Monthly Archives: April 2010

Starting a Garden III – Container Garden continued

30 Friday Apr 2010

Posted by in Flowers, Gardening

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I knew you would enjoy seeing the rest of the pictures I took of my friends garden sans grass.  It truly is inspirational and may give you ideas for your own yard.  Enjoy!

Japanese Maple trees are a challenge to grow in Southern California but my friends have done an amazing job.

Who would have guessed that from the destruction one darling puppy managed to wreak on this yard such beauty would emerge.

Clematis vine and vibrant petunias.

The fountain provides a background for cooing doves.

The sun exposure here is East facing.  Ideal morning sun and then shade from the hot afternoon sunset.

The final picture below.  Have fun creating your own garden sanctuary.

An Angel to watch over the garden is essential.

Starting a Garden II – Container Gardens

27 Tuesday Apr 2010

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It’s easy to think of gardening strictly in the context of amending the soil, dealing with grass (if there is any) and determining the ‘hardscape’ (stack stone, brick, or even hedges that form distinct spaces for planting) areas.  But there are other options.

Grass, who needs it when you have a setting so beautiful.

One of my dearest friends decided years ago to get rid of her grass.  Lots of eco-friendly gardeners say that grass uses too much water and there are other issues.  Personally I love the coolness of grass and would probably go to the new, synthetic stuff if grass was outlawed in Southern California. My friend’s decision was helped by an addition to the family, a yellow Labrador retriever puppy.  Tilly, the darling puppy, destroyed my friend’s backyard within a few months of his arrival.  Wanting a pretty backyard became a challenge.

Tilly, she looks innocent doesn't she?

So my friend combed magazines and tore out countless pictures of more formal gardens that featured containers filled with beautiful trees, shrubs, ferns and flowers.  Her yard, to this day, is one of the most spectacular gardens I’ve ever seen.  She and her husband had brick runners added to the patio and concrete poured, gravel pathways formed and plenty of space for large concrete planters.

My Friend's Secret Garden

Her garden has evolved over the years and she has added layer upon layer of detail that makes a visitor want to sit on one of the many garden benches and spend time listening to nature’s song.

Starting a Garden – Part 1

25 Sunday Apr 2010

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As part of my ‘divide and conquer’ advice in my previous post I thought I’d tell you how I began to convert a really plain and homely back yard into something we could enjoy.  When we first moved into our ‘cottage’ (28 years ago) the back yard was filled with grass/weeds and the bedding areas were bare except for several trees along the back fence.  I have always enjoyed working in the dirt but I confess this yard was a little overwhelming.  I don’t have ‘before’ pictures so you’ll just have to take my word for it, it was pretty ugly.

Not my 'before' picture but very similar

Using my divide and conquer philosophy I decided to focus on the side yard (part of the back yard) which was the first thing you saw when you went out the kitchen door.  Mind you, we had no extra money for someone to come in and revamp the space so I started slow.  I sat down with my pen and pad and analyzed the space to try to figure out how I could add some charm without breaking the bank.

Similar to the first arbor we installed

The first thing I did was to put a wooden arbor on my Mother’s Day wish list (which happened to be about 1 month after we moved in).   My husband bought the arbor from the local nursery and it was very affordable—all I had to do was paint it white (it was stained with a redwood stain).  I placed it so that when we looked out of the dining room window you saw this cottage arbor.  I planted 2 1-gallon snail vines on either side and was amazed that by summer’s end they had covered the arbor.  Note, the arbor is no longer the focal point in that location, a Smith & Hawkins teak bench was the replacement some years later.



Cottage garden look - Salvia

When I found plants on sale I would pick up plants that met my cottage garden criteria, i.e. penstemon, roses, lavender, loubelia, maiden hair fern, azalea, camellia, English daisies, pincushion ‘scabiosa’ and foxglove, to name a few.  I amended the soil with a compost blend (you can find this at the home improvement stores and nurseries) every time I planted something new.  This will greatly improve your chances for success.

A bird house from the K-Mart Martha Stewart collection was mounted on a post and still provides home to wren families that visit our yard.

Birdhouse

My point is that in about 6 months the area I had decided to start on was l0oking 100% better than it did upon our moving in.

Don’t be discouraged, if you don’t know for sure what kind of garden you would like to plant, visit the library or stop in at the bookstore (the ones where they invite you to sit and look at magazines) and start getting an idea of what kinds of plants you love and can maintain.  You can do this!  If you have questions feel free to contact me or your local nursery.  Enjoy the season and happy planting.

You can create your own Private Garden with time and patience

Staying True & Focused

23 Friday Apr 2010

Posted by in Misc

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I’m beginning to sound like my eyes are bad with my overuse of the word focus —well actually, I do need readers, but that’s another story.

Library - the heart of the home

Being new to this blogging business I’ve been shopping other blog sites, not to copy but to figure out a direction for my scattered thoughts.  When you have 3 distinct “favorite areas of interest” it can cause overload.  Yet they (areas of interest) are so well intertwined—HOME for most of us applies to indoor as well as outdoor space and it seems natural to want to entertain family and friends in these spaces.

Garden Rooms

That said, one of the things that has hit home is being true to your own self no matter what your area of passion.  I realize that some of you might be saying, “Look, if I knew what my own taste was I wouldn’t be wasting my time reading what you have to say!”  I recognize we are all looking for ideas and inspiration to help us make our home life  more beautiful, enjoyable and comfortable.

Outdoor Living Space

My experience when pondering any task (such as determining how to manage the decorating, gardening or entertaining problem of the moment) is to divide and conquer.  Think about what your first priority might be, at least for now. (Priorities are always changing, right?).  Are you hoping to create a beautiful garden where you can relax and enjoy the upcoming season?  Wanting to revamp a room in your home that is in need of a face lift or a total redo?  Have a fabulous wedding/baby shower or party for family/friends on the calendar and need some wonderful recipes for the party?

Start with a notepad, pen and maybe a stack of nesting magazines. OR, maybe you don’t need the magazines—you can visit some of the wonderful blog sites for this sort of thing—and prioritize.  Include your ideas for for what ever you are desiring.  Congratulations, you’ve taken the first step.  I’ll talk about each of the above mentioned topics over the next several days, weeks, months and I hope I can be of some help.

All images courtesy of my favorite magazine (which is no longer publishing) Southern Accents.

Spring in the Garden

19 Monday Apr 2010

Posted by in Flowers, Gardening

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I am always amazed at how fresh and new the garden looks in spring.  I shouldn’t be surprised since it happens every year…still, there is something so encouraging about seeing roses as they add beautiful green leaves and buds, with promise of lovely blossom.  Vines and shrubs that looked sleepy in the winter now have a freshness about them, washed clean from the rains we’ve experienced here in Southern California.

Some of the perennials are putting on new growth and will bloom shortly.  The grass is an emerald green that is incomparable (again thanks to the rain).  I think this is nature’s way of enticing us into the outdoors and it certainly inspires me to get busy working on some of the flower beds that could use some new plant material.

Foxglove

Since I work full time (am I starting to sound like a broken record?) I’ve started planting things that require less attention and manicuring such as:

Iceberg roses – a shrub rose (I love white but it comes in other colors) that really is remarkable in its ability to bloom time after time for about 8-9 months of the year.

Iceberg Rose

Penstemon – a perennial plant with beautiful spikes of bell shaped flowers.  I particularly like ‘blue midnight’ for its growth pattern (more upright than rambling).

Foxglove – I buy ‘foxy’ a more compact version of the traditional foxglove.  I’ve had some success with this plant regenerating new blooms if cut back after the initial bloom.

Impatiens – I know this is considered by some to be nearly a weed and not worthy of the serious gardeners cast of ‘garden stars’.  I find it to be beautiful and it provides me with big splashes of color in semi-shady areas with little or no work, what could be better?!

Impatiens

Herbs – If you love to cook and entertain its worth planting a few of your favorite herbs.  Basil, Italian flat leaf parsley, curly parsley (I personally don’t find much of a difference but enjoy both varieties for different reasons), dill, thyme and mint are my ‘go-to’ herbs.  WARNING:  Mint must be planted in pots unless you want mint growing everywhere, including the grass!  I know this may sound lovely but trust me, you’ll be pulling mint out of your yard 10 years form now if you put it in the ground.

Japanese Boxwood – since we have never gotten around to “hardscaping” the back yard so I use the Japanese boxwood to provide architectural structure in my yard.  These little plants  are wonderful and when hedged regularly set off the flower beds with architectural flair.

Our Secret Garden

These are just a few of the proven winners I’m growing in my garden.  I’ll keep you posted as I discover new plants that will keep your garden looking pretty with very little work.  What are you planting this spring?

Personal Stuff

17 Saturday Apr 2010

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Cottage Living Magazine

Since I hope to begin blogging with more regularity, up until now I’ve been blogging very sporadically,  I spent some time visiting other blog sites to see what kinds of things my peers write about.

Cottage Style Kitchen

I confess I first visited the sites I already know and love such as Pioneer Woman (now a celebrity in her own right and deservedly so) and The Inspired Room (one of the design team-members working with PW’s friend Hyacinth on her family room redo).  During a recent visit to 4-5 sites I realized that part of what I enjoy about my visits to the world of blogging is hearing some of the personal details about these amazing women’s lives.

I think it is in our nature to want to know there are people out there that share our ideas, dreams, tastes, etc.  Call it validation.  So, when we read that someone we admire and share ideas with has a day when they don’t get around to cleaning a bathroom, or laundry has piled up in spite of their usual penchant for organization, we smile and feel better about our own lapses, but we also connect with them on a personal level.  They (the blogger) start to feel like a friend…without the lunch dates and gossip!

My Secret Garden

I believe I have some good ideas to share with you regarding gardens (planting tips, maintenance ideas, plants to buy, suggestions for getting rid of unwelcome critters in an Eco friendly way), cooking/entertaining (table settings, recipes that are ‘entertaining’ friendly, in many cases do-ahead and easy) and home design (creating a comfortable and attractive home that reflects what you love, who you are, where you’ve been and the seasons).  I will include some pictures of my own ‘cottage’ (as my husband and I refer to our cozy 1,700 square foot  home).

Angel in the Garden

I hope you will take time to comment and share some of your thoughts as I embark on my journey of talking about my favorite topics:  Garden, Home and Party.

Focus on the Passion

17 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by in Decorating, Entertaining, Gardening

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Sometimes I think to myself, “Self, why are you trying to blog while working full time, taking care of your home (I don’t employ a housekeeper) and tending to the garden (I do have a gardener that mows and edges our grass)?!”

But then I remember how I got started—our oldest son happened to be present when one of my good friends ask for advice regarding her garden.  (As mentioned previously, I used to have my own gardening business).  During our drive home son #1 said, “Mom, why don’t you let me create a website for you where you could blog about the things you love?”  He knows I’ve always been happiest when I’m working on projects for our garden, our home and/or planning a party, preferably not all at once.

I was flattered that he noticed my passions regarding these topics and further touched that he thought I could offer something for people with similar interests—he was half right.  I have received 1 comment from my writing, which began in the summer of 2007!  (Confession:  I stopped writing completely for a long stretch of time, all of 2008).   I receive additional encouragement from son#2 (he reads each new entry) and my husband who always encourages me  no matter what I might tackle.  I believe part of the reason I’ve not gained many readers, besides the fact that if you’re like me you barely have time to answer your own email let alone comment on some web blog, is my inconsistency in posting to the site.

That said  I have been perusing other websites that blog about similar topics.  I could easily be depressed that my site isn’t any where near as entertaining, picture laden or cleverly written as some I’ve looked at but while reading through the archives of a particularly wonderful site by the name of The Inspired Room I read where Melissa, the talented author of this site, had a similar experience when she embarked on the adventure of blogging.

So, I’ve decided that if for no other reason than to journal my thoughts and ideas about the 3 topics I’m most passionate about, Garden, Home & Party, I’ll continue.  I won’t look for gold stars of recognition; I’ll do this just for me!

If you stumble upon my site and have questions, suggestions or comments, I welcome them.  I’m new to this and would love any advice you might wish to share.

Parmesan Chicken Recipe

12 Monday Apr 2010

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Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Serves 4; Prep Time:  10 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes

Recipe: Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Summary: Easy, delicious

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped 1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon) Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper 4 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 3 lbs.)

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven 450 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the parsley, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and zest. Season the mixture with 1/4 teaspoon each salt pepper. 2. Divide the parsley mixture into 4 mounds. Carefully loosen the chicken skin with fingers; tuck the parsley mixture under the skin. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a 9 x 13-inch roasting pan. 3. Bake until the skin crispy, the chicken is cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes.

Cooking time (duration): 45 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

My rating:4.5 stars
****1/2

Recipe by on.
Microformatting by hRecipe.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for sides.  I’ll post on my table setting and details later.

Ideas for Bringing Spring Home

10 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by in Decorating

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Veranda

Veranda

Veranda

When spring arrives, even if the weather can’t make up its mind, I like to do a few things around our house to lighten the “winter cottage” look that my home normally exhibits.  I often use my nesting magazines to assist me with ideas.  This particular Cape Cod home featured in Veranda inspired me.

No, I won’t be suddenly changing the paint color (we have a red family room) or fabrics but I did add a few more live house plants to brighten the room.  Flowers would do this as well but that can become pricey.  If you have some blooming plants in the yard you can create lovely bouquets using shrub branches and get away with very few flowers.  If that’s too much work, a couple of English ivy will freshen a room.

I take the time to put away my winter throws and change out the coffee table books to reflect the time of year—Charlotte Moss, “Winter House” goes up on the shelf and Carolyn Roehm, “Passion for Parties” comes out to sit on the coffee table.

I have a few metal sparrows that I like to use decoratively this time of year and birds nests truly make me think of spring.

I found an Ivy wreath at a craft store and that has become my spring/summer wreath for my front door.  I keep it simple but you could add some flowers and ribbon to this to wreath for the season.

Ivy Wreath

Making a few changes around the home is just what we all need to get spring in full swing.

What changes around your home do you make seasonally?

Spring is here!

Spring Entertaining

09 Friday Apr 2010

Posted by in Entertaining

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Traditional Home

I am so excited to greet spring this year.  People who know me will be surprised to hear that.  I’m a winter person and normally long for a cozy fire in the fireplace (even though I live in Southern California where many people maintain it is perpetually warm).  For some reason, maybe the extra rain and cooler temps, this year I look forward to some warmer days.  The key word here is warmer not hot!

In any event, I am ready to pull out the spring accessories (more on this later), put away the items that scream winter and spruce up the garden for its ultimate role as backdrop to a spring BBQ in the back yard, weather permitting.

We have invited friends for a casual supper next weekend and I’ve planned the main course and will work on the rest of the menu this weekend.  I’ll let you know what I decide to prepare in addition to Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken Breasts a recipe from “Everyday Food, Great Food Fast” from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living.

Do you have any great ideas for bring spring into your home?