The Humble Bungalow Garden is growing...

We are trying to keep up with our Humble Bungalow Garden.
It's size and needs have gotten away from us...
Created by an industrious Hostess over the past 30 years it is a pleasant place to sit and relax.
There are heavily planted beds and very little grass!
The point that I am getting at is that it is a LOT of work to maintain so I have hired a strong man to help me whip it into shape and I am hoping that we can keep him on for a few hours each month to keep things looking tidy.
At least until I retire and have more free time to tend it.

I picked these Euphorbia blooms as we removed one 

to make room for a dedicated asparagus bed.

Looking down from the sundeck

2 robust rhubarb plants

alliums

Euphorbia

limelight hydrangeas

garlic in the raised bed between the rhubarbs

and the new raised bed

I bought new organic soil to fill this bed

but did not buy enough 

(24 cubic feet is not the same as 49 square feet!)

so I am making two more trips in the Volvo wagon

until it is filled

and then Mr. HB will be planting the asparagus

which apparently takes a few years of growth before a decent harvest can be expected.

Keeping Mr. HB fueled I actioned some spaghetti and meatballs

Lidia Bastianich's recipe that I found online.

You make the sauce first and then brown the meatballs in oil before adding them to the sauce.

Homemade pasta 

so quick with Adrienne's food processor recipe

and the Kitchen Aid Pasta attachment.

Dinner is served...

we really work up an appetite when we are outdoors in the garden.

West Coast Seed packets are scattered about the kitchen

Touchstone Gold yellow beets

Oregon Sugar peas

Bright Lights Swiss chard

Gold Rush Zucchini

I have some leftover seeds from last summer which we'll use as well.

I like the West Coast Seed Company as their seeds are fresh and reliable

they also specialize in heirloom varieties

their seeds are also untreated non GMO seeds

which is important to me.

The company is located in Richmond BC and is Canada's No.1 Seed

Are you growing food in your garden?

I love being able to walk out to my garden and pick some fresh vegetables for dinner.

I think they taste better when they are home grown and freshly harvested just before serving.

The seed planting will happen on the long weekend in May.

Many varieties are available for growing in pots too so you don't need to have a big garden to grow food

you can have a balcony with pots

or a sunny window sill.

On my walk the other day I noticed that the neighbours down the street have removed all the grass from their front lawn and are making it into an enormous vegetable patch!

They have dressed up a homemade scarecrow 

in a red plaid shirt with straw filling

and baggy pants.

If you have never tried growing food from seed

I hope that you'll try it

or at the very least...

Please support the local organic farmers markets in your area.

Bon appetit.

Hermes and the Hostess OOTD

The sun shone down on us this past weekend.
There's nothing quite so uplifting as the sun and the spring fresh air.
Flowers and blue skies...
It prompted me to get busy and seek out some lighter clothes from the wardrobe
wash some wintery things, readying them for storage.
The weekend was not all work as Mother and I drove out to the country and perused some chic shops before settling into a very serious afternoon tea tray.
I mentioned to Mother that I was dressing casual...

Hermes scarf

makes an appearance.

I love this Olsen belt so much 

but I fear it's days are numbered 

as some stones have fallen out 

and there is some base metal showing 

where the silver has worn off.

I must find a suitable replacement before I let go of this belt.

This Hermes scarf is so summery 

it feels like a whisper.

I am so happy that I opted for subtle instead of bright and bold.

I wore my white Symplii tank top

Aerie dove grey light sweater

and Gap wide legged jeans.

The teahouse was pleasant and the voices of the tea drinkers were polite and hushed.

Good too because Mother's hearing is becoming a problem and she refuses to buy a hearing aid.

She is very firm about this and has taken a stand on it even after repeated requests from her family.

Did I tell you that I am taking her to seattle this summer for a jaunt and a shopping expedition?

We'll be staying at our home away from home, The Mayflower Park Hotel.

It's the same age as Mother, and they both look good for their ages!

Did you know that Hermes sells rocks?

They do.

Mr. HB received these with his Terre d'Hermes

the way they work is you spritz them with your scent and they retain the scent

 you can pop them in a drawer

to scent your lingerie 

or leave them out in a room as a diffuser.

Well that's about it for the weekend wrap up

 a new week is about to begin

I am keeping my fingers crossed for more sunshine.

What did you do this weekend?

Baskets are weaving their way into my heart.

There is something about a basket that sends me all aflutter...
baskets speak to me and I have quite a few that I am passionate about.
I didn't think I needed another basket but two new ones have entered The Humble Bungalow.

Mother gave me a new basket and it reminds me of some that I have seen from Nantucket.
She is Spring cleaning her condo and getting rid of stuff.
I think that my de-cluttering binge has influenced her...
she has way too much stuff so I am really encouraged that she is paring down.

Strong sturdy and well crafted.

So pretty just on it's own

a perfect size for toting to the market.

My friend Cheryl and I did some shopping when she was here visiting and we ventured into a consignment shop in the Village and she found a lovely vintage framed picture and I found a basket!

Nut brown

 well woven and seriously commodious.

Pepper hopped inside and promptly curled up and went to sleep.

I've left it on the floor in the kitchen for now as she is enjoying it so much!

These baskets are in the front hallway

the hinged basket holds gloves scarves and hats.

The one on the left holds shopping bags

it's easy to grab a couple on my way out the door.

I try to always bring a bag or basket when I go shopping

it's one easy thing that I can do to help reduce reuse and recycle.

Earth Week has been full of "green" themed events.

We got involved in a community clean up project at school.

Our class filled 6 garbage bags with litter that we found scattered in and around the park.

It surprises me no end that people litter so much...

no excuse really as there are numerous garbage cans available

back in the day we'd call these folks litterbugs!

Take a tote, basket or some canvas bags when you go shopping

it's the right thing to do.

I don't know about you but I feel chic carrying something other than plastic.

Check this out!

 Be well

and many thanks for popping by and visiting.

It's a sun shiny day out there so I am off to weed the garden....

XO

My hairdresser listens to me and my OOTD

My hair has been getting me down lately...
too thick and too heavy
so I asked my talented hairdresser to thin it out and crop it into a French bob.
She, my dear readers, is a miracle worker.

All I need is to dry it with my diffuser and add some mousse and voila

I'm ready.

Slightly shorter in the back

with face framing layers at the sides.

OOTD

black Nygaard dark denim jeans

black loafers, Aerosoles

black Symplii tank top

tweedy waterfall sweater by Style & Co.

baroque opera length strand of pearls

sterling bangles

I don't have any plans for the weekend but have a play date with my granddaughter today.

That in itself is a recipe for happy.

loving tangerine these days

especially these roses

Hope that you make time to stop and smell the flowers.

Be good to yourself and others

and don't forget to smile!

Camouflage dressing...

Waterfall style sweaters seem to call my name...

I gravitate to them whenever I see one in a shop.

They do a good job of camouflaging my wobbly bits and when fitted properly they skim the bumps and drape nicely. 

It would be nice if I was slim...

who am I kidding

it would be fabulous!
But that's another post altogether!

For the time being...

I found a new sweater and it feels much lighter and springy than the tweedy black one I have been wearing all winter.

Oatmeal toned

lacy light and loose knit

great to pop over a white tank

here's a close up of the pattern detail

I have been eating rabbit food for lunch for weeks

raw veggies and hummus dip

an apple

I thought this might help shed some weight but so far the scale has not budged.

Yoga is going to be the exercise I opt for after my swimming and back injury fiasco.

Which BTW is still not quite mended even after several massages

but I have little to complain about

 as it is getting better.

Lovely daughter is having her birthday this month

she'll be 33.

She wanted clothes as a gift so we blitzed the mall and came home with some great stuff.

She's a tiny gal and she looks great in anything she puts on.

We'll be hosting a family dinner celebration and we are ordering in sushi

and she wants a cheesecake for dessert.

We have a long standing tradition

that you can have whatever food you want on your birthday.

I do love traditions.

It's my MIL's birthday today, 

you can imagine how excited she was when our lovely daughter was born on her special day.

Coincidentally there was a great grandchild born on this day as well

3 family members all celebrating today.

Happy Birthday to all.

Must be running as I have a long list of things to do today.

Cheerio!