Gardening Weekend

Had a great weekend getting the yard organized.  I needed to replace the flowers in my window boxes from the holidays.  I spent Saturday and Sunday in and out of Home Depot  picking up pink petunias and wooden boxes for the sides of our door.  I was tired of the clay pots with mandelvia, which we have had for six years.  I needed something fresh and new.   I fstopped straight in my tracks when I walked into our local nursery last weekend and found these vines.  I had never seen before, they are called sweet pea vines.  Photo below.

Once I found the vines, I had to look for planter boxes.  I really wanted ceramic pots but frankly, we rent our home and I didn’t want to spend $150.00 or $200.00 on pots that might not work in our forever home.  I did want the square look so I purchased two of these redwood boxes from Home Depot and painted them white.  I planted the sweet pea vines in them in the hopes they will grow up and around our doorway.

Here’s a look at the boxes after I painted them.  I will be replacing the terracotta pots with something else that matches the white better.  We are also looking at replacing our screen door with something a little more vintage.  I want something with a longer screen and a little pattern to make the house feel more cottage like.  I found one at Osh that I like. Project for the BF!

These vines are so beautiful, the photos don’t do them justice.  Next to the sweet pea vines are boxwood and asters.  I will shape the boxwoods once they get a little larger for a cleaner look.

The blooms up close.This isn’t the best picture of our upstairs porch but the sun was shining right in the camera.  Gotta love our roof.  Every time we have a windy night half of our shingles end up in our neighbors yard.  I just planted the petunias in the window boxes and added the hanging baskets.  I always forget the name of the plant in the basket…but, I call it the lipstick plant.  The petunias look beautiful when they have grown in.  It will take a little time for them to fill in.

The hanging baskets up close.

I have wanted an asparagus fern forever for our front porch.  I am looking for the perfect urn to put this in.  I love how they look when they get big and bushy.  I’m on the hunt for a white rustic urn.  Do you like my new crab?  I bought it on EBay.  LOL!  I love it.  I am obsessed right now with brass beach items like shells, lobsters, etc.  I saw this crab and had to have it. The top flips open and fits a tea light.  I think it originally was for matches.

My other project for the porch is to break up all this wicker.  I want to find a rustic round table for in between these two chairs.  I can see it in my head but have yet to find one.

We’re off to Paso Robles on Thursday to do a little wine tasting for the weekend.  All the wineries are doing their spring releases.  Last year a number of the wineries were closed in August due to selling out of wine and limited productions.  All the ones we missed last year, we have appointments with, cannot wait.  Unfortunately, Orchard Hill Farm where we stayed last year is unavailable   We found a little B & B via Trip Advisor called Inn Paradiso, which has just come under new ownership and they have fixed up the property.  All I know, is they have John Robshaw bedding, can you say sold.  I will take lots of pictures and give you a recap of our favorite wineries.  Have a great week everyone.