“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Matthew 5:14
Happy Thursday sweet friends. How is the first week of summer going for you? We have been receiving showers daily, so it is quite muggy. I was afraid the rain would slow down the progress of my little shed, but so far they have been able to work. Thank you for those that had suggestions for naming my shed. I will let you all know what I decide.
This has been the most unusual garden season. Everything has bloomed later and I have had several failures, I am guessing our cooler spring! Pests have been more prevalent than ever, and now the Japanese beetles have shown up. Gardening is not for the weak of heart!
Limelights are getting ready to put on a show. Notice the sunflowers behind the garden, we planted three different varieties this year.
This sunflower variety is “Procut Red”, and its seed came from Floret Farm. The flowers are a deep rusty red, and I cant wait to see them!
Vanilla-Strawberry hydrangeas really grow large and their blooms are huge! I have a total of five!
This is a new concrete garden pot that I recently purchased. I am going to attempt to make a topiary out of the “Green Gem” boxwood. If you love gardening, I suggest Linda Vater’s YouTube channel. She has many videos explaining the method of training topiaries and lots of gardening tips.
Coleus provides interesting foliage and texture, it is a favorite of mine to plant in pots!
“Echoes of Mercy” daylily is still blooming. One of my readers said that was such a comforting name, especially during these troubling times!
A new urn with rosemary that I will attempt to train into a topiary. Only time will tell if I am successful!
You can see the progress since I posted last Thursday. Windows have been installed along with board and batten siding that will be stained. Cedar shake roof installation is to begin today. Things have moved along really well, even with some building materials being hard to get.
The beveled glass French doors were installed yesterday and I am so thrilled that they finally have a home. If you remember from last week’s post, the antique doors had been residing in my Renaissance Man’s workshop for forty years. He put a quick coat of paint on the exterior and made an observation that we had not remembered. Turns out they were not a pair of French doors but two separate doors. My heart sank!! Fortunately, our contractor is a fine craftsman and he said he would make it work…and he did! The interior sides had never been painted, only stained. Hopefully, we can refinish and stain. The glass is really dirty and will require some work to clean! Famous last words from hubby, “We could have bought new doors for a lot less money!”
I will leave you with a back view of the garden from the porch of my petite cottage! Thank you so much for following Everyday Living and your gracious comments. Wishing you a lovely day!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Imparting Grace,Life and Linda
Excited to see your shed completed! You put much thought and great style in everything you do so I know it will be perfect! Happy the doors are going to workout!
Thanks so much Karen. I am excited to make lots of memories with my girls!
Things are progressing nicely Pam! I can’t wait to see how your doors turn out and your shake roof. I think having doors or windows that have some history add to the charm of a shed, even if they require some TLC or construction expertise to install them. I have a pair of small leaded glass windows in my shed that took some special framing and care to make them work. Not the cheapest choice for windows for sure! As to garden struggles, I have been battling bunnies who have eaten my perennials and all my carefully tended zinnia seedlings, no matter what I’ve tried to keep them away. Our very wet two months and excess rain is wreaking havoc on the roses, viburnum and lamb’s ear. . , gardening is not for the faint of heart! Looking forward to seeing your beautiful sunflowers ♥
Your shed is going to be amazing, so roomy! Lol, had to laugh at hubby’s comment on the doors. And in your mind, after 40 yrs only to discover they are 2 separate doors, you were probably like, “watch me. I’ll make it fit”. Thank goodness for a master carpenter!
Gardens have their way of forcing us to let go, don’t they? And I think the taking up topiary design sounds like a great creative thing to tackle. I’ll look forward to seeing that in future posts. Even with all the setbacks in gardening, it’s still something I enjoy…..vicariously, of course. 🙂
Your garden is beautiful! The plants all look so healthy. I love those French doors. It’s amazing that your contractor was able to make the doors work together and look perfect!
Thank you Michelle. I am excited!
I can already see that you are going to have so much fun with our shed. Your garden is simply beautiful. Happy Day to you dear Pam. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Yes, Cindy the girls and I will have so much fun in the shed!
Enjoying your posts so much! I was excited today when I saw it was about your garden – it is lovely! I have only been able to work in my yard this year because of working from home due to the virus. At least there is one good thing coming from it! I can’t wait to see your shed completed – it’s going to be darling!
Thank you so much Debbie. I am so glad you have been able to work in your garden. It is good medicine for the soul!
Enjoy seeing the progress on your shed and glad you have a contractor that made the doors work. The beveled panes are beautiful and these doors already bring history to your shed and this just adds to the story. There is always surprises along the way. Now is the time to get everything you want for your shed. My “echoes of mercy” are almost ready to bloom and I have three hydrangeas on the way. I can’t wait to see your red sunflowers. As much as I love the garden animals, they have reeked havoc on my plants. One of your readers stated that gardeners have to learn to let go. Blessings Pam.
Your garden looks lovely and that shed is going to be amazing!
Thanks Penny, I am excited!
Pam, So happy the doors worked out. The quality of those doors are probably better than the standard doors today plus they have history. Da’s Girls She Shed is so cute! The limelight I planted was doing so well until the bunnies got to it. Hardly any blooms left! Fresh coffee grounds and human hair was spread around it to try to salvage it. Our zinnias didn’t come up this year. First time ever. Our marigolds are doing well though. Gardening is indeed a challenge! Your garden is so gorgeous & lush! I love your new pot & urn. A topiary will be beautiful in your lovely containers. Looking forward to seeing all your colorful blooms. Enjoy your day sweet friend ❣️ Clara ♥️
Oh oh oh! Look at your garden shed starting to put on a show. I enjoy hearing the stories behind the doors…! You are going to have so much fun with your shed.
Your gardens are beautiful despite the bugs and critters. Looking forward to your topiary. There is fun around every corner!
Enjoy! Hugs from Pennsylvania… Happy Thursday!
Thanks my friend. The bugs and critters are working on overtime, especially the rabbits! Hugs from Alabama!
Pam, I am so excited for you! The garden shed is coming along beautifully! I can’t wait to see it all finished! Your gardens are gorgeous as always. I agree gardening isn’t for the faint at heart. A lot of our blooms are late due to a cooler spring. We also had a wet spring which has led to some issues with the foliage on many of the hydrangeas we have planted this year. I also think I have used a bottle of Sevin dust battling pests. However, with all of that I have found gardening to be such a blessing during these times when we have been sheltering in place. I’m anxious to see how your topiaries turn out. Your new garden pots are so pretty and look great in your gardens. Happy Thursday, sweet friend!
Shannon, the lady I mentioned on YouTube lives in Oklahoma City. I think you would love her gardening videos!
I always love the photos of your ‘formal’ garden, but these have a life with the moving grasses and close views of your pots and plants. Very interesting, I love seeing things the eye misses but the camera seems to emphasize. Great series, Pam, thanks, Sandi
Thank you dear Sandi, a fellow gardener!
Sheds have come a long way, haven’t they! 🙂 We have one that our son-in-law built for us. It has held up so well and I love how it looks. It’s not fixed up inside but I love how it looks on the outside.
Donna, yes sheds have come a long way. I know yours is very serviceable and so sweet of you son-in-law.
Wow, your shed really is coming along Pam, and looking fabulous! The doors are going to be so pretty! I am looking forward to your summer sunflower display too! Sorry about the muggy buggy weather…it is muggy on the coast too with the occasional shower that is keeping my plants happy 🙂
Jenna
Thanks Jenna. Things have moved very well, but we are going to have to wait for our painters.
Pam, as always your garden is beautiful. Oh,and your cottage, it will come to hold such beautiful memories. “Memories” could be a nice name. You will have a wonderful time decorating the inside. Can’t wait to see all the photos – garden and cottage.
Happy summer days to you, Pam. Stay cool!
Thanks so much Sandra. I am so excited and EM can’t wait to spend the night in the cottage!
Pam, I am glad I am not the only one puzzling over this gardening season!
Yes, Michele is has been really strange!
Pam, how exciting to finally have the garden shed come to life! And what a lovely idea for it to also be a playhouse for the girls. I am sure that you will enjoy many hours puttering around in it. As for the doors, they will be lovely, I am sure!
EM is so excited. She ask everyday if we can spend the night in the shed. It is a fun project especially for the girls! It might be your guest house when you come!
Love the doors even if they weren’t French doors. Beveled glass is special and cleaning them up would be a joy knowing the wait and love put into having them are part of your she shed, The princesses are going to have many parties and just think of the memories you will share with them. Love it.
Thanks so much Alice. Yes, there will be lots of tea parties and spend the night parties in the shed!
So many beautiful shots of the garden! You would never know there were pesky pests at work. EM must be so excited about the garden shed. Think of the wonderful memories the girls will have. My grandmother had an all glass hothouse I loved to play in. Over sixty years later certain scents instantly send me back to that special time with her. I am so looking forward to seeing you decorate and landscape the shed!
Thank you Roxanne. EM ask me everyday if we can spend the night in the shed. As soon as it is ready, I have promised her we will have a slumber party, just the two of us, in the shed!
I just love the idea of your cottage, your sweet new adventure! So many name ideas keep popping into my head, like Honey Bee Chateau, Princess Palace, Pam’s Palace, Chateau Chic, Chateau a’ Trois, Maisonette, or inspiration from your garden, etc., etc. It’s so much funny thinking of names. I’m sure you will have fun thinking of more! Enjoy looking forward to all the fun it will offer you once finished, maybe even as a launching pad for a Treasure Hunt for two adventure seekers!
Thank you so much Maria. A special thank you for the lovely suggestions for naming my shed. Wishing you a beautiful weekend!
I love that you recycled & are now up cycling those doors Pam! Hubby & I do that all the time 😀
Your garden is looking great.
Blessings sweet friend,
Jennifer
Thank you Jennifer. Blessings my sweet friend!
Beautiful post! I love your garden shed doors, looking forward to seeing more! Have a blessed weekend Pam! 😉
Thanks so much Elizabeth. Happy weekend to you!
Happy weekend and thank you Elizabeth!
No matter the “extra” attention, those beveled doors are worth the effort .. just beautiful. New doors for less
$$$ ??? Heavens to Elizabeth! Perish the thought. Despite the benign neglect tempered by busy days, our roses have bloomed and re-bloomed in lovely colors highlighted throughout garden. Have discovered an
unusual flower combination and will clue you in once I research….Looking forward to the vanilla strawberry
showing… always a treat. Blessed weekend to all….
I would love a photo of your roses. I am anxious to hear of your unusual flower combination. Happy Weekend, Mary!
I always look forward to your posts. I am a Southern woman who loves the outside during spring, summer and fall. Your gardening posts are just what I need during the pandemic!!! They give me hope, increase my faith and encourage me to keep looking forward to better days. Your plants, shrubs and trees are spectacular and hopefully my plantings will continue to grow and formulate into a the garden I always wanted like yours!!!
Thanks so much Helen. I also love being outdoors and gardening has been wonderful during these times. I know your garden will grow and bring you much pleasure! Have a wonderful weekend!
You must be over the moon with that shed. You guys are really rocking it. That’s going up quickly. Bummer about the extra door work but I think it will be so worth it. They are beautiful and unique. This couldn’t be a better treat for you to have this special place to share with Butch and the Littles!
I am definitely excited and can’t wait to start making memories in the little cottage! Thank you Jeanie!
It has been a different spring to summer season hasn’t it. That’ll be fun to turn that into a topiary! The shed is going to be so cute especially with the cedar shake roof! I imagine you and the grandkids are going to have a lot of fun in there!
Thank you Liz. It has been an unusual garden season. I am looking forward to making lots of memories with my girls!