top step of the vintage ladder could use a splash of color??  This area is the only one with nothing in bloom at the moment (aside from the yellow sedum in the foreground) ~ the spring bulbs have finished and the next stage is lagging.  I think I may have just found my own next project! 

Around the corner from the gate is this little shade bed:

The predominant color here is green as well but I promise there is lots of color to come.  It seems to come into itself as the summer progresses.  Behind the giant fern are Chelone, Monkshood and Ligularia.  To the right, out of the photo, is a huge stand of Thalictrum, almost ready to bloom!

Continuing into the back yard, my antique birdfeeder is being usurped by roses ~ how fantastic is that?  Noelle, please overlook the pruning job ~ I like these bushes to bloom high so that all I see out my dining room & kitchen windows is a cloud of pink.   I'm pretty sure it's an incorrect method of pruning tho!

 

Ignoring the rose canes, and looking at the birdfeeder, you'll notice Clematis 'Hagley hybrid' climbing the post.  It was planted last summer so this season will be the first for blooms in my garden.  There are several buds on it that you know I'm watching very closely! 

And that, my friends, completes our "peek" for the day.  If you didn't get/see enough, be sure to visit again tomorrow ~ I could bore you with photos, I'm snapping so many these days!  :-)

bringing the garden inside

I'm not quite sure what I was thinking yesterday ~ climbing on a ladder in a ferocious wind storm to cut some lilacs to bring indoors???  Who knows.  Sounds like a recipe for disaster thinking back on it.  I'm glad it didn't end up that way.

I'm short on time this morning but before I get going, I thought I'd share with you what I did with the blooms I was so desperate to bring inside:

They became the centerpiece of my spring buffet, mixed in with a few other gardening/antique "doodads" I have acquired. Notice the Smith & Hawken birdbath bought earlier this spring ~ it has never made it outdoors and most likely never will ~ way too pretty!

I could have (should have) waited one more day ~ it has thankfully calmed down quite a bit ~ at least for this morning.  I hope to find time to make the rounds and see what's new in bloom, especially if the wind stays down so I can actually photograph flowers without them blowing every which way.  You can be sure I'll be back to share my findings with you! 

Never mind "Phil"

and his dastardly prediction of 6 more weeks of winter ~ we're going with "Spring's-just-around-the corner" at our house.  I'm finally over Christmas trees (which includes our Valentine tree) and I'm moving full-steam ahead to the next season.  I replaced the Valentine tree with a Spring (could be Easter??) cloche arrangement:

hauled the hyacinth bulbs out of refrigeration (where they've been chillin' since Nov):

and brought home a clump of daffodils from the supermarket to brighten our table:

Yes, indeedy.  We're moving full force into spring and we won't back down! Unless we get smacked down ~ Mother Nature definitely has the power to do that.  Meanwhile tho, we'll do everything we can to act/think/pretend it's spring!  The power of positive thinking ~ can we make it happen???!!!

where you can find me

on a cold winters day is most likely in the "greenhouse" (aka my master bath).  Especially in the mornings ~ with a cup of coffee in hand, it's a great place to start the day.  It's warm, it's bright and it holds a lot of plants ~ see what I'm talking about?

There's always something happening there (well, if you're a gardener or into plants).  You might spot an amaryllis pushing up buds (this is 'Aphrodite'):

She held out on me for a long time and now is trying to push up three buds at once.  What gives with that?  If I had my "druthers" I'd choose for them to bloom one stalk at a time so the show is prolonged.  No complaining tho ~ a bloom is a bloom is a bloom and I'll take them any which way but dead. 

You're also likely to find a bloom (or two or three) on Hibiscus 'Powder Puff.'   She has produced buds and blooms all winter ~ an unexpected but delightful surprise.

Of course I can't leave out the latest acquisition ~ Violet Tubeflowers were placed there after their recent purchase.  They are so pretty I can't help myself for showing them off a bit more:

Isn't that a dazzling, dangling clump of purple?  Trying to make a tongue twister there and failing...

 

I know I photographed them for you when I first brought them home but I didn't feel I did the flowers justice.  These photos show better just why I was so excited.  If you look again at the first photo, you can see the (tall) plant on the very left side of the picture.

 

Whoa.  What a way to start the morning.  Now you know where I am if you should need to find me...

Terrariums

Last summer one of my gardening buddies gave me a book for my birthday:

(the author is Tovah Martin since I've so thoughtfully blocked the name)  At the time, I remember doing little more than flipping thru the pages and thinking how beautiful all the different assemblages were ~ something about putting an ordinary item under glass turns it into something extraordinary.  Know what I mean???  Anyway, after sufficiently admiring the photos the book was shelved until recently when I pulled it back out again.  This time with the intent of creating my own masterpiece under glass.  ha.  I started with one Primula acaulis:

(or grocery store variety primula), some cool spring doo-dads to dress up the outside of the apothecary jar:

and one "Grow" pick (to dress up the inside of the jar ~ like the primula wasn't enough!):

Combined them all together:

 

and plopped on the lid:

Pretty sweet, don't you think?  At least for now.  I wonder how long the Primula will stay looking good under glass??  That's the problem I have with cloches, apothecary jars, terrariums, etc., ~ finding the right plant that can take all that moisture.  Maybe I'll just keep it under there until it starts looking stressed then create a completely new assemblage.  That's the one good thing about this time of year, there's time to play with little things like this while the garden is still sleeping.

winter cards

I am amusing myself these cold days by creating cards from my photography stash.  Everyone does that, right?  ;-)  Just kidding.  Seriously tho, for me, it's as enjoyable a pastime as gardening (especially during the winter months when there's little of the latter to be done).  Since you've seen these photos before, I thought you might like to see where they ended up?  Card for Anna (to finish up the Gardening by Letter project):

Then there were the Paper White photos I took the other day.  One found a home here:

It looks perfectly content on a tag, doesn't it?  I will take my fun with flowers anyway I can get it!   A closer view of the paper white assemblage:

Making this card cinched it, I much prefer my Paper Whites in photograph form.  :-) 

A bonus for all you paper-crafters and card makers out there ~ look at the fun way I've found to store all my cute embellishments:

It's sitting on the corner of my desk where I can spin it around and see all my latest doo-dads.  I think it's the perfect solution for what to do with all those little packages of trinkets.  Just slip them between the rings like so:

 

and viola, everything is at your fingertips.  Cool beans, huh?  Now I need to finish filling it up (I've only just acquired it ~ although it looks like it's been here long enough to get a spider web on it ~ please overlook my bad housekeeping!)  By the time I've finished stuffing all the slots, this little puppy will probably not even turn. 
 

Recycling your calendar covers

Before we get too far into the New Year and your 2010 Calendar covers have been tossed into the recycle bin, I want to pitch an idea to you.  Don't throw them ~ the mini pictures, (on the back of the covers ~ the ones that give you a sneak peek at each month) make great quick & easy cards!  Here's a snapshot from one of last years calendar covers:  (Yes, I'm a packrat ~ I hoard all the covers!)

But look at why: 

Doesn't get much easier (and cuter) than that, does it?  Spring IS a beautiful thing, isn't it?  I can hardly wait....

Let's stay on "task" tho and remember our recycling project ~ so easy to get diverted by thoughts of spring.   Well, maybe we can combine the two and look at another simple, simple project appropriate for the next month ~ a little pocket to tuck our "happy" thoughts in:

No way, I could throw that sweet bird image in the garbage.  Aren't they adorable?  Cupcakes, birdies and flowers ~ what else do we need in life? 

As if the above two paper crafts weren't enough to make you think twice, can you imagine how much fun I'm going to have with my 2010 Calendar cover:

I see five star "amazing" coming from these mini pics.  Did I manage to convince you to pull those covers out of the recycling bin??  I hope so!

PS  I received my most wonderful "Gardening by Letter" envelope in the mail January 2nd.  It was like Christmas at my house all over again that day.  I have gone thru the cards and gifts several times over and will post about it tomorrow.  Believe me, it is an envelope worthy of its own post!