Giddy-Up Little Garden

It is a sunshine-filled, windy beginning to our day....and it feels like Christmas Morning, every morning...wanting to run to the garden to see what package has been opened.
After a large bowlful of my favorite cereal, (known far and wide, as "Grammy's Cereal") and fresh goat's milk from dear friends, I am ready to face the day.

Dew still fresh on the grass, I pull up my wellies, place my hat over my loosely braided hair, and take along the camera...

These days will pass quickly as we proceed to the approaching move.
Thank you for joining me as I document these rich, fragrant days of Spring, at Grammy's House.

I suppose at some point last year, I planted a few petunias...I had forgotten...but they had remembered. They were the softest peachy pink hue...and I can see their little petals yawning, waiting to open soon...

The girls in the hydrangea bed must have had quite a pep talk last night from the Annabelle and the Blushing Bride...for they have picked up their pace and more pretty petals have burst forth..

Xavier declares these to be "the pink ones that my mommy likes!" They will be a vibrant shade!


Make haste little Annabelles...

...they seem to be squinting, in the bright morning sun.
These are some of the sweetest in the garden...it could very well be, that I favor them because of their beautiful name...or because the dearest little children's book, 'A is for Annabelle' by Tasha Tudor, is one of my favorites.

(I recently found this lovely little copy published in 1954...it is perfectly perfect for little hands, as the cover bends easily, and no bothersome dust jacket to negotiate)

(Sweet grandaughter, Baby Sophia, keeps one of her softest of soft pink blankies at Grammy's ...it provides such a feminine little backdrop for this dolly book)

Annabelle's dress, and its soft shade of green, reminds me of the Annabelle Hydrangea's pale green petals.

They are such fragile little girls, requiring daily watering as the heat of the summer wears on them. When I asked my masterful gardener brother what was the best fertilizer for my gardens, he replied, "The water from your sweat, and the shade from your shadow." In other words, be present amongst your growing things...they love to feel your fingers pass over their leaves and hearing your voice praising them for the beauty they produce. Such sage advice...of course, no pun intended...


The Brides continue to Blush, as they open and reveal the palest shade of pink..

Oh!My!Goodness! (or 'ohmagooness' as Xavier translates Grammy's most frequent exclaim) Can you believe this??

I have not one single frock in my closet this shade...but as I step into my garden, I find my wellies  coordinate beautifully with the lovely Spring 'bonnet' of this little miss!

The grapes are swaying in their arbor, begging for their 'keeper' to come and direct a chorus of praise amongst their growing clusters...

The protective prickles are long gone...they are managing quite well, thus far.

Breezes blow...pea-sized fruit is a tiny blur.

This morning in the garden...my heart swells, knowing that God, who created us to tend to His Garden...must be so very pleased. It is His praise and love I feel as His hand brushes over me...causing a desire to please Him as I continue to grow in the shade of His shadow...

A Saturday in Spring...April Showers brought flowers for May

After all the rain, floods, tornado warnings and horribly windy days, we finally have a wonderful gift! A gloriously warm, sunshine-y Saturday...the last day of April....and I simply had to fetch some photos of the lovely irises appearing against the fence, making a beautiful backdrop for the grape arbor, with its climbing, productive vines.

Look closely...do you see the baby grapes beginning to form?

The Tennessee state flower is the Iris, in the lovliest shade of purple...which is why I purchased my 'Iris' wellies... (Natalie..they are just the right color, don't you think?)

These bloomed on the prettiest day of the year!

This is another one I adore. It is the creamiest peach, and looks so pretty in the glass pitcher.

This Easter season, I was blessed to receive gifts and packages from dear family members. Once again, I have used my treasured art stand to display the two new books I received, which form the back drop of a sweet tea table still life.

Well, I must say, my little Eliza Dormouse shared that her sweet John Jacob has been ever so fretful to stay at their cottage in the baseboard aside the tea table...Scout pounces and hops about...ever-threatening their safety...and Scout believes she is having quite a grand time, playing with her new friends. I believe there has been a terrible miscommunication of intentions, but as their mistress, I think and think...until I have found the next most perfectly perfect spot for their home. Atop the mantel of the fireplace in the keeping room, I have found a lovely bit of real estate...slate rock for a front porch...the greenest of green topiaries, in tiny little pots....greenery that grows instantly over the cottage door (a sprinkle of glittery dust creates such things), even a welcoming wreath, hanging with invitation to enter,... and the Dormice are as happy as larks!

I think of all the pictures I've ever seen, of cottage gardens, cottage doors, cottage furnishings...and my imagination runs full speed ahead...searching craft closet, kitchen cupboards, and even the garden outside...and I find little pieces of this and that, forming a miniature "cottage world" for deserving little friends. What a delightful way to spend those extra minutes in the day...between the household chores, visits with grandchildren and family, errands that must be run...  I am glad to share the "harvest" of those moments.