Baby steps toward a flower garden

This year my gardening has been minimal, though I am pretty proud of how this mixed container turned out which I put together last weekend, especially since I picked all the flowers out myself with only minimal input from the kind ladies at Homewood Garden Shop. I've found gardening is really like interior design; it's all about picking different but complimentary colors, textures, and sizes...oh, and watering. That's key. Here are some of the containers I put together. (Ignore the ugly patio; we're about to take that out - HGTV reality show demo style.)

The tall plants are some dahlias I planted from bulbs in March. These aren't blooming but, as you can see, they are above ground. Major victory. This is my very first success with planting bulbs. I have failed miserably in the past. My thrifty self loves the idea of bulbs - so much cheaper than purchasing plants. But my immediate gratification self is not keen on bulbs - or digging in rock solid dirt in freezing weather in February. But these dahlias are beautiful, and those in my planter off the back patio are blooming (squeal!) with even more bulbs about to open. The red bloom below is about the size of my hand, the purple is smaller, and several white blooms are about to burst open. I love the foliage of these blooms. The stems and body of the plants, on the other hand, are not so attractive. And they are also about three feet tall, which makes them a little freakishly monstrous in a patio planter, but the blooms are worth it. I walk outside and see them and smile.


Last year I grew tomatoes in containers. The squirrels ate them before I could. Maybe I'll stick to the flowers and just frequent the local farmer's market. I'm no match for squirrels.

Gardening. I've discovered that, like life, it's all about the small victories.

Across the Border

My Canadian family made their annual pilgrimage South to Alabama in May. My cousin, Lydia, recently graduated from college, and her graduation gift was a trip South. They did some neat plantation home sightseeing through Mississippi and then ended in Birmingham before heading back to Manitoba. Unfortunately, Robert and I missed the big Summerville shindig on Saturday, but we were able to go out to mom and dad's the next night to have dinner with my Uncle Chris, Aunt Caroline, and Lydia. We snapped a few pics before we all had to say goodbye. You can see mom's new living room paint color. Her kitchen is also completely redone. It looks great.

My daddy with his sister and brother, two of six total siblings. They are a mess.

I'm wearing the dress Robert's mom made me. I love it! The first time I wore it I got 10 compliments (no joke)! She is so talented and so good at making unique gifts for others. It's Amy Butler fabric and patten.

Memorial Day Weekend at the Lake

We had a great time with Robert's family at the lake on Memorial Day weekend. I'm so glad we were able to make the trip up. Our niece and nephew are growing like weeds. Tallon is even riding in the tube behind the boat all by himself. I had so much fun with him horsing around in the lake and playing in his tent. We had great conversations about geese and snakes and what we want to be when we grow up. Tess is a cutie and loves to eat! She has the best smile and even let me (practically a stranger to a 1.5 year old) pick her up a few times. We enjoyed delicious food, smores by the campfire, fried fish, and an overall great time with Pop, Mimi, Nana, Papa, Granddaddy, Rebecca, Reeves, Tallon, Tess, and our soon-to-arrive third niece/nephew, Baby T - set to debut in a couple of months. Here are some pics from the weekend in random order from multiple cameras.

Auburn Wedding

Wedding Part Deux commenced last weekend with my sweet college and early career/pre-marriage roommate Leigh and her husband, Justin who live in Decatur. We had the best time catching up with them on the drive down to Auburn for the wedding of a college friend. The reception was at this beautiful historic home. With the iced tea, outdoor garden seating, and southern charm as the heat of the day faded to dusk and dancing, it felt like summer for the first time all year. Congrats Dr. and Mrs. Robert Martin!


I made Robert wear his red tie because that's what you do when you have to travel to Auburn. You represent.

Amelia Island

Earlier this month we were able to travel to Amelia Island, Florida for a wedding of a family friend of Robert's family. After a night in Jacksonville catching up with our good friend, Ben (who took us to a BBQ joint in Jacksonville that paid homage to Dreamland, Rendezvous, and Big Bob Gibson's - you know it had to be good with company like that), we headed to the Island. It was out first time to visit the Island, and it was a great trip despite being only a few days long. The Island has some really unique natural beauty, and the weather was perfect for sightseeing. We enjoyed walking the beach, exploring the downtown square of Fernandina Beach (reminded me of Key West), and eaching lunch at Amelia Island Plantation before the wedding and reception at the Plantation later that night. Robert's mom and dad drove down from South Carolina to join us at the wedding, so it was great to be able to see them. It was also great to meet some of the Adams family friends from Florence, most of whom hadn't seen Robert since high school. So glad we were able to make the trip. Yea for wedding season and mini vacations! Here are some pics.