Posts

Beautiful Bunking

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Urban Grace Interiors recently had a fantastic post featuring all sorts of gorgeous draped beds, including this pretty picture that I just love. What a great idea for a beach house. When I was a kid, heck even now, I'd love to spend some QT bunking here with my cousins or friends. You have to check out Urban Grace Interiors because there are more than a dozen beds just as yummy!!

Too much dry weather

While the Midwest is suffering the consequences of too much rain, again, we haven't had any significant rainfall in weeks (I should say weeks and weeks). In the last six weeks, we've maybe had 3/4 to an inch of rain where we live in Upstate South Carolina, way less than 'normal.' The natural areas up in the mountains look stressed, for lack of normal summer rain, which often is afternoon thundershowers. We don't live in a Mediterranean climate, normally, but maybe we need to garden like we do. Even some of my drought tolerant herbs are drooping from lack of moisture. I can still water, since we're not under a watering ban, but the local lakes/reservoirs are lower around the edges than we've ever seen them, in the 15-odd years we've lived here. Someone mentioned to me recently that 'they' -- that is, the Drought Emergency team for South Carolina -- didn't want to alarm people -- uh, hello-- we're in a significant drought, and why aren...

Great Home & Garden Stuff from Los Angeles

We're are addicted to the Home & Garden section of the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. It comes in the Thursday's edition and is full of useful information--which can be applied anywhere you live in the country. In case you miss it, or do not have access to the papers, here are some of the good tidbits from the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Home & Garden happenings this month: June 29 -Venice Home Tour-Home Tour sponsored by the American Institute of Architects-a tour of home in a 1-mile radius such as the 23 Breeze House by David Reddy, Canal House by Emily Kovner, Cube by Mark Baez etc. 213-639-0777. Neutra Tours -Managed by Cal Poly Pomona's College of Enviromental Design. Open this Saturday 11-3pm. AWA Exhibits -work from 34 desginers in the fields of architecture, interior designs and landscape at the Pacific Design Center through July. Free. Saturday 6/21 - Composting Class by John Lyons at Descanso Garden, 11418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flinridge $20....

Colorful London Hotel

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Yesterday Daisy Pink Cupcake had a whole slew of gorgeous images from the Firmdale Hotels in London..including an image I knew I'd shared before that I found on PointClickHome . Who knew that it came from this fabulous London hotel?! You have to check out Daisy Pink Cupcake to see the even more of the this and another equally grand hotel. Trust me, all the rooms are as terrific as these.

Squashes and kale

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I harvested several green scalloped squashes, a small yellow squash, some Siberian kale, and some redbor kale this evening. With fresh onions and garlic, stir-fried in a bit of olive oil and braised in homemade chicken broth, with some mushrooms and peppers, it was very tasty after a long day in the field. My gardening companion and I are teaching a field course for teachers about Natural History of Wildflowers -- great fun!

Dining in Style

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I wish I could see more of this brightly colored, totally cool room snapped by photographer Hans Zeegers out of Amsterdam. Purple, pink, turquoise...what more could any girl want?! I love it! - Hans Zeegers Fotografie for VT Wonen Magazine

Common milkweed and bee balm

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Common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, is a robust plant, spreading by rhizomes (underground stems). But it's a favored host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars, which is recommendation enough for me. It's just started to flower, and is being visited by lots of flower visitors, just like its relative, Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed). I transplanted it into our meadow thanks to my butterfly gardening friends, and it's flourishing. The bee balm doesn't much like the ongoing drought, but is a tough customer nevertheless. Bumblebees were active visitors close to dusk.