Tis The Season

                                                            Coffee, Tea, and Me

 This is the time of year that there are not enough hours in the day. I usually run out of energy before I want to quit. There is always just one more thing I want to do. The winter has been long and devastating. In touring my gardens, I find a lot of winter kill and I mean a lot. I thought the deep snow would be a great insulator for the plants, but the temperatures were so frigid that it was not kind to many of my plants. It is early, but evidence is not looking good. The list for the nursery will be long. Our home is 21 years old, so some of our plants need to be replaced. Having to replace mature plants for smaller new plants will take some adjustment for me . I like instant gratification. I also want, as most of us do, is less maintenance. My plan will be to do one section at a time. The focal spot of our garden is our gazebo. We obtained the blue prints from Southern Living magazine. My husband (Fred) is very capable, so he constructed this gazebo not realizing that it would become a gathering space for our neighbors and friends. What a bonus. It always has a nice breeze. New this year is a larger swing. It is big enough for me (5') to take a nap.

Winter Kill

The garden has a cottage flair. It is a good place to stick in that just one more plant. It has variety and lots of color. Hummingbirds visit regularly  I have to fight the robins every spring. because they want to nest in my hanging centerpiece. Looks like home to them.. My good friend and family member, that is an artist (Krista Scarbrough) wrote some garden sayings on the inside of the gazebo. I love them all, but my favorite is "At my table, sit with me ~ I'll pour coffee or some tea~ Perhaps we'll share our tears and laughter ~ and be friends for ever after"  ~ D. Morgan. Every time I read this I am reminded of sad and happy times. Thank you so much Krista.

Gazebo

I have made a new cushion for the new swing and some new pillows to spruce it up a bit.

Sewing

I will be replacing plants that don't come up to standard so we can sit back and make memories with family and friends.

Iberis sempervirens 'Purity'

Louise