Alas, today we are back in the 60's and spring
I'm especially excited for this summer because the short guy can actually enjoy the yard! This year I'm going to pay more attention to our Outdoor Spaces, dress them up a bit. If there is one thing we love about Denver it is the summers - warm days, cool nights and NO MOSQUITOS! We eat dinner outside almost every night in the summer and clock countless hours outside.
With spring finally knocking on the door with some warm weather, it brings with it a fresh lighter feel, and you want your house to follow suit. Here are my (p)inspirations for the yard:
1. Hanging flower basket. If you've been to any ski town you see these lining the Main Street and brightening up the town. I want one.
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Please disregard the woman in this photo. No relation.[/caption]Here's a great tutorial on how to create this beautiful hanging basket.
2. Porch decor. We have a pretty big deck off the back of our upstairs Master Bedroom, it faces West towards the mountains. It's a beautiful view and currently sits empty. Unacceptable. Love the black and white and hanging flower pots.
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Upstairs porch-living.[/caption]3. Whiskey barrels. I find the use of old whiskey barrels very farmhouse chic. I love the way this barrel is used as an outdoor ent-table. I plan to replicate and bought an extra barrel for planting. Which brings me to my next point...
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End table barrel.[/caption]4. Vegetable gardens. The green-thumb gene did NOT fall anywhere near this tree. Gardening is not my thing, but I want it to be my thing! I love the idea of picking fresh vegetables from the yard. So this year I decided: START SMALL. I am going to plant one tomato plant (and maybe one other item) in a large whiskey barrel and my mother-in-law picked up these adorable planters in Glenwood Springs, which I'm going to use for herbs.
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Herb pots.[/caption]If this proves successful, I might go for something bigger in the future, like a true garden, y'all. I found this great article about Gardening for Beginners. If I even get to this point.
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Beginner garden.[/caption]5. Dwarf fruit trees. Random right? But I'm obsessed with these little fruit trees! If only I lived in California. These dwarf trees retail for $50ish, so I figure, what the heck, I'm going to try them. They are even sold on Amazon, which continues to be the greatest invention of all time.
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Dwarf fruit trees.[/caption]So there you have it. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it! Now the next challenge: getting organized and making it happen. What do you have planned for Spring?
Cheers!
Lauren
LOVE the barrels! Cannot wait to see what you put together. Oh, and Mexico pics please!
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren,
ReplyDeleteWhere did you purchase the whiskey barrels? Love that idea!
You inspire me:))
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it make you nuts that you can't plant until May? Whitney Manda's mom (a professional landscaper) says you actually can't plant in our zone until after MEMORIAL DAY. What. is. up. with. that??? Ain't nobody got time to wait until then! I want flowers NOW, dangit! But she's right. Anything I've ever bought and planted before then has either died or not grown to its full potential. Obsessed with the idea of a garden, too - but this is another thing that takes patience - and a lot of it. In MO, the tomatoes and peppers aren't ready until late July/August. Our neighbors have a good trick to keep the bugs and animals away - mix the tiniest amount of dish soap (I mean tiny - like a drop) with a full Windex bottle (previously cleaned of course) of water, and spray on the plants as much as you like. NO bug/pest problems, and no chemicals that you wouldn't otherwise accidentally ingest after washing your own dishes!
ReplyDeleteI'm going with chives (which come back every year, I might add), basil, and cilantro this year. We'll see if it turns into anything else! Happy planting!
I got them at Lowes, but I know Home Depot should carry them as well, I think they might be smaller. I love them!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll come up with something fun!
ReplyDeleteLate May seems crazy to me but so is the life of a Westerner:). Love that bug trick, I'm going to have to try that this year! I use all three of those herbs all summer, I think I'm going to do that and MAYBE Rosemary. With a glass of Pinot Grigio in hand of course!
ReplyDelete