Floral fever...weekend bliss!

When it comes to garden centers and all things floral I have a serious problem...
Trouble Not Spending Money!

I am frugal in many other areas...
but this area is a major weakness
it's really not a bad thing

I could be a compulsive gambler...
and have nothing to show for my money.

Flowers woo and charm me
and it's easy to see why...
when I look at these cheery blooms
I see Mother Nature smiling.

pretty and drought tolerant 

Osteospermums

White Begonias

white alyssum

 violet lobelia

osteospermums 

in yellow and fuchsia

 a planter of all white flowers

geraniums

silvery dusty miller

petunias and bacopa

all from the Garden Center.

I also attended a hardy plant sale

put on by a group of master gardener's.

It was a cash only sale 

and 

I went without checking the money that I had in my wallet

I'd forgotten that I had spent some already

so

what did I do?

I spent all of the cash on hand right down to a few red cents...

can you imagine just how annoying it was for the people in line up behind me?

Surprisingly they seemed to take it in their stride and made comments about how we gardener's are a frugal lot

and wasn't I clever to limit my spending

one $20 bill and the rest in...

loonies, toonies and small coins!

succulents

which I will plant together

Cerinthe 

major purpurascens

a lovely and interesting bloomer.

I have been planting and potting these up

my hands are filthy even with garden gloves

they have a few holes

(I'll be adding them to my list of things to buy)

but it has been a fabulous sunny weekend to play in the dirt!

Pictures will be shared in a future post

stay tuned...

It's time to make dinner 

and I am feeling fatigued

so

I am simply opening a jar 

Stonewall Kitchen's Traditional Marinara sauce and serving it with pasta.

I know to listen to my body

and it's OK not to make everything from scratch!

Next on the agenda...

my nails!

Hope that you had a fun weekend!

Friday Flowers....

Friday Flowers...

Clematis

Smilacena racemosa

Hosta 

and beyond

 Pride of London

a superb ground cover

White Lilac

A carpet of wooly thyme

where would we be

without the hard working honeybees?

Thank goodness we have the local Mason Bees

as

the honey bee population 

has been

severely depleted

and 

continues to be 

at risk...

Burt's Bees

produce products which I use 

and recommend

the cuticle cream and lip balms are favourites of mine

go here 

and see what Burt has to say about Bees.

The demise of bees

and the collapse of their colonies

scares the heck out of me...

I really dislike what's happening to Mother Earth

and that's one reason that The Humble Bungalow garden is totally pesticide free.

We 

recycle

compost

repurpose

donate things 

we no longer use

or 

want

This weekend 

I challenge you to try to do something "Green" 

Enjoy!

Mellow Yellow and an Award...

I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Rebekah from Cupcake Caramel
Thank you for the nod I appreciate it!

A few things that you might not already know about me...
after 400+ posts I think my life is pretty much an open book!

Yellow is the colour of happiness here in the Humble Bungalow.

Sweet Pansy

colour me Happy!

In my opinion just about the best bloomin bargain in the plant shop.

Fragrantly scented Azalea

Rothschild variety

my favourite

Delicate petals

an infusion of sunny sweetness

I love the contrast of the bloom and the foliage

nature has got so many things right.

I took a mosaic course a few years ago 

and made many pots

for friends and family.

(the centers of these black pansies are yellow!)

 I love to start the day with a sunny breakfast

protein 

packed with organic free range goodness.

A piece of whole wheat toast 

and a glass of water

To cut calories I used to skip breakfast 

until I read that the metabolism slows down

if food is not eaten.

I must have mentioned a bazillion times that I am not happy with my weight.

I try not to obsess about it

life's too short.

I also detest sweating 

or perspiring as Mother calls it!

I think it was because I have had more than my share of Hot Flashes!

I guess that's enough about me...

Mellow Yellow

 by Donovan Leitch 

a song that I listened to in the mid sixties

I thought he was a super cute bloke back in the day

and 

here he is in 2010!

you can read more about Donovan on his website

 Wow! 

he's performing at Royal Albert Hall June 3rd!

Hugs

from the Hostess

Thanks Rebekah!

Wednesday...

The morning is grey and overcast
the sounds of birdsong are coming through the single paned window beside my kitchen nook
where I sit to blog...
a mug of steaming hot coffee is fueling my morning routine

Pepper is perched upon the window sill and she is chirping at the birds
the washer and dryer are in full swing
and it would appear that all is as it should be
for a Wednesday

Wednesday 

as often as not 

is wash day here in the Bungalow

Whites are washed frequently

almost after every wearing

I love whites for summer

a crinkled shirt worn over a white tank top is a look that I embrace

I replace my white tanks every summer 

I look for cotton that is not sheer 

and buy in multiples

this year I found a very inexpensive tank at Superstore

the line is called Joe

the crinkle cotton shirt is also Joe

I feel fresh as a daisy!

Joe cargo pants

Bandolino sandals

Thanks so Muchness OPI

Anne Klein 

soft nightgown in Black and White

I suppose you are not surprised to see more black and white!

I know! I know!

is it boring yet?

Fasten your seatbelt...

there's more where that came from!

my passion for pearls

is

evident in my choice of buttons

an Opus is a creative work

often a composition

loosely constructed and somewhat deconstructed

boxy

Bohemian jacket in linen

a gamine option

which instantly energizes me when I put it on

(and it's perfectly packable)

a bit of Bling

shine

Hi Ho Silver

a strand of pearls

and 

I'm happy

Lily of the Valley is putting on a show 

and 

scenting the bungalow bathroom

I love scented soaps and seek out lovely bars when shopping

it's a clean conscience purchase

and I have amassed quite the collection.

Mother instilled in me at a very young age how important it was to wash with soap and water.

I can still hear her saying soap is cheap and there's no excuse for being dirty!

(I think that was her nursing background coming out!)

Yardley's English Lavender Soap was her favourite

she used to keep it in her lingerie drawer to scent her delicates

 whenever I smell it 

I am transported back to my childhood 

memories and scents

go hand in hand.

What is the scent that takes you back to your childhood?

Hope that you are having a Happy Wednesday!

Thank you so Muchness!

This past weekend I went to visit a friend who has retired to a wonderful idyllic island.
She and her husband have built a lovely home perched high above the waterfront with large windows capturing the expansive views beyond. If one is ambitious and energetic there is a steep staircase that goes down to the rocky beach which is great for beach combing or watching the eagles and wildlife frolic.
Rock walls, raised beds, large pots with plants and an orchard grace the landscape and more beds are being designed and planned.

I snapped this image before I commenced the road trip...

The interior of the car was infused 

with the intoxicating scent of lily of the valley.

I had popped this wee bundle of blooms in water for the journey in the morning

worked my usual day at school and when I opened the car to get in

I was met with a warm and heady atmosphere!

Traffic was surprisingly light

and 

I employed the Cruise Control 

and listened to music

and the next thing I knew

I was at the ferry terminal.

A short ferry ride later

I arrived

on the island

here life moves slowly

a state of balance and ease is embraced

people have time to stop and smell the flowers

no rushing about

 friendly moments to chat with friends and neighbours

even strangers

(as I found out)

lush gardens 

superior birdsong

 warm sunshine

a comfortable bed

great friends

and fun

wisteria canopy

it's sweet scent wafting

Slumber was long and deep in the still and quiet night

I awoke each morning early and refreshed

I lay in bed waiting to hear that my hostess was up and about

I took the book I am currently reading

(which is well written and utterly fascinating!)

 I would read a few chapters 

until 

I felt that my hostess was ready and expecting me to join her for morning coffee.

We went off island for some sightseeing...

 a vineyard,

a country bakery / coffee spot

and we indulged in

a pedicure at an Aveda salon

BLISS!

I chose Thank you so Muchness!

We also did some shopping...

there were many interesting boutiques and home decor shops

dotting the small streets.

My hostess knew all the "hot spots" and directed me accordingly!

I found much to tempt me...

but I did not succumb until I saw these..

Canadian Company

 Sympli

I was very pleasantly surprised by the comfort and fit of this garment

it does flatter a size 12 woman's curves!

There is some flaring at the bottom and the hem is uneven

jersey knit

3/4 sleeves

 fitted through the bodice

so it doesn't look enormous and baggy

I will pair this with...

The Sympli waterfall jacket in a jersey knit

and skinny black knit pants.

Such great basics

and they are reasonably priced.

I will have fun accessorizing these

as they can be worn casual or for dressier occasions.

We enjoyed sharing meals

sipped cool cider on the deck overlooking the ocean

played a few games of Cribbage

went for long hikes on the island trails

watched a DVD

visited the Sunday Market

and drove to the nursery 

where we loaded up my car with plants for both our gardens!

It was a weekend of laughter

and 

relaxation...

which all too soon 

found me sitting in the car at the Ferry Dock

 As I sat alone

I realized how happy the past few days had been

and how sad I felt that it was at an end.

I suppose that is how one measures a great getaway.

Thank you so Muchness

to my Hostess

I am forever in your debt...