My Summer Mantel

Summer officially begins this coming Wednesday evening. (in the Northern Hemisphere) These last few days of Spring have been mighty toasty, in the 90’s here which is abnormally hot for this area.



I am not complaining, I do love the heat but I know many do not feel the same. 

My garden is flourishing as it changes from the Spring blooms to the flowers of summer.  I treasure hunt each evening walking amongst the abundance of flora to find red ripe strawberries snuggled at their feet.

 

I have let the strawberries roam at will and now I have tons of sweet fresh berries waiting for me to find them.  It forces me to walk slowly and look intently, thus I find other sprouting plants that are reseeding themselves, either to my delight or dismay.  Those causing grief are yanked out immediately before they gain a toehold.

The weekend was whirlwind filled with activities but I did fit in the decorating of my Summer Mantel. 

I use my potting bench that we built that resides on our back deck.  It is in full view from the living room.



I kept it light and simple.  A minimum of fuss and clutter.  Soft colors, focusing on the summer roses.



A close up of the Seashells sign painted on reclaimed lumber complete with nail holes. 




I have a few succulents tucked into a hyper tufa pot I made a couple weeks ago.  I was practicing, I want to make some much larger tubs and I wanted to give the technique a try on smaller items first. 

I love them and I will be sure to share the making of my larger tubs.  I just need to build the form.
 


This one is still empty so you can get an idea of what they look like. The mix took on the shape of the mold, the ridges add interest.



I will be back to bore you with more garden photos during this coming week.  I have a ton.