Take a Seat!

I have been on a Bench kick lately.  I have a stash of photos and plans to build different styles and types.  Mostly I have been focused on garden benches but the one that has really has me hankering to whip out my power tools is this one.  I don’t have plans and I can’t even find where the photo came from (so if you know the source please drop me a line and I will post the link)but my husband assures me this would be easy to build.

The weather needs to clear so we can work outside and then we can pick a day for him to aid me in getting it done.  You know I will share when I do get it done.



Another pew type bench I am using for ideas.



Source: Kelley Rae Roberts
I thought this one was pretty cool. Wheel it wherever you need it.



source: Urban Gardens  Urban Mobile Wheel Barrow Bench
Here are some other DIY benches I found online that you might like. Go to the source for the instructions on building them.
I loved the birdhouse touch on this one.



source: Tootsie Time
I have seen a lot of bed “headboard turned into a bench” tutorials but I thought this one stood out.  I just might have to give one of these a whirl, you can’t have too much seating, even in the garden.



source: Pretty Handy Girl
Now talk about simple…



source: Bird and Blooms

The snow and wet has been relentless the past couple of days.  We are looking forward to some dry weather this next week and maybe then I can get one of these built.
Now I am off to paint on signs again. 

My website

A moment to catch up

I have a quiet moment. Rare around here.  I did not sleep well last night so I am a slug this morning.

My husband is not underfoot, he left for the morning (a rarity since he works from home)and I am enjoying a moment of solitude in the silent living room. 

This is the scene outside:



As I look out now it is trying to snow along with the rain.  We have had some lovely warm days this past week.  I even took the nephews to the park on Monday and enjoyed the sunshine.

I had to move the chicks from our living room, they were making us have the sniffles, the dander and dust they create is quite thick and irritating to our sinus’. 

Here they are in their new little home for a bit. They were getting big enough to leap out of the bin I had them in so a move into a cage was necessary.



This is in my studio on my main painting table. It is the only other secure heated space around here that is not IN the house.  So I only get the sneezes now when I have to work in here.



They seem to be quite content and are growing fast and feathering out.  I cannot tell yet if any will be roosters. None seem to have a larger comb or a wattle yet. 

I had to move all my painting stuff over to my worktable and now I have a mess I need to organize. You can see my seedling pelargoniums on the window sill trying to bloom.  I am going to have a ton of pelargoniums (zonal geraniums) this summer all over in pots.



The ladder is in here so I can start storing some items in the loft.  I need to devise some sort of ladder that I can hang on the wall when not in use.  One day…

I have also been potting up seedlings, they were getting crowded in the community pots they were started in.



These are my Camp Joy heirloom cherry tomatoes, I acquired the seeds from Renee's Garden.  I have had great success with any seeds I get from them.  Many garden centers carry them but you can also order direct from the website if you cannot find them locally.
 
I know a lot of people are so enamored of Sungold cherry tomatoes but as soon as they try these they are sold that these are the best tasting and a great size for salads and to just eat.  Instead of little marble size tomatoes these are comparable to a walnut.  And they produce tons. 



When I potted these up last week I buried most of them with only an inch or so sticking up out of the soil and now look at them, they have leaped up already.  I don’t want them to get too spindly, so I try to brush my hand against them daily.  I should do it twice daily.

Commercial growers have a chemical solution they douse the plants with that makes them grow stockier but here at home we have to do it the old fashioned way, either a fan to blow against them or brush your hand on them. 

I also potted up my basil.  Last year I did not get any and I ran out of my homemade pesto from the year before.  So I started plenty of basil plants this time around and I plan on planting tons.  Basil smells like pure summer to me. 



Sigh, the rain has turned to pure snow and I need to get off my lazy backside and get started on my day, I have signs to paint.   
I wish you sunshine and warm temps where you are today!

A capricious Spring.

There is nothing so changeable as Spring in these mountains, on one day it is gorgeous, sunny and balmy and the next a freezing wind whips in a new storm. 

I did promise to return with more photos of my lovely day at Ironstone on March 29th.  My days since have been filled with work, friends and planting chores so it has been longer than I thought.



I am sure the daffodils are about done now and have been replaced with more tulips so another trip out to get more photos is in order but for now these shots will do.



I do appreciate the name tags added to the barrels, if one really floats my boat I can always jot down the name and purchase some for myself.  I do not usually add tulips or daffodils to my garden anymore, the unreliable Spring weather here has more often than not squashed them flat with a freak heavy snow or a pounding rain so I toodle on down to Ironstone when theirs bloom and take photos to admire at my leisure.





The Fritillaria were rather striking.  I do want to try some of these.





Though some varieties do have me rethinking whether or not I want to grow them myself.  At Ironstone they are in the wine barrels, which they move under cover when a storm threatens.  They have devised a special dolly that picks up the barrels for wheeling to safety.  I do not have such a device nor do I think it would work on our uneven ground.



So back to my original plan of just contenting myself with enjoying their displays.









They also had on display fountains crafted by a local artisan who uses reclaimed materials from the old mines and ranches. 







Even a small pot filled to bursting with tulips is a pleasure to behold.  I think I will try this and if nasty weather threatens I can move them under the porch roof easily enough.




This is certainly not all but a good taste of the eye candy at Ironstone Vineyards.  If you are within driving distance it is worth it to make the trip for a walk thru their grounds.  The barrels stretch along beautiful pathways forever and ever.  And the perfumed air is a delight.  Of course, the weather for the remainder of this week is supposed to be rather ugly so maybe try next week. 
enjoy!

A Teaser

Life has been full.  Everyday seems to have been jam packed.  We have had a variety of weather for the past week from full on sun, cloudy skies but mild temps to a dumping of snow over the weekend.  Again we have a dusting of snow this morning but the sun is shining and not a cloud in the sky at present. 

I am running out the door but I thought I would give you a taste of the lovely flowers I was able to photograph at Ironstone last Thursday.  It was a great day to walk amongst the fragrant barrels and take photo after photo. 

The daffodils are still going strong.

You could not miss the aromatic Hyacinths!

Plenty of tulips to admire as well.

I hope you enjoyed the little taste of the blooms.  I will post more when I have time.

Ta Ta and have a great day!