busy days of Spring

Yesterday saw me doing all the housework in 1 hour flat - so I could spend most of the day planting out all my perennial seedlings into the raised bed near the pond. 

 I placed them in rows - Lilies and Hollyhock at the back, then in front Lupines, then Daisies, then Catmint.  I've put some flashy silvery tape up with twigs to try keep the birds off until they are established.  

Speaking of birds - Liliana and I got to see a Robin take multiple baths in the pond yesterday, up close and personal! Fun days! Today I launched my new hair flower collection on etsyhttp://www.etsy.com/listing/98846034/cream-rose-bridal-hair-flower-clip Maribella Rose - is a smaller 3" version of some of my most popular hair flowers - available in cream, pink, blue, purple and red - for only $18 - I'm sure it'll be popular!

I'm running a competition on Bramble Boutique's Facebook page - submit your best bridal hair style pic and have a chance to win the entire collection! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bramble-Boutique/254860354589104

Off out now to tackle the front garden before the baby wakes up - then it's all over, as I'm sure ya'll know!

gone fishin

So my pond now has not just fish but tadpoles too! Very exciting. I put an Iris and a Cardinal Flower as marginals, and some creeping Jenny, and pond weeds in also. So far I've seen a couple of birds bathing around the edges, but no turtles yet.  Fun times

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.

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