You’ve been weeding and deadheading flowers for what seems like hours. And now it’s time for a break. It’s 95 degrees in the shade. You could go inside to relax or you can pull up a chair and enjoy the heat of your garden. This is a perfect time to enjoy the bees, butterflies and swooping dragonflies circling your yard. The robin is cooling off in the birdbath. Your dogsRead More →

Sweet William in the kitchen garden.

Two years ago, a “freak” summer storm rumbled through our neighborhood. The winds were blowing hard, lightning was fast and furious and rain was pelting down. Then one of our incense cedars came crashing down. I was standing on our deck at the time and almost in slow motion I watched in horror as the tree toppled over. This massive 30 foot tree fell into our neighbor’s yard with anRead More →

Hillside covered in yellow lupines.

This time of year we’re working hard in our gardens and imagining the wonderful show to come. But there is one show that’s already in bloom and I encourage you to take some time to enjoy it. Wherever you live you can find some spring wildflowers in bloom. Try these 6 tips for enjoying spring  wildflowers. You might need to take a drive to get to an open area whereRead More →

Pinecone Cottage Retreat in the Spring.

With the change of seasons comes spring cleaning in our homes and gardens. You’ve been getting your yard and garden spruced up. But now it’s time to tackle the garden shed. Maybe your shed became a dumping ground during the winter months. In the late autumn, you stored all of the garden decor that needed protection during the winter. Then seasonal decorations and holiday gifts got stored in there andRead More →

A Gardener's Gift Guide: the Spring Edition

If you’re a gardener, you know that there are always new things you need to buy for your garden. You need a new rake or a new pair of garden gloves (or 3 or 4). You need to purchase seeds, fertilizer, pots, plant stakes and more. The list seems never-ending as we go about getting our gardens ready in the spring. But we rarely buy the “fun” stuff. So todayRead More →

A mix of flowers in a spring garden container.

If you haven’t planted your garden containers yet, it’s time to get planting. Now that the weather has warmed up a bit, most gardeners are in full spring mode. Hopefully, your yard and garden are starting to take shape. You’ve cleaned up the winter debris and you’ve been preparing your flower and vegetable beds. But the quickest way to some spring color in the garden is planting flowers in pots.Read More →

A "Vintage" Watering Can on the Porch.

Do you love the look of vintage watering cans and buckets as much as I do? Watering cans are especially attractive in your garden and shed. And buckets make great containers for your plants. But these vintage treasures for your garden are becoming harder and harder to find. So I want to show you how to age a new galvanized container to make it look like it’s been around forRead More →