Come Join Me For a Walk in My Garden

Here in Connecticut ~ the Garden Tours have begun!

(see a full list at the end of this post)

I have made my favorite summer drink just for you ~ 3/4 part fresh brewed tea to 1/4 part lemonaide

Come join me for a tour of my Garden.......

"Where you believe there is magic, you will find it."

Let's start at my little side porch in the front yard.......

I placed this hanging basket right at the door so we could all touch the fuzzy blooms as we walk in and out ~ no one can resist ! 

   As we walk across the tiny front yard ~ we come to stairs leading to the back....

And this big pot of lavender beauties on your right.

As we head down the stairs ~ to the right you see my little rock garden starting to take shape;

To the left ~ Franks Veggie garden.

As we get to the bottom of the 15 or so stairs ~ we are at the 1st of 3 levels of the back yard.

The 1st level where the pond and patio are ~  there shade and sunny spots.

We are looking towards my back porch and stairs to the upper deck.

This birdbath was a Mother's Day gift from Jaci. I like to pretend the girl sitting there is me!!!

It reminds me of trips to the Smokey Mountains with the kids ~ pulling over and enjoying the mountain springs!

This is the sitting area across from the little pond.

Here are some of the flowers in bloom in this area ~

Walking under the arbor to the end of the porch ~ it's my 2 baby's .....Ashley and Teddi!

You can see I still have  some oganizing to do under the deck!

Franky gave me the porch swing for my birthday in March and I LOVE it!

This was a favorite spot for Jake and I to sit ~ he liked morning naps under the porch ;)

To the left of Ashley are benches and stairs to go down to the 2nd level of my yard ~ the shade gardens.

Let's go!

Coming down the stairs to the right is my little veggie garden.

It only measures about 10' by 4' but I have it jam packed with tomatoes, radishes, beans, peas, beets, lettuce and hot peppers!

There is Franky's dog Daisy ~ tail flapping ;)

To the left is the entire length of the 2nd level.

It is mostly shade so the plantings include azalea, hosta, ferns, hydrangea, foxglove, Jacobs ladder, primrose, astilbie and various variegated ground cover.

At the end is Our Dear Jake's grave.

As we walk towards Jake area ~ we will pass some of the flowers I mentioned.

Here is Teddi visiting Jake. Ashley and I took this picture today and both cried when we looked at it.

You can see the sadness in Teddi's eyes ~ he misses his brother so much.

Let's follow Teddi down to the 3rd level through the Rusty Garden Arches ~ 

I lovingly call this the Garden Ghetto.

Rust and chipping paint are the order of the day but there is something charming and imperfect about it and it makes me smile!

Here in front of the shed ~ I've planted birdhouse gourds, zinnias, tall snapdragons and sunflowers.

Ashley has a  rows of tomato and cucumbers.

I've also planted a small section of corn to hide the big, ugly compost pile.

As we turn around and head back up ~ we will pass by this clematis under the Weeping Cherry Tree.

And this on the Rusty Garden Arches

We are now walking back up the hill towards Shade garden ~

How do you like the beautiful Birdhouse (to the left ) that Cheri & Tony, Franky and Ashley gave me for Mothers Day?

Here's Franky putting it up for me this week ~
(isn't he handsome!!!)

Here's a path we can take from the shade garden back to the Pond area .....

Here we are ~ see the stairs to the left that lead back up to the front yard?

(The Pond is to the left but we can't see it in this photo.)

At the front porch ~ you can see my house is right on the road.

This home was built in the late 1800's when people where still using horses for transportation.

My property is less than an acre and shaped like a triangle ~ the house is at the top of the triangle and the back of the yard is the point.

All the houses in my neighborhood are clustered together and about as old as mine.

My 2 elderly neighbors do a wonderful job keeping their property clean and neat ~ the rest don't.

Every time we have tried to move ~ it seemed every door would close so I am believing the Lord has us here for a reason.

In the meantime ~ I do everything I can to make my home a happy and peaceful place for my family to be ~ and my heart is truly grateful.

  

~ Gardening Tips ~

                             ~Paint  will do wonders for ugly wood that you can't afford to replace.

    

~ Create Garden Rooms!                                            

                                                                                                                        

In my little yard ~ I have at least 10 "rooms". Areas can be divided by arbors, changing the ground surface (grass, straw hay, mulch, brick are some of the things I use) or simply add a small tree or cluster of evergreens.    

~ Every spring I divide my hosta, ground covers, daylillys and use to fill in areas that are empty.

Then when I have the extra $ ~ I buy something more interesting to replace them.

~ Instead of just running borders along your proberty line ~ run borders INTO your property.

This will add interest to your garden. 

~ I happen to LOVE impatiens! Don't let upscale garden centers make you feel you need to shun annuals. I have never met a flower I didn't love !

~ Don't forget the beauty of sound.                                                                                                        

Bird feeders and baths invite the heavenly sound of birdsong and a water feature is the finishing touch. Frank and I fall asleep to the sound of our pond everynight ~ it's so peaceful after a long day.

Garden Tours

Use the link above for a list of all the Garden Tours in Connecticut this summer!

Amish Bird House

Follow this link for the beautiful Martin House in my garden.

It will be hand crafted with perfection by Mel Fisher of Strasburg, Pa.

"Open up the windows ~ Push away the grey

Create a special garden ~ to brighten up your day."

Road Trip to Virginia ~ Tappahannock, Fredricksburg, Rappahannock River

A few weeks ago ~ I was thrilled to take a road trip ~ just me, myself and I ~to see family in Tappahannock, Va.
I wish I could have traveled by sea but instead ~

it was via the New Jersey Turnpike.
Of course I am used to the usual 1 hour back up ~ always around Exit 8 for some reason.

I only wish I had not been so absentminded about my gas.

I was on empty and miles and miles of traffic ahead in a dead stop.

I did what I always do ~ prayed and asked the Lord for some extra grace for not having filled my tank.

One hour later ~ I made it right to the pump.

HE never lets me down!

I arrived at Tappahannock, Va ~ 9 hours after leaving Connecticut.

I had never been here but could feel I belonged.

Many of my ancestors from both sides of my family were from this area ~ fishing the Rappahannock River and raising their family's up and down this stretch of Va.

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Tappahannock.

This is a very small town and I didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised!

It was spotlessly clean ~ many offerings for free including breakfast, pool, gym and computers in the lobby area.

The little Historic District was lovely.

This is the Rappanhannock River ~

I stopped my car under the bridge and tried to picture my ancestors going up and down this river.

It felt so wonderful to be here ~ kinda like having a dream of a place you loved when you were a child.

I felt like I was revisiting instead of visiting for the first time.
I had a wonderful visit with my family all day Saturday.

They are wonderful folks ~ down to earth, country through and through.

I left at dusk for the hour ride North to Fredricksburg, Va.

I arrived at dark so it took me a while to find my Inn ~ The Kenmore.

Many of the streets are one way so it was hard to find at night.

I was starving when I arrived but the only place that was still open to dine was the bar.

Oh darn ~ I felt funny going to a bar alone but hunger ruled. I remember thinking at 50 ~ I can do anything!

I ordered a salad ~ leaving my glasses in my room so the bartender had to read me the menu to me ~ how embarrassing.

After I ordered ~I noticed my glasses were hanging out of my shirt the whole time!

It was a very nice place and what interesting people !

I will start at one end of the bar and work my way around ~

- there was a woman who's Dad had been a pilot for many of our presidents.(Nixon was his favorite)

- A well known 80 something year old piano player and his attractive wife, (on his way out of the bar ~ he played a short but beautiful tune on the bar piano)

- a young couple who were celebrating there 1st wedding anniversary ~ both lawyers,

- a young cute curly haired kid who seemed to have consumed one to many energy drinks,

- a man who's brother in law almost beat the the Iron Chef on the Food Network.

We all had SO much fun and such lively conversation ~ I didn't get back to my room till midnight!

It was the most unexpected end to the most wonderful day ~ back where my life had began generations before me ~ I was home.

Now if only this could have been my house!

This was the chandler above my bed ~ (pic's of the room didn't turn out)

The dining room where breakfast was served ~

The front porch of my dreams ~ (I thought of my pal Pat Winter when I was sitting here)

After breakfast ~ I checked out early ~ left my car at the Inn as parking is difficult ~ and walked to the downtown area.

The homes along the way were beautiful......

with beautiful gardens to match.

I walked around for 2 hours in the 100 degree heat ~ waiting for the museums and shops to open

(it was Sunday)

...and ended up with a case of heat stroke!

I made it to one museum when I had to find an air conditioned restaurant and sit there for over an hour until I was up to driving.

I still had to drive to Lancaster, Pa that day so headed out on the road ~ ton's of traffic as I was in the Washington DC area ~ and prayed once again for God's grace and help to get me to my destination.

Here are a few other pic's I took in Fredricksburg before I got sick ......

gorgeous magnolia's.....

lovely alley ways ~ so common in these southern towns.

Even the trees are steeped in history.

By the time I reach Baltimore, Maryland ~ I started to feel better.

Just as I was within 20 minutes of my hotel in Pa ~ a terrible storm hit the area.

The black sky turned everything dark as night. Since I drive a convertible ~ I was concerned about falling trees.

I passed several but those wonderful angels kept me safe.

By 7:00 pm ~ I was rocking in the wooden rocking chairs on my hotel porch ~ as the sun pecked back out just in time for the sunset.

I reflected on the last few days, it truly did feel like such a wonderful adventure.

Tomorrow morning ~ I would be waking up in my beloved Amish Country.

Breakfast at the same place we always brought the kids. Their childhood seems as though it lives on here ~

I see their faces in the children whose glance I catch.

I feel their tug on my leg and hear there excitement as a Amish Buggy rides by.

Maybe it is these memories that draw me back to this place time and again ~ as much as it is my love for the people here.

for more info on the places I visited ~

http://www.baygateways.net/general.cfm?id=138

Rappahannock River

http://www.essex-virginia.org/ta_walk.htm

Tappahannock, Va

http://www.visitfred.com/

Fredricksburg, Va

http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/lanco/site/default.asp

Lancaster County, Pa