Every time a child says, "I don't believe in fairies," there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.
James Matthew Barrie, Peter Pan

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Phil?

Excitement broke out around 5pm in this household yesterday - over the site of our first groundhog of the year! Now yes I know this brings lets say complications to my gardening situation! But with them comes pure joy at seeing an animal I didn't have growing up in Scotland, and my children have not seen living in NYC their whole lives.  So hello Groundhog! And yes I took our male puppy Bear out to pee near my peonies last night and again this morning - just to try save them from Phils munching!


He's probably the most photographed groundhog in the whole of New York - but I think he's quite sweet! And here is a montage of my Spring pics taken yesterday.


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

warming up

So far today I have been out photographing the garden bursting open and not done much else - including some rather disturbing shots of my cut trees weeping! Thought I'd share them with you - first the tree - so sad looking!
So quickly onto the bulbs, branches, and bushes - all just on that very edge of a moment before they explode into Spring - exciting time ahead!











a chill in the air

To consider we had temps touching 80f last week brrr not so this week! It's in the 40s today and there was a hard frost last night.  According to the weather forecast tomorrow on is to be back 60s high 50s.. and I'm really hoping that this is the absolute last cold day of Winter - or Spring as it is now! I have racks of plants waiting to be planted outside, and some are starting to get a bit leggy argh. I will be planting more today some lovely Canterbury Bells, Snapdragons and Asters. Tomorrow I'll be out all day sorting out where my raised beds will be going, as I want to get them ready for planting after Easter.  I need to take measurements for edging too, as right now I'm doing it with logs - and with the threat of those nasty termites ever present - don't want to keep that there for long! There are beautiful Hyacinth popping up all over the place, daffodils, tulips, bluebells and the peonies that sprung up last week are now a good 12 inches tall!
Haven't seen a hummingbird yet - but I'm ever hopeful! Spent most of the weekend choosing patio furniture - so hard when they all seem to look the same - but I think I've settled on this Martha Stewart set from the Home Depot http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=202497395&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=202497395&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D28X-_-202497395
I like that all the chairs are swivel, I also like the tabletop very much. Not sure I'm keen on the linen effect chairs but at least I don't need to buy cushions for it! I also want a small bistro or what they call a conversations et for the top deck - basically a sofa, 2 chairs and a low table.  Then there's the BBQ to consider.  We have a gas hookup outside - but there's something about cooking on coals that makes it more authentic - after all I have an amazing 5 ring burner in my kitchen so why would I put one outside too? I'm launching a new hair flower range - Maribella Rose next week.  Really need to step to it picking what colors and themes I'm going with, and I plan to do the first show of the season at Spring-fest in Nyack, so there's that to organize too.. then there's always laundry and cleaning, and unpacking, and making lists for the home side of the renos - back to the grindstone!





Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Happy First Day of Spring!

It is finally here - it's official! Although it feels like it's been Spring here in New York since January, today is the day. The first day of Spring! I had quite an exciting day, put up my Hummingbird Feeder, after seeing they've already been spotted in Connecticut - so any minute they could be at my feeder! The chain I had bought was silver, and knowing that birds don't like silver I spray painted it red - the Hummingbird attractor color.  I can see it from my desk, so I've been glancing out every time I sit down!  Spent around 4 hours clearing cleaves and branches out back, and reset all my paths with stones.  I took down the bird feeders over the deck, going to put them lower on the tree so we can be a poop free zone (well as much as possible).. Oh and when I walked up the path to get the children from the school bus - boom - there they were - around 5 or 6 peony bushes, each with loads of shoots popping up! I love Peonies - they are my favorite flower, so to discover there are Peonies here just about made me day.  Now to thoughts of tomorrows excitements and adventures,  I can't wait.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Happy Mothering Sunday

I feel blessed and lucky to have had and still have my Mother.  She is a whole ocean of knowledge and creativity, and without her constant support and advice I wouldn't be the person I am today. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there - not just the ones across the pond in the homeland I miss so much. 
In bramble cottage news - I planted my first rose yesterday! It felt good to see it there, next to the 1/3 dug pond, with a good 3 feet all around it - plenty of room for it to flourish into something wonderful.  I'm to plant my second today - and hope to blow all those now ugly brown leaves off the space I'm working on.  Maybe I'll do more of the pond too. As it's cloudy today I can't chart the sun as I was going to - need to make sure I have the morning light for my area I plan to make into the vegetable garden before I build the picket fence and raised beds.  The Hummingbirds are almost in Virginia! They've come so far, so fast, that I keep glancing out the window expecting to see one at any minute.  I want to put a big hanging basket of Fuchsias outside the front door - so I can catch glimpses from my computer desk.  Also need to hang the chain and hook for the feeder outside the living-room window.  Have a wonderful Sunday.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

nothing goes to plan

What's new.  Nothing ever, not even if I wish my hardest and pray to the heavens. Nothing ever goes exactly to plan.  So the tree guys came, cut down the big Maple, the smaller maple and something else I don't know what it is.. they took down the big half tree over hanging my bedroom, and they cut some branches off the tree next to the guest room. But they didn't cut the branch I asked them to ie the one that hangs over the guest room, ahhh! Also my months of work is trashed pretty much. The paths are all gone, the mapped out with stones areas for my raised beds and everything else has gone, replaced with more leaves and little twigs and just stones scattered.  It's somewhat heartbreaking to have to begin again, I was so happy with the paths the way I had them, and of course I'll not be able to do them that way again, I know that.  And now tomorrow I have to deal with the tree guy coming to show me he did cut down the branch we talked about, and I have to say no look the one that hangs over the house is what I said, and he'll try get more money probably.  Sigh.  I do however now have a patch of sky - no more thatch of bare branches.. found this picture that looks pretty similar to what mine will be like when the leaves come in:
I'll have to wait and see if when the sun rises through the leaves there's enough light to garden, but it looks promising. And of course no more threat of being crushed in the night by a falling branch - so that's positive.  We have enough wood for next winter - another positive.  If I can get through tonight's worrying about the "talk" I may be feeling a lot brighter this time tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Spring is in the air

Beautiful crocus, white, purple and yellow are popping up all over the place.  My Hydrangeas have little bud looking things on them and the twiggy bushes and trees are all covered with tiny leaf buds.  Spring is just about to spring and I can't wait! I made some more progress on clearing what will be the patio area, or courtyard to be fancy! I dug some more of my pond, and have decided to get a solar powered water feature to put on its upper ledge.. that way the water won't be still and hopefully that means no mosquitoes. 
I saw a pair of Robins in the garden yesterday evening, first time - very exciting! And had a tree cutting guy out to price up which ones are going.  He's coming tomorrow or Friday to do it, and will be leaving us with the firewood for next winter.  I'm looking forward to that being done, so we can go ahead and take down the smaller ones ourselves, then my picket can go up around my veg garden! And hopefully my hens can come, raised beds can be built, and the 250+ plants in my guest room can make their way to the great outdoors.  Bramble Boutique launched my Springtime In Paris hair flower range on etsy this morning, already have orders, so it's looking promising - hopefully I can fund all these grand schemes I'm thinking of!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/95268901/mauve-peony-bridal-hair-flower-clip


Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Save the bees

I was so happy to glance out of my window and see bees on my heather plants this morning.  I went out and sat for a while listening to their droning buzz.  I love the sound they make, to me, it always equaled summer days - no school, running through the fields surrounding my home, the smell of horses and waving rows of sweet peas.  A few years ago I started buying Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and Honey ice cream, after learning of the plight of the honey bee. We had a hive when I was young, I'd love one now - but what with not having any time for my giant list without adding another thing to it - I'll stick to making sure I plant flowers to attract them instead. Bee friendly flowers include Forget-me-not, Foxglove, Poppy, Crocus, Honey Suckle, Passion Flower, Sweetpea, Campanula, Lupin, Columbine, Salvia, Allium. For more information please see below

http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/

Monday, March 12, 2012

Bramble Boutique

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bramble-Boutique/254860354589104#

Please "like" my Facebook page to be in the know re new hair accessories, jewelry and website updates! We are going live with a whole new site in April, and exciting news is coming thereafter!

8 yrs of love

So today is my 8th wedding anniversary with my wonderful, adoring, patient husband.  It has been a roller-coaster but I'm glad I stayed on for the ride! It's a gorgeous Spring like day today and as it's to stay in the 60s for the next few weeks, according to good old accuweather, I intend to accomplish greatness! I'm hoping by April 1st, that I will have a patio, a pond, several flower beds ready for planting, vegetable beds ready to go, a couple of Adirondack rockers on the deck, maybe a bistro set too.. the grass will be reseeded and all summer bulbs will be planted.  The trees that need to be down will be, the picket fence will be up around the veg garden, and my paths will have gravel.  As for inside the house, well that's on a slight hold, but I'd like the wall next to the cooker to be down and the floors to be tiled.. but realize the above list may be enough for now! So as for today I'm stuck in a laundry nightmare with a cleaning hell as icing.. going to be a long day! My thoughts, as always on this day are pining to be at the Mohonk Mountain House, in New Paltz http://www.mohonk.com/
This is where my husband took me as a surprise on our wedding night, and where we have spent many an anniversary since.  The house is beautiful but the grounds are spectacular, and walking the trails and up the mountain is what it's all about.  I love you beau.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Plans coming along nicely

Yesterday was just simply gorgeous weather. Today cold! I pulled out a new path to go round the side of the deck past the pond, as of now, a pile of leaves, and to the new patio, right now it's a bare 20x20 ft sq piece of nothing.  I wheelbarrowed what felt like thousands of leaves, twigs, debris bits to the bottom of the garden, and decided that my veg garden will look like this:
Exactly, of course.. and not a flower less! I also decided to keep the pond in my original place, even though the path snakes past it. I'm going to plant a butterfly bush or other sturdy large shrub between the two thus lessening the chances of anyone falling in! There won't be access to the pond from the path either, it will come from another path off the patio near the greenhouse.  I love this planning stage. I love the hard work that goes along with it too. Especially as my arms are becoming so toned I'll be wearing strapless dresses this summer without fear of flab! All my children were very ill this week with the stomach flu, and today it's my husbands turn.  I only got slightly ill for one night, so I'm feeling pretty lucky to have escaped it.  My youngest daughter turned four.  My baby said Mummy for the first time.  It's been a long, but good week, and I'm ready for a busy weekend of garden work and visiting relatives, before next weeks 60f+ temps.  About to repot over 100 seedlings, and of course only now do I remember that I was supposed to get trays on Wednesday to put them on! I did however get an egg wreath for the door and a bunny stake for the garden - which of course were not on the list!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

down the path

Today it's to be pushing 70f! Can't believe it, Spring is really finally coming our way.  I say this and know it is early March and therefore we may still be dumped upon by the snow factor - but as the weather forecast next week is 60s all week - I'm really hoping Spring has sprung! So do all the plants on my aching windowsills - all fighting for their light and warmth.  I'm going to wheelbarrow as much of the organic debris from my garden beds and paths to the dip at the bottom of the garden today, hoping it will decompose and fill it eventually. Need to keep making my new paths, as the Pachysandra has really taken over! I bought a few roses yesterday - I'm hoping to plant them out in the next few weeks.  The Periwinkle is looking beautiful, Crocuses, Tulips and Daffodils are all sprouting up too. Still no sign of woodchuck or chipmunk but getting new birds in the garden so a change is a coming!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Now I get it

I've been a DIYer for a long time. As is my Mother.  However there are some projects, knocking down walls, tiling floors, installing worktops - that I'd rather leave the professionals.  I just had a contractor in to give me estimates on the work i want doing around mainly the kitchen.. well my.mind.is.officially.blown. and not in a good way! I can see why people do these crazy big jobs themselves.  The costs are just crazy when you think about what's actually being done.  Looks like I need to scale back on what were already quite modest plans!

Friday, March 2, 2012

the mermaid lagoon

So on a whim yesterday I painted my bathroom blue.. not as spectacularly as this! But its a whole lot better than the bland beige it was before! I've put up a few pictures - pride of place is my John William Waterhouse Mermaid print which I love.  Hoping to find lots of sea faring pictures and accessories at yard sales over the summer.. the idea is to create a below deck on an old tall ship feel! Today I'm using the same color for the dark hall off the family room to the guest bedroom.  Its a bright light blue, and a lovely complement to the butter-cream rooms you can see from it. 

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Spring?

March is finally here - I knew it would come around eventually but really these feel like the longest winter months in history! Of course the week in October, we moved in, started with the freak snowstorm bringing down trees and knocking out our power for a week, so after that it just seemed like there was no Autumn left.  And of course I know that when the New York summer hits I'll be pining for these cold times, but for now my mind is set on flowers, vegetables and chickens.  Looking forward to the children playing in the garden, the dogs laying in the sun, and lots of al fresco dinners on the deck.  I'm finishing my potting today, have to wait for the other pots to arrive before I can do my next batch.  Hoping to flatten out the area for the greenhouse also, and create a path to it from the existing stairs off the deck.. Hoping to get some contractors out to estimate the work I need doing next week.  When the new stairs are made from the lower deck I want to put a patio courtyard at the base of them, the greenhouse will be in one corner, with flower beds around the outside.  I have the fever! Spring has sprung!