Category Archives: Garden
Displaying an Outdoor Nativity
Posted by LIz
Last year we displayed the outdoor Nativity scene on the front porch, but it just looked a bit too cramped and didn’t do it justice. So this year we put it in the front yard. Here are a few details we had to change…
The Beauty of Fences
Posted by LIz
I love a good fence. (even a so-so fence can appeal to me) New England has so wonderful examples of great fences that I just have to share some with you. Instead of filling this post up with my words, I’d thought I’d mix it up a bit, so along with the pictures I took showing you the beauty of fences, (mostly from the Kennebunks) I’m including quotes about ‘fences’ from some well known folks…
Day Trip to Stonewall Kitchen
Posted by LIz
Here’s a perfect activity for a rainy, non-beach day when your travels take you to southern Maine… Perfect day to do something else besides the beach. Stonewall Kitchen company store is located in York, Maine, and is one of my favorite rainy day stops! Here’s what to expect if you ever find yourself on a day trip to Stonewall Kitchen…
Beautiful Downpipes
Posted by LIz
Beautiful Downpipes
When you are restoring a house, small details are important. They make a huge difference to the overall look and feel of your home. This is particularly the case when you are talking about the outside of a home.
The other day I was looking around the neighborhood and noticed that many of the homes appeared to still have their original downspouts or, as the Brits call them drainpipes. That got me thinking and wondering how that was possible, after all many of these homes are over a hundred years old.
Creating an Oasis with a Water Fountain
Posted by LIz
We’ve had this water fountain for several years, and even a few different places, but this place is my favorite. Here’s how I went about creating an oasis with a water fountain…
The Story of a Blue Jay
Posted by LIz
Once upon a time there was a man and his wife that were working in their garden, when they unknowingly, through their eager actions to create a lovely landscape, did a horrible thing… and were faced with the realization that it would be difficult to make good with the disaster that faced them… What should they do? Throw in the towel, and try to forget the murderous actions somehow? This is the story of a blue jay that wouldn’t give up…
Tips to Prune a PeeGee Hydrangea
Posted by LIz
Happy May Day!!
I love to garden… well lately it’s more like: I love gardens… ha ha! Ever since moving, we drastically cut down on our gardening chores. Yay! More time to enjoy the beach. But we do still garden a bit, so in celebration of May Day, I’m going to give you a few tips that we’ve learned on how to prune a PeeGee Hydrangea. (or a Paniculata Hydrangea)
Rooftop Garden
Posted by LIz
Atop one of the floors of the Fairmont in San Francisco is this lovely formal rooftop garden, with English influences, such as this open lattice style fence and gateway. Our gardens in the Midwest, won’t be lush and green for a while yet, so while I’m waiting I thought I’d take a look back at my January visit to the Fairmont’s rooftop garden.
Before and After: Landscape and a DIY Pergola
Posted by LIz
With Spring here, I figured outside gardening and landscaping plans are being formed by some of you, so I wanted to share this before and after of our former house’s front garden area where we dramatically changed the look by landscaping and constructing this DIY pergola from scratch. I hope it will inspire you to see what a dramatic difference landscape and details can make for your house too!
DIY A Garden Inspired Centerpiece
Posted by LIz
A couple weeks ago I told you about planting grass seed indoors… Well, that seed has bountifully sprouted and growing happily on our dining room table, so today is going to be the day to show you the DIY garden inspired centerpiece put together with that planter full of thriving grass.
Easy Ways to Add Spring to the Porch
Posted by LIz
With winter finally behind us, and having a few days of temps in the 50’s and 60’s last week, I decided it was, for sure and gladly, time to embrace Spring on the front porch! (although we do live in NW Wisconsin, and very likely could, and probably will get more snow this season) For this day, it was warm and I was feeling Spring! So here are some easy ways to add Spring to the porch.
Over the years, I’ve collected a large assortment of vintage watering cans, mostly found at Read the rest of this entry →
Grow Green Grass For Your Table
Posted by LIz
A couple of years ago was the first time I tried my hand at growing grass indoors for my dining table. That was in our former house, where we had a large bank of southern windows in that room that offered tons of great light for successful indoor grass growing…
But not in our new 100 year old home, our dining room here faces east, so we get lovely morning light, but not that direct full sun throughout the day. So here’s what I’m trying this year to get some grass growing in a container on my dining table: Read the rest of this entry →
Posted in Dining Room, DIY - Crafts - Floral, Easter, Garden, Our 100 Yr Old House, Setting the Table, Uncategorized
Tags: centerpiece, Easter, grass, grow, hometocottage, plant, planter, Spring, table
