Sunday, May 6, 2012

Gardener's cottage inspiration and The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Janet from The Gardener's Cottage
inspires me
to make my life more healthy and beautiful
to redecorate and to have fun in the garden.

Her style, her thrift adventures, the way she decorates her cottage, the food that she chooses to eat
it's what makes me visit her as often as she posts.
I wish that she lived closer so that I could meet her in person.
Maybe someday...



Healthy yes and tasty too.



Take an avocado, mash it up
pop in on top of a skinny slice of bread
top it with tomato slices
a wee bit of pepper and salt
fast and easy
lunch is served!
(I used half an avocado)

Janet over at The Gardener's Cottage is excited about 


their site is very interesting, inspiring and informative.

The weekend had it's ups and downs
the sunshine was around for most of the weekend hooray!
Mr. HB and I pottered about outside in The Humble Bungalow garden.

Mr. HB's mom had a fall and she broke her hip
 many hours were spent in the emergency ward while they took x-rays
she'll be on bed rest for weeks while it heals
she lives in a facility that offers 24 hour care
so she will be well looked after.

Such a stressful day waiting, wondering, and worrying...
 it's difficult seeing someone you love in pain
and however well informed we are there is always the chance that this might not turn out well.

For now we can breathe a little easier...

On the menu tonight:
 organic free range chicken
carrots
squash
peas
mashed potatoes

I harvested some rhubarb this afternoon and made a crisp for dessert
which I'll serve with a dollop of coconut yogurt.


We discovered a fabulous red wine through our catering friend Julie
it's a Shiraz from Australia


 Skulls
not a very inspiring name but a great flavour.


the grass is green 
with all our rain we haven't needed to water it


the garlic is growing taller
the rhubarb thicker


a bit of whimsy
 bowling balls peek out from the plantings


the raised vegetable beds
sweet peas are planted at the back with lattice to climb up on


the clematis is glorious
everything looks so lovely in the sunshine

it was great to be out and not need a sweater or a jacket

We are both weary after a day of gardening but it's a healthy feeling
knowing that we worked hard and accomplished a lot.
I am going to sleep like a baby tonight!

How was your weekend?

24 comments:

the gardener's cottage said...

thanks for the mention leslie. you are too kind. we worked in the garden all day too. got so much done. then i went for a long yoga class and i'm exhausted. but the garden is looking good! i'll sleep like a baby too tonight.

in my yoga class this afternoon the instructor had us doing some squatting pose to strengthen our hips. he is a young man from viet nam and told us that in his country people are much poorer than here and many don't have chairs to sit in so they squat all day. b/c of this there are very few hip injuries to their elderly. our luxury of having chairs to sit in actually weaken our bodies. i found that so interesting. hope your mother-in-law heals quickly. xo

Pondside said...

I love your lunch idea - so easy to take to the office to enjoy a healthy lunch.
I worked all day yesterday in the garden and spent today with my parents, celebrating at the Ocean Point with champagne and brunch and then adjourning to a beautiful Oak Bay garden for more champagne, flowers and treats. The best sort of day!

Patricia said...

Your garden is lovely, and healthy too ... I love Janet's blog as well, and take inspiration from her recipes and ideas. I am generally trying to live up to the healthy life, and avoid the nasties. Best wishes to your mother-in-law in her recovery; I think I'll follow your lead and cook up that organic chicken in my freezer today. btw, great photos.
Oh, and we had fun in an Antique Centre on the weekend, one with a busy cafe serving delicious pear and raspberry bread. yum!

Bonnie said...

I love avocado sandwiches. Oh....I love avocados period. They make a wonderful meal. I am so sorry to hear about you mother-in-law. I hope all turns out well. Everything is looking great; your dinner sounds divine. I worked in the garden this morning then ran to school to catch up on some work there. I hope you have a wonderful week. Bonnie

Anonymous said...

That's my lunch every day.
Your garden is just beautiful, my clematis is just budding now, but not nearly as abundant as yours, I've never pruned it, should I?

Adrienne Shubin said...

I am a huge fan of Janet's...mentioned her on my blog today, too! She inspires so many of us in many different ways.

Your garden is looking so lush and healthy. It's good to see the sun is finally out- here, too.

We went to a retirement party on Saturday, then to a friends' home for dinner on Sunday. It's been a very social weekend.

Happy Monday! xo, A

Judith said...

Hope MIL is feeling more comfortable today, good to hear she is being well cared for.

I envy you your lovely garden it seems very sunny.+7 here again wet and cold brrrr! It is the May day bank holiday lots of tourists around looking miserable!!
Saw the Swallows arriving yesterday they are meant to herald the Summer.
Fingers crossed! Ida

sanda said...

Wow, so much to see and enjoy in this post! I love your bread box; the garden pictures are fantastic. Love the bowling ball in front of those beautiful lavender-colored flowers. And the clematis is "something else." Do you know the variety? Wishing a speedy recovery for your MIL.
Cheers!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Hi Janet,
Sounds like we both had a similar Sunday.
I love going to Yoga and I agree hip flexors are the first to seize up.
I have never had a male Yoga instructor I think that would make it more of a challenge as they are so much stronger in the upper body.
The men at my studio usually fall asleep when we are in the corpse pose!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Oh your weekend sounds like fun and a great mix of work and pleasure.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Browsing in an Antique Center sounds like a luxurious way to spend some time and the idea of tea and cake after well that's my kind of afternoon too!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Avocados are healthy and delicious.
I have heard them referred to as avocado pears...I think in the UK.
Hope that your week goes well.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I have never pruned our clematis either and it's about 27 years old, a tangled mass of vines abloom. One day I might ask the gardener helper if we need to prune it!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I read that we both mentioned her and yours for her fashion savvy. I think you look amazing in your new skirt and it looked so perfect for that retirement dinner.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I read metscan's blog and she mentioned that their swallows have arrived in the barn. They do herald Spring so things should be warming up soon. Our days have been chilly up until this past weekend and who knows what the weather will be like. Climate change is definitely here.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Welcome Sanda,
The clematis is Montana rubens it has a soft scent and is a vigorous growing variety.
I hope you'll pop by again!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Lorna you are adorable!
I see that you are a fashion blogger like my DIL of I heart this blog and her friend Vickie of Adventures in Fashion you might like to pop by and meet them.

Mazl said...

I must try that lunch it looks delicious. Mine has been a gardening weekend as well. Sunday we indulged in a jaunt to a lovely plant nursery that serves eautiful organic food and bought a few plants, the new alliums were planted on our return. Today I chopped down a small tree and planted the rest of our purchases. Now it is a chilled glass of rose and a well earned rest. By the way your garden looks beautiful.

mette said...

What a great amount of flowers! And the grass is s o green.
We will probably have frost next night, brrr.
So sorry for your MIL. Braking the hip bone and staying in bed is risky, I really don´t wish to get you worried, you have done all you can.
I´m still doing the spring cleaning at the stable. Occasional raking, and yet the house to be cleaned..
Janet´s place is almost too perfect to be true : )!

Anonymous said...

Your garden is just gorgeous. I was surprised by the late spring the Pacific Northwest is experiencing, but it was so gorgeous seeing all the flowers that you are also enjoying.

I need to get busy and make a non-wheat bread so I can slather it with avocado - that looks delicious!

Anonymous said...

My weekend was an uneventful one of grading papers, though I did feed our baby goat a couple of our wilted rosebuds. A broken hip can be a very serious event. May things go well with the recovery.

Sunday Taylor said...

Mashed avocado on toast is delicious and I always forget to make it. Your gardening efforts will result in such great and fresh produce for your meals this summer. And your clematis is so beautiful! What a nice weekend you had and I bet you slept well! Hope things go well for your husband's mother.

Anonymous said...

We were away for the weekend, which was so nice and relaxing. Your garden looks beautiful, and I hope your mother in law does well. As others have mentioned, a broken hip at that age is a very serious thing.

Swissy said...

Janet is inspiring-- and so are you, Leslie. I always find that after reading your pieces I am more aware...in general. You so appreciate beauty and love and life itself.I can relate to your poor MIL. We spent the weekend in recovery from a painful medical procedure, but I was able to work in the garden and renew my spirits. Such times do bring to mind gratitude for well-being.