This weekend I logged over 6 hours of weeding and general garden maintenance. I haven't done anything gardening related since being diagnosed with Lyme's Disease in early July, but the lovely weather and insidious weeds lured me out. Once I had finished weeding I couldn't stop there, so I headed to our local nursery to pick through the last remaining plants. Luckily I found what I was looking for--purple pansies and decorative cabbage...perfect for bringing some color & cheer to the patio!
-K
Have a delightful Halloween! Wishing you all lots of candy and Halloween desserts!
The Halloween Cat container is from Pottery Barn. I used wired floral picks for the very first time today to add the berries to the arrangement...so easy, I can't wait to use them again. And you have to love the nice Fall leaves!
-K
I love *Sunday Brunch*. My favorite combination of brunch food is French Toast (with vanilla bean mascarpone) & Cheese Grits (with a side of lots-o-bacon). Normally I would go to Eventide for these favorites, but today they came to our house--lucky me! This grand fare gave me an excuse to set a brightly colored table.
The toile table cloth is from WS and the arrangement is made from two 10-rose bouquets from the grocery store and hydrangea & greenery from our back yard. Our nearly dead Pee Gee Hydrangea actually produced a few blooms this year and I was very happy to make use of them.
-K
This weekend, Aug 2nd & 3rd, is the National Capital Cactus & Succulent Society's *Annual Show & Sale*. The sale is held at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. If you have never been to Brookside Gardens before you are in for a real treat. Last year I took the boys to the Show & Sale. I had planned for a quick visit to say hi to my Mom (she is a member of the society) and to buy some plants. However, we ended up staying for hours. The boys loved seeing all the different types of cactus & succulents (I was astonished at how into the plants the boys were) and then we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the grounds. It was really really great. My Mom had the boys' full attention and admiration as she talked about the plants with them. This year we are most likely going to miss the Show & Sale, but that doesn't mean you have to! Here are some pictures of the succulent gardens I helped my Mom put together for the sale. If you are local to DC, VA, MD I hope you can make it!
-K
In last year's rose post I mentioned the various kinds of roses I had planted around our house. Well this year a *True Favorite* has emerged...the Eden rose. I am so in love with this rose that I decided not to lump it in with my spring planting post. The Eden rose also goes by the French name Pierre de Ronsard and is a beautiful climbing rose with a soft, cotton candy pink center that fades to creamy wide on the edges. If you want to know more about this award (and praise) winning rose check out this link.
I bought my roses from Heirloom Roses three years ago and planted two plants with the hope they would grow together and form an arch (it is almost there). The first year they did not bloom, but the second year they bloomed two or so times. They are now in their third year at our house and they couldn't be lovelier! Take a look for yourself...
-K
Please excuse my recent lack of creativity. Lately I have been time and energy challenged and therefore have nothing of my own to share. Instead I will share another beautiful wedding--this one, for Designer Kelly d'Halluin, was inspired by an 18th-century French Pastoral Festival. Further details can be found in the May-June 2009 issue of Veranda or here.
The lovely reception table set for 300 guests is both rustic and sophisticated. I love the fuzzy baby almonds and dove vignettes. Check out some great details of the table below:
The fuzzy texture is again repeated in the velvet banded menu cards with a simple lamb's ear tucked under the ribbon.
-K
We had a busy weekend this past Sat & Sun. On Saturday we celebrated *Hubby's Birthday* with an informal (and very last minute) dinner. The buffet table was set with a brown Greek key table runner, which was complemented by purple & white flower groupings and blue & white dishes. I thought the overall look was masculine and celebratory enough (at least I would consider it to be masculine and there were no complaints from Hubby that it was too frilly).
Then on Sunday for our *Mother's Day Brunch* we changed the look a little by adding yellow to the color palette. We replaced the brown Greek key table runner with a yellow-edged one and then added some yellow tulips to the bouquets. The new look was the perfect backdrop to a wonderful Mother's Day.
After back-to-back days of entertaining I was totally worn out and took full advantage of my 'Queen for the Day' title and lounged about carelessly. Needless to say the day ended much to soon.
-K
A bouquet of ranunculus makes the *Perfect Little Gift*! Cut the stems of one bunch of ranunculus to the appropriate length and then use a rubber band at the base of the bunch to hold it upright and together. Stick the bunch in a cute little cup or vase and tie on a sweet card and voila...the perfect gift!
-K
One of the best things about Spring is the availability of beautiful flowers. I am flower girl...I love fresh flowers around the house (who doesn't, right?). With the downturn of the economy I have significantly scaled back on my fresh flower purchases. However, this week I could not resist. The *Ranunculus* called out to me and I grabbed them up! The lady in the floral department made my twinge of guilt dissipate when she commented that the ranunculus 'won't be around for long'. So go ahead and splurge a little and get yourself some too...they're worth it!
On another note, did you know that ranunculus means "Little Frog" in Latin? How cute! I guess it is because ranunculus are naturally found in swampy areas (so say Wikipedia and Martha).
-K
P.S. The beautiful vessel is from Judith Duff, a lovely American potter. The vessel was a recent purchase on my trip down to NC.
For the last 4 years I have been planting Paper Whites at Christmas time. This past year I decided to add *Amaryllis* to our Christmas floral cheer. I planted both Paper White + Amaryllis bulbs the weekend after Thanksgiving. The Paper Whites dutifully and beautiful bloomed right before Christmas, but the Amaryllis barely had green growth. Finally, a week ago the Amaryllis bloomed...just in time for Valentine's Day (I guess).
-K
