Paris in September

I was really hoping to change the color of our front door before autumn arrived. It's time for a change from its current warm chestnut brown color to a nice shade of soft black. However, temperatures have plummeted here and for the past three weeks we've had rain or wet snow most days. My door painting project will have to wait.

We've just returned from our trip to Paris. Lots of walking and so many beautiful sights to behold. The people were lovely and so patient with my rudimentary school-taught French. Dinner on the Eiffel Tower was a distinct highlight. Some pretty images of this cultured city as we say farewell to summer and embrace autumn...

 

 

 

 

~ It's Canadian Thanksgiving next weekend and I can't wait! ~

 

 

Edwardian Dinner Party

What a wonderful evening we had attending an Edwardian dinner party last night in a beautiful garden setting. The event took place at Calgary's Heritage Park at the Prince House exhibit. Guests enjoyed canapés and sparkling wine, while playing a little croquet with music from a harpist in the background.

 

Dinner was set-up on the lawn of the Prince House and was hosted by the Selkirk Grille which is one of the restaurants located  at Heritage Park. Many of the ingredients used to prepare the meal were grown right in the park. It was a delicious meal!

 

 

The highlight was a surprise unrestricted tour of the grand Prince House where we went behind the scenes in areas typically closed for public viewing. Lastly, we were shocked and delighted to win the prize for best-dressed!

 

 

~ We're already looking forward to next year! ~

 

Not My Garden

A walk through the neighborhood of Inglewood here in Calgary last weekend led us to the Dean House Restaurant and their spectacular gardens. Admittedly, it left me absolutely green with garden envy! I found myself thinking: "Why doesn't our garden look like this?" "I need to work harder!" Here's to more fertilizer and a little patience... While some new perennials fill-out more next summer, I'll look forward to a slightly more spectacular garden at our house.

 

I've just added some Holly Hocks to our garden this year for some height and interest. In keeping with the title of this post; alas, these are not mine. We parked across the street from these beauties growing behind someone else's house. One of the Holly Hocks I selected from the garden centre is a blend of different colors. I'm really hoping to see some brilliant pink blooms emerge eventually!

 

~  Whether it's your own, someone else's, or a public garden, ~

make sure you take the time to enjoy and appreciate it - it's hard work!

 

Morning Garden Moments

 

I so enjoy checking-up on the back garden with an espresso in-hand on a quiet weekend morning. The dappled sun inserts bright pockets of uplifting light throughout the garden...

 

A relaxing reading corner and bench on the deck catches all of the morning sun. Such a perfect spot to start the day.

Another project completed by our outstanding contractor, Iron Owl. Justin and his team were able to squeeze us into the schedule and hammered out this beautiful Roman Euro stone path in just two days! Thank you again, Iron Owl! It is such a relief to see this area that was formerly dead grass (we tried and tried) turned into some thing attractive and useful. There is more room on the driveway now, and the path leads straight to the garden gate. We love it!

 

 

~ Remember to enjoy those summer moments - it never lasts for long! ~

 

 

Deck Completion & A Woodland Garden

Shall I remind you again what the 'monster' deck looked like before? Now that it has been fully completed, the comparison is quite something.

We were so pleased with our contract or, Iron Owl, and their work. We could not have envisioned a better result!

 

We had a few days before the glass would be installed, so we worked on planting a woodland garden in the dirt space that was exposed by reducing the deck size. Initially, we thought it would be  almost impossible to dig in this area, but it was quiet easy and only took us a couple of hours. The best part: some ladies walking by asked for my business card. They thought I was a gardener for hire! It made my day!

 

 

Bertie's kitty gate turned-out beautifully. Justin, owner of Iron Owl, created the gate so that Bertie could not get to the deck from the backyard area when we take him out for his romps in the back garden. In the past, he had been sneaking onto the deck and escaping onto the front street. Yes, if he really wanted to he could jump over it; but, he seems uninterested and it's an obstacle for him to consider.

 

Rejoice!

Spring, or I should say, 'Summer', arrived in our city within a week. It's true. About two weeks ago, it was snowing on a Monday, and by the end of the week it was 20+ degrees Celsius and hasn't really stopped since. We've had a couple of cooler rainy days which has added a lovely emerald hue to the neighborhood. Buds are bursting, flowers are blooming, and the birds are rejoicing. Overall, an incredible start to the Spring/Summer season! I couldn't buy my container 'spillers' fast enough in preparation for some long overdue gardening.

The best part of all is that the monster deck is gone. The beast was removed last Monday and a new smaller, tidier-looking deck is underway.

Lastly, to brighten up the front and back garden, I had placed a large order of annuals, assorted containers and hanging baskets through a community fund raiser. I picked up my order on Friday and I'm so impressed with the quality. The highlight, was a 10 pack of incredibly fragrant organic assorted herbs, including oregano, mojito mint and onion chives (my favorite).  My only regret is not ordering enough of their organic soil - I never learn! I always need more than I think I will. Please remind me for next year.

 

A few of my containers are currently standing-by waiting for placement on the new deck. Meanwhile, others are placed through backyard and front door. The colors are such a welcome sight!

 

 

 

~  Wishing you a beautiful spring day and a pleasant week ahead! ~