Garden Love

Sigh.

I'm in love with these beauties.

First blooms on our new hydrangea plants in the front garden make me stop and smile every day.

Tucked below her soft blue blooms are the orchid pink New Guinea impatiens.

They compliment each other so well.

Good Neighbours

 

We have been blessed with good great neighbours. Even before we moved in, our neighbours came out to meet us as we scoped the house out just after we bought it. They've put up with the construction noise and dust, many Bobcat back hoes on the front lawn and our constant chatter about the renovation plans. 

On our first night in the house back in May, our neighbours came over with a bottle of champagne to celebrate our new home. What a nice welcome. They are good people who's company we really enjoy. 

AND a bonus - they have two cats who would wreck havoc on fresh flowers brought in from the garden. What a bonus for me! My neighbour offered some of their hydrangea blooms that are changing colour with the fall weather. It turns out that the sweet little felines would bat the blooms around and make a big mess. Of course I was happy to oblige and bring a few pom poms in. 

I have other hydrangea blooms that I've savoured and protected for about 7 or 8 years. Not kidding.  So it's nice to have some new blooms to dry that are just tipping in to the rich fall colours. The pom poms are big ..... honestly I didn't cut that many. I keep moving the dish around taking pictures in several spots because the colours are like jewels.

We are grateful for wonderful neighbours and thankful that the cats have no appreciation of flowers. Thanks Hilde for sharing the blooms with me. Hugs, K.

October

Reluctantly I welcome October. I'm not a lover of fall. I listen to people get excited about the cooler weather, the change of the sun setting, the leaves falling from the trees. But me - I like the heat, the long days of summer, the rainbow of colourful flowers sprayed across the gardens. I love the waters edge and the sound of the shore, and prefer to wander there when the sun is warm on my back. I'm really not a cold weather girl.

I have decided that I need to think of all the positive things about fall and October. Warmer clothes are needed, but who doesn't like cozy sweaters and soft fabrics like corduroy. And things just taste different with the cooler weather - in a good way. Soup, apples, dark grapes, squash, it all makes the cooler season more comforting.

The fun of Halloween swirls around everything all month long. Cheerful pumpkins on doorsteps, spooky decorations everywhere, and waiting out all of October to catch a glimpse of cute little trick or treaters.

The thought of putting the garden to bed for the winter makes me sad. This year it is a bit more difficult to take the idea of the leaves turning colour and needing to be raked up..... we just put the new sod down at Cardinal House this past week. Pout!  I wish I could turn back the clock to June and have the stretch of summer in front of me to play in the new garden.

Audrey Hepburn may have said it best....

While October nudges in and leaves the door open for winter to follow, I put the garden to bed and prepare for the promise of spring.
I have purchased a few spring bulbs for Kya and I to plant. She is excited at the colours we have bought so far {purple allium, pink tulips}, and that one of the tulips is called Ice Cream Tulip.

So Welcome October. 

Bring on your hues of gold, rust and deep red, excite us with your Halloween fun. 

I can see beyond the mounds of fallen leaves to the garden design for spring. 

Pinterest Favourites this week

Are you a pinterest pinner who just pins? Do you review your pinterest boards on a regular basis for inspiration and direction?
I am always interested in what other people are pinning from my boards - what is popular during specific times. Ugh, Halloween and Christmas decor idea's already. I look over my boards occasionally to remember the direction of projects.

This week my mind was on gardens, specifically the gardens you find winding around properties with a history. Moss and vine and stone = aged beauty.

Have a truly Glamourous weekend.


... all via pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/glamourathome/

 

Fern and Boxwood Wreath

Sometimes I have a pin on one of my Pinterest boards that gets a lot of attention and it makes me understand that the timing was right. This one in particular is getting re-pinned often recently, and why not. The 'forever' wreath is pretty, fresh and after such a long winter we are all ready to welcome Mother Nature to our front door.

In case you missed it.............

Fern and Boxwood Wreath from Two Inspire You on Etsy

Twoinspireyou - HERE

This pretty wreath shop has some fresh designs that will surely welcome spring to your home. For more Garden Love visit my Pinterest page - HERE.

** I am not associated with this Etsy shop - simply love the designs.

Bloom Spring - Bloom

 "Under the giving snow blossoms a daring spring." 

                                                                                                                       Terri Guillemets

Flower Carpet in Brussels

We may have a bit further to go before spring flowers begin to pop their pretty heads up through the soil, but with spring officially arriving today we are one step closer. And if your green thumbs are itchy to get going, the Canada Blooms show in Toronto is the perfect place to gather inspiration.

Floral Fashion Parade

It was windy, cold and sunny on Sunday - perfect weather conditions to send everyone off to Canada Blooms. Richard and I hustled from the car to the Direct Energy building at the CNE to join the throngs of people who were, like us, happy to smell fresh soil {you have to be an avid gardener to appreciate that}.

The Canada Blooms Flower and Garden Festival teamed up with the National Home Show in Toronto {Direct Energy building at the Canadian National Exhibition} - the show runs through until March 23rd.  So if you world is lacking the sweet fragrance of garden soil or home reno dust - this is the place to be.

Mannequins sprouting floral carpets in bright shades of floral buds were part of the attraction.

Sweet cakes made with magnolia leaves, gerbera daisies, and carefully placed blooms had me dreaming of a tea party in the garden.

 Can you imagine these pretty floral cakes adorning your table?

There were garden vignettes landscaped to encourage backyard planning. One of my favourites was designed by Jodi M. Liptrot and built by Vaughan Landscaping. The blend of over-grouted stone and charcoal stained wood beams offered the perfect foundation for pretty foliage around the sleepy garden.  My pictures don't do this justice .......... it was so elegant. 

As we welcome spring today and hope for warmer weather, I can't help but know that we have things a lot brighter than the residents of Port au Choix, in north western Newfoundland.

The roof of the house {in the center of the pic}  is barely peeking out under the snow drifts.

The owners of this home were away most of the winter {it's easy to understand why} -  neighbours contacted and advised them that their house was in danger of being buried in snow. So they returned home and to no avail attempted to shovel off the roof managing to leave the house before the porch collapsed from the weight.

images: Janice Gould - Canadian Press

So - Welcome Spring !

........... maybe Mother Nature can give Newfoundland an extra sprinkling of warm air.

Garden Dreams

Back in the fall the weather specialists predicted that it would be a tough winter. Hmmm, for once they were right. I imagined mountains of snow, but never dreamed of the drastic cold temperatures and freezing rain we have endured all season. Even as a Canadian {and we are a hardy group}, I found this winter 'too much'.

via pinterest

According to the ground hog we have more winter to tolerate, but I think it's time to have a serious talk with Mother Nature about shedding her winter coat.

I've bought pretty flowers in light summer shades to brighten up the rooms, but there is nothing like seeing the snow melt and the first buds popping up in the garden. 

via pinterest

Is it any wonder why the seasonal home and garden shows are so popular, we are all itching to get the season going.

I had visions of planting allium bulbs last fall so that the path to the garden would be lined with their fluffy purple blooms. The man driving the back-hoe on our property had other idea's. So on the list for fall planting 2014 are lots of allium bulbs.

via pinterest

The garden dream at Cardinal House starts with blue Hydrangea.......... oh, I cannot wait.

The winter storm provided it's own tree pruning, but the clean-up and further trimming will happen when the snow clears. We need to lighten the tree canopy to allow rain and light into the garden. And then - hmmm, maybe some pretty blooms to bring a carpet of colour among the tall beauties.

My first garden had a clematis that grew to a healthy height up to the second story of my house. The Jackmania Clematis was planted in a cozy corner that had enough warmth and protection to keep her blooming from spring to late fall. Cardinal House has several spots that will provide the perfect conditions for more clematis to showcase.

via GB@H

My little garden Angels have added their charm for the past twelve years and they will find a new place of honour in the planters this spring.

via GB@H

It was back in the fall that I bought a case of French clay pots and have tucked them away to use for decor in the garden, just waiting for Mother Nature to put on her spring coat.

A large part of the dream for Cardinal House is within the garden. As much as both Richard and I are aching to complete the house and move in {more updates and pictures next week of the progress}, I am itching to see the buds on the tree's so I can play in my new garden.

The door is open and the garden plan for Cardinal House is being mapped out.

You say goodbye, I say HELLO

It's time to say goodbye ............enough........ no more. 

 'Old man winter, it's time for you to retire'. 

We are moving out of the house of Old Man Winter.........

My Psychic friend tells me not to ask the universe 'what else can go wrong', or 'how much more winter {or whatever} can we possibly stand'. Apparently the universe answers by showing us that we can take more. Hmmm. 

By the volume of snow we have received this season, it hasn't been a favourable answer. 

So it's time to speak your mind and put your requests up on the table.

I think I'll join in the chorus of the chirpy little song that my Granddaughter sings;

'Mr. Sun, Mr. Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,

Please shine down on me.' 

Welcome Spring

come on in................ stay for awhile.

 

With spring on the horizon, what is the number one thing you are looking forward to doing?

 

Peonies

My Daughter was admiring the bouquets of peonies at a flower shop the other day, and told me how much she loved them. She's always been a tulip girl {and wouldn't they look great with the peonies}.

I told her that I missed the big peony bush we had at our old house, and she was surprised because she hadn't realized we had one there.

We sat and took a peak at pictures of the garden at our old house and she started to remember how many flowers we had and the variety.

Here is another peak at those lovely peony and in the background the ever bloom roses {my sweet Daughter remembers planting that first rose bush so long ago}.

Happy Weekend :: Make it a Glamourous one!

Where does your garden grow

 

I went past a garden last week that I have seen hundreds of times. We used to live only a few blocks away from this beautiful spot. 

The garden is a part of St. Hilary's Anglican Church {Mississauga}. The corner of the the church property boasts a rambling garden that provides a welcome mat to the hundreds of people who pass by each day. 

When I was stopped in traffic last week and promised myself that I'd come back one afternoon to take some pictures of the garden. 

The garden is thriving in a very busy spot. The property and the lush English style garden is surrounded by roads..... on every side. A cloverleaf of one of the busiest main highways {the Queen Elizabeth Way or QEW as we refer to it} spills traffic into the area beside the church. 

It's not a pretty view looking back at the highway from the church, but the beauty of this well tended garden makes the vista around it a blur.

When I stopped by to take pictures of the garden I noticed just how busy the roads are around the area. 

The other interesting thing that I discovered is that many of the tree's and rose bushes in the garden at St. Hilary's are devoted to people who have passed.

The chain link fence that separates the roadway from the church property is lined with various roses. All of the rose bushes have pegs identifying the name of the rose and many include plaques with dedications. There are park benches with dedications, albeit that I wondered how anyone could sit quietly with the volume of noise from the highway and surrounding roads.

 

I came to realize that the members of St. Hilary's who lovingly tend the garden are oblivious to the sound around them. Serious gardeners know that once the soil touches your hands it is like hearing a symphony. 

And it is obvious that the flowers in this garden thrive on the volume of a full orchestra.