About Me

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Sublimity, OR, United States
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I am artist of texture and color. I enjoy working with textiles, mixed media and the graphic arts. I am an avid cottage gardener with a love for pass along plants and big fluffy pink peonies and pink roses. Many of my tangible creations reflect my love of the garden and all its wonderful colors. I have been selling my creations online since 2002 beginning as a hobby. After 10 years I quit the day job to pursue my art as a full time passion.

05 September 2013

Summers garden review

Yes I know, I should be thinking fall. but not just yet. I guess it must be something about growing up and being from the Pacific Northwest. While many of you breathe a sigh of relief when the cool fall weather arrives, I don't.  to me, it must be that here in Oregon, fall signals the start of a long gray rainy winter where the days are shorter and no hope of really seeing any sunshine until late March (if we get lucky). Spring can be slow to arrive and the joke is that summer never really arrives until July 4th. We also do not experience high humidity so hot summer days are tolerable. I am a summer girl, and nobody can force fall on me!



So I savor September as another month of glorious summer. You won't see anything related to fall on my porch until late October when I finally give in and accept the change of seasons. But I do use the month of September as a time to reflect and note what worked and didn't work in my garden.



My front porch hanging baskets were my prizes this year. Early spring I purchased large peat pots  with a special loop metal hanger for each one rather than the wire or chain hangers. This gave the plants plenty of growth room since my goal was to have baskets that lasted all season without being root bound half way thru the season.


I purchased 6 inch pots of already mixed combos of annuals. That way I didn't even have to think about the perfect composition of flowers to each basket.



This chair planter sits on full shade, impatiens planted in an old hard hat worked well this year.


Back in the cottage garden, it was glorious until the hollyhocks, mallow and queen annes lace came out. Note to self: more color in the middle that blooms longer, And no more of that mulit color Alyssum, It got ugly early. I scrambled to fill in some holes with a few of my flea garden finds bringing in a little color

The chair back was in the re-purpose pile for next year, but it found a temporary home for the rest of the season.

 My granddaughters placed their little watering cans on this chair, keeping them handy for when they help in nana;s garden.

This little garden vignette is not new, but I do like to share it. It is simply a watering can hung off a shepards hook over a little bird bath. When you have visitors, put a few big chunks of ice in the can and water will drip as it melts out into the bird bath. Quite a conversation piece as folks try to figure out where the water is coming from!


19 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh Debbi, your garden is amazing! I love every foot of it! :)

Thank you so much for sharing you beautiful post for Fresh-Cut Friday!
Have a lovely weekend.

~Liz

Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) said...

Hi Debbi, I love the lush hanging baskets on your porch. It looks like they are really thriving in those peat pots. I agree about not rushing the fall even though I do love the tingle of crispy air and the vibrant fall colors. Here in New England we savor the late summer days when the garden flowers are really full and the frost hasn't arrived. I am going to try your watering can idea! It would be great on a hot summer day to see the water dripping into a birdbath or even into a plant! I'm visiting from FreshCut Friday. Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Linda

Betty said...

I just love looking at pictures of your garden. I know what you mean about the dark days of the year, but I do love fall. It is just winter that I have a hard time with as I get older.

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Your garden is so pretty, Debbi, who could blame you for taking in every bit of Summer than you can!

Unknown said...

I love your style!

Jeannie Marie said...

I love everything, but that watering can really caught my eye. Your trick is absolutely genius!

Simply Simplisticated said...

ooooh Im taking it all in :) Beautiful gardens:)

Buttercup Bliss said...

Your garden is just beautiful!! I have to confess to being somewhat envious of your weather.... I am in coastal Alabama and it is still so HOT here and will be for quite some time!!!

I just discovered your blog. Can't wait to look around!!

September Violets said...

The hanging baskets are truly amazing! I wish I could see the basket hidden beneath to see what you meant by "loop metal hangers". I love the little curiosities in your cottage garden ... particularly the dripping watering can ;) Wendy (visiting from Fishtail's)

Stacey said...

Debbi, your flowers are beautiful! Ours have done really well here this year too but a little break from the extreme heat is needed. Thanks for visiting and following my blog. :)

Unknown said...

Such beautiful gardens. I love the painted chairs too. Beautiful post.
xoxo.
Mary

Jim said...

So pretty.

Unknown said...

What a gorgeous garden. Verbena is my fav flower with pansies a close second. Love the idea with the watering can. Thanks for coming to my party.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Debbi! I'm here via Rednesday! Those little grand girl watering cans just can't wait to be used again! :)

Black Fox Homestead said...

Your garden is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing it with us at the HomeAcre Hop ~ We'd love to have you back again tomorrow!

Noel Morata said...

gorgeous, your garden is amazing and the colors wow!

Elizabeth said...

Just lovely, almost like a storybook garden. You certainly have a green thumb and an eye for beauty!

Love your header photos!
Elizabeth
www.homemusings.blogspot.com

Sally Annie Magundy said...

Your garden is so lovely and charming! Thank you so much for sharing it with us on Rednesday.

Happy weekend to you!

Burlap Luxe said...

Love the beauty that surrounds you daily.
You and your salvage pieces add just the right kind of grace and beauty to a yard to love.

Thank you for this share, will be looking forward to the holidays whereI am sure the beauty around here intensifies.

Xx

Doré

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The Oregon Coastline

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