Flower power, a birthday and a thrift shop find...

Cheerful Primulas on the front porch...

they were on sale at the garden centre and I could not pass them up!

I culled my out of season clothes and took them to the thrift shop.

While there, I quickly perused the kitchen area...

I spied this vintage chopping board and grabbed it.

It has a new home here in The Humble Bungalow.

A friend gave me these branches and they forced into flower.

Pretty pink blossoms which are the harbingers of Spring.

This time of year, when the gardens come alive, feels so hopeful.

There is a sense of renewal and energy...

spirit soars.

Crocus are blooming.

Pops of colour are bursting forth in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

A new Hellebore from the garden centre...

a frilly chartreuse green.

I plan on planting this in a bed with Black Mondo grass.

Think that the green and black colours will be a pretty combo.

Mother Nature's Paintbrush must have had a hand in these flowers.

Slowly

 wake up 

smell the coffee

listen to the birdsong

feel the warmth of the sun

cocooning in my robe

after slumber

a new day

awaits

Hope

Promise

Gratitude

Feeling renewal and embracing a fresh year 

Cheers to 66!

Polenta coated mozza balls on a bed of spicy tomato sauce.

Salmon beets and baby potatoes.

Birthday dinner at Zambri's restaurant with my husband.

I had a martini 

did not count my WW points 

earlier I walked over 15,000 steps over 9.3km

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Humble Bungalow July 2020

Greetings from The Humble Bungalow...

Our days continue to be quiet ones
as we seek out pleasant distractions in every nook and cranny.

Taking tea in a favourite spot in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Tending to the many potted plants on the patio gives me great pleasure.

Hand watering gives me an opportunity to spot weeds and do some advance planning when removing spent plants.

A fragrant bouquet of sweet peas are a lovely treat on a sunny day 

after working long hours in the garden.

Our garden is host to many creatures...

European Wall Lizards

Butterflies

Bees and various other pollinators

Owls

Snails

Raccoons

Deer

Squirrels

Birds

Mama Raccoon as she descends from the next door neighbour's Arbutus Tree.

She was rading the crows nest!

The crows were cawing like mad and making a big fuss.

I snapped a couple of photos but Mama was growling at me so I thought I better sneak back inside before she got any closer.

A quick and lazy dinner that was tasty is just what I needed after a busy day.

Prawns sauteed in butter and garlic with an assortment of deli salads.

Marigold and Helen sweet felted mice made by https://www.williewoolly.com/

were reunited for a fun playtime with our darling granddaughter Isla.

If you haven't yet seen Robyn's felted creations 

do yourself a favour and treat yourself to a visit.

Isla made the swing!

We savoured our tea and had some girl time.

The antique porcelain tea set was my husband's great grandmother's.

Vintage enamelware in The Hunble Bungalow laundry room.

I love the battered look of these pieces and seek them out.

I've not really been to the "shops" much...

the garden centres are outdoors so I feel very comfortable shopping.

Thrift shops have not really been on my radar 

although I dearly miss perusing the aisles for treasures.

I do venture into Kay's Korner in the Cook Street Village when on my walks.

Karin is welcoming and has all the right safety protocols in place.

The wee jug on the left is from her shop...a recent Covid purchase.

Today I am on a mission to buy black mondo grass.

 I plan to plant them in big pot in our front garden.

 The deer do not fancy munching them and there is a bare patch that needs something to fill it.

As we navigate these strange times...

We must continue to be mindful of others respecting their choices

and not being judgemental.

Hope that you are well and staying safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

What I am wearing these days...and a recipe for Pandemic Pasta

The view from our back deck

the climbing Royal Sunset rose will be blooming soon

The rose is incredibly fragrant and blooms in a deep rich apricot shade.

Sunlight and shadows

life is moving rather slow these days.

Have you found that too?

I am pacing myself with domestic jobs, 

in between gardening, reading and knitting.

Today I pulled the vacuum out.

Do I hear applause?

I am hoovering a room 

then stopping for a different task 

before resuming the vacuuming in another area.

I cleaned out the storage area

did two loads of laundry.

Feeling like I have accomplished a lot and deserve a rest now!

Patting myself on the back.

Time to blog!

Chester enjoying a nap in the sunshine.

Our two rescue cats are indoor cats.

We let them go out on the back deck when we are there to supervise.

Making sure they don't jump off the edge and escape into the wild.

Lunaria aka "money plant" is in bloom.

The garden is starting to come alive!

We are planting veggies and are going to build some more raised beds.

Garlic, asparagus, yellow beans and butternut squash are planted out back.

My husband grows cucumbers, radishes and tomatoes in the greenhouse.

We have two dwarf apple trees in the side garden.

For the future raised beds 

we are thinking we may grow 

beets, carrots, swiss chard, broccoli or broccolini

brussel sprouts, cilantro 

and ?

Pandemic Pasta

I roasted a cubed butternut squash 

in the oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Cooked the penne noodles according to the package directions.

Drained the pasta topped it with the squash

added some salt, pepper and freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese.

Quick and easy dinner

Delicious!

Comfort food and comfy clothes are helping me through the isolation.

I have 2 pairs of yoga pants, both black on rotation...

Most days I am wearing a tunic style black cashmere sweater 

with one of the Yoga pants.

I have another comfy look...

 Eileen Fisher sleeveless linen tanks, one white, one black

with Yoga pants

then I layer my soft denim Gap shirt over top.

Diamond princess cut pendant and diamond stud earrings are worn every day.

I have added pearls on days when I feel like "dressing up!"

I wear scent each morning...

Fig Amore by Bastide from Provence

or

Arlessianne by L'Occitane

also from Provence.

My hair is getting long...

Am wearing it up in a French Roll or a "chignon"

or in a "pony tail" with a velvet scrunchie.

There is a sense of ease in the days here...

no pressure to do anything much.

If I feel lack lustre I will treat myself to a spa at home day.

Sip sparkling mineral water from a pretty etched vintage goblet.

Soak in the clawfoot tub with bath salts.

Light the scented candle.

Moisturize after the bath with some rose scented Andalou lotion.

Self care is so important.

I hope that you are finding ways to treat yourself and others 

gently and with kindness.

Stay safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

July in the Humble Bungalow Garden

We have returned from the cruise to Alaska.

  I took oodles of pictures and if you follow me on Instagram you will have seen some of them.

I am catching up on the laundry and will try to put together a blog post of the highlights from our trip.

In the meantime...

Welcome to

The Humble Bungalow Garden 

The Humble Bungalow Garden

is a spot where we find respite from the busyness of life.

When I was working 

I de-stressed

pottering about in the garden.

The magic happens outside in Nature

when one is toiling in the soil troubles seem to evaporate

you can easily lose yourself

 dreaming about future plantings

 fresh air and exercise are both healthy benefits working outdoors 

Our Humble Bungalow Garden

 is an ever changing landscape of hopes and dreams.

You can see the holes munched by the hungry cutworms on this Claire Austin climber.

Some plants thrive and others fail...

I have tried growing delphiniums and hollyhocks but they never survive.

Roses are the stars here in our heavy clay soil.

Romneya Coulteri 

a stunner of a plant

it prefers gravelly soil

so we planted it out front in our driveway.

This plant came from a specialty nursery up island that is no longer in business.

It took 3 years on the waiting list to get a small plant.

Once established it seems to get bigger and better with each passing summer.

The side patio is a lush green oasis

 which features frothy chartreuse Lady's Mantle

Hostas and several limey Annabelle Hydrangeas.

Hope that you have enjoyed seeing some of the garden snapshots.

Until next time...

thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

A Humble Bungalow Garden Tour featuring Marigold The Mouse

If you follow me on Instagram you will have already met the charming and charismatic Marigold the Mouse...
If you are meeting her here for the first time you are going to be smitten by this wee little gal.
She is made by the talented artist Robyn who creates a myriad of wonderful creatures and features them on her Instagram page @williewoolly.
Here is the link to her website

Welcome to The Humble Bungalow Garden.

David Austin rose Gertrude Jekyll

A throne!

 Hosta Sum and Substance a HUGE specimen.

Sunbathing with a Calla Lily

Foxgloves

Solomon's Seal

Hanging out with the roses.

The Russell Lupines

faded a bit now but still standing...

Stop and smell the roses

this one is Iceberg a very vigorous climber.

The blooms are almost a big as Marigold!

Marigold looks like she's enjoying being the star of this tour.

Abraham Darby 

a stalwart David Austin rose

very fragrant and a repeat bloomer.

I think she's having a fun morning!

Jacob's Coat 

a superb rosebush 

whose colour varies from bright yellow to a deep orange.

Abraham Darby and foxgloves

Smilacena Racemosa

an unusual plant whose flowers are softly scented.

Jude the Obscure

my favourite David Austin Rose.

Just in bud with the promise of many flowers soon to flush.

Fragrant Showy Pavement series rose...

the stems are very prickly 

a vigorous drought tolerant rose with a habit of spreading.

Hosta leaves with droplets of water from the sprinkler last evening.

I spy a wee tear from Marigold 

saying goodbyes are often difficult...

until next time

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Hope that you all have some fun this weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~