Potting Bench update

Good morning all.  This morning it looks like rain, I am so glad I finished my potting bench update yesterday.

You remember our potting bench we built last year



it is very popular on Pinterest and Hometalk.  Lots of folks want to build one for themselves. I can’t blame them I have been enjoying mine much more than I anticipated.

Being able to see it from our living room is the ticket I suppose.  I try to keep it looking nice so I have something refreshing to look out at. 

Last Fall it looked like this



I had yet to finish the top but I still enjoyed the scene.  Later after this photo I did paint it with some yellow paint. It did not weather well.

In Spring it got a make over..



And again for summer.



For summer I just sanded down the chippy yellow but for this Fall I wanted to give it a good protective coat.  I used some Milk Paint in a mix of 2 parts white and one part French Gray.



The gray gives it an entirely new look.



To protect the wood further, once the paint was dry, I gave it a good coat of organic Tung oil.  It is non-toxic and dries hard and does not noticeably change the color of the paint. 

My Happy Chappy rose was blooming away, I picked some blossoms and tucked them in the watering can so I can enjoy them even more.  Out here on my back deck they are more visible.



I am enjoying my rooster painting.  I think I need to do some more.  I should photograph my Swedish Flower Rooster and try to paint him.  He is a pretty one.



I have been busy getting my garden mulched and prepped for winter.  I have some straw bale gardening going and will share more in a later post.

Off I go to work this morning.  It will most likely be raining in Bear Valley and be a wee bit chilly so I shall dress for it.

Happy Fall..

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.

Spring in a 6pack and a Secret Garden

I am still ignoring the cold and rain.  Today it is cloudy but dry.  The sun keeps trying to peek out but the air has a definite chill to it.  As I fed my hens this morning all I could think was ‘brrrr’.

For all those waiting, here is the update on my chicks.  Sadly, I lost another one, the one that was the weakest from the beginning and it did not surprise me to have her succumb.  Fortunately, I was not at home and my hubby got the privilege of giving her a decent burial.

On the upswing, the remaining 4 are hale and hearty.  Their wings are already displaying how pretty they will be.



Can you see the striations of color?  Three chicks are noticeably larger than one and I am hoping that does not mean the larger are roosters.  I would like one rooster or maybe even two but not three, that would leave me only one hen.  Not that I couldn’t get another clutch of eggs to hatch if I needed to. 

I mentioned a sign design I had racketing around in my brain.  I finally got it to a point I could share and I am thrilled with how it is turning out.  Better than I had imagined, in fact. 



I love the gothic lettering.  The curves on the wood softens the overall effect and the tiny rosebuds painted on a just a couple letters gives it the Pam touch. 



Here it is displayed on my potting bench.



Since I have been suffering from Spring withdrawals I bought myself some Spring!  I call it “Spring in a 6pack”.  I fell in love with this combo of colors.



I think the tag called it Pumpkin Spice.



I need to pot them up into either a planter or individual larger pots.  I will see what I have in the greenhouse to do the job.

  They smelled so lovely as they sat beside me on the drive home from the nursery/feed store. They made the sun shine (in my heart) even while it poured rain!

Now, back to the studio for me.  I just thought I would pop in here and share a bit of Spring and a chickie update.