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Tag: garden


fall visit to the farmer’s daughter

31
October

fabulous fall RI

You know I love gardens and garden stores.  This year, I’ve enjoyed sharing visits to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and my home state of Connecticut with you.

pumpkins RI

Today, I am sharing a fall visit to a great garden center in Rhode Island – South Kingstown, Rhode Island, to a spot called The Farmer’s Daughter.

Open since 1998, The Farmer’s Daughter is more than a garden shop.  In addition to greenhouses, there are gift shops housed in barns on the property that contain many unique garden inspired gifts.

arranged pumpkins RI

I hope you can see by the photos I am sharing, that it is a very inspiring place!

Stacked Pumpkins RI

heirloom pumpkins RI

Please enjoy!!

Shed pumpkins ri

arrangement fall ri

fall RI farm

pumpkin barn RI

shed ri

knobby pumpkin

fall mushrooms

plants and pumpkins RI

I hope you enjoyed your visit to this special garden spot in Rhode Island.  Maybe we will take another visit when all the barns are magically transformed for the holidays!  Until then, thanks for stopping by!

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

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fall 2025 at terrain

26
September

shelf at Terrain

For me, the official first day of fall is the day I make my first autumn visit to Terrain to check out their seasonal displays.

pumpkins Terrain

If you have followed me for a while, you know about my Terrain obsession.

orange pumpkins and flowers

line of pumpkins

So, in true beginning of fall fashion, I am sharing some photos from my first fall Terrain excursion!

Purple at Terrain

whites Terrain

And, especially for those who don’t have a Terrain nearby – enjoy!

mums at Terrain

heirloom pumpkins

green hue pumpkins

row of orange pumpkins

skeletons at Terrain

fall shelf at Terrain


row of white pumpkins

This year’s store entrance:

front entrance terrain

wreath entrance Terrain

baby boos

 

Thanks for stopping by!

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

 

 

 

 

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coastal maine botanical gardens

4
July

arch Maine Coastal

Today, I have another garden to share with you.

giant troll Roskva

Giant troll Roskva. He represents the trunks. He is the heaviest, hardest, and strongest of the trolls.

Like Chanticleer in my last post, The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG) is a garden I’ve been following on Instagram for years.  It was so exciting for me to finally make a visit!  And, even better, with one of my besties who is also a garden lover!

Birk giant troll

Giant troll Birk represents the roots. He is the wisest and most mysterious of the trolls.

Giant troll Birk

close up troll Birk

This garden did not disappoint!

dogwoods in Maine

Located in Boothbay, Maine, this gem consists of more than 300 acres of gardens and natural spaces.  In addition to the gardens themselves, every part of the experience – gift shop, cafe, restrooms – is aesthetically beautiful and meticulously maintained.

Giant troll Soren

Giant troll Soren represents the branches. He is a very curious troll.

Giant troll Soren

Taking a general tour in the morning, with a knowledgeable staff member, gave us a great overview of CMBG.

Butterflies Maine Coastal

Visitors can enjoy walking through a butterfly garden.

I couldn’t wait to see the giant trolls constructed of recycled materials by Danish artist Thomas Dambo hidden throughout the natural wooded areas of the CMBG.  Taking a guided hike and walking along the trail system through the gardens’ woods and along the waterfront was a fabulous way to discover each troll.  Dambo created a theme with the trolls – each one of the five representing a part of the trees – the trunks, the scent of the flowers, the roots, the branches, and the leaves.  Each troll is constructed of recycled wood.

Giant troll Gro

Giant troll Gro represents the leaves. He is the wanderer.

Giant troll Lilja

Giant troll Lilja represents the scent of the flowers. She is the youngest of the trolls – still just a child.

I hope you have enjoyed checking out some of the highlights of my Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens visit.  You can probably tell the giant trolls were my favorite part!  The third garden on my bucket list, that I have been following on Instagram, is in Texas!  Living in Connecticut, it may be a while before that visit happens!

Maine Coastal Garden

giant trolls design

The artist’s original sketch/design of the giant trolls.

standing near giant troll

 

 

 

Thank you for stopping by!

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

 

 

1 comment » | field trips, garden, inspiration

more chanticleer

2
May

ruin at Chanticleer

Today I am sharing more of my newest obsession – Chanticleer – a public garden in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

stone wall

In my last post, I shared some photos from a recent visit.  Today, I am sharing more photos – this time from one specific area of the seven garden areas at Chanticleer.

plant at Chanticleer

The seven Horticulturists at Chanticleer are each responsible for the design, planting, and maintenance of an area.  The areas are continually evolving, each with its own feel, yet joined together as one complete unit.

Chanticleer wall

stone with flower

The photos in today’s post were all taken at the area called The Ruin.  The Ruin, one of the seven areas of the garden, is built on the foundation of Adolph Rosengarten  Jr.’s home.

ruin wall at Chanticleer

wall at Chanticleer

It is meant to look as if the house fell into disrepair.  The Ruin has a focus on hardy perennials, both woody and herbaceous.

flowers Chanticleer

Of the 50 acres owned by The Chanticleer Foundation, 35 are open to the public.  The remaining acreage is in agriculture, woodland, service areas, and staff housing.  The main path is just under a mile in length.

pansy mantel

I hope I have inspired you to think about planning a visit to this fabulous garden or maybe another beautiful public garden close to your home.

flower with stone

ruin garden

Thanks for stopping by!

Chanticleer ruin

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

 

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visiting chanticleer

25
April

Chanticleer landscape

I recently visited a spot I have been admiring on Instagram for years!   It was my very first visit and I enjoyed it so much I have to share a few photos of this glorious place – to give you a sense of what it is like.

bucket of pansies

Chanticleer railing

Chanticleer is a contemporary garden within a historic setting, located outside Philadelphia in Wayne Pennsylvania.

orange garden chair

It opened to the public in 1993.  Most of the floral and garden development presently has occurred since 1990, designed by Chanticleer staff and consultants.   Chanticleer has 20 full-time staff – 2 manage facilities and 14 are gardeners and groundskeepers.

garden at Chanticleer

ferns at Chanticleer

Visiting in April, not too much was in bloom, but this garden has such beautifully designed foliage, it didn’t matter!  The garden is a study of textures and forms filled with ideas to take home!  Even though my visit was on a dismal, rainy day, it was a wonderful visit!

Chanticleer rooster

The Chanticleer Foundation owns 50 acres, 35 of which are open to the public.

plants at Chanticleer

blooms at Chanticleer

Today’s photos are a little overview of this fabulous garden.  There are actually seven areas of Chanticleer – each design unique.  Today’s photos are a little overview of the entire garden.  In my next post, I will share some photos of one of these unique garden areas.

garden fence at Chanticleer

garden chairs

If you are a garden enthusiast, be sure to put Chanticleer on your list of places to visit!  (Do what we did – combine it with a trip to Longwood Gardens!)

Thanks for stopping by!bowl of flowers

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

 

1 comment » | garden, inspiration

pumpkin peeping 2024

20
September

pumpkins with pottery

I do feel just a little bit guilty posting these photos while it is still officially summer!  Not one to easily give into fall, I did visit a couple farms to check out what was displayed for the upcoming season.  Here are some of my favorites from the traditional – orange – color pumpkins.  (My favorite – white pumpkins – will be in my next post!)

I love the addition of green – with plants or squash – to a fall arrangement!

white and other gourds

pumpkins with ferns

A squatted pumpkin shape is so much more interesting than a round one!

sunlit pumpkins

How great do these colors look together?

pumpkin character

closeup pumpkin color

 

cascade of pumpkins

 

orange pumpkins in sun

basket of gourds

I always love an interesting stem!!

pretty pumpkin stem

 

colorful pumpkin mix

 

crate of pumpkins

It is the best time of year for visiting farm shops and garden centers!  So much to explore!  Have you started yet?

Have a great weekend and start to the new season!  Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie  

 

 

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shades of green pumpkins

17
November

misc pumpkins

I did a couple posts this fall about color and styling of pumpkins.  There is one more color palette I want to mention before we leave this topic!

tower of pumpkins

When styling pumpkins for fall, green is an option we hadn’t really seen in the past.  What fun varieties there are now!  So, in this post, I am offering up some examples of how the color green can be added to pumpkin vignettes!

green striped pumpkin

green and orange pumpkins

Not only are pumpkins offered in a variety of colors, but have you noticed there are pumpkin offerings in softer, muted looking tones?

pile of green pumpkins

pumpkin tower

Of course, a multi-color theme is a styling option as well and incorporating fall flowers is so fun!   And though pumpkins come in a variety of colors, fall flowers, like the colors of the falling leaves, are available in even more!

green squash

No matter your preference, I hope you are having fun with color this fall – whether it be with pumpkins and/or flowers!

bunch of pumpkins

And yes, I know Christmas décor is coming in hot, but it is technically still fall and I like to embrace the fall décor at least until Thanksgiving!

3 green squash

green striped squash

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!

squash snakes

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on shades of green pumpkins | diy, garden, inspiration, style

pumpkin’ to talk about

20
October

outdoor fall decor

Growing up, pumpkins were one shape and one color only.  Today, there is a myriad of varieties of pumpkins/squash that are so far beyond the plain round, orange pumpkin from my childhood!

crates of pumpkins

study in orange

orange in peppers

Of course, there are certainly plenty of styling options staying within the traditional orange color palette, if that is your preference – but so many more choices than just a round orange pumpkin!

bunch of pumpkins

orange striped pumpkins

orange mums

tons of pumpkins

standout pumpkin

The photos here are some fun vignettes I’ve seen this year!

oranges of fall

Are you inspired to put out some pumpkins?

fall in orange

Thanks for stopping by!

squash in fall

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

Jackie

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mini pumpkins and faded blooms

14
October

mini pumpkin hydrangea

As the garden starts to fade and all things pumpkin are amped-up, it seems a no-brainer to combine the two!

decorated white boo

I collected some faded garden blooms and some sweet little pine cones from a tree out front to use as baby boo embellishments.

pinecones and mini pumpkin

Little white baby boos are my favorite pumpkins and combining them with items from my yard is a really easy, no-cost way to create some fall decor!

faded blooms mini pumpkin

I hope you are inspired to use some of the items in your yard to create some pretty fall décor for your home or to gift.

boo on blanket

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend!

Remember to find pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment » | diy, garden, style

the summer blues…and purples

16
July

hydrangea overview

Yes, white flowers are my favorite flowers.  Sometimes an exception happens.  When I planned and planted the garden at my current home, I kept a very healthy, well-established hydrangea planted by the previous owner.

hydrangeas in bowl

If I had planted one myself, of course, I would have chosen one with a white bloom. The one in my yard is not white.  So, during the summer, there are a burst of blue and purple from this lone, non-white blooming shrub in the garden!

hydrangea petals

There are so many blooms, that no matter how many I cut to display inside or to give away, there still remains a big pop of color in the garden!

purple hydrangea

The photos I am sharing here are the current arrangements in my house – all from the same single hydrangea in my yard.

close up hydrangea

I didn’t have a flower frog large enough for the pretty low container I used (purchased last year at Target) so I improvised with some scotch tape to help keep the blooms in place.   The tall vases I used are vintage.

vases of hydrangeas

My tips for long-lasting indoor hydrangea blooms:

Cut the blooms in the early morning.  Remove as many leaves as possible.  I like to keep a couple leaves just because I like the way they look in an arrangement.  But, because the leaves use water as well as the flowers – the less, the better.  Using scissors or a knife, make one or two vertical cuts in the stem.  Then, use something heavy to smash the bottom of the stem.  Immediately run the stem under hot water.  These steps stop goop on the inside of the stem from clogging in the bottom of the stem which prevents it from absorbing water.  Immediately put the stem into its container of water.  Follow the same process for each stem.

preparing hydrangea

I hope I have inspired you to bring some outdoor blooms inside!  If you don’t have any flowers in your yard, Trader Joes has very affordable prices for cut flowers!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

Comments Off on the summer blues…and purples | diy, garden

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