Summer is half over already!!

I haven't been able to get out and work in my flower beds for quite awhile because
the mosquitoes are so bad here in Michigan if you step outside the door they will
carry you away!! No kidding!

I have been debating and debating and debating with myself over whether to paint the teal
chalkboard boards on my pallet planter black instead of the bright teal. I have decided
that I am going to do it. You can hardly see the chalk on this color of paint so black it is...
WHEN I can get back outside to work.

See all these dry leaves? This happens ever year from this crabapple tree. I love the tree in Spring,
but it is awful this time of year and I can't even begin to keep up on picking up the leaves so
most of them stay put and it looks like FALL already.

Did you see my last two posts about my BFF's garden? She is so precise and not a weed in
sight and I am a MESSY gardener. ha ha! Takes all kinds to make the world go round. 

I purchase Rosemary every year because I love it so much!
I just made some Rosemary lemonade this week and hubby loved it as much as I did.
DELICIOUS!

My basil plant is huge this year. It is my very favorite herb along with Rosemary.

My pallet planter spilleth over. lol

I pray that all of you are having a wonderful summer and making tons of memories
with friends and family. I have always been somewhat of a loner, but I find the older
I get the more I just want to be alone most of the time. Not a bad thing. I do enjoy a good
shopping trip occasionally, but even that is getting old.

What are you doing this summer for fun??

Summer's Last Hurrah!

We drove up to my daughters place this past Friday so her and I could attend
the Heavenly Scent Herb Farm Summer Faire and as usual it did not disappoint.

Our one last summer fling until Fall arrives.

Are you ready for fall?
I am ready, although the heat forecast for this week makes it seem like the middle of July.

I love their attention to detail from the moment you walk in the entrance.

This was where you paid your $2 entrance fee and also got your hand stamped for
taking goodies to the car and returning.

The gardens at this place are nothing short of
SPECTACULAR!! 

My daughter Amanda is photo bombing. ha!

There are hydrangea bushes all over this property that covers several acres.  All the plants
and flowers were at their peak for this beautiful weekend.

They were having a sale in the greenhouses. Plants and garden art were included.

I purchased three different herbs for $1.00 each. They were all different "thymes".

French thyme, lemon thyme and silver edged thyme.

I also purchased a succulent.

They had a huge white tent set up with  a myriad of vendors inside. 

We also ate lunch here. We both picked the Grilled Chicken Quesadilla with
fresh salsa and sour cream along with the melange of fresh fruit infused with mint.
YUMMY!!

A little off center in this photo. I was trying not to get people in my photo. 

I told you the gardens are AMAZING!!

If you are ever in Fenton, Michigan and get a chance this place is a must visit!

Gorgeous place that you can walk through for hours...literally.

Here is a link for you if you want more information.


Heavenly Scent Herb Farm


Enjoy your week and God bless!!

Summer in Michigan!

Please come up on my front porch and sit awhile if you so desire.

I love decorating outside just as much as I do inside so it spills out onto my front porch every year.

This year I wanted to add a bit of blue/teal to my decor without it being totally blue and I think I pulled
 it off.  What do you think?

I love vintage plant stands and have had several over the years. This is one that I hung onto
and I use it ever year. The flowers in my urns are just coming back after a nasty run in
with a raccoon! 

I always add impatiens to my porch in either pink or white. They are very easy to grow and this
gal LOVES easy. 

Front porch view from my yard. I am wanting to do something to the floor. We have lived here for over
 33 years and it has stayed pretty much the same. I either want to put a wood floor over the cement or get a
 nice big sea grass rug. I also want hubby to enlarge the porch posts and put some decorative angled trim
around the top and maybe the bottom. Hopefully we can get that done this summer.

One of our kitties are always photo bombing! lol

This is reality living in the country. I got up one morning to this mess! I never did get the large
terra cotta planter replanted. The plant was broken off with no roots left. ugh!

Doesn't this look like a fun clean up?  At least all these still had the roots attached so I could replant them.

As I said earlier, the flowers in the urns are finally coming along nicely. I hope we don't have any more
run ins with raccoon's. Hubby caught one so hopefully that is the only one around. ha!

The plants growing in front of the cement are tall white phlox, but they don't bloom until late June or July.
I love their fragrance. Also, the plant growing on the arbor is a Sweet Autumn Clematis. LOVE IT!
It has gorgeous white flowers in the fall.

This is also another flower I purchase every year and they are getting harder to find. I don't
understand it and neither do the growers because an IVY GERANIUM is the easiest flower
to grow! Makes no sense. 

 For the past several years I have had a tall white wicker table
in this space, but I wanted to mix it up this year. First I had this bookcase sitting the "tall" way and I
just didn't like it. I turned it on it's side and loved it. I want to put numbers above the openings, but
haven't gotten that done yet. I can change out the decor in the cubby holes anytime I want.

I hope you enjoyed your tour of our humble abode. I love living in the country...in Michigan...
in the Summer...without the raccoons!! :)