Our little friend arrived just in time...

She has been off to Hopalong Hollow where she learned everything a little mouse would ever need to know about gardening. Apparently she had such a good time with Dimity Doormouse, and her mistress, Jeri Landers, that Penny at Angelsdoor could not be certain she would return. But alas, she returned long enough to freshen her overalls, clean her gardening tools, and fluff her pretty gardening hat to come to Rose Water Cottage...


She is anxious to have her gardening tools unpacked...



and the basket she will need to carry her cuttings...


She is now ready for a hard day's work, helping Mistress Grammy and Husband with their new cottage flower beds..

But wait...Grammy has spied the pretty ribbon on Bebe's wide brimmed hat, and decides her wide brimmed hat needs a pretty blue ribbon as well...


Grammy's not quite sure her purple wellies will match the blue ribbon, but it is so very lovely, don't you think?

The gardening tools and watering can are gathered and placed on the back steps...


The gardening tags are saved so the names and colors are remembered...the watering can, by Haws, has become Grammy's favorite...and the bag of different types of tools, a gift from husband, has been a handy and durable tote.
Natalie, at Rookery Ramblings, has been an invaluable resource...suggesting the Hunter wellies, the Haws brand watering can (seen on one of her posts), the gardening hats with their wide brims (a photo of Natalie and the girls in their pinafores and hats), and the incredible book English Cottage Gardening, with a forward introduction by Tasha Tudor (with a layout of Tasha's Vermont home gardens)...


A photo of Tasha's beautiful pink roses..

...and her lovely peonies...


The storm clouds were threatening...but Mistress Grammy, Husband, and Bebe made quite a bit of progress before the *rain drops* released the *rain drips*...as Xavier refers to clouds and rain...

The Ever Favorite Annabelle is placed in a shady spot...

and then our Blushing Bride was situated next to her southern friend...

English Ivy has always been a staple in past gardens, but this Glacier Ivy caught the eye of the gardener. It will work its way upward on the spiraling trellis placed in the urn...


Roses were planted along the front fence, phlox were added to the bed where we transplanted iris from my parent's home, caladiums were set out in the shade next to the screened porch, and lovely salmon colored geraniums were placed in containers on the front porch.
After the rains, the wellies proved a life saver, as I helped husband with the setting of the roses and weeded the beds under the weeping cherry.

I was wishing I had a cute pair of overalls, like Bebe and her friend Bushky Bushybottom ...

But then, I don't think I would be nearly as adorable as those two!

How happy we are to have a little helper to sweep the tiny boxwood leaves, dig holes for the tiniest little seeds, and add her gardening pearls of wisdom, gleaned from the gardener extraordinaire, her mentor, and friend to all God's creatures great and small, Mistress Jeri.

Jeri Landers, author/illustrator/artist, of Hopalong Hollow Gazette and Penny White, sculptor/artist, of Angelsdoor collaborated to create this precious little mouse friend.  These women have talent oozing from their very pores, and it is always a delight to witness their creativity in action. Jeri is in the process of illustrating the third book she has written. And Penny surprises us on a regular basis, with her brilliantly adorable creations.  They would love to have you visit...

Thank you for stopping by to see the first stages of our cottage garden..
Blessings and happy gardening!