Summertime is great for many reasons; great friends and fresh picks from the garden to name two!

Kind and generous folks who

share

summer's

bounty

with

us!

Fresh picked squash, melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, and blackberries; yum, yum!

There was a knock on the door and I answered to find a bucket full of fresh picked blackberries; I knew just what to do with them!

The Chicken Coop ~ Hens or Roosters?

We love summertime in the North Carolina Mountains!

With cooler temperatures, no humidity, scenic views, hiking, shopping, entertainment, and great restaurants...what's not to love?

We packed up the camper, our home away from home, and headed out for an 11 day vacation.

I really thought it might be too long of a trip, but we had a grand time and I wasn't ready to leave!

I took so many pictures while there and hope you enjoy these scenes from the chicken coop!

A Little Summer Pizazz

There wasn't enough red in this room!

No really, my mission wasn't to add more red in the keeping room, even though red is my favorite color.  I just thought it would be nice to have a little color in front of the fireplace opening and that's when something in my stash came to mind.  So in came more red.

There was another change too.
This small table was between the two red chairs in the keeping room, but no more.

Freezing Summer's Bounty and My Favorite Kitchen Gadget

Our morning always includes fruit

and

blueberries are a favorite.

These little berries are packed full of health benefits B U T they are expensive!

I never purchase fresh blueberries at the grocery store; the container is tiny and just cost too much!

And though frozen blueberries are more reasonably priced, when purchased at the grocery they are usually small, with tough skin and very little flavor.

So I take advantage of summer's bounty by freezing these power packed berries!

I buy them cheap and freeze enough to last all winter.

Here's how I do it...

Sometimes...

Sometimes words aren't necessary.

From sunrise to sunset it is lovely...

The Buzz

Hi Sweet Friends!

It's a beautiful day and I've been enjoying the bees,

watching them happily buzz from one bloom to another,

so here's a little something to brighten your day...

Summer Garden

Are the leaves changing colors and falling in your neck of the woods?  They are here in North Carolina.

It's amazing how fast summer is flying by,

and since the maple and dogwood leaves are already turning colors and falling

I thought I would take a stroll through the summer garden before the flowers fade away.


This spring I decided to Keep the Entry Simple by just planting ferns

and they have done really well...

Along the flower beds the Liriope muscari is in full bloom...

Summer Porch

I spruced things up on the porch and shared the new porch pillows with you, but guess what?!

I realized that I haven't shared the other summer touches added to the porch and thought I better get to it before autumn arrives!

FALLISH FRONT PORCH

The front porch is ready for Fall...well almost.

The summer flowers in the urns on the front porch are still looking so pretty that I haven't wanted to change them just yet.  Pansies do so well here when planted this time of year.  They look beautiful through the winter months and all the way through spring.  So, when the time comes pansies will most likely replace the summer flowers.

 Which flowers do you plant in pots this time of year?
Love your sweet comments...

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OUTDOOR FALL DECOR

THROUGH THE CURTAINS

The sun is coming up and streaming into the den.  
As I look through the curtains I see hints of fall...

We had a storm last night with high winds, so the first fall leaves have been shaken from the trees and sprinkled across the deck.

Last summer Mr. Heart surprised me with this garden cat, wasn't that sweet!

While trimming hedges I found a fallen birds nest so I placed it in this little basket.

This summer we chose Lantana for our deck planters.  In shades of pink, purple and orange, they are holding up beautifully in the hot afternoon sun.

I have always loved rabbit foot ferns.  This one is tiny now and I have high hopes that it will grow, grow, grow!

These two beauties are Shamrocks with such dainty blooms.  The green has white blooms and the purple blooms are pink.

Mr. Heart and I enjoy having our morning coffee on the screened porch and it is so much fun watching the hummingbirds enjoying this orange Lantana.

Hosta's do really well as potted plants.  This hosta and variegated ivy have been in this pot for several years now.  The hosta blooms are beautiful and is a nice greeting for friends coming to our back door.

This planter is in the center courtyard and is full of Geraniums and Lantana.

Several years ago I planted Impatiens in a few pots by the screened porch steps and every year since we've had volunteers come up.  Sometimes the volunteers are bright red and sometimes pink, it's always a surprise!

I love hearing from you...you always say the kindest things!

Blessings,

Cindy

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