Another find

This little plant stand also came from Trinidad's on our trip. It was great fun getting to shop at his place.

New find

We visited Atelier De Campagne in Watsonville on our trip and this was one of my favorite finds. It's an old wash basin stand with great age. We have been hauling it with us in the RV which is where the pic was taken (please excuse the the towels and dog bone). Trinidad and his partner have such great stuff they bring back in containers from France and elsewhere.

Morro Bay

The rain left finally and we woke up to sun and blue sky with puffy white clouds here and there. Spent the day wandering and collecting sea glass and other interesting finds on the beach. Oh yes, and throwing and throwing the stick for our dog. She'd chase that stick all day if we just kept throwing it.

Flower Frogs

One of the things I have enjoyed collecting are wire flower frogs. I have found most at yard or estate sales and flea markets. At this point in time, the criteria I generally use to decide whether to add a new one is: 1) it must be wire or metal, 2) is it different from what I already have, 3) do I find it attractive or interesting, and 4) is it reasonably priced. There are a couple that I have seen and would really like to have, but they were so expensive, I couldn't bring myself to get them. I went to a yard sale one Saturday morning and was the second person there. Unfortunately, the first person was a dealer who walked out with a whole box full of interesting old frogs that he bought for $5. Darn!!

Mud

As I was stepping through mud puddles, dodging things being blow out of the tree and getting drenched today to go out and check the yard, I was reminded of the above family story. It was published in an old Kansas newspaper and I have shortened it here. I guess I'm just not as hardy as my ancestors. There are so many stories of their adventures and really scary situations they frequently handled. Maybe it is just that they just had different challenges than ours in current times.

early violets

Several years ago a little violet managed to find its way to a crack in the bricks on our front porch. Each summer I think it might not make it because the bricks get hot and there is not water except what I occasionally give it. Then in the winter I think it won't make it because the bricks get so cold. But I've been wrong. It has survived and grown and now - this year for the first time - it is blooming. Here it is only 42 deg. out today and I have these little violets to greet me at the front door.

Great rust for a spring project

I think I posted a pic of this crib before it was put together. I put the 4 sides together to study it for possible uses. I have the springs, but I am considering using it as a planter box and would leave the springs out in that case. We'd build a box that would set inside on the ground. I was thinking about planting a few vegies that climb and sprawl, i.e. a bean, squash, egg plant. The big thing now is to see if I can find a spot in our small area where we have sun that will handle the crib in a visually pleasing way. This crib is actually a youth bed size so it a bit wider and longer than a regular crib. I will have to move current plants out of the garden to make this change. There is plenty of time until planting time is here. More to come on this spring project.

Looking to greener seasons

There just isn't anything attractive in my garden right now, so I've found myself searching photos of other seasons when things were green and better groomed. These pieces of drift wood and rocks were brought home in Oct from our trip north to Washington and Canada. I brought quite a bit home and was trying to think of creative things to do with the various pieces. This was one piece I put together.

garden greenhouse 2010

The greenhouse is finished, the brick floor is laid and I've begun to move in. It has a nice little vent in the roof. I love it!!! If it would just stop raining and warm up a bit, I'd be outside working. The g/h's character will take a while to evolve and mature. I have lots of ideas. I'm just now getting acquainted with this new part of my garden. Here are some of the new arrivals to the g/h. Two special gifts (the yellow metal fan that reminds of sunny rays and the galvanized herb sign that reminds me spring and planting will come) from friends bring some happy images to mind. The greenhouse was a little late for the super cold spell and a bunch of my semi-hardy succulents turned to mush. Many others seemed to do fine. I am feeling pretty motivated to garden because by this time in the winter, everything is looking like it needs a lot of attention.