Summer begins...

There is a well known quote by Charles Spurgeon: "Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began, and let the Lord be all in all to you." It is usually reserved for New Years greetings and for "big beginnings" but it popped into my mind when I was thinking about the start of Summer this year. 

School is out here and, to me, that signals the beginning of Summer. Some consider it to be Memorial Day weekend and some wait for the "official" Summer Solstice. However you calendar Summer is on everyone's mind. I am always a Summer girl - I love the heat, the beach, working in the garden. All things Summer. This year, and I think the reason that quote has been bopping around in my head, is that I've felt the usual excitement and retrospective as well. 

I want to begin this Summer as I mean to go on. I want to remember to celebrate the ordinary and to not forget the parts of last Summer that were important. It was an out of the ordinary Summer but there were good things about being home and not being "busy."

The pace of last Summer was more Summer-y than I can remember in years. It reminded me of the Summers I spent with my Charleston grandmother and endless days at the beach with cousins. Time had no meaning. I am not romanticizing the Summer of 2020 at all. It was hard, devastating for some, but there were small joys to be found and we gave them importance. I don't want to lose that by going back to busyness in our excitement to get back to "normal."  I also still feel, as many of you do, unsettled, unsure, concerned about so many things in our world but I'm going to go on as I began last year - I will keep the faith.

This is my public reminder to myself to start the summer with time well spent and to continue it through the Summer. To appreciate looking through design books surrounded by backyard blooms. To pour my grapefruit juice in a pretty glass and add a sprig of mint from the herb garden. To burn a candle. To use my great-great grandmothers tatted (and tattered) tablecloth to make the table look pretty even if it is just me (and James Farmer, Bunny Williams, Celerie Kemble and Mark Sikes! And lets not forget Mrs. Whaley!)

I mean to go on as I have begun - looking forward to the Summer and planning to find small joys and celebrate the ordinary.

What are your Summer plans?

SOURCES:

Plastic Wine Glass - World Market (highly recommend)

Beautiful by Mark D. Sikes

Celerie Kemble's new book, Island Whimsy

A House by the Sea by Bunny Williams

A Place to Call Home by James Farmer

Mrs Whaley and Her Charleston Garden which I reread every year. At least once.

Gingham cloth napkin/dishtowel - similar item

Dog statue - Wal Mart garden center this season

Vintage or thrifted items: tatted tablecloth, bamboo tray, scalloped terra cotta pot, blue and white flower pot and small pitcher, pagoda lantern

Variegated zonal geranium - Home Depot

Lavender topiary - Wal Mart

Sweet Mint -f rom my garden but I saw it at Lowe's this season

The iron garden table and chair were purchased over 20 years ago.

Things I love Month - Entry 3

Continuing this months look at "Things I Love" brings me to...

a good garden center.

Especially this time of year when I have Spring fever.

This year's case is quite serious 

and I'm already thinking about plant combinations for my big pots 

and small projects I want to do in the yard.

I'm so ready for Spring. 

I went to Charleston last week for a few days and managed to squeeze in a trip between family visits and beach walks to a new-to-me garden center called Hyam's.

It is the favorite nursery of my 90 year old cousin who is still planting flowers and growing beautiful ferns and such. 

She said it was worth the drive over to Folly Road so I went.

She has never led me astray on anything in all of these years 

(best place to buy shrimp, how to sail, best crabbing spots, driving a golf cart and more)

 and she was so right!!

I wanted to buy all.the.plants.

Look at these plant combos in their window boxes and containers.

And the petunia varieties were fabulous. 

We are a loooong way from being able to plant petunias in Atlanta but if we had been a bit closer I would not have been able to resist either of these!

I hope I can find the variety above here in Atlanta. 

Or maybe a road trip back to Hyam's in a couple of months to stock up!!

They had an amazing assortment of fountains.

And look at the painted decking floors in this section of the greenhouse.

Black and tan checkerboard. 

This is perfection. And inspiring.

I have considered painting a pattern on my screened porch floor 

and this makes me want to go for it!

How to keep Cooper out of a major floor painting project is a less exciting thought.

This makes me so impatient for my hydrangeas to bloom this Summer!

 I'm definitely using this idea. So simple but so clever. 

And a great way to draw the eye up in the garden.

I can't wait to do this. 

I've been looking to see where I can hang some of these

 and no one will walk into them and conk their head :)

Isn't this the greatest idea?

They've simply knotted rope and strung a variety of clay pots on them.

I think it's fantastic.

What do you think? Is this something you would try in your garden?

Do you have a favorite garden center that gives you great inspiration for plant combos and accents?

Do tell. I'm always up for a visit to a really great garden center!

Blue and White Garden Thoughts...

I've always been a fan of blue in the garden.

After white flowers, blue hydrangeas and morning glories are my favorite.

(A bloom from this year's garden.)

We had a bumper crop of hydrangeas this year 
even though our weather was crazy last Winter

 and it has rained so much this Summer.

(I don't mind when they are a bit purple-y either!)

I also like blue and white in the garden in other forms.

Here are a few goodies from my IG feed.

I love a blue and white garden stool anywhere.

 This one is in good company- look at those woven chairs and fabulous topiaries. 

And this is perfection:

Fabulous fish bowls planted with pretty pink blooms and on amazing wooden stands.

 (Notice the designs on the bowls aren't matchy-matchy)

And if you are not familiar with the intriguing story of Jim Thompson then here is a link to a good article. But be forewarned you may end up down a rabbit hole of googling about Jim Thompson because the story is full of mystery, speculation, Asian art, blue and white, the silk trade and more!!


Not technically "outside in the garden" but this conservatory is fabulous. 
I found it on M.O.Endres  amazing IG feed.

And this is quite the entrance. 

How would you like to see that every time you come and go??

There's more blue and white fabulousness (indoors and out)

 on Elizabeth's blueandwhitehome IG account.

So, blue and white in the garden gets a (green) thumbs up!!