Lilacs & Privacy Fence

What a year for my lilacs!!! I think I have 3x what I had last year.  I've been waiting 9 years for this... definitely worth the wait.   (These are the Charles Joly Lilacs which are an older French Lilac.)  They aren't as fragrant as other varieties but they make up for it in their gorgeous deep purple colour.

And here's a little peek at something we had done last week in our backyard. (Big thanks to my brother-in-law who took time off work to come & help us do this!!!  What a great job!!!)

We took the old ugly railing off & made a privacy fence using these boards from Home Depot. What a big difference this makes.  I'll keep you posted on this... we need to deal with the ugly deck boards now & get them sanded and stained.  They look really bad now that the privacy fence is up.  And, of course, some new furniture would be nice.  Also, I'd love to paint the greying fence around the yard black, but we've had a lot of rain so that may have to wait until the fall.  

Funny how one change leads to more and more changes... think I need a Go Fund Me page to get this backyard done!  

Been working on another bathroom... pics of that 

coming soon!

(All photos are mine taken with my iPhone.)

Moving the Outside In

With temps getting quite a bit cooler at night, I've had to start bringing all my ferns & tropical plants inside.   My garden didn't do that well this year as we had extreme heat for a long period of time. I totally forgot what green grass looked like! But at least the potted plants were very happy.   It's always quite a challenge trying to keep the ferns alive over winter, but I love the look of them inside a home. 

This little purple Aster was meant for outside but I loved it inside, so it stayed.  Also, in case you're wondering about the kitchen, (confession) I still haven't painted the lower cabinets or bought handles (gasp).  Finding the time (& energy) with 2 teens & a puppy... the thought of taking down the doors & painting is a little overwhelming...but it's on the list for this fall.

I'm sure this tropical plant won't last in the family room but it looks good.  This room has had some changes over the summer...you may notice the hanging light & rug from here.  Also, I did the quickest & cheapest slipcover ever...I used a dropcloth.  I'll do a little post on it later.   

Backyard Pergola Reveal

So every blogger out there seems to be posting all their fall decor, and I'm still talking about my backyard!  To be honest, I'm not quite ready for fall, and I always find it hard transitioning from my favourite season, summer, to fall... hey life goes too fast, why rush it?

So this space (which is half of our back deck) all started to transition last year when I purchased a pergola from Home Depot which we are extremely happy with.  Then this year I picked up these striped cushions from the Superstore and painted these very basic brown cushions.  I've had great success at the Superstore...we got our patio set from there a few years ago, and most recently these black metal side tables.  They were $10 each on clearance.....wow!  I'm sure I'll bring them in for the winter and use them somewhere in the house.  I like to use as much of my outside furniture inside over the winter.  Like my ratan chairs, I always bring them in and use them in living room.  Oh and I move the lanterns in for the winter too.

My original thought was to buy three side tables and then stagger them as an alternative to the original coffee table that I got with my patio set...which is a little too ordinary and boring for me.  But I'm eclectic and also don't like everything to be so new, so when I put them in the space I actually decided to use a bench from my picnic table set as the coffee table.  Then I moved the coffee table to the side for extra seating (see below) and placed my seat cushions and roll top cushions on top for extra seating.  I actually really like this look and it mixes it up a bit. Also the seating is quite low so the eye continues into the garden.  I love to use things in an unexpected way...which is also why I use my birdfeeder as a planter (see below).

One more thing I did this year to the space was replace my curtains that I made last year from drop cloth.   They had a plastic liner which I thought was a good idea at the time but turns out it wasn't, because it held in the moisture and blew in the wind (what was I thinking?).  So this year I made more curtains out of a drop cloth without a plastic liner and I like them a lot better.

The jute rug seen here is actually from my dining room.  I just propped it with this one to see if I liked it...and I do.  So now I'm on the search for an outdoor one.  I found one at Lowes in the spring, but when I went back to the store to purchase it, they were sold out. :(

Hoping to get a few more nights on this back deck before the cold comes. 

Quick Fix for Old Faded Outdoor Cushions

Hey I'm back....I've taken a little time off just to relax and enjoy the summer.   Hope you're all having a good one.  We're currently experiencing a heat wave, but other than that we've had great weather here (just north of Toronto).

This post is for all of those who have tired, old worn-out cushions on their outdoor furniture.  That's what these white cushions once were.

 If you follow me you know that last year I purchased a pergola for the space, and a few months ago, got these amazing striped cushions. Problem was, the cushions on our patio set (also from the SuperStore end-of-the-season sale a few years ago) were originally dark brown and had faded.  I was never a big fan of the colour, but liked the style of the furniture and it was on sale.  Anyway, I was looking at them one day and thought, how do I change the colour to white without slipcovering (too expensive) and without buying new ones (hard to find the exact size and not in the budget).   Of course, my go-to is always to paint the fabric (I've done this before here and here) so I had some latex paint left over from another project and decided to try it...AND it worked!   Now they are a little crunchy but they look amazing, and I couldn't be happier about this quick fix.  They're also super water proof now so that's a bonus.   Hey, it saves me buying new ones or having slipcovers made.

Here's the crazy ugly before pic.  (Oh and the floors have to be repainted too...I need to find a really durable outdoor deck paint).

More of my backyard/pergola updates coming soon...have a great day!

(This post is also for Rana my crazy friend/follower who had worn out canvass runners. She remembered my post about painting fabric and painted her sneakers instead of throwing them out.  Glad I inspired you Girl!)

Pink Peonies

So I had a little explosion of Peony goodness in my backyard last week...one of my  Peonies had 26 blooms!  The deep  pink ones are so fragrant...I had to put them in every room of my house.  My very first home had a whole row of these Peonies that the previous owner had planted, and this really was what started my love for gardening.  Every time I move I  take some with me...I'm a little sentimental.  The pale pink ones are not as fragrant, but are stunning with their yellow centres.   

Hope you enjoy them!  

 (all photos taken by me with my iPhone)

Black & White Out Back

Last year I did a little post about black & white outside because it's one of my favourite colour combos for outside or inside.  (Actually, I have a lot of black & white in this house...not sure why.   It just sort of happened.)   It just makes all the other colours stand out and I love it with the dark green of boxwoods, ferns and grass.  It's just such a classic look.   So I was a little excited when I happened upon these cushions at the Superstore a few weeks ago.  The little cushions were $9.00 and the larger ones were $20.00.  They also had roll cushions and lounger cushions in the same stripe, but they're going very fast.  

It's been so cold here I've only purchased a few of my annuals, and haven't planted any in the ground yet.   Last week I had to bring them in at night because we had a chance of frost.  The ones above are the African Daisy and the Double Petunia.

Here's a pic of the seat cushions.  The previous owners built a bench right into the railing of our back deck so these cushions fit perfectly here for extra seating.  I really need to get painting this back deck because it's chipping.  I'm thinking of painting the deck and the back fence in a very dark grey - almost black.  Which might be a little hot on the toes on the back deck but would look spectacular on the fence.   It's a great backdrop for plants and would really make my Hydrangeas and Rose of Sharons pop out.  It's a project that might have to wait until Fall or next Spring.

And some more news....my French Lilac that I planted five years ago finally bloomed.  (Now imagine this Lilac with black behind it instead of the weathered wood...amazing right?)

Here's a closeup of the Lilac...love all the textures and colours.   My peonies are just about ready to bloom and they are one of my all time favourite flowering shrubs.

And one more thing....I started to paint my stairs...eeek!  But I screwed up and now I have to remove some of it.   I don't like painting, and I really, really don't like removing paint.  

 More on that later.

My Backyard Garden Before and After

 I actually can't believe just how far this space has come.  We've been in this house for just over five years, and it takes a good three years for a garden to get established and to truly look like a garden. I'm sure you've heard this before, but it's worth repeating: the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps and the third year it leaps.  

Gardening is one of my passions.  I think more because I like things to look good and that extends to the outside.  When we first moved to this house, there were no plants in our backyard or our front yard.  The other challenge was that the space is quite small.  Most people think that because they have a small yard they need fewer plants, but the opposite is actually true.   The more height, width and dimension you can give to your garden (or any small space), the more you will trick the eye by giving the illusion of more space.  This is why I decided to do rows of shrubs and perennials. I chose to layer my garden with Emerald cedars and Morning Glory lining the back fence, separated by Rose of Sharon and in front of that I placed Hydrangeas and then Peonies.  I separated my Peonies with Sedum and in front of them I have Salvia and Asters.   I then placed Boxwoods in front of them and separate the Boxwoods with annuals.  The Boxwoods and Emerald Cedars provide winter interest and the other plants bloom at different times of the year so there is visual interest
 throughout the year.

The pic above is when the perennial Blue Salvia was out and the photo below was taken later when the Sedum is starting to colour and the Fall Asters are out.  The perennial Blue Salvia is one of my favourite flowers.  You may have noticed that I love blue/purple in my garden and unlike most perennials, this plant has a long bloom time.  It blooms for at least a month.

So here's the before pic of my backyard.  Actually, these Emerald Cedars I put in the ground the day after we moved, so picture it with no cedars and no bunny.  See, it's not a big space but by putting a lot of shrubs and plants in rows, I visually doubled the size of my backyard.

I like to add some whimsy and quirky elements to every garden, so I placed old shutters that I got at a garage sale against the fence for the Morning Glory to climb.  Morning Glory is a great  filler if you are waiting on other perennial vines to get established.   You can just throw the seed down and they will come up.  They also self-seed so they will come up the next year.

Here's a close up of a Rose of Sharon (above) and perennial Blue Salvia (below).  To see some close ups of my Peonies when they were in bloom, you can go here.

Here's one more close up - Fall Aster.

Hope this gives you some ideas (and hope) if you have a small backyard.  If you want to see a beautiful country garden that I toured this summer, you can check it out here or on my sidebar.

I've had a lot of requests to show the room that was done in our basement a couple of weeks ago, and I'm working on it and should have some pics soon.  I'm also working on some very cool fabric designs which I hope to share soon.  I've been doodling and designing for years so I'm very excited about showing you some of my designs.

One more thing, people keep telling me they are having a hard time commenting and I've tried to sort it out with Blogger but no one seems to know what's wrong.   I know you can comment if you have a Google page, but for some reason I'm having a hard time publishing it.    I've also had people say they can't follow me by e-mail, but I think this has been fixed so you might want to try again.  If you have a g-mail account you can just click to follow. 

Sorry about this.  

I'm not good with tech - can you tell?  It's actually quite amazing that I even have a blog.  

 Thanks for all your love and support!!

Pergola Progress

Sorry for the delay in my posts this week.  I've been a little under the weather.  I'm feeling a bit better today and wanted to update you on our pergola which is now up and we're loving it!!  What a great purchase this was from Home Depot.  Most people like the Gazebos but I'm not a big fan of them.  Although we have quite a small back yard, the space actually feels a lot bigger now because of the pergola and garden.  Similar to designing inside, when you take a small space and make the eye look vertically and horizontally, it gives the illusion of a bigger space. 

 

I bought 2 drop cloths (below) and made them into curtains. I draped the drop cloth over the pergola with an overlap of about 8", measured it and then cut the drop cloth. The edges are sewn, so I just used fabric glue to hem the cut edges.  I then cut adhesive Velcro strips in to 2" sections, folded the top over about 8" and stuck the Velcro to the drop cloth.  ( This isn't the first time I've used a drop cloth for something other than it's purpose.  I've also painted and used a drop cloth for art).

I really like the weave of the drop cloth.   It looks like linen.  The down side is that the one side has plastic on it to make it waterproof.  I thought this would be a good idea because I was putting it outside.  However, the plastic doesn't allow for the drop cloth to breathe and therefore, it blows in the wind.  I don't think I would buy this type of drop cloth again for this purpose, but I still love the look.

  Hopefully I'll start feeling better soon, so I can look for outdoor pillows, lighting etc. 

Pergola Purchase

   I finally bought a pergola!! I talked about my backyard and maybe getting a pergola here  and I'm happy to say I did it.  I've always wanted a pergola in my backyard so I was very excited to find (and purchase) this one from Home Depot.  I bought the outdoor loveseat and chairs a few years ago from the Superstore, so now I just have to get some accessories.  I love ferns, climbing vines, white drapes and lanterns so this is the look I'm going for.  I would also like a chandelier and I might just use one I already have.  

Because I'm a visual and love gardening, it's very important to me to see my garden from inside my house.  I also like to be in my garden and prefer low decks or patios.   I'm thinking of putting the pergola here (above) if it doesn't obstruct my view of the garden too much.  Since my dining room is grey and yellow, and this is the door you have to exit to get outside, I want to co-ordinate the outside with the inside. I haven't quite decided on a rug or cushions.  I'm going to have to get a rug because the paint is peeling which  I'm not too happy about.   I just painted it two years ago:(  This will be a Fall project (or maybe even Spring).  

I like elements of all three of these spaces.

 via

via Pinterest 

 via Pottery Barn

Apparently this pergola takes about 4 hrs. to put together so I'm going to have to get someone to help us.  
I'll let you know how it goes.  

You can see more 
of my pergola inspiration here.