Fairy Garden

Fairy Garden!

Fairy Garden

The first Fairy Garden attempt!

This last weekend we decided to make a little fairy garden centerpiece for the patio table. We selected a theme of a sleeping fairy with a color scheme similar to what we have with the patio decor in aqua blues and greens.

We purchased all the fairy accessories from a local nursery, but I have included some links to a few online fairy garden accessory resources. I have not purchased anything from any of them, but thought you may find them helpful if you don’t have a garden center or any other sources near by. There are also plenty of ways to make fairy homes and such from items you can find out in nature as well. (read more)

White Shasta Daisy

Our Garden 2015

Pink Astilbe Shade Garden

I have started a shade garden this year in the back.

Hey guys! I wanted to post the latest on our garden from this year. Some of the new plants include this pink astilbe, and a white one. For some reason I didn’t get a picture of the white one. I started a shade garden in the back by the fence, which is the only shady area in our garden. I also added Creeping Jenny and Anemone Sylvestris. It didn’t bloom this year, hopefully next year!

Red Dinner Plate Dahlia Perennial.

Red Dinner Plate Dahlia.

I also planted Dahlias! This red one and a yellow one that has been growing in a pot. I am thinking of transplanting it into the ground as soon as I do some gardening chores and clear a nice spot for it where it is hopelessly overgrown. They seem to be happy, and they really make me happy with their nice big blooms. (read more)

Mini White Pumpkins for fall decor

4 Fall Ideas to Bring the Season Indoors

Mini White Pumpkins for fall decor

The mini white ghost pumpkins I grew this year did quite well and look great gathered in a fall themed bowl.

With the transition of summer to fall, it’s the time of year I love to savor since it is so fleeting and so beautiful. I wanted to share some of the things I enjoy to bring fall into Fox Cottage. When I think of fall, it brings to mind certain scents, colors, textures and just an over all cozy feeling as the air starts to turn to that cooler, crisp weather. My go to fall fixes are:

  • Decorating with nature. Think pumpkins, gourds, flowers, twigs and leaves.
  • Candle light. Bringing in a nice warm glow.
  • Scent. Fall scents with candles, cooking and a fall simmer pot of natural fruits and spices that I will share with yo.u
  • Food. I love to switch the summer menu to fall with warming soups and stews, roasted veggies and other comfort food.
  • Sound. Music that helps reflect a fall state of mind are always playing in our house. Here is a link to our Spotify Autumn playlist.
Fall Floral Arrangement. Bohemian Cottage

Using nature and items found in the garden to decorate can make a big seasonal impact without spending anything.

Nature.

When planning our garden in the early spring, I always plan the garden around what I will be using the plants for. Some are of course edible and culinary while others are for pure enjoyment. I usually think ahead to fall at that time to plan for what crops we will be wanting like pumpkins and winter squashes, mums and marigolds to be used in fall displays. (read more)

Monarch Butterfly on a Daylily

Naming Our Bohemian Garden

Monarch Butterfly on a Daylily

This butterfly on our daylilies was the first thing I saw upon coming home one evening

Something I have recently came upon as a concept for us gardeners to consider is naming your garden or home. Historically the large estates and manors of the wealthy have always had names such as Midford Castle (actor Nicolas Cage’s house), Buckingham Palace or Gipsy House the name of writer Roald Dahl’s home. I thought it would be fun to name our garden. We initially named our cottage Fox Cottage when we moved in.We pulled up into the driveway one evening and a fox was waiting in our yard. He looked at us for a long pause before he ran off. The image of that stuck as the name of our new home. In some Native American beliefs, the foliage provides Fox with the camouflage for protection. I like to think of our garden as protector. Some of the reasons that you might want to name your garden or home or both is that it brings more awareness to your space. It infuses the space with personality and character. Naming the garden space is also a good idea to help when designing the garden, to help invoke an image and create meaning, and helps to establish your theme to build upon as you design. There are even websites dedicated to assisting with the house naming process. Do you think it is to hoity toity to name your garden? As you may have guessed, I think it is fun and for all the reasons stated above, a good idea. (read more)

Ladybug Crackers

Little Sprouts Community Garden

Community Garden

We enjoyed a lady bug release party at the Little Sprouts Community Garden

A couple of weeks ago the kids and I participated in a ladybug release party at the Little Sprouts Community Garden. We released hundreds of ladybugs, learned about bugs both beneficial and pests, did some crafts, had fun with a butterfly net and bug habitat and ate some tasty snacks!

Community Garden Crafting

We made Butterfly crafts

We made the cutest tie dyed butterfly craft while there. They are a simple craft for all ages. I will put up the instructions in a different post so you can make one too!

Butterfly Craft at the community garden

Makayla making her butterfly craft

We released hundreds of ladybugs to help the garden defend against pests. We even got a bug habitat to take some home to release in our own garden. (read more)

Coreopsis. Bohemian Cottage

Plant Exchange Potluck

Hen

This year at the Rocky Mountain Gardening Forum Plant Exchange we met this hen.

The Rocky Mountain Gardening Forum annual Spring plant exchange this year was in Arvada. There was a potluck and hundreds of plants being exchanged by gardeners of all levels, from the beginner to the master gardener. The hosts had a chicken coop where this little hen lived with about 5 others. The gardening forum holds the plant exchange a couple times of year, in the spring and again in the fall. everyone starts plants from seed or divides them from established plants in their gardens to bring to share with one another. It is a wonderful way to expand the plants in the garden without having to spend any money at the garden center. This year I shared lemon balm, golden zucchini, chives, coreopsis and strawberries. It is nice to see the plants that are reproducing and spreading in the garden enjoy a good home. (read more)