The Homestead

I enjoy our home. I find it peaceful and relaxing. I'm surrounded by things I love...family, plants, things that make me happy. Here is a sampling.

Step out my back door and you will find a mini garden. Included in the garden is my pot of herbs and my little "HERBS" sign.

"She wished she had a little yellow house of her own, with a flower box full of real flowers and herbs"
¸.•*´¨`♥ Francesca Lia Block (Violet & Claire)

On the stoop by the back door is a pot of vibrant red geraniums. I love them because they are so old fashioned.

"Eat moonshine pie. Drink wild geranium tea. Run naked in the rain."
¸.•*´¨`♥ Ellen Kort

Growing in my little garden, among other things, are squash plants. The blooms were so yellow. But, alas, no squash ever actually appeared.







Close to the squash is a bush. I really don't know what it is called, but the blooms were so fragrant.

"We have enough popularity; we need more purity."
¸.•*´¨`♥ Margaret Nadauld

Walking up the drive, towards the road and the front of the house is a magnolia tree close to the side of our house. It is a young tree. Tall and slender. And it produced some pure white flowers.

"when the soft fragrance of magnolias hung in the air, my heart would swell without warning..."
¸.•*´¨`♥ Haruki Murakami

Continue walking down the drive, right past the magnolia, and you will find a birch tree. With several trunks. Nestled in the trunks is my gnome.

"Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know, Harry told Ron as they crossed the lawn. "
¸.•*´¨`♥ J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

This little gnome is forever watching between the leaves of an ivy plant hanging in the tree.

"She lingered in that charming little garden to say hello to the gnomes, such a glorious infestation!"
¸.•*´¨`♥ J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

On the opposite side of our house, the side that has a fence, you can see this jar of seaglass in the window...catching the morning sun.

"...and broadening bands of gold where the sunlight spread deeper..."
¸.•*´¨`♥ R. O. Hennings

I said there was a fence. Which is OK...it has many bushes and trees about it. So it looks so natural. I have some windows in the great room that look out on this fence. So I naturalized it a bit more by hanging wire planters with the coconut web liners. In these planters, I planted some shade loving ferns. Here is one planter catching the early morning sun.

"These woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep."
¸.•*´¨`♥ Robert Frost

In the back, there is a small parking area. Usually it has my car there. Since Nikki has moved here, I've made space for her scooter.

"Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith."
¸.•*´¨`♥ Margeret Shepard

The backyard is a little Eden. Full of trees.

"In the deep glens where they lived all things were older than man and they hummed of mystery."
¸.•*´¨`♥ Cormac McCarthy

"Because you don't notice the light without a bit of shadow."
¸.•*´¨`♥ Libba Bray

Our garage has a little shed attached to it. By the shed door lives a toad house. To the best of my knowledge, a toad has never resided in it. I have hope.

"I remember where a toad may live and what time the birds awaken in the summer ..."
¸.•*´¨`♥ John Steinbeck (East of Eden)

Hanging on the shed wall, beside the door, is a little wreath. It is purple. It makes me feel light-hearted.

"...how can you dismiss purple? Celi, call Nom back and tell him of my need for purple!"
¸.•*´¨`♥ Shannon Hale (River Secrets)

That concludes a mini tour of our yard. Just a bit of this. A bit of that.