From front to back: blue salvia, knock out carpet roses, gaura/chiffon cloud

I wanted to share a pictorial update on one of the brand new cottage gardens, that we created this year.

This coming Spring, we will also add a front cottage courtyard, and a side garden filled with fruit trees and ornamental fragrant shrubs.

For this new cottage/rose garden, what I thought might take three years, has happened in only three months!

Here is the cottage garden just after we built the stacked stone walls & the cobblestone paths this June. It was quite a large task… but oh so worth it!

And as you know… I love to use creative ideas to achieve the look & feel that I want, but for much cheaper than what “normal” people might pay for the same thing! So as you can guess, almost every plant in our garden was purchased at a VERY nice discount price, or given to us by friends!

*** Also…be on the lookout for the next post, as I am excited to share my “top tips for getting your garden filled with plants for pennies on the dollar” with you! These are very easy things things that you can start doing right now to fill your garden with luscious beauty!

My Cottage Garden… at only 3 months old!

to the left: boxwood, wooly thyme, gaura/chiffon cloud, knock out carpet roses

left to right: boxwood, wooly thyme, knock out carpet roses, gaura/chiffon cloud, foxgloves

foxgloves, knock out carpet roses

knock out carpet roses

iris, knock out carpet roses

left to right: boxwood, White dwarf phlox, sedum, touran rockfoil saxifraga, knock out carpet roses, iberis – tahoe, iris, ajuga

lobelia, ajuga, armeria, sedum

carpet roses

left to right: wooly thyme between rocks, boxwood, knock out carpet roses, gaura, foxglove

gaura surrounded by boxwood & knock out carpet roses

left to right: boxwood, gaura, foxglove, knock out carpet roses, dwarf phlox, iris, blue salvia

lobelia backed up by armeria

hardy hibiscus

** Share your thoughts in the comment section below… I look forward to hearing from you!

Well… as I was taking in the beauty and intricacies of each little plant and trying to find a way that I could use them in my home decor, I came to the conclusion that it is time for me to try my hand at creating my own living wreath!

Because you build a living wreath out of different cuttings and not whole plants, it won’t be extremely expensive to create. I will be very careful to buy only those plants that will produce several cuttings for me to work with, which will also help to keep my costs at a minimum.

The types of plants, shapes, colors and sizes that you choose to work with are all up to you & your particular tastes, so you will be able to create something that you will truly love & enjoy for years to come!

Soon, as your living wreath begins to grow, you will be able to take cuttings, which you can then share with a friend, or use to create new wreaths to give away as gifts!

Here are a few pictures to help give you some ideas on how to create your own living wreath.

Video – How to make a living wreath using succulents

What is your biggest question about creating your own living wreath? Post it in the comments below, and we will try to answer it for you!

When we started working on the landscaping for our cottage in the woods, we were unsure of how to handle the hill that joined the side of the house with our country lane.

Initially I really wanted some stairs leading up to the front door, otherwise we would always have to enter the house through the garage/basement… unless we walked all the way around the hill & up to the front door.

After looking at the size of the project, the price that it was surely going to cost, not to mention not knowing exactly how to go about accomplishing the project, I was afraid that we were going to have to settle for something less that what we really wanted.

But… after going through lots of pictures, and discovering some new ideas to build a set of stairs ourselves, we finally had a new option!

You see, initially we tried to build the steps from stone that we gathered from around the property, but no matter what we did, we couldn’t get them to lay even. Because we didn’t want anyone to catch their toe & trip while climbing the stairs, we had to find another solution.

And we finally it!!!

We would use manufactured cobblestones to build the steps themselves, then use the stone from the property to build the sidewalls of the steps, as well as the walls of the terrace garden.

This would not only allow us to have nice even steps and still give us the look that we wanted, but the cost would also be very low, because most of the supplies would be coming right here from the land!

Lest you have the idea that the job was going to be an easy one… I wanted to start from the beginning to show you what we started out with (of course the land was initially all wooded & my husband & I cleared it ourselves – so even this picture isn’t from the “actual” beginning

You can see where my husband grabbed his trusty shovel and starting roughing in the steps into the side of the hill. You can also see all of the rocks that he was pulling out & putting aside for later use.

After the steps were laid, we starting laying out the stone walls on each side to keep the soil from falling out. We also decided that it would be wise to lay landscaping cloth behind each row of stacked stone, then pile the dirt up behind it. This would keep the soil from simply washing through the front of the walls each time it rained.

Now the steps were pretty much laid in and the bottom retaining wall was well underway. You can also see that we were FINALLY able to rake down the soil on the hill in the background – remove all of the stones – and cover it with a layer of top soil to prepare it for planting grass seed.

I love this close up of the bottom retaining wall as it was going up! Don’t you just love the character that stone gives!

The work of laying out a stone wall is not some sort of science, but you do need to take your time & be sure that everything is sturdy & sound.

I love a more natural look to the garden, and wanted things to appear as though they had been there for a very long time!

So… we picked the rocks that would be visible very carefully.

I also LOVE to visit different garden centers & look through the clearance racks for special deals. Last year, I found 20 large boxwood plants for around $1.25 each! I decided to plant some of them between the steps & the cottage garden for a bit of color and structure. You can also see how I started tucking small plants into different cracks and crevices here & there that we left for that purpose. There are so many different varieties of little ground covers, herbs, and sedums that you can use for that purpose.

The ivy was another great find! Only $3 per flat, and what’s not to love about ivy & stones together!

After lots of hard work, you can finally start to see things taking shape. I’ve designed the garden to have 4 different planting areas.

Level 1. Shrubs such as hydrangeas (the very top)
Level 2. Cottage Perennials – Foxgloves, poppies, garden phlox, etc.
Level 3. Ground covers & low growing plants – sedums, mini phlox, ajuga, etc.
Level 4. Hardy hibiscus (ground level)

We loaded up some of my plant stash to take up to the planting beds. You can see that the wagon is filled with some of my favorite cottage garden plants!

Finally time to plant!

Behind each stone wall, there is also a nice bed of carpet roses. They will bloom all season long, and in no time at all will be approx. 4ft X 4ft… also draping over the stone walls just a bit!

Have I mentioned that Foxgloves are some of my favorites!

In the next tier down, I planted some miniature garden phlox. I’ve never heard of minis, so I’m really excited about these! I’ve also added some small iris for their nice color & shape.

Another bunch of roses peeking out from behind the moss covered stones.

The large hardy hibiscus were another GREAT deal that I picked up this Spring. We stopped at a local plant sale, and because it was later in the day, they were trying to get rid of things that they still had left (nice tip for you… go to plant sales both in the morning – then go back later in the day .

I saw a big box of roots – marked hardy hibiscus. I asked her the price… normally they are selling for $4-$5 each because they are such nice big roots, but we will give you the whole box for $10! Sold! So… I bought the roots in the Spring, but because the garden wasn’t ready to plant until later, the shoots had already started growing – which explains their legginess. Next year… they will be nice & full!

A few close ups of some of my plants
Saxifraga – my first ever… and I’m in love! The aroma is heavenly!

Ajuga – some people say…. oh be careful, that plants spreads so much… and I say… that’s exactly why I love it so

A couple of my pretty ladies (hydrangeas) from the upper level.

Because I am only planting shrubs in the upper level, I decided to mulch around them to keep the weeds down.

Another shot of the lower level

Our special visitor…

You might remember turtle girl from last year… yes… she’s back again!

This little lady comes to our hill each year to lay her eggs, and this year was no different! Hopefully we’ll see little babies coming out to enjoy the garden soon

Even though our garden is only a few months old, we already see such growth in the plants, and we are all enjoying it immensely!

Was it worth all of the heavy work? You bet it was!

I will be sure to keep you up to date as to how this garden is coming along, as well as the other gardens that are currently under loving construction throughout the forest

Picture by Joy – stop by her Flickr page!

Today I wanted to share some more ideas for using pumpkins to decorate your home & garden without having to carve them.

There are so many ways that you could choose to decorate your home for the season. For some reason, when it comes to fall decorating, many people think about the “dreaded” carving day, when they will have to display their talents (or possible lack thereof) for the whole neighborhood to see. Thankfully, there are many beautiful options available to you, where you will never even have to take out that knife

Look at the beautiful displays that some of my creative friends have put together!

From (Joy), the same gal who shared the above picture. I love how her friend has used so many different fall items such as; pumpkins, guards, bittersweet vine, colorful leaves and sunflowers, to fill this vintage baby carriage. This display is so “storybook dreamy”!

By pulling together some of your favorite bits of Autumn, you can make your home & garden the talk of the town! The best part? Most of these items can be found free by using things from your garden, and your decorating closet.

Here are some items that you could add to your fall display

rusty things (don’t you just love rusty things

A simple scattering of pumpkins & goards here and there makes everything feel so festive!

The newer white pumpkins that are showing up at farm stands around the countryside are simply stunning! They are great for decorating with, because the eggshell color goes with just about anything… even this cute little doggie

How about a pretty ribbon around the stem of the pumpkin to make is even more dazzling!

And… I think these girls are enjoying the newer white pumpkins as much as I am

I wanted to share a recent letter from our email bag. Bill needed some help coming up with a few creative ideas for his new cottage garden project. He is trying to pull together a little cottage garden complete with raised beds and a Victorian style chicken coop, where an old above ground swimming pool used to be.

As I share with Bill, I hope a few of these ideas will also give you the creative boost that you need to get started on your own garden projects!

Pearl,
I enjoyed seeing the display of boxes. I have made a couple of Halloween boxes out of cigar boxes. They were appreciated. We have a church auction in October and I plan to make more boxes.

Help me out here….I have an 8′ x 10′ garden shed that has been used for chickens and is currently occupied by rabbits. I would like to re-paint it and decorate it in a Victorian style.

We recently removed an 18′ round above ground pool from the yard. I am making two 4′ x 8′ raised beds to put in this area, and I will also be using some wrought iron type fencing with it.

Any decorating ideas would be appreciated.

Bill

Dear Bill,

When you’re starting from scratch, you have so many wonderful options! You could do just about anything you can imagine to your little building!

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

You could…

Add a pretty front door, which you’ve painted a pretty color

Don’t let the fear of the “expected price tag” keep you from getting started with this wonderful project! Many times, you will be able to get these elements for free or very low cost if you think creatively!

Here’s where to start:

- Yard sales
- Flea markets
- Salvage yards
- CraigsList.com
- Free section of newspaper
- Along the curb (many times you’ll see a free sign)
- Beside a dumpster
- Construction sites, they will usually let you have discarded items free!
- Check with your local township to see what houses are scheduled to come down in your area, then go have a look & see if you can use anything in your project… ask for it

Here are some more beautiful pictures of Garden Sheds to give you even some more ideas!

Here is a very tiny house (used as a light in the cottage garden), that you can quickly gather ideas from.

And… if all else fails & you can’t decide what to do with your garden shed… try this

There was a beautiful garden, found tucked away, deep in a wooded valley.

Journey with me through this wondrous secret garden treasure.

This is the story of Longwood, as seen through my eyes…

* All pictures by Pearl Sanborn (that’s me

I was very thankful to be able to spend the day at Longwood gardens with my parents, and my daughter. We had such a wonderful time, and the day could not have been more beautiful!

I highly suggest that you spend the day at Longwood, should you ever have the chance. I’ve been able to visit during 2 different times of the year, and so far, Spring is my favorite! BUT… if I lived closer, I would get the yearly pass, so I could visit very often!

Because the gardens & greenhouses are situated on 300 acres, I would suggest wearing a pair of your most comfortable shoes. I would also suggest bringing; sunscreen, a bottle of water, your camera, and a friend to share the day with!

Longwood Gardens
The Story of how Longwood Began

Click for a better view of the river

Just today I have witnessed…

- A mother deer & her two babies wandering around the forest, and grazing down by the river.

- Several wood peckers dancing up and down the trunks of the tall trees.

- Little creatures such as chipmunks and squirrels, carrying their treasures back to be tucked away in some secret nook or cranny, that has now become their winter pantry.

- And a flock of geese flying so close to my window, that I could actually see what each one looked like.

Our days pass by so fast…

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. James 4:14

So lets enjoy each day to the fullest!

Now, back to work

“Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.”
Song of Solomon 7:12

There is something so romantic about a vine that is dripping with clusters of ripe grapes! Sight, smell, taste, thought, texture… somehow, all of our senses become involved when we come in contact with this beautiful vine!

My husband & I were out for an evening walk through our little Victorian Village on a chilly Autumn evening, minding our own business, when suddenly… the amazing sweet fragrance of ripe concord grapes started wafting around our heads, almost as if they were tantalizing us to come & find them! Following the sweet fragrance (one that reminded me of those yummy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a hot summer afternoon), we finally came upon the vine. I’m almost sure that God blessed the grape vine with it’s heady fragrance, just so it could beckon passersby, such as ourselves, to come & enjoy it’s splendor!

Words can’t describe the beauty of the leaves, that were now dressed in their Autumn finest. Deep reds, chocolate brown, purple, and orange are just a few shades of the colorful mix. Nor can they describe the beauty of the vine itself, twisting and turning, and winding around everything in it’s path, seemingly taking ownership of everything this side of the garden. The brown splintered bark and corkscrew shaped tendrils, were reminiscent of the beautiful wreath that hangs in my cottage welcoming our guests. But sweetest of all, were the clusters of deep purple grapes that seemed to be layered at every twist and turn of the vine.

There’s nothing quite so romantic as a cottage garden path covered in vines that are dripping with grapes to welcome every guest into your home. And, contrary to what you might think, these precious vines are very easy to grow!

Here’s a way that you can have your own vines to dress your garden free of charge!

Perhaps you have a friend, or friendly neighbor, that will allow you to use this method with their vines this fall. If not, you could put out a request on one of your favorite lists such as; craigslist.com, gardenweb.com, freecycle.org, etc. I’m sure that you will be able to find a willing gardening partner!

Start a new grape vine from an old one

In late autumn (you can usually tell the right time, because it is no longer necessary to mow the grass), take a section of a grape vine & bend it down so it can touch the ground. With a fork or other small gardening tool, lightly rake up the soil a bit to make sure that the vine will be able to root properly. Holding the vine down to the ground, brush some of the soil on top of the vine. Then, use a small stone or branch to hold the vine in place. Be sure not to use something heavy enough to smash the vine, but just heavy enough to keep it from becoming dislodged. For now, that’s all you need to do. Then, come early spring, clip the section of vine from where it is attached to the main branch. Now, all that’s left to do is… plant your new grape vine in your cottage garden. You can continue to use this multiplying technique using your new plant, and in a few years, you could have a whole vineyard!

* To make more than one plant at a time, simply bend a longer section of vine down to the ground, weight it down to the soil in several places. Then, cut each section apart in the spring.

Now… it’s time for you to go out, take a walk, and have the sweet fragrance of the vine come and find you

Wreaths are beautiful anytime of year, but during the Autumn season, you can fill your wreath with anything found in nature for a wonderful look! You don’t have to spend any money, and using items found around your home & garden, you will have a georgeous wreath in no time!

I like to start my wreaths out with a vine base. Simply take your pieces of vine, and start shaping them into the shape that you want. Any kind of vines can be used in wreath making. I’ve used both grape vines, and bittersweet vines to make my wreath bases. Using a vine base allows you to simply weave your decorating material into the wreath, intertwining the stems with the vines.

The items that you can use to decorate your wreath with are only limited to your imagination! Here are just a few ideas:

- twigs
- leaves
- acorns
- bittersweet berries
- milk pods
- feathers
- rusty tin wire or shapes (star, heart, pumpkin, crow)
- indian corn
- small gourds
- dried hydrangeas or other flowers
- berry sprigs
- herbs from the garden
- dried grasses
- cinnamon sticks
- cat tails
- small succulents from the garden
- bird’s nests
- pinecones
- fungi (the kind you see growing on the side of a tree)

Here are some inspiration pictures to help you get started!

After Rebecca saw the idea, she sent me this question…

Dear Pearl,
I think that your idea is so creative! But I am having a bit of a problem. Instead of taking crystals off of a chandelier, I want to put crystals on one. I have a really cute patio set that’s just begging for a little bit of light. I already have a wrought iron chandelier with some candles on it. I burned the candles for a while so they would get that cool drippy look, and now I would love to hang some crystals on it. I just can’t seem to find a place that sells them. Do you know of any places where I could buy some? Also, what do you hang them with? I want something a little more artsy than fishing line, but I don’t think that ribbon will hold up outside in the California summer. Any thing you can suggest? Thanks so much for your wonderful idea, I will have to try it sometime!
Rebecca

So… I thought I would share a few ideas to help get even more creative ideas flowing.

	This sweet little candle holder is a simple glass jelly jar. I like to save jars from our pickles, jelly, and other sauces to use for other uses such as flower vases, candle holders, and pencil holders, etc. A simple jar, metal wire, a crystal bead, and a tealight candle can pull this look off for under $1! These little lights would be beautiful hung throughout your garden.
	This display is made even more special by using different colors. It also appears as though the crystals are hanging on ribbon. The other beads that are threaded on the ribbons also make a very nice touch.
	This is a nice example of a chandelier that someone has tied on different crystals and glass beads using different colored strands of metal. Also notice the use of tealight candles where electric fixtures may have once been.
	Many ideas come to mind while looking at this piece. You could take any metal lampshade – strip off the fabric – and use the frame for building your new artsy light fixture. Simply hang a jar from the center – or several jars around the outer edge for holding your tealight candles. You can then build your fixture by adding all of your special touches.

Also, you don’t have to stop with your chandelier crystals! You could also add any number of other items that you might have around the house such as; spoons, forks, vintage keys, strands of beads from old necklaces & bracelets, large seeds, buttons, shells, marbles, beach glass, small ornaments, charms – or anything else that pops into your creative mind

To hang your objects, you could use fishing line, metal wire, copper wire, ribbon, twine, or anything that will hold up outside. You could twist, knot, drill small holes, glue, or any number of different methods of holding everything together.

Make sure that any electrical element is made for outdoors if you plan to use it outside.

The final look of your piece will totally depend on your personal taste, and what kind of look & feel that you’re trying to accomplish. Just remember, the rule is… there is no rule! It’s your “nest” so use your imagination to feather it in any way you choose

[Added Note]
* You can pick up crystals & other objects for your creations in a number of places. You can look in the local paper, yard sales, thrift stores, craigs list, or online stores such as ebay.
Below I’ve included a sample of things that you can find currently on ebay.