Here we Go 'Round the Mulberry Tree

We went walking this morning on the hunt for one of Ezra & Avery's favorite summer treats- fresh berries- picked right off of the tree. We found mulberries that were perfect. 
 

Ezra is completely pleased with himself, he no longer needs me to pull branches down for him.  (But I still do it for him, even though I know he can....)

We had a mulberry tree in our backyard when I was little.  I could spend entire afternoons comfortably wedged high up in the tree daydreaming and eating the sweet, juicy, dark berries.  I would climb down only after I was completely satiated, and satisfactorily stained.  Although not clambering up trees yet, the boys love the berries just as much as I ever did.  (Getting dirty is just a bonus.)

Avery's first bite. 

This is Ave by his second or third.  

It washes off, mostly. 

This little Blue- berry, she is sweet enough just as she is. 

Iris will get some on our next walk- when I remember to bring her (and Avery) a bib. 

The Week's End

Did you have a good holiday weekend? (If you are here in the US? Otherwise, did you all have a good weekend too?) I was so excited to just do nothing. It never works out that way. I'm okay with it though. I met a bride to talk about flowers for her wedding next year (!), had a lovely pedicure, ate cold pizza- right out of the refrigerator- (standing barefoot on the cool kitchen tile admiring said pedicure), weeded my ENTIRE garden, (Yes, yes that's right & my hamstrings still hate me.) planted more plants, watched a parade, dodged candy bullets at the parade, and finished the whole weekend out with a carnival. You know I love a carnival. It all went by in a flash. In a whirl. (A Tilt-a-Whirl.) 

And now I am already looking to the end of this week. June first. Iris's first birthday. Ezra's last day of kindergarten. Milestones for them, joyfully bittersweet for me. You can't hold on to them anymore than you can slow down time...but I try. I will always try.

Three Can't be a Crowd....

When we first bought the house, the garden was a tangle- a jangle of a jungle of overgrown plants, with no flow no rhyme, no reason...but there were roses. Not all of them were to my taste- hot pinks, apricots and dark reds, pretty...undeniably, but not for me. I dug up all save one, a pretty rambler with bounties of white blooms.
 

I finally (after nine years of watching it grow) put its long stems up onto a teepee, the heavy buds hang heavy like trumpet flower- but its happy.

I have no idea what variety it is- and I'm not even sure it is a climber, but each year with healthy pruning, its arms got longer and longer, ever reaching up and out.  

Slightly fragrant, wistfully romantic- heady with time gone by- I'm so glad I didn't donate you to a neighbor. 

My mother gave me this- "Veilchenblau" a couple of years ago for Mother's Day- it has gone absolutely crazy with blooms.  

(Pay no attention to what lays behind this teepee...I've only got so far on my "jungle" weeding....)

Little sprinkles, tiny treats- faintly smelling sweet.  

I haven't told either of these two dear ladies that they are about to be joined by a third. 

("Night Owl" came home with me this weekend....)  Where to put her?

I hope they don't believe in two's company....

Message for Monday

I think I might start carrying this book around in my bag. 

Too cute on the outside- filled with art and little positive points of view on the inside.  (And who doesn't need a little bit of reassurance every now & again to get you through the day?)
Available here.

Potting Benches & Pizzas

Just when I got the Pottery Barn Kids kitchen set out of my system, for the kids- you know.... (We do A LOT of food playing around here... pizza with jelly beans and mushrooms anyone?) They come out with this- Mama mia! 

Okay, forget about my kids...I want it for me.  Is that wrong? 

Potting bench (and potting/sand/water tub) available here. 

(Pictures courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids.)

Continuation on a Theme?

Super cute garden themed cards from Rifle Paper. 

I like the last one the best...I am living in my wellies right now.  Weeding, weeding, ever weeding.... ("What are we doing today Mama?"  "Why we are weeding of course!  Hooray! Weeding! Right?  Weeding!  Hello...kids?  Anybody?....")

You can find the cards & other good Rifle-ly stuff here.  

Another poppy opened today- now they look like two large, starry muppetish eyes looking out over the garden, winking and blinking in the breeze. (Probably making sure the garden is getting weeded.)

Pop! Pop! Pop! Goes the Poppy!

I love me some poppies. They are so quirky and crinkly and ruffly and graceful all wrapped up in petal-y perfection. I planted this sweet baby- I'm not sure how many years ago...six, maybe seven years back? For the first few years I was rewarded with just a single big blossom. Then a couple of years ago I was upgraded to three. This year, I counted ten! Oh happy spring day!

Poppy buds make me laugh.  Their shape and their fuzziness reminds me of something else- but my little blog is about pretty things, and not about what poppy buds make me think of...never-the-less, I'm just throwing that out there, because they do. 

Can you believe the size of this baby?  Magnificent!  (Its poppy, Royal Wedding.) 

 

 I can't wait for other blossoms to unfurl.