indoor forced bulbs

We are back from a week in the beautiful Low Country and I am now in holiday mode, getting some narcissus planted this morning. I started an amaryllis a few weeks ago. The plan is to stagger both throughout the winter for fresh blooms through March. Being in a small town, I ordered online, from Easy to Grow Bulbs website. They offer 5 varieties of paperwhites and 45 varieties of amaryllis!

I found the ceramic faux wood box planter at Oakleaf Flower & Garden in Highlands, my favorite place for flowers, gifts and beautiful scents. The green pots are made by Guy Wolff Pottery.

For planting paperwhites indoors or outside, instructions here. Also how to "pickle" them with alcohol to avoid long leggy blooms that fall over without support.  Of course winter bulbs make perfect holiday gifts, you can create your own unique packaging with baskets, burlap and twine or ribbon or Whiteflower Farm sells bags of them here.

Happy winter!

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy

bringing foliage in

The home we are renting does not have gardens, just nice basic landscaping. There are a few late blooming azaleas which have not opened yet and some oleanders that were frost damaged and are coming back that will hopefully give us summer color. 

So to add life to the inside of the house, I have been cutting foliage from the yard. 

I only brought 2 vases here, the rest are in storage. For some reason, a few wicker flasks were packed with husbands shoes

 

so I have been using them instead. The St Germain elderflower liquor is so good, we are going to try making different cocktails with it. The prettiest bottle.

Chocolate bowl is getting low, need to get some easter chocolates.

This carafe belongs to a set of glasses but I needed something tall to support the palmetto fronds.

We have been visiting nurseries, excited to see the different flowering plants that can be grown in the South but without a yard of our own,  have to be patient until the house is built.

When you need a little freshness in your rooms,

do you just clip a little sprig here and there too?

One more thing...

many azaleas are starting to fade so here are a few I captured the other day, the pinks are near our lot and the multicolored were in a churchyard next to the grocery....

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy

dogwoods in the house & garden

The pair of dogwoods we have planted in the narrow bed on the back of our garage are in  bloom right now. They were pink but this year they are white. This is probably due to the alkaline clay soil we have.

You cannot tell from the photo above (foliage is blending with trees in background) but the left one is similar size to the right. We planted them there to cover the large expanse of siding on either side of the single window. They are filling the space beautifully. We are so happy with them.

Aren't they so pretty?

Brought a few branches into the house to enjoy....

Our AC is on today, too muggy and hot. We are needing rain badly and hoping for some this afternoon. Weekend looks to be cooling down, which we will enjoy. Unusual to have our air conditioning on this early in the summer.

How is it in your neck of the woods? Are your dogwoods in bloom? Is it getting too warm too early?  Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone!

Thank you for visiting!

Cindy

this week

 Here is what is happening over here....

 We are burning through the large pile of stacked logs sitting in the garage and eating lots of pistachios from the mega bag we bought at Costco. See the coffee table...brass leaf with nuts and a discarded shell bowl? Looks like we are almost finished but there is still the big bag with plenty more in the snack drawer. I need to stop going into the snack aisle at Costco, the bags are too big. Does this happen in your house? The day a new item is brought into the house, everyone is interested and takes their share but the following days, no takers. Oh well, new strategy...walk past the snacks, head to the flowers instead.

Found pretty tulips, lilies and alstroemeria last visit.

I remembered to take an Ina food photo! I made Asian Grilled Salmon from her Parties cookbook which I think is one of her best.

 I doctored the recipe though because it was too bland. The sauce consists of just olive oil, soy sauce and mustard. It needed bite and sweetness so I added honey and lime juice. Made it much better and the honey created great caramelization. This is son's plate, I sadly had one little scoop of mashed potatoes on my plate. See the black thing on the middle of the filet? He asked in a typical teenage tone what it was so I picked it up and ate it, yum, crunchy and delicious. Do you cook frozen broccoli in the microwave? It is so easy, I think I do 6 minutes covered. Then toss with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Costco does have the best frozen broccoli. 

I also made Parker's Beef Stew on Super Bowl and I did forget to take a shot, very delicious of course and not quite as rich as her yummy Beef Bourguignon recipe. 

I have been fooling around with some master bedroom changes. I change things in the house at this time every year, part of the hibernation process. I decided it should be feminine and light with touches of green and blue. I use our bedroom as my personal living room since I record shows on that television. Have now chalk painted the bedside tables, a baker's rack we brought down from a guest room and the armoire. The only brown thing left is an antique farmhouse chest of drawers. Will post some pics later once a sunburst arrives for over the bed. 

Here is the baker's rack which is now in place of a table next to my favorite chair. It houses favorite books, magazines and serves as my charging station and a nice place for a scented candle. I painted it in Annie Sloan Country Grey.

Loving our birds at the feeders. I will never get over the beauty of a cardinal in the midst of a bleak landscape. Mother Nature is so amazing. This beautiful boy was outside the kitchen window.

Ran out of personalized stationery so just ordered and quickly received this simple design from etsy seller Short Grass Designs. Can be ordered in lots of colors and comes with kraft envelopes. Would make a great gift.

What is going on in your home on these winter days?

this week

We finally have a rug in the dining room. The jute rug that was back ordered for months is now in place. Same style rug that we have in the living room, family room, kitchen and hallway. Much better, instantly quieter and cozier. Our friends brought the happy tulips. Florists finally figured out that  no one really wants bright foil plant wrapping. This one is made of kraft paper so no need to pot it into another container.

I refreshed the paint on the chandelier that came with the house with chalk paint and gold leaf paint. I tried it without the shades over the holidays but it cast strange light on the ceiling and it seemed unflattering to our faces. Some of the bulbs turned black even though they work so I put the shades back on, the light is softer with them.

One of the amaryllis is going to bloom soon! Took over two months, I planted both in mid November! I believe they are both Lemon Star amaryllis, it's been so long I forgot which ones we bought. Its sister is still just sitting there with just a few leaves, it feels plump and is green so I think it will eventually bloom. I am rooting some fiddle leaf ficus shoots in water and nursing a shoot that was rooted earlier and is now potted and doing well. Trying to get the kalanchoe plant on the left to flower.

I am continuing with my Ina Garten cooking. I made her Shrimp Scampi recipe from Back to Basics over the weekend when entertaining some friends. I forgot to photograph it secretly (no way was I going to whip out the camera in front of guests as it came out of the oven.) It looked just like the cookbook photo and tasted very good. 

source

Only thing- it called for way too much butter, a stick and a half! The shrimp were sitting in a deep pool of butter. One, it was a waste of butter and two, totally unnecessary. I would definitely make it again but cut the butter in half. Going to make my son happy and make her Penne with Five Cheeses next and make all of us happy by roasting a Lemon Chicken with Croutons which I have made before and it is delicious! 

What are you up to this week?

roses in water

What a boost to have fresh flowers in the house throughout the winter. Yesterday this half dozen of soft peach roses looked so pretty at my grocery and for just four dollars! Now that the garden has gone to sleep for the winter, the grocery store cut flower season has started. No matter where cut flowers are bought, they are all being grown in South America with the exception of local summer flowers at farm markets so the grocery is as good a source as any. 

For years I have avoided buying cut roses. When I have received them for a birthday or anniversary, they usually did not open fully and their heads would appear too heavy and droop. I cut them at sharp angles with sharp pruners and always had food in the water but it made no difference.  I recently decided to try again as I miss having their beauty in the house. I am now using some new (but old to those in the know) techniques with success and roses are now my new favorite flower!

I cut the stems fully immersed in water. Once I have placed them in the vase, I cup my fingers and very gently open the bud to reveal the petals somewhat. They seem to like this as they now have been opening beautifully to reveal all their loveliness! Am I the only one to not know how to properly care for cut roses? Thank you Google.

stylish serendipity photos

paddle plant

I love the look of this plant that according to Tovah Martin is "practically unkillable". Does anyone have one?

potted lemon trees

Southern Accents

I have always wanted to grow lemon trees. I don't think our windows have enough southern light in the winter to succeed indoors and our climate is too cold to stay outside year round(zone 5). But those of you with greenhouses and big sunny windows can try! For advice on how to grow indoors, go here and, to grow year round outdoors, go here.

pretty pots

Love these Saigon planters from Pottery Barn.

elegant myrtle topiaries

Ooo la la! Look at these myrtle topiaries grown by Loi Thai of Tone and Tone Antiques! He gives instructions on how to grow the delicate beauties in his latest blog post. And look at his gorgeous home! Stunningly beautiful....

all photos from Tone on Tone blog

Visit Tone on Tone Antiques and Accessories here.

Read Loi Thai's blog here.