touring broken arrow nursery

July 23, 2021

If it seems like I travel all over my state of Connecticut to visit gardens – I do!

What could be better on a Sunday morning than taking a tour of a nursery! This trip is to Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden where they specialize in rare and unusual plants.

There is no charge to enjoy a morning tour walking through the property with an extremely knowledgeable staff member. It is a great opportunity, not only to see what is growing on the nursery property, but also to learn more about growing in Connecticut as well as discuss any personal gardening concerns with an expert.

I definitely left the nursery with a heightened knowledge of trees and plants in my area and, because of my addiction with all things white, an obsession with this particular plant!

Also, love this Georgia Plume Tree!

Visiting a local nursery or taking a trip to a public garden (You know how I love Longwood Gardens!) is a wonderful field trip to take this summer and a super way to enjoy the outdoors!

I hope you are inspired to visit one this summer!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

getting your just desserts

July 16, 2021

Isn’t it feeling great that things are starting to get a little bit back to normal? Getting together with the people we love, of course, is the best part! When getting together at a fabulous place – all the better!

That was my luck recently when I was treated to lunch at one of my favorite places – Terrain.

There is so much to love about Terrain Café…the bread baked in a flower pot and served with herbed butter, seasonal salad selections like grilled peach and strawberry spinach, or the inventive summer beverage selection.

And, of course, a special dessert because having lunch at Terrain Café always calls for a dessert splurge!

For desserts, like everything else on the menu, a seasonal selection is offered.

Wouldn’t you like to try every single one?! My favorite dessert is the terrarium dessert created by Terrain Café and served in a Weck jar. Not only is it on point in theme, but it tastes absolutely delectable!

Sadly, not everyone has a Terrain Café nearby, but everyone can take some special time with special people to enjoy their ‘just desserts.’

I hope I am inspiring you to do just that!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things…like eating a fabulous dessert al fresco with your besties! xo Jackie

no comments

virgin garden

June 25, 2021

I love white flowers.

When I planned my current landscape, I planned for only white flower varieties. June has been a fabulous month for me because all my new plants proved successful – everything I planted survived! What a great feeling!

Today I am sharing some of my favorite of the current blooms! Look at the fabulous bloom on this Little Henry!

If you notice a little bit of pink in the mix, that is a slip up from when I bought annuals marked as white before they were in bloom!

I still have a couple of white varieties on my list that I haven’t been able to find! Do you have any favorite white garden flower varieties to recommend?

Thanks for stopping by! It is wonderful gardening weather! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment

majestic beech tree

June 4, 2021

Something I truly admire on visits to one of my favorite nurseries in Connecticut – White Flower Farm – is the gorgeous tree standing guard near the front of the property.

The European beech has been described by many experts as the finest specimen tree available. This one at White Flower Farm was planted in 1958.

Isn’t it something?

While having that beautiful beech on my mind, I was walking around my neighborhood and realized that a tree doesn’t have to be 63 years old to be appreciated.

There is so much about trees to admire. A couple of trees I passed on my walk, changing with the season, caught my eye.

While I do have favorite trees at nurseries and gardens I visit (such as the copper beech at Longwood Gardens), I can appreciate the humblest of varieties!

I hope you are inspired to take special notice of some local trees or trees you see in your travels.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend, Jackie

Note: Some interesting history about the European beech tree From the Arbor Day Foundation website:

The European beech tree has an unmatched place in history. The beechnuts were food for prehistoric man and are still consumed today. The wood has been employed for centuries for both fire and furniture in Europe. Historians claim that the first written European literature was inscribed on Beech bark in Sanskrit. The English word ‘book” comes from the Anglo-Saxon “boc”, a derivative for the Anglo-Saxon “beece” or Beech.

no comments

desert botanical garden

May 21, 2021

I became a cactus fan long before succulents were ‘in.’ I made my first visit to Arizona when I was in junior high school and I instantly became mesmerized by the unusual and glorious plants called cacti.

When I got home from my trip, I signed up for a subscription to Arizona Highways magazine so I could regularly see beautiful, artistic photographs of Arizona plants in their native habitat.

This background of cactus love made it extra special for me to have the opportunity recently to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. I had never been.

The garden is like a living museum, home to more than 4,400 species and 27,000 plants.

Today, I share a few of my favorite views from my visit.

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a fabulous weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. Look at my last post for more from the Desert Botanical Garden.

no comments

anything but yellow

May 14, 2021

On a quick trip to Scottsdale, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix with some great people. During the visit, I was intrigued by a comment made by our tour guide – that most flowers in a desert garden are yellow. Of course, after hearing that, I needed to find some color beyond the yellow as I toured the space!

Today I am sharing a few of these non-yellow finds. I will share some more photos of the garden in a future post because there were plenty of amazing succulents to admire!

My first amazing find at the garden is a little bit of a cheat…they are not live plants! They are blown glass pieces by the amazing American glass sculptor, Dale Chihuly. It was such a nice surprise to discover the three pieces of large-scale sculptures gracing the entrance to the garden!

You may remember from a previous post, that I visited a large Chihuly collection when it was installed at the New York Botanical Garden. (Click here to see the post.)

Here are a few of my favorite living ‘beyond yellow’ finds!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

spring walk in essex

April 23, 2021

Even though I live in a shoreline town, there are plenty more in Connecticut to explore! Some towns I may not visit very often, yet others I wouldn’t miss checking out on a regular basis.

Essex is one of these ‘regular basis’ towns. It has a quiet elegance about it and is very historic – It is home to one of the oldest (since 1776) continuously operated inns in the country. I usually visit this seaport village in July, but a friend and I recently made a spring visit.

As in any visit, we took plenty of time to notice outdoor home décor and gardens. Having done a formal home tour in Essex in the past, I know there are many magnificent interiors as well!

I hope you are inspired to enjoy some walks outside of your regular neighborhood during this pretty time of year!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to enjoy pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

happy easter 2021!

April 2, 2021

It is such a great time of year…the promise of living so much life outdoors!

With all the outdoor living comes the gardening. Here in Connecticut, Mother’s Day is usually my official planting time but pansies can stand the cooler weather so I’ve already put a few in the ground.

In their typical fashion, the rabbits have already eaten all the flowers off of them! The only pansy flowers remaining right now are the ones planted in the basket hanging on the front of the house! So starts my love/hate relationship with the neighborhood pests! The bees will be next followed by a close second to the chipmunks!

I’ve been forcing branches in the house for the last couple of months, but now some of the trees have started blooming outdoors as well. So, of course, more come into the house!

The more twisted the branch, the better! A single branch with an unusual shape can make such a dramatic display!

I hope you are enjoying this time of year as much as I am!

I want to wish you a blessed Easter filled with love.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things…like everything blooming around you!

xo Jackie

no comments

topiary painted easter eggs

March 19, 2021

Yes, I was struggling for an Easter egg theme this year. They usually come so easily for me. But that wasn’t the case this year, until… I was up all night recently, working on a research project, and it just came to me! Probably because I have been thinking so much lately about how I will continue enhancing my ‘virgin’ garden this spring.

So, in the wee hours of the morning, I grabbed a marker and an egg and drew a topiary. After I had one done, I just kept going!

The next day, I added some green, gold, and brown paint accents as a final touch.

Viola! My topiary Easter egg series for 2021!

Because I always make my designs on hollowed out eggs, I keep them indefinitely. This series is sure to be on display again in the future!

Thanks for stopping by!

I hope you are inspired to decorate some eggs in a new way!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

snow beautiful

February 12, 2021

There have been so many times I have wished snow could be saved for a single day…that it would just snow on December 25^th and no other day. It’s just that snow can be so annoying. All the cancellations, delays, shoveling…not to mention it occurs during cold temperatures!

Here, in Connecticut, we have had quite a bit of snow recently.

Now that so many people are working from home and distance learning is a regular thing, I don’t think the snow has as much a negative impact on everyone’s daily lives as in the past. The term ‘snow day’ definitely must have a different meaning for all the children in school – lessons are just done remotely instead of in school. How sad to miss a day of no school because of heavy snow!

This past week there was one day when the snow came down most of the day. In the late afternoon I decided to venture outside and start some snow clearing. The views of the fresh fallen snow were so beautiful, I decided to take a walk around to admire it. Snow much fun! These photos were taken on that walk – all with my phone – no filters.