Hi Everyone,
I've been thinking about this for a while, and have decided to make a big change. I have started a new blog over at Wordpress. I hope that you check it out and I hope that you enjoy it.
I have loved doing My Cottage Garden and really appreciate all the support of the wonderful bloggers (and others) who have supported me by reading it and leaving comments.
I really started My Cottage Garden to show the progress of my gardens from the beginning. The gardens are all as big as I can make them, and so from now on I feel I wouldn't have as much new things to show you.
So, that brings me to my new blog. It's going to be mainly a blog of photographs. I will still show lots of photographs of my gardens and flowers, but there will be photos of many other things as well. I really enjoy photography and want to be able to show more subjects than 'just' my gardens.
The new blog is called Diane Pamela Photography.
I'm finding it a bit more user-friendly and the page is simpler to navigate as well. I've been slowly transferring your blogs to my blogroll over there (now under a page called 'Garden Blogs I Love', If you don't see your blog on there yet, it will be there in the next few days. (That part isn't quite as user-friendly).
So again, thank you all for your support over the years, and I really hope you will check out and enjoy my new blog.
Diane
Open Garden Weekend at the Cottage Garden
July 12, 2015
I've been absent for the last while, because I've been really busy getting ready for my town's Open Garden Weekend that happened this weekend. It's a fundraiser for our local horticultural society and ten gardens, including mine, were featured this year.
We felt honoured to be a part of it. Our weather has been so-so up until now and this weekend the weather person decided to give us our first taste of high temperatures and high humidity. The gardeners still came out and it was lovely talking to them and showing them around.
The garden wasn't in full bloom (that comes in August) but the delphiniums and sweet williams were showing off this weekend as well as some of the rudbekia, lychnis and evening primroses. Some of the peonies were just holding on long enough for people to see what they looked like.
I'm posting a lot more photos in this post than I usually do, but it's the easiest way for me to share the day with my family and friends out of town. I hope you enjoy.
I've been absent for the last while, because I've been really busy getting ready for my town's Open Garden Weekend that happened this weekend. It's a fundraiser for our local horticultural society and ten gardens, including mine, were featured this year.
We felt honoured to be a part of it. Our weather has been so-so up until now and this weekend the weather person decided to give us our first taste of high temperatures and high humidity. The gardeners still came out and it was lovely talking to them and showing them around.
The garden wasn't in full bloom (that comes in August) but the delphiniums and sweet williams were showing off this weekend as well as some of the rudbekia, lychnis and evening primroses. Some of the peonies were just holding on long enough for people to see what they looked like.
I'm posting a lot more photos in this post than I usually do, but it's the easiest way for me to share the day with my family and friends out of town. I hope you enjoy.
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| Sweet Williams (grown from seeds from my Dad's garden) |
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| 'King Arthur' delphiniums and 'Bowl of Beauty peonies |
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| chair planter with dwarf morning glory and lantana |
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| Blue Jay chimes that my late Mom loved, that now hangs happily in my garden (still listening to the music, Mom!) |
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| sundial, from my Mom and Dad's garden, that holds a special place in mine |
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| planter on our arbour, with million bells and thumbergia |
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| back border with sweet williams in bloom |
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| newly painted old bench with baskets of annuals |
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| bike with baskets of ivy and begonias |
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| pale yellow marigolds that I am in love with |
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| baskets on the deck |
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| view from the fire pit of back border |
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| front steps |
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| hosta bed |
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| back border |
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| some visitors |
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| Murphy standing guard |
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| rudbekia loveliness |
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| side border with delphiniums in full bloom |
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| shady front garden |
Wordless Wednesday (or Almost Wordless)
June 24, 2015
Thanksto the suggestion of my friend, Jennifer, at Three Dogs in a Garden, I have painted the chairs turquoise! I just love it.
Thanksto the suggestion of my friend, Jennifer, at Three Dogs in a Garden, I have painted the chairs turquoise! I just love it.
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A bit more whimsy...
June 13, 2015
So, I think I have added all the whimsy that I am going to, at least for now.
This tree is actually not alive anymore. It was a fine old black spruce that passed away of old age a few years ago. We took the upper part of the tree down, but left enough to use as a clothesline. We haven't actually added the clothesline yet, but it makes a great place to display a little group of fake birdhouses. Some of of the birdhouses were found at the dollar store and others at second-hand shops and repainted. One used to be a little clock (the one at the top), others key holders, and some were just decorative.
This is a wicker trunk that I found at a garage sale in May. I found the idea for making it into a planter on Pinterest. The plants inside the trunk are propped up on items to make them all about even at the top. I have some shade annuals like vinca vine and coleus in there, plus some hostas.
I really like the way it turned out and it's under the trees in the front yard, facing the house, so I can see it when I look out the window.
I added two baskets to the bike. I was all thumbs trying to attach them to the bike, but my husband did a very good job of it. He just used wire and secured them to the places that you would actually attach real baskets.
The baskets have German ivy and begonias.
I got this little toddler-sized chair, and other other like it, at another garage sale. I thought it might make a nice little item to put planters on and move to where I need the colour in the perennial bed. I like that the chairs are worn and the paint is peeling off, but I don't like the colour very much and I don't have a lot of red in my garden.
If I painted these chairs, what colour do you think I should paint them?
So, I think I have added all the whimsy that I am going to, at least for now.
This tree is actually not alive anymore. It was a fine old black spruce that passed away of old age a few years ago. We took the upper part of the tree down, but left enough to use as a clothesline. We haven't actually added the clothesline yet, but it makes a great place to display a little group of fake birdhouses. Some of of the birdhouses were found at the dollar store and others at second-hand shops and repainted. One used to be a little clock (the one at the top), others key holders, and some were just decorative.
This is a wicker trunk that I found at a garage sale in May. I found the idea for making it into a planter on Pinterest. The plants inside the trunk are propped up on items to make them all about even at the top. I have some shade annuals like vinca vine and coleus in there, plus some hostas.
I really like the way it turned out and it's under the trees in the front yard, facing the house, so I can see it when I look out the window.
I added two baskets to the bike. I was all thumbs trying to attach them to the bike, but my husband did a very good job of it. He just used wire and secured them to the places that you would actually attach real baskets.
The baskets have German ivy and begonias.
I got this little toddler-sized chair, and other other like it, at another garage sale. I thought it might make a nice little item to put planters on and move to where I need the colour in the perennial bed. I like that the chairs are worn and the paint is peeling off, but I don't like the colour very much and I don't have a lot of red in my garden.
If I painted these chairs, what colour do you think I should paint them?
Whimsy!
June 10, 2015
I really want one of those gardens that have lovely little whimsical features. And I have never had much luck with it. I'm trying to go for the 'charming' look, but have never been good at the idea part.
My niece introduced me to the website Pinterest, and there I have found many wonderful ideas. Here's what I have so far. Some are still works in progress.
Stay tuned. ;)
I really want one of those gardens that have lovely little whimsical features. And I have never had much luck with it. I'm trying to go for the 'charming' look, but have never been good at the idea part.
My niece introduced me to the website Pinterest, and there I have found many wonderful ideas. Here's what I have so far. Some are still works in progress.
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| awesome old and rusty red bike |
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| baskets to put on the bike, once I figure out how to attach them |
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| my Grandma's old laundry hamper, with a plant in it, hiding an ugly gas line |
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| a gargoyle I could not resist, whom I have named Murphy |
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| butterfly and dragonfly, made from rusty old stuff, purchased at the garden festival |
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| new baskets, planted with annuals, to place in the green spots in the perennial beds, or leave here on this bench |
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| little birdhouse from the hardware store, that I also could not resist |
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| and last, my favourite thing, this great old ladder, to be embellished in one of two ways, not decided between yet |
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