Succulent wreaths at the Seaside

Living wall art seems to be quite the rage at the moment. I would love to learn how to achieve it on a large scale. The thought of covering an unsightly fence or brick wall with juicy, vivid succulents just seems so irresistible. And what a perfect alternative for a garden when there is no yard to plant lushness. Not to mention they really are quite a show stopper. I thought for now, I will just start out small and try my hand at a living wreath, (which can actually double as al center piece too...bonus!)

While on vacation on the Oregon coast last week, (Yes, I have hundreds of pics and mostly from gardens and local nurseries, ok a few of the family playing at the beach too, but one of my fave vaca pleasures is to check out the local gardens) So while on my "me-time" I came across a gorgeous little flower store called "The natural nook" loved it! Actually spent way to much time in there, sorry boys! But I did come across this beautiful inspiration....

I would have bought one of these stunners on the spot and marked it up as a "very impractical souvenir" so photos will have to suffice. I am particularly fond of the one on the bottom right, the succulents in all shades of green with pops of purple, its just stunning! The two upper ones are actually herb wreaths, again what great creativity and a beautiful idea for a gift. I would love to make one of these herb wreaths as a center piece for my out door dinning area, place a big hurricane candle in the middle and take a pinch of basil to add to a freshly made bowl of pasta...oh happy days! I just need a warm summer breeze and a glass of wine to complete that perfect picture.

Thanks for the inspiration and eye candy http://www.seasidenaturalnook.com/ I can not wait to try this as one of my summer projects.

Here is a wonderful step by step tutorial from http://www.sparrowpost.net/oldschool/wreath.html How fun!!

Have you ever tried making one of these, been given one as a gift or like me its been on your "maybe one-day" list? I'd love to hear your experiences, also where you would put it. I'll post an update this summer when I attempt this, wish me luck!!

Here are a few more happy snaps of their back-alley nursery, what a happy little nook...loved it!

Wordless Wednesday...Natures rock-garden

Exploring Tide-pools, the oceans garden, where nature grows the weird and the wonderful. For the next week while vacationing on the Oregon coast this is my garden and my backyard playground...Pure serenity!















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Sunshine sings & pots are planted

The sun is shinning! Hence lack of blogging, I've been out enjoying the long lost vitamin D! Its amazing how good it feels and how productive I can be! One thing I have learnt about living in the "rainiest place on earth" is to truly make the most of the beautiful sun filled days, no sitting around on days like these, there's sun to be soaked up. How better to make the most of these gorgeous sunny days than visiting a few local nurseries!

Aster, Geranuims and dwarf vine pelagonium all in shades of purples and whites...ahh happy pot! (notice the bird seed (see previous post) all over the patio, I guess 10lbs takes a while for the birds to get through) This is one of my favorite pots, last year it held a beautiful lemon scented dwarf cypress rest in peace poor cypress!

Can't resist some new Spanish lavender, I buy 2 new ones every year, they kind of grow like an annual for me..lol! I have killed more lavender than I can remember. But I am determined to make it work! Here are the two latest little candidates. Although, in the ceramic pot is my one and only potted success from three years ago, its still going strong, just wish I knew what I was doing differently to make this one work? Am in need of some new pots, my ceramic ones from last year cracked over the freezing winter. This year I will buy glazed, just not sure what yet...exciting to have a new pot quest!

One of my favorite plants that I grow every year (and which really are annuals) the classic white geranium. Love these plants! I cover my patio, table center pieces, hanging baskets and for 33c each how can I not go crazy with the buying. They have thrived every year on my full sun patio.

My fancy potting bench ie, the back step, where all my potting adventures take place. I am hoping this is the year I will finally build my potting bench made from salvaged crates. I have a great plan for it that I will be sure to blog about. But until then I will continue to enjoy my back step.

Still to pot, a strawberry plant which was another steal at 50c and the last white geranium, I think I have run out of pots...agh! Also, need advice on the strawberry, part of me wants to just plant it in the perennial garden as its a wonderful ground cover. Has anyone grown strawberry this way? Would love to hear your experiences.

Last but not least, my happy little nursery helper! What a trooper putting up with mommies many hours of drooling over plants. I love that my two boys are both gaining a love of gardening and the outdoors.

Wordless Wednesday...Springtime Puddles

Sure all this rain is making for a green luscious garden, but gosh its making for one stir-crazy gardener! 

Seriously I'm going loopy from lack of sunshine! 

After spending the first day of June jumping in puddles with my boys, seriously we were as happy as pigs in mud! I wanted to pass along a giggle and some down-right cuteness for a rainy-Seattle, 

Galoshes wearing kinda day....

Galoshes make rainy-day puddles all the more fun!

What's the early June weather like in your neck of the woods?

Boundless gardening

bound·less (bound'l's) adj. Being without boundaries or limits; infinite.

I'm not really sure if my lawn is invading the garden blooms or if my garden is spreading amongst the grass? Either way my perennial garden beds have been without boarders for quite sometime. Call it the lazy gardener in me, but I love the look of a free moving, cottage garden. Everything is intermingling and living happily together taking a path all of its own. I love watching the growing plants decide where the garden edge shall be. I love that my garden is taking an organic form spilling out into the lawn however and where-ever it feels.

My back fence garden, the plants are loving the room to grow. By allowing the plants to roam, I am also decreasing my lawn space by up to a foot every year. Gone are the straight lines, replaced with curves decided by the plants.

When we first purchased this house, (I wish I had some before photos of the garden) the garden beds were meticulous, all trimmed and perfect, straight lines everywhere and spacing you could measure by. Most of the plants were shaped and constrained to take an un-natural shape. Don't get me wrong, I love manicured gardens, but honestly that is too much work for me...lol! And as I soon found out, this garden wasn't digging the formal look, it had a life of its own. It wanted to grow and explore, who was I to stifle a growing garden from its own freedom of movement.
So with loving pruning and nurturing soil, I let it do its thing....

 Here I have English ivy, candy tufts and box hedge all living harmoniously together, spilling out over the sidewalk in an a natural flow.

Here in Seattle, we really haven't seen much sun yet this year. But there is no doubt about all the rain, it sure makes everything grow! The grass grew so long in a week we had to set the mower to 4 so not to cut off over a 3rd. This was also a great time to get out there and pull the weeds from the sodden ground, makes for easy weed pulling. It was also an eye opener to see just how much my garden had spread out into my lawn, at least a foot maybe more since last year, lots of grass was pulled from the beds. I am excited to see how much everything has grown and that my lawn footprint is reducing every year.

I love seeing the different foliage's intertwine like this. On the left I have the prickles of a heather against the variegated leaf (Anyone know what its called?) mixed with the maple shape of this gorgeous perennial that graces the garden with its big broad leaves and sweet long-stemmed blooms.

On the right, growing at the base of my cherry tree a hydrangea and a peony enjoying close quarters. Can't wait to see the blooms and I love how the Hydrangea is helping support the Peony.