Celebrating Mardi Gras

Myleene poses in front of a Mardi Gras themed flower arrangement.

Wherever Myleene goes, Carolina is sure to follow! Carolina poses for her own photoshoot.

What would a Mardi Gras celebration be without music? Soulless, that's what! The musical group, Soulmen, keep the festivities lively for hours on end.

Myleene might actually be a bit peeved to see that I've posted this photo, but I liked the flower arrangement that she found herself tangled up in after having a bit too much to drink.

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Rosemary Park - Uncharted Territory

March, 2014

January, 2016

What a difference two years makes. In the first photo, before this location was ever named, this area was the frontier for expansion from the backyard (which is when my husband started to worry this was more than a phase). Now, here we are at the beginning of 2016 where it is taking on a new look full of Rosemary and soon-to-bloom Sweet Peas.

In April, 2014, there were no Rosemary or Sweet Pea in bloom, but they were peeking above the soil.

This photo is also from April 2014 and shows how beautiful this area was (and how vibrant my lawn used to be). Most of this area has been or will be renovated. The planter on the left is the area we are focusing on and which I have finally dubbed Rosemary Park.

Sweet Pea and Rosemary. February, 2015

 Sweet Pea babies. January, 2016

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Poppy Lane - On The Up and Up

 It wasn't long ago that Poppy Lane was introduced into our happy fairy community - March 2015 to be exact. In the photo to the right, the head gardener is surveying the grounds of Poppy Lane. This was taken before the area bloomed with a burst of color.

Poppy Lane was also home to a family of gargantuan sunflowers in Spring... and Summer and Fall and Winter. They reseeded many times and outlived the Poppies and towered over everything, including my house (although those particular sunflowers weren't planted in Poppy Lane)!

There would still be sunflowers there today if I hadn't pulled them. They will be back, no doubt, as this clever plant reseeds itself. I have new plans for Poppy Lane and have acquired an array of clippings from a very dear friend of mine. Poppy Lane is in for a new look this year.

New to this area is the cinder block border in hopes to contain the plants to this area, as well as outline the perimeter. Cinder blocks also offer a natural container and even spacing for small plants. I've planted poppies in these spaces which I predict will make this area stay true to it's name.

All of the succulents in this area were clippings from my friend's yard. Succulents need to be cut back every so often, so a few cuttings are easy to come by and save money. If you know a friend who had succulents in their yard, don't be afraid to ask for a cutting or two.

I don't know the name of most of these plants but I have an example from her yard of what these clippings will grow up to be.

Some of these plants have the ability to grow to be massive, so make sure to research how to trim succulents. Even the largest succulents can be delicate.

Here is a photo of a Poppy seedling (and an even smaller one near the rear).

This Poppy is quite a bit further along than the previous photo. I'm excited to take pictures of the finished product.

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Fairy Garden Class - Work With What You've Got

What if I told you that the Winter fairy garden I created using the items above cost me less than $10? Unbelievable, right? Well, in a sense I spent more but the snowmen were the only items I bought this year to make this festive scene. This month's class is a focus on using what you already have on hand.

This tray has been in my house for 10 years, holding jewelry and the like in my bedroom. I decided it would be a good base for my scene. The fact that it has a colorful spring design makes it difficult to be part of a winter scene, but that can be covered up as I chose to do with a few sheets of white wrapping paper found at the dollar store (that I'm sure some of you have leftover from the holiday season). Since the tray is only needed as a raised base, I flipped it upside down and tucked the paper covering underneath.

These trees have been used multiple times in my winter scenes. The snowflakes came in a package and were also leftover from a previous winter scene. The wood in the background is a piece I found that was just the right size for most scenes and is also used in many backgrounds. The white saucer is from a potted plant that I have in my yard.

I added a few more trees in the background because, why not. And I bet you didn't even notice the wick on the top of the snowy tree on the left. That's right, those trees are candles!

For a more natural look, nix the saucer and set the snowmen on the snowy base. There's no wrong way to create a scene.

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