Almost Spring afternoons -

Yesterday I was able to cut the first small bunch of golden yellow daffodils

 for the house. . . . .how they brighten things up. 

These sunny days are special, the garden is coming alive, full of

 promises. . . . and a lot of work!

Afternoon tea on the porch has been so enjoyable this week. 

I used the spring colored citron colored Anthropologie mug. 

It's quote 'EXPLORE' has been on hold a long time, but surely days

 of getting out and about are coming soon. 

While shuffling through my 'tea box' I found some interesting tea bags to try.

This green 'Passionate Pear' from TEALEAVES was a pleasant change.

 I usually drink black tea but read that green tea is more healthy. 

Do my tea specialist friends out there agree with this?

My knitting was put away after several months early in winter when I made

 a few more cowls and scarves to warm cold necks. 

Today an email came from that wonderful yarn and haberdashery shop in

 London, LOOP, located in Camden Passage - take a look if you're a knitter, 

you will love their offerings. The colors for spring are just so beautiful I may

  be pulling out my needles again to knit something new.

If I ever get back to London this will be a go to shop for certain!

 

Have a fabulous weekend friends. . . . . . . .and a very happy 

Mother's Day on Sunday to all the UK mums.

Here in the US our clocks go forward on Saturday night!

Small mercies -

The kindness of the garden is still sharing spring flowers - thank you garden and 

Mother Nature.

This evening, when the season of spring officially starts, we will all have much on

 our minds which is worrisome, negative, and downright frightening. 

Everyone is offering thoughts on ways to get through this terrible time so I 

will not say anymore on this point. We all know what we need to be doing!

Instead, here are some things which have kept me busy this week.

I did some pruning, clipping the pulling in the back garden.

I took stock of the now messy potting shed - made myself a note to clean it 

out this coming week when the temperatures will be exceptionally warm.

I'm hoping to find a way to buy some plants to pot soon - one nearby 

garden center will be taking orders online and you can drive up and have 

your plants put in your car - something to consider.

Our food supply is running low on things like fresh produce - not sure

how to handle that right now other than get to a shop first thing in the morning 

before too many people are about.

I baked a lot of muffins this week (also two loaves of bread) to share with 

my neighbors - put them on their front steps, rang the bell with my elbow,

and stood in their yards within a good distance for a quick chat.

We had a raccoon visit the garden a few days ago - actually not this one
 whom I photographed a couple of years ago in the back garden - a smaller one, 
probably a female, who was under my azalea bushes.  
Bob had spent a good couple of hours out there mowing, trimming and blowing, 
but she didn't come out until I walked out there, sans camera or phone.
She looked healthy but perhaps tired from having her daytime sleep disturbed 
so just bypassed us silently and crossed the road into the wooded area. 
Don't see any babies here so maybe they are in the woods. There is a large owl 
in our trees this week - and they are predators of baby raccoons, so fingers
 are crossed!

Life definitely goes on - proven by a lot of bird activity in the garden. 

Before I could even take the now shriveled Boston ferns down from the porch
 (left up over winter for the Carolina wrens to sleep in nightly), a pair of 
House finches started building a nest!  I haven't the heart to stop them, 
especially as we need all the entertainment we can get now we're isolated
 at home, and watching their diligence creating that cozy spot for their 
coming family is amazing.

The somewhat dowdy little female does most of the nest building, but the more

colorful male always comes along and keeps watch whilst she's in the fern weaving

 the bits and pieces she carries back time and time again. It's day four of construction

 and now they get very upset if I try to look in the nest. They are messy birds so there

 will be plenty of cleaning of the porch - but what the heck we all need chores to keep 

us busy!

I'm still kitty sitting and plan to be until Nala's 'dad', my next door neighbor, gets home. 

He's due back tomorrow night IF his flight makes it. This morning I think she was 

missing him as she was snuggling up with his gardening shoes on the enclosed porch. 

I'm enjoying it because it gets me out of the house. . . . . . . I find myself going 

back and forth to see her even more times than really necessary!

Sending you best wishes - may you and your families, friends and neighbors stay well.

Wake up, it's almost gardening time!

Yesterday, in warm sunshine, I spent some enjoyable time at my favorite

Raleigh garden center. 

Located in a former small railway station on the outskirts of downtown

 it never ceases to disappoint.  In fact I was almost overwhelmed at all

 that was displayed this early in the year, a veritable feast for both the

 eyes and the senses!

Employees were scurrying around unloading plants and setting them out.

Handsome garden furniture was being unwrapped ready for seating displays,

and the little café was humming with late lunch customers, some dining outside

on a perfect day - as long as you remembered a sweater or jacket!

There were a few of these gentle reminder signs (above), especially around the

 vegetables and hanging ferns. I'll buy mine later as it's not really spring yet . . . 

. . . in fact we may get more freezing nights in the coming week.

Shelves were neatly stocked with interesting and useful garden items, 

all so clean and shiny.

Garden centers aways attract birds of course and this Mockingbird was happily

 singing one of the many songs in his repertoire. . . . . . .between berry nibbling

 in a huge holly tree.

It was hard not to load up a wagon with beautiful plants, pots and such.

  I will do that another day!

Purchased fertilizer for my shrubs and soil acidifier to keep my hydrangeas blue,

several packets of seeds, basil, parsley, morning glories, alyssum, and those 

gorgeous sky-high sunflowers which hopefully will brighten up the garden come

summer, and then feed the birds and naughty squirrels!

Also bought a new 'welcome flag' to hang at the front entrance, it's pretty and

 perfect, I'll share later after I take down the green shamrock flag hanging now

 for St. Patrick's Day.

We then stopped at Home Depot and purchased a new patio umbrella to replace

 the one destroyed by the heavy snow/ice storm just prior to last Christmas.

Bob is heading into the garden right now to do the first cut of the front lawn 

with his recently serviced mower. He's actually smiling knowing it will be his

 exercise for today! The grass is very thick and green and needs attention

 before tomorrow's possible storms. The sun is out and temperature

 should hit a high of 74F this afternoon, perfect!

Anyway, just sharing these colorful glimpses from my area - those of you still

shoveling snow need some reminders perhaps that spring is definitely 

going to head your way soon. I hear the mower running, all is well in our 

little patch on the planet.

Thanks for stopping by.

Snippets of life as we await Spring. . . . . . .

Hope your day is full of happy moments.

Suppose...................

.................Spring didn't come!

Photos from frosty mornings.

Tonight and tomorrow night we'll be bombarded again with a deep freeze.
Temperatures will plummet, remaining far below freezing for night and early
 morning hours. I'm thinking of ways to save some of the budding 
shrubs, particularly the hydrangeas now showing bright green shoots. 
Last year this occurred and the usual wonderful display of blue
  mophead blooms in summer never happened. I really missed them.
Old sheets will be pulled out of the linen closet this evening and tossed
in a ghostly fashion over the shrubs. . . . . fingers crossed that will help.
Azaleas will have to fend for themselves I'm afraid, we have so many
 and the bushes are huge. 

 However, they are on their way . . . . . . those lovely days of sun, 

blue skies, green leaves, warmth. 

We'll throw off the heavy jackets, put the boots in storage, clean the car, 
service the mower, cut the new grass . . . . . . . and be extremely thankful.

Fair vernal flowers. . . . . . . .

Awake, thou wintry earth -

Fling off thy sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth

Your ancient gladness!

~ Thomas Blackburn ~

~ Leucojum aestivum : called Summer snowflake but blooms in Spring ~

A morning of sunshine and an early walk through the garden 
brought new surprises.

The first flowers to open. . . . . . . . . always bring a smile.
I send these tiny beauties to those of you in colder climes who have
 yet to see your own push through the earth.
Along with the daffodils already in bloom, and with very warm days 
this coming week, we are well on our way to welcoming Spring.

My favorite deep cobalt blue hyacinth.
Have a pleasant Sunday.

Cottage makeover with slip covers. . . . . . . . . . .

Was it worth it? 

Sending the slip covers across the country to change their color, and

 my living room, was definitely a leap of faith.

Showing you the new look is not easy either - the lighting in this room on

these later winter days is not the best, however I think you will get the 

feel. . . . . . . . which is a lot different from the previous bright white

shabby chic look. 

Overall I'm pleased with the slip covers. There are a few darker

marks on the chair cover, but nothing a pillow and throw can't hide!

As warned, the zippers used on the backs and the cushions were white

 polyester and they did not take the dye, however they are just about

 invisible on the furniture so that isn't a major problem for me.

For now I'm keeping the antique French linen cover on the side chair, and the 

ottoman cover, white. As the slip covers came back quite a bit darker than

expected, charcoal rather than medium/dark grey, I think I need the white 

to keep the room from looking too dark.

I picked up some new pillow covers at IKEA at the weekend - two large grey

velvet and two small indigo blue linen - which I think go well with my antique cream

 and blue covers purchased in Provence some years back, also my elephant

 cover from Pottery Barn last year, and the sweet bird on a branch pillow in

another shade of blue found here at the Vintage Village.

I like how the dark grey contrasts with my armoire painted in

 Annie Sloane's Paris Grey. . . . .also with the silver metal gym

 baskets under the coffee table, perfect storage for my magazines

 and current reading materials.

Nothing fancy here - after all this is just a small cottage, compact and comfy.

 We've lived here 30 years now, not sure how much longer, but will keep it our

home as long as we can. . . . . . . . . . because our neighbors won't let us move,

 and our garden birds would miss us, haha! 

We have a bathroom reno starting this week, followed hopefully by a

 kitchen facelift during the Summer. Later this year the exterior of the house

 will be receiving a much-needed paint job.  

It's going to be a busy year around the cottage!

This photo was taken with my iPhone and it seems to be the closest

 color match - more the shade of charcoal grey without the blue hue in the

other photos.

All in all I am pleased with the covers. I did wash them all in my washer

 yesterday (and dried them in the dryer) as I wanted to be certain the dye is

 permanent and would not rub off on light clothes - it won't, and there was no

 dye in the washing water. The covers feel lovely, much softer and for some

 reason were easier to get back on the cushions - the job I always dreaded!

The wall behind the sofa might need some work. Perhaps I'll eventually

 hang some art along with the old mirror, haven't decided yet.

So this is the new look - even Bob seems to like it which is always a 

plus - and it cost much less than new furniture for the time being!

Now I'm working on the dining room table for Spring, and eventually 

for Easter. I've definitely edited my collection of Easter items over the 

past couple of years so remaining are just my white rabbits. . . . . . and 

a few other things I'll share in a later post closer to Easter.

Saucer magnolia, early garden splendor. . . . .

Grabbed the camera yesterday to take some photos of this lovely flowering

 magnolia liliiflora in the garden. I planted it ten years ago when quite tiny, 

just 18" in its garden center pot, and it's now about 15 feet tall. A moderately

 fast grower until about 20 years of age, it should top out around 20 feet with

 15 feet spread. One of the earliest multi-stemmed flowering trees in the USA,

 it blooms from late winter and is a beautiful first indicator of spring, with flowers

 opening before the grey-green leaves appear. . . . . . .I think you will agree

 it's very lovely.

With the temperature continuing very warm again here today and tomorrow - perhaps

 hitting 80F - we're enjoying the many blooming trees, shrubs and plants. However we

 are concerned that it will no doubt cool off with possible frost damage in the remaining

 weeks of winter. . . . . . . . a winter which never really arrived around here!

After the rain comes Spring. . . . . .

The rain came down in buckets last night, thunder crashed directly

 overhead, nonstop lightning illuminated the trees off and on for
several hours.

Earlier in the afternoon the sun was shining and it reached 81F.

Looking through the window upstairs (sorry, there's a screen so photos
 are a bit grainy) I noticed how the trees were extending their beautiful
 buds toward the sunlight.

I was also able to catch this male White-Breasted Nuthatch on a branch.

This is the bird we usually see hopping headfirst down tree trunks which is

apparently a way to see insects that birds climbing up the trunk might miss!

Incredible agility comes from the extra long hind toe claw, nearly twice the

size of the front toe claws - if you look closely you can see it wrapped around

the little twig.  Mated pairs remain together all year defending small territories.
 The female is similar in color but has a grey cap and neck. Together they build
 the nest and have one brood of 5-7 eggs per year. Both parents feed the young.

The sun is brilliant this morning and the garden is radiant with the buds

bursting and fresh leaves unfurling.

Sadly many of the daffodils were flattened in the storm - the ones that

refuse to stand up again I'll be cutting later for a vase. 

"Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"

    "It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling

 on the sunshine". . . . . . 

                                    Frances Hodgson Burnett ~ The Secret Garden