Okay, it is that time of the year and you walk out into your garden and you see your hosta has fallen over and you pick it up to discover that the roots have be…
Take a walk through my garden and find ideas to put to work in your garden. When you see something that you want to learn more about, just click on the
With thousands of plants and counting, this Iowa gardener shares what she has learned about caring for the most romantic of flowers.
Mothers Day Gardens
What walks can you do in the incredibly beautiful Lawn Hill National Park (Boodjamulla)? You're spoilt for choice, and they're all amazing!
A pea stone walk fits the country aesthetic~ its welcoming, beautiful yet unassuming and looks right at home with all kinds of border plantings like this garden of alliums and peonies. source source This very french looking walkway is lined with lavender in full bloom~ at the end of the walk is a huge decorative pot with a standard of some kind. I love the look, and so when we built our walkway almost ten years ago it was this kind of idea I had in mind... Mr. Maison Decor has a side business of being an excavator. He loves stone and rock and also has lots of equipment. When this walk got put in we used a mix of some type most often used as an underlayment for other layers to be built on top. So it kind of had that gravelly look I liked, but it wasn't pea stone. Pea stone is round and tiny stone and has a light brown and grey mixed together. In short order I found weeding our walk to be a monthly event. And when winter passed and we long to see signs of life in the yard, it was always the walk that sprung to life first. Little tufts of hardy weeds would begin to appear~ and if you weren't vigilant overnight you could have a real monstrosity on your hands. It was just awful. Weeding the walk. At this point I added some tiny boxwood spheres along the walkway. I couldn't decide between a formal English feel and a full blown cottagey look. But that happens a lot. I like disparity in my decorating both indoors and out. Well finally after taking up a store to occupy my time, I no longer have the time for day long weeding sessions. Mothers Day rolled around and I got Mr. Maison Decor to agree to spending the day with me putting in a weed free pea stone walk!! I was on cloud nine at the thought of it~ The morning of the project this was the view~ Don't even think I don't know how bad this is... Dillon, our big dog, had knee surgery and we built a ramp for him this winter. It was actually two boards and now it has been reduced to one, as he no longer uses it, however Tobey the little dog does as he cannot negotiate the sunken granite steps any longer. The steps would have to be reset. I'd like to add some lattice work around the skirt of the porch and fix the missing board as well. The view to the front entry. We have a sideways house~our house sits on a bit of a cliff and doesn't face the street, so we have a bit of a country setting. Since our yard is quite small we use every bit as we can, and a table and chairs is set on the lawn, and beyond a small garden and an upper terrace of lawn. Our cliff~ Anyway, since Mr. MD has all these wonderful machines I thought it would be a piece of cake! First we try to move the 800 pound granite block out of the way. Well that was difficult without his excavator, which was at a job site. I was worried about trashing the lawn with the machine driving across it too. We thought if we put big wood planks it would save it from trenching and gouging and disaster. Well it didn't work. So the boards were heaved to the side by yours truly so we could just get on with it. And look~there is my beloved glass garden house that tumbled off during a winter wind and snow storm. Just another thing on my list~right? Mr. MD pointed out so nicely that these tools were here to be picked up and used! Put down the camera and pick up a shovel!! And so I did. Pretty soon I found out how rough shape I currently am in. This was not what I thought was going to happen. I just thought the machine would do it all and I would help a bit with some raking of stone. And I planned to trim my overgrown boxwoods too. However we worked together as a team and got the surface all scraped down and the weed barrier put down. The Mr. MD brought in bucket loads of pea stone! We worked it a section at a time. If he drove across the weed barrier it would get messed up, so that's why we did it like that. The steps were going to have to wait till the excavator came back home. The lawn was getting trashed. What a drag. I am hoping it will bounce back with a raking and some watering. The remaining walk gets covered with the barrier and we used shovel loads of pea stone to anchor it down. The stone was put in place and started to get raked out~I trimmed a few of the boxes too. But by now it was supper time, we had a baseball game to go to and i had a nice blister on my painting hand. Enough was enough! Tomorrow would come and it would still be there. So we stopped and hung up our rakes. This was my morning view today~ I was outside with my camera to capture.... Justin heading to Brimfield Fair!! Its the oldest outdoor antique fair in the country and its only a bit over an hour away. He is going out to check it out for his first time and see if there are any treasures we want for our Boston store. No expectations really~its going to be on his blog for sure, so don't miss his adventure. Justin and his GF Madison are taking my huge ride in case they need cargo space.... and I am taking Sylvia, their Schnoodle. Sylvia is our store mascot. She is a great shop dog and is quiet as a mouse. Right after they left all the dogs converged under the dining room table. Try getting three dogs to pose for a photo. Impossible. And with that I packed Sylvia up and headed to my shop. I will be watching Instagram today to see how their #Brimfield adventure is going. You can too @shopmaisondecor You can follow me @amymaisondecor and see behind the scenes of everything just about...including me in a very ugly gardening hat while I did this walkway. And be sure to check out Justin's blog Brush and Pail. He wrote a post last week about the highs and lows he has been experiencing as a shopkeeper~it really is a whole different animal running a shop. It was a fabulous story I thought~ he is such a good writer, his blog style blows mine out of the water. Anyway you should see what he said about our wowza of a week! One last thing... did I show off this Green Line dresser Justin did? Find it here We sell unique pieces of furniture in our shop~ and a lot of it is one of a kind things like this subway stop inspired piece. Just proud of him and his talents.. Now this blog post is officially done. Sharing this dresser at Nitas Pary Mod Vintage Life Mod Mix Monday!
A jaw-dropping casual path winding across a superb mix of drought resistant and salt friendly plantings. This naturalistic, colorful and low maintenance scene has been brilliantly created by Lankford Associates Landscape Architects, using 3 drought resistant perennials, a long-lasting blooming shrub and a couple of ornamental grasses.
I try to add some leisure time when I have to drive to antique markets. Last summer when Trinidad came over we took a different route to the south of France where we do the buying for our fall container. We took the coastal road south till we got to our destination, Ile de Rê, an Island on the west coast of France. Along the Atlantic cost across of La Rochelle. We stayed a few days in Saint Martin de Rê, the capital of the Island. The hollyhocks sprout out of every gap in the sidewalks and alleys.
East meets west at an entrepreneur's historic estate in the countryside, with interior design by Axel Vervoordt and grounds by landscape firm Wirtz International
We, here in Seattle have been experiencing days filled with sunshine that we are just not used to having so much of. I am not complaining a...
Jeffrey Bale a landscape artist from Portland Oregon, creates not only one of a kind mosaics, but gardens befitting any Boho-Chic lo...
Shadow Walk, Phoenix, Arizona Old School Gardener
The past three weeks could not have crawled by more slowly if they tried! Naomi from one of my favourite blogs Coulda Shoulda Woulda spoke this week about the Mercury Retrograde. I'm blaming the two week break-down of our wifi, Pneumonia and Shingles that was circulating in this household, entirely on this Retrograde!.. I mean - what other explanation could there possibly be. My poor little grand-daughters have been constantly sick as well. At last it feels (I hope) that things are slowly improving! So, while I wasn't lying on the sofa feeling sorry for myself, I spent some hours on the computer doing 'house-stuff'! The joinery drawings went off to be priced two weeks ago and I thought I'd show you a couple of the kitchen drawings and my choices. It's such a coincidence that Heidi from Adelaide Villa is at a similar stage of her building as I am. I am full of admiration of her skills as an architect//project manager and full time Mum to three little children. Please go over to her blog and look at her kitchen choices as they are really beautiful - I especially love her choice of steel windows and the simplicity of her joinery. I was inspired by lots and lots of kitchens .. and in particular... Anyway - here are a couple of pics of my kitchen joinery. As yet, I am not sure whether the finish will be 2pac or hand-painted. It depends which price is more attractive! Unfortunately, I don't have all of the elements together in one picture so fingers crossed it will look OK when it all goes in! I will probably use Hogg's Bristle half strength as the colour on the doors. I am still undecided about what to use for the bench tops...Probably Caesar Stone... or Stainless or both? As you can see, it is a very traditional design Not much glamour - hopefully functional, warm and inviting! I have a lovely collection of old copper pots and Majolica which will be displayed. I will also have terracotta pots with indoor plants on the deep window sill alongside the sink. This kitchen tap from Perrin & Rowe at the sink. I have posted this pic to show the subway tiles as a splash back. This fitting above the Island - in chrome and clear ribbed glass shades. I will be using a grey grouting Polished Nickel door knobs Polished nickel drawer pulls These oak floors throughout the Butlers pantry, kitchen and Breakfast/living The Butlers pantry and kitchen The East elevation of the kitchen. The windows above the sink(not shown) are bi-fold. The door on the left through to rest of the house is glass with glass side-lights The view into the pantry from the kitchen. The half-glass door through to the dining room. Bottom right is a wine fridge, and bottom left of the door is a drawer dishwasher. The dishwasher to the right of the sink will unpack mostly into the eastern side of the island. The above shows the layout. The tiles shown in the pantry are incorrect...we are using timber flooring. I have also been dreaming about the garden.. probably as I've been inspired by Faux Fuchsia blog and her recent visit to many beautiful gardens in the UK. In a way, planning a smaller garden is more difficult as there is nowhere to hide .. ie - every square metre will be have to be planned out. There is a level change in the back garden, and we are planning a knee-high basalt stone wall with stone steps up to the higher level. The pool is situated on the higher level. I am using a timber pool fence which will weather grey and will compliment all of the pergolas which will be in natural timber as well. I would have loved having the pool in the courtyard off the house, but pool fences are ugly - no matter what material they are in. Below are Pinterest images which I love. Here's hoping for a bright, healthy couple of weeks ahead for everyone!
Twenty years in the making, Italian writer Umberto Pasti's Moroccan hillside garden combines spectacular views with a carefully cultivated mass of indigenous plants he has saved from extinction.
April is one of my favorite months of the year. It is the month when gardens come alive. This is our first April at Patina Farm, and I wanted to share our gardens with you. Let's take a walk around Patina Farm... Our front pedestrian gate is shaded by this...
Could anything be lovelier on a frigid April morning with the temperatures in the teens? I think not. This garden in Williamsburg is gorgeous. via
Hydrangeas are hands down, one of my favorite flowers. Right now we have about 10-12 in our yard {hoping that they all come back this year after the hot dry summer last year}. When we were planning our landscaping for our house, my thoughtful husband planned a hydrangea bed right outside our bedroom window. He also surprises me with them on occasions, where some might get a bouquet of flowers- I get the whole plant! ;) One of the things I love most about this flower is the names. This variety is called "blushing bride" which really fits well. White with a touch of pink. My parents gifted me one of these in a pretty planter the day I got engaged. {via} {via} {via} For those of you that may not have hydrangeas of your own, you should consider these just for the simple fact that they make the most beautiful cut flowers. I bring mine inside all of the time for large, pretty centerpieces on our table or bar. {via} {via} {via} Since hydrangeas are near and dear to my heart, I knew they had to be a part of our wedding day. The bridesmaid's bouquets and centerpieces all had hydrangeas in shades of blue. I also chose a hydrangea cake topper that our cake maker made with gum paste so we could keep it. We still have it and it sits under a dome on a cake plate in our dining room! It is beautiful. {my personal photo, please do not use with out permission} My mom also has the most gorgeous hydrangea garden with tons of varieties, but that is a post for another day when they start blooming! Do you have a favorite flower that you love? Hopefully this post brightened your morning just a little bit! Can't wait for these beauties to start blooming! Have a wonderful Monday. xo.
The past three weeks could not have crawled by more slowly if they tried! Naomi from one of my favourite blogs Coulda Shoulda Woulda spoke this week about the Mercury Retrograde. I'm blaming the two week break-down of our wifi, Pneumonia and Shingles that was circulating in this household, entirely on this Retrograde!.. I mean - what other explanation could there possibly be. My poor little grand-daughters have been constantly sick as well. At last it feels (I hope) that things are slowly improving! So, while I wasn't lying on the sofa feeling sorry for myself, I spent some hours on the computer doing 'house-stuff'! The joinery drawings went off to be priced two weeks ago and I thought I'd show you a couple of the kitchen drawings and my choices. It's such a coincidence that Heidi from Adelaide Villa is at a similar stage of her building as I am. I am full of admiration of her skills as an architect//project manager and full time Mum to three little children. Please go over to her blog and look at her kitchen choices as they are really beautiful - I especially love her choice of steel windows and the simplicity of her joinery. I was inspired by lots and lots of kitchens .. and in particular... Anyway - here are a couple of pics of my kitchen joinery. As yet, I am not sure whether the finish will be 2pac or hand-painted. It depends which price is more attractive! Unfortunately, I don't have all of the elements together in one picture so fingers crossed it will look OK when it all goes in! I will probably use Hogg's Bristle half strength as the colour on the doors. I am still undecided about what to use for the bench tops...Probably Caesar Stone... or Stainless or both? As you can see, it is a very traditional design Not much glamour - hopefully functional, warm and inviting! I have a lovely collection of old copper pots and Majolica which will be displayed. I will also have terracotta pots with indoor plants on the deep window sill alongside the sink. This kitchen tap from Perrin & Rowe at the sink. I have posted this pic to show the subway tiles as a splash back. This fitting above the Island - in chrome and clear ribbed glass shades. I will be using a grey grouting Polished Nickel door knobs Polished nickel drawer pulls These oak floors throughout the Butlers pantry, kitchen and Breakfast/living The Butlers pantry and kitchen The East elevation of the kitchen. The windows above the sink(not shown) are bi-fold. The door on the left through to rest of the house is glass with glass side-lights The view into the pantry from the kitchen. The half-glass door through to the dining room. Bottom right is a wine fridge, and bottom left of the door is a drawer dishwasher. The dishwasher to the right of the sink will unpack mostly into the eastern side of the island. The above shows the layout. The tiles shown in the pantry are incorrect...we are using timber flooring. I have also been dreaming about the garden.. probably as I've been inspired by Faux Fuchsia blog and her recent visit to many beautiful gardens in the UK. In a way, planning a smaller garden is more difficult as there is nowhere to hide .. ie - every square metre will be have to be planned out. There is a level change in the back garden, and we are planning a knee-high basalt stone wall with stone steps up to the higher level. The pool is situated on the higher level. I am using a timber pool fence which will weather grey and will compliment all of the pergolas which will be in natural timber as well. I would have loved having the pool in the courtyard off the house, but pool fences are ugly - no matter what material they are in. Below are Pinterest images which I love. Here's hoping for a bright, healthy couple of weeks ahead for everyone!
Garden designer Angel Collins runs us through the basics of garden design, and what to bear in mind when planning a garden from scratch.
Isn’t it amazing how physical perspective can change a garden? Below are four views of the same section of the garden we built on Coos Bay.
April is one of my favorite months of the year. It is the month when gardens come alive. This is our first April at Patina Farm, and I wanted to share our gardens with you. Let's take a walk around Patina Farm... Our front pedestrian gate is shaded by this...
These flagstone walkway ideas offer natural patterns, shapes, and textures. Get inspiration for your garden or front entryway.
A magnificent burst of flowers welcomes everyone who walks through this arbor. You'll be sure to love this gorgeous and undeniably flowery fall garden.
If you want a romantic, magical garden, check out our cottage landscaping ideas. With the right plants and paths, a cottage garden can be yours.
I mentioned before that I've been reincorporating blues back into the decor here at Heaven's Walk. Simply put.... I missed it. I truly enjoyed having the soft, faded red touches here and there during the past year - it's such a warm, happy color. But the softness and airiness of springtime and bright summer days ahead left me pining for my pale aqua and smokey blues once again. I pulled out my down-filled pillow from a favorite Etsy shop, Sassycat Creations, and placed it in front of my favorite grain sack which I had draped over the back of the chaise in the living room. Be sure to visit Jan at Sassycat Creations on Etsy. Her pillows are beautiful! The grays and pale blues are soft and summery looking. Pale red is still making it's presence known though. You'll find it in the piles of grain sacks on top of the armoire in the living room. Yes...I'll be the first to admit that I have a grain sack addiction. Can you blame me...? I know I'm not alone, though. Am I right Shellagh, Tracey, Maria, and Maria? :) The newly painted and distressed metal French bottle carrier was brought up from the basement and placed on the coffee table. Large, purpley blue hydrangeas were placed in Mason jars. Fragrant peonies blossoms from my garden will soon replace the faux hydrangeas. Oh, and I started up my waterfall in the pond yesterday. Guess who showed up? Nineteen bullfrogs. While Hubby and I had our first happy hour of the season on the back deck last evening, they were all croaking a chorus, happy to be back home again. Ok, back inside.... Hydrangeas also made an appearance in an ironstone sugar bowl in front of the French candelabra on the round wicker table in the corner of the living room. (and that, friends, is what my English instructor used to call a "run-on" sentence. lol!) I love this vignette. This silver candlestick was given to me by my mother. She always used a pair of these on special occasions when we had guests for dinner. One on each side of the holiday centerpiece like they used to do back in the day. I've also been working on some recent ReStore finds. They're close to be completed. Oh, and just so you know, after much deliberation, consideration, and hesitant fingers, I deleted my Pinterest boards today. I know...major bummer. I had been reading too many scary scenerios lately from other bloggers, and just didn't want the burden of "what if..." lurking constantly in the back of my mind. If Pinterest decides to change their policy, I'll start pinning again. But until then, if I see a photo I like, I'm just going to save it to my computer. I'll miss pinning, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Ok, enough of my gabbing. Time for me to get to work! [ Blessings ] Linking to the Linky Parties on the lower right of my sidebar. Just click on the buttons! I'd love to have you become a Linky Follower of Heaven's Walk, too!
