BLOOMS AND TENDRILS

I know that the winter weather is behind us when my garden wakes up with blooms and tendrils.  My favorite ferns are still uncurling tendrils.

FERN TENDRILS

The hosta are also twisting and uncurling. 
They'll soon fill the space and provide some yummy salad for all the deer. 
I would love to hear about some natural solutions to keep deer from eating my plants.

HOSTAS TWISTING AND UNCURLING

My tulip magnolia tree is one of my first signs of Spring.

TULIP MAGNOLIA BLOOMS

The rhododendron is not far behind.

RHODODENDRON

This past Fall I purchased some Giant Allium from Holland Bulbs.  They're still growing so no photos of them yet.  I can't wait to see their blooms.  I received some mini tulip bulbs as a gift with my order.  I planted them among the boxwoods and grasses in one of my beds.

MINI TULIPS

One of my ground covers, Creeping Jenny, has also appeared.  I love her lime green color and the way she keeps the weeds somewhat under control.

CREEPING JENNY GROUND COVER

I always try to add ground cover to my garden.  It helps with the weeds and also adds texture and color.  I've written about all kinds of ground cover choices before.  If you'd like to see that post, go here.

What are your signs of Spring?

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NINE YEARS OF BLOGGING

As we enter a new decade, I thought I'd share my ten all time most popular posts.  Yes, we're beginning a new decade and I'm also beginning my tenth year of blogging.  It all started when I was a guest on The Nate Berkus Show.  He suggested that I start a blog.  It's been a wonderful way to share all my crazy design experiments, but I think the biggest and most rewarding part of it all was the unexpected benefit of connecting to my readers and fellow bloggers.  I have made so many e-friends over the years.  Sometimes an unexpected result is the best.  

You can check out my first post if you'd like.  It explains how I became involved in blogging.

Click here.

I wanted to make one more comment about the rewards of blogging.   My photography skills were greatly improved.  Actually, my photography skills were non existent when I started.  I guess that photography was another benefit from writing the blog.  My original photos were taken with a cell phone.  I'm on my second camera now.  The photos that I took in the beginning are cringe worthy.  Don't judge.  

Here are the ten all-time most viewed of my posts.  I'll begin with the tenth most popular.  If you want to see the full post, just click on the image or the number and you'll be directed there.

NUMBER 10

I had and unfortunately still have a 1970's knotty pine kitchen.  To update it, I painted the cabinets, changed the hardware, and added Duralee Snakeskin fabric as a back splash.  It's still in my kitchen and I still love the snakeskin.  

SNAKESKIN FABRIC AND NAIL HEAD TRIM IN MY KITCHEN

NUMBER 9

I found a very weathered garden table.  I guess it reminded me of a clock face.  That's how an umbrella table became a clock.

UMBRELLA TABLE TO CLOCK

NUMBER 8

I credit my screened porch redo for a feature of my home on a Houzz Home Tour.

MY SCREENED PORCH

NUMBER 7

If you're a regular reader of my blog you know that many times I write about a design topic and share images to illustrate the decor ideas.  I love using empty vintage frames.  The next two all time popular posts contain empty frames.

FRAMES:  BUNDLED, LAYERED, AND STACKED

NUMBER 6

My number 6 also contained ideas for using empty frames.

HOW I FILLED AN EMPTY FRAME

NUMBER 5

One of my favorite things to do is to style a bookcase.  I guess my readers liked it too.

MY STYLED BOOKCASE

NUMBER 4

The popularity of this next post surprised me.  It was a post for Memorial Day and I shared cottage gardens in red, white and blue.

COTTAGE GARDENS

NUMBER 3

The popularity of this post shows how many DIYers there are out there.  It was my solution for a sweet side table with damaged veneer.

A SOLUTION FOR DAMAGED VENEER

NUMBER 2

I obviously have some gardeners in the audience.  This post shared my best ground cover for shady spaces.  I also shared some other ground cover solutions.

SWEET WOODRUFF GROUND COVER

NUMBER 1

My all time most pinned post is the gallery wall I created in my daughter's apartment.   I don't think that gallery walls will ever go out of style.  They are my nemesis though.

MY DAUGHTER'S GALLERY WALL

I wanted to say that I was surprised by some of the posts that were viewed so many times.

I also wanted to say thank you to all of you who have been following along and for your encouragement and support.  I hope you'll follow me into the new decade.

Happy New Year.

FYI:  The most viewed post(s) of 2019:  My Laundry/Pantry.

It was in two parts.

To see Part One of my laundry/pantry, click here.

CHINA IN MY PANTRY

To view Part 2, click here.

BREAD BOARDS, BOOKS, ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN MY PANTRY

We Just Have to Focus on Spring

On this cold dreary day I just want to think about Spring and my garden.
If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know that I've already written about my Sweet Woodruff ground cover and shady area garden solutions. It's one of my most pinned garden posts, so I thought I'd share again.  I've included some new photos so it's not a total repeat.

If you're looking for an easy-care, fragrant, and beautiful ground cover for your shady spots, 

Sweet Woodruff is my favorite.  A friend divided some of her Sweet Woodruff and shared it with me.  She told me that it was perfect at the base of a tree where nothing seems to grow.
  I used to plant impatiens in those spots, but the deer have convinced me to find something else.
Besides, Sweet Woodruff is a perennial and it spreads quickly.
 It also completely covers an area and keeps down the weeds too.

Flowering Sweet Woodruff

At first I planted it around tree bases.  Then I discovered that I loved mixing it in with the rocks and flowers in my garden along the walk way from my porch to my patio.

Walk Way From My Screened Porch to My Lower Level Patio

Beginning of Walk Way From Porch to Lower Level Patio

It's so easy to divide.  I can't believe that all these plants came from several small ones.  All I did was dig up a clump of the plant, then tear it apart into smaller pieces.  I re-planted the smaller plants in their new spot with some spacing in between.  They quickly filled in.

 This path is on the other side of my house and goes from my kitchen door to the patio below.

Path From Kitchen to Patio

Path From Kitchen to Patio, Looking Up

They really keep down the weeds around my ferns, nandina, lamb's ear and hosta.

What's your favorite ground cover?

Kathy

If you're looking for more ground cover information, go here. 
Ground cover really helps control your weed population.

University of Illinois

Spring Blooms

Yes, it's another post about my garden.  I thought I was done with the spring blooms but after a sunny bright weekend, rain was in the forecast and it was very overcast.  Overcast with no bright sun glare is perfect picture taking time and my garden was getting started.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity the weather had given me.  Enjoy more blooms.

Rhododendron and a Peek of My Birdbath

Pieris

Japanese Maple

Cherry Laurel

Nandina Still Holding On to Its Winter Berries

Climbing Hydrangea not blooming yet but curling nicely around my architectural fragment.

Azalea

Houttuynia, an invasive ground cover, near my kitchen porch.

Silver Dollar Plant, grown from seeds shared by my Mom.

Azalea in the foreground and a row of hostas on the wall.

I love Ferns.

I just made it.  The rain drops started just as I finished taking the photos.  Its been raining for several days now.
 I wonder what new blooms will appear after they get their big drink.

Kathy