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Showing posts with label beach cottage garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beach cottage garden. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Everything's coming up roses - for me. ~ Ethel Merman

Welcome to my blog, and garden.  Also, welcome to my friends from Sisterhood Stories.  If you have time today, please follow the blog links through "Sisterhood Stories." These are my talented and creative friends, and we link our blogs together.  After you have visited here, please visit Sue at http://themercerie.net/blog/



In the flower bed in front of my house,  I was originally inspired to create a "mini version" of Claude Monet's, Giverny Rose Garden.  I planted a variety of roses in different sizes, colors, and species, with hopes that my flowers would give an impressionist impression.

This is Claude Monet's Garden at Giverny (photo credit shogunangel at flickr)


Here's another view of Monet's Rose Garden, I would so love to visit. (photo credit Valeria)


This is a video link to Monet's Garden; notice he lived to 86, one of the benefits gardening:


This year, I'm in the mood to streamline my flowers, and create a more "tidy" garden styling.  My goal this January is to take out the multi-colored roses I've have had for years, and replace them with one type of rose, on the picket fence.  I'm leaning toward getting roses from the David Austin catalogue.

David Austin Roses are show stoppers.  They're great subjects for photographers, and gardeners.  I just wonder if they will thrive in my California garden?  If you want to swoon, I've pinned some stunning David Austin Roses.  They are divine in the garden, and equally amazing when cut.
http://www.pinterest.com/abbylanesphoto/david-austin-roses/

At other times, when I'm feeling more sensible, I want to choose tried and true, disease resistant roses.  Being a creative type, things might change after I visit the nursery.  At the moment, I'm leaning towards pink roses on the picket fence.



In Southern California, January is the time to prune your roses. Then, it's time to look around your garden, and see if you want to make some changes, especially if those changes involve roses.  January is a great month to purchase bare root roses. They tend to be easier to plant, and thrive well, after they take hold in the garden. I'm going to look for bare root roses in pink.

Possibly in this bright pink shade:


Or in this pale pink shade:


Or in a darker pink shade:


A garden designer told me his favorite roses on a picket fence in Southern California are blushing pink iceberg roses.  These floribunda roses are bushy, healthy and bloom repeatedly, nearly all year round.


They're not ideal for cutting...


…but they are certainly stylish on a picket fence. (photo credit whowhatwhen??? at flickr)


Meanwhile, my current roses are trimmed completely back, and look like bare root roses.  It's time to make a choice, get the shovel, and plant away.

What are your favorite roses?  Remember to visit Sue at http://themercerie.net/blog/ and follow the links from blog to blog for a journey of Sisterhood Stories.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Balboa Island, California (Beach Cottage Gardening)

My sister-in-law came for a visit and I suggested we take a quick day trip to Balboa Island, located in Newport Beach, CA.
Home

This adorable cottage town has fun activities for families and children, including a ferry ride, a carousel, and an arcade.
No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.  ~Winston Churchill

And the endless rows of cottage houses, with the accompanying cottage gardens are stunning.
White Picket Fence ~ Balboa Island

To add to the charm, the restaurants are casual and inviting.

"When you look at a cupcake, you've got to smile." ~ Anne Byrn

It's the perfect place for a day trip and if you do go, let me know if you enjoyed yourself. We certainly had fun!

LINK
http://www.balboa-island.net/

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

life in la la land

There are many ways to enhance a garden. Adding a picket fence is certainly one way to go. Earlier this year, I found ready assembled sections of picket fences at Lowes.
White Picket Fence
With the help of a good carpernter, and and a few buckets of white paint, my front yard was transformed into a cozy cottage garden.
'Just living is not enough,' said the butterfly. 'One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.' ~ Hans Christian Andersen
Welcome to my little slice of paradise.
“One may live without bread, not without roses” ~ Jean Ricepin

Friday, May 22, 2009

“The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.” ~ Jacques Benigne Bossuel

Happy Pink Saturday!
Thank you Beverly at "How Sweet the Sound" for hosting.

Welcome to my flower blog. This week I'm taking you on a garden tour. First stop; my rose garden! The more I garden, the more I realize roses are my favorite flowers.

“The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.” ~ Jacques Benigne Bossuel, originally uploaded by Abby Lanes.

Earlier this year, I added new bareroot roses, and this is the first "pink" bloom on the new bushes.

Next stop... the area women's club hosts a yearly garden tour... and this home had a beautiful waterlily coy pond that ran right underneath the driveway.
Waterlillies

The tour had five gardens, and the perfect mix of garden styles for the tour.
Scenes from a garden tour

The cottage garden had this mullein verbascum album. It was quite frankly, the first time I had ever seen this flower. Thank you to my gardening friend Kate for the flower id. If you get a chance, visit her blog, it's packed full of gardening knowledge and beautiful flowers. http://www.katesmudges.com/
Purple Vintage Mod

Finally, the last stop on our garden tour today, was taken at the flower fields in Carlsbad. There were so many ranunculas there, to focus on one seemed odd, but I thought it was fitting for our tour.
“I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them.” ~ Phyllis Diller

I hope you enjoyed your pink garden tour. Stop back soon, and you'll get the rest of the garden tour, and I'll surprise you with giant honeysuckles climbing the walls of a Spanish Villa. Until then, have a lovely Memorial Day weekend.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Cottage Garden Curb Appeal

Nothing is more relaxing to me than walking my dog through my neighborhood, and studying my neighbors "cottage gardens."
A White Picket Fence

My home is a small 1950's ranch house, and as my rose and front yard wildflower garden grows and flourishes, it finally occured to me that I want a picket fence, and a coastal cottage curb appeal. Luckily, my neighborhood is filled with this cottage gardening style.
Beach Cottage (Gray)

As my ideas for the the landscape design become solidified, I'll post before, during and after photos of my garden updates. I'm currently studying fencing, arches, and cottage garden accessories.
Descanso Gardens

Meanwhile, enjoy the stroll through my neighborhood!
Spring Flowers