:: peonies

I love peonies, but it makes me sad how fleeting their blooms are. I wish they bloomed as long as hydrangeas. They are so beautiful and so delicate that a heavy rain comes and you are left with a pile of petals where there was once a beautiful flower. I've decided that the best thing is to cut them and bring them inside where I can truly enjoy their beauty.

So gorgeous are those frilly light pink blooms....

Happy Monday to you. It's a beautiful sunshiny day here, though it will be a little too hot to really enjoy being outside. I don't know how we survived summers in the south before air conditioning, I only know that if we didn't have it I would be moving somewhere a little cooler.

Have a wonderful day.

:: peace & love ::

Carrie

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:: balloon flower

My pretty little balloon flower, one of the newest additions to my gardens. I adore the color of this flower and the size of it's blooms. I captured this photo with the rising sun shining and illuminating the veining of the flower and leaves. I love to stroll through my gardens at sunrise, everything looks so much prettier bathed in beautiful light.

I'm having a wonderfully lazy Sunday here. I've already had a nice little snooze on the front porch, after some leisurely reading of Country Living magazine and a new book on herbs. Ahhh, I love to relax.

Hope you are having a wonderfully relaxed Sunday too, take some time to stop and smell the flowers.

:: peace & love ::

Carrie

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:: relax

I'm inviting you to come for a relaxing stroll through my gardens and special outdoor spaces. Feel free to take a nap in my comfy hammock when we're done, and enjoy the fresh smell of the outdoors while surrounded by the beauty of Nikko Blue hydrangeas, and Sweet woodruff below. I even have a little table and tray for your lemonade in case you get thirsty.

This is the view of my patio and little garden path from above, if you are laying in the hammock, I'm right above you so this will be your view as you relax. Blooming now are my Hydrangea, Dianthus, Balloon flower, and Homestead verbena. If you get hungry you can snack on fresh strawberries just a step away.

In my island bed for your viewing pleasure I've planted Spirea bushes, a Kousa dogwood, Lorapetalum, Lavender, and a bath for the birds or cats when they get thirsty .

More shots from above of my sweet plantings...sedum, strawberries, phlox, liriope, dianthus, hydrangea, verbena, catnip, just to name a few. I love my plants so much, they give me endless joy and relaxation. I hope you've enjoyed this little tour of my gardens....you are welcome anytime, and if you stop by for a visit this is where you can find me as long as the sun is shining.

:: peace & love ::

Carrie

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:: jardinage d'herbe

:: herb gardening ::

Herbs have quickly gone to the top of the list of my favorite things to plant. They are wonderful for so many reasons. Obviously they are amazing to taste, but they are also so beautiful to look at. They have some of the most beautiful foliage shapes and designs, some flower, but I prefer just to look at their beautiful structures. Herbs are especially easy to grow, and are very quick as well, in one season you can have a voraciously growing plant.

Just last night I took a few clippings from my new basil plant only a month or so old, it had only a few leaves when I purchased it. Currently I am experimenting with how and where I plant my herbs, some I have in the pots above on my upper deck outside of the kitchen and others I have in my perennial flower beds. The herbs planted in the beds have completely taken off since planted last season. Below is my oregano planted just last season, I can't believe how quickly it's growing.

My lovely basil plant, I love it's waxy look and perfectly shaped leaves. This herb is becoming one of my favorites...I just cooked an amazing meal with it last night.... and Papa loved it. It was so fun to be able to run out and snip it and bring it in for cooking.

Spearmint...my son had to have this herb is was his choice when we went to the farmer's market. Now it will be up to me to figure out how to cook with it, though I just enjoy looking at it for now. I guess it will be good for making mojito's, since my friends love them.

So, if you haven't planted herbs before....now's the time....it is so fun and rewarding to plant and use these wonderful plants. The best thing of all is that many are perennials, and you can grow them in containers inside or out for use in your kitchen throughout the year.

Herbs.... love em'

:: peace & love ::

Carrie

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:: belles pommes

   

These beautiful apples accompany me while I read and have my morning coffee. The lovely light shining in this morning inspired me to grab my camera and capture their simple beauty. I'm so excited to wake up to glorious sunshine after days of gloom. It's quite a spectacular morning, as I sit and type little finches sit outside of my window singing me a song. I can't wait to spend some time outside in the gardens today. Off I go....hope you have a wonderful Monday too.

:: peace & love ::

Carrie 

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:: mon petit jardin

Welcome to my little garden. I started these five little raised beds last year, and already I can see that I need more space. I love, love, love growing my own veggies. Nothing tastes better than fresh broccoli from the garden...it's amazing. This will be my third time cutting broccoli, I have eight plants which have provided just enough for a meal for a family of four but it's just not enough. My family loves broccoli. 

I also have four brussels sprouts in another bed, I would have had eight but somehow or another picked up cabbage instead so now we have a bed with cabbage too. As you can see from the pick above, my brussels sprouts are just starting to sprout, I hope to be able to harvest them before too long. I love brussels sprouts, especially roasted in olive oil with sea salt & pepper MMMmmmm.

In my larger back bed I have my eight asparagus plants along with three cherry tomatoes, and some flowers that need to find a new home to make room for my asparagus and tomatoes. Asparagus is my absolute favorite of all of the veggies I have planted, and I can't wait for a few years to pass so I can finally harvest. Next year I hope to extend my beds, and I will definitely be planting more asparagus.

I have so enjoyed this small garden, and so has my family, but it's definitely time for bigger and better so for now I'll start planning for next year to build new BIGGER raised beds. I have big plans...I can't wait to bring them to life. It may be ambitious, but I would love to do very little shopping for food during the growing season and eat only what we grow. I love coming in with my garden fresh veggies, just seeing them there on the counter in my basket makes me happy and ready to cook a great meal.

Happy Weekend!

:: peace & love ::

Carrie

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:: so ready

I am sooooo ready for this view. 

It's overcast and dreary here today ICK.

Hope it's lovely wherever you are : )

:: peace, love & hugs ::

Carrie

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:: watery

Working on an inspiration board for a college students new bedroom.

Her only request was black & white bedding. 

I love the ikat print of this bedding 

as opposed to the more traditional damask or toile.

:: LINKS ::

bed, dresser, nightstands, desk, vanity, chair, lamp, flower, pillow

So this is design choice #1

I'll be working today on other options.

Hope you all are well : )

:: peace, love & hugs ::

Carrie

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