Spring in the garden

The garden is in bloom here in Zone 9b! Spring so far has been very interesting… windy, then cold, then a hot week in the mid 90s, then back to normal spring then cold again. Spring seems to be a little shy this year but now, it is here. Let’s start in the kitchen garden. That black gate is where my guests would come in from the front of the house and walk right into our kitchen garden, which used to be our front yard before we added a cinderblock wall and closed it in giving us more private space! With as much as we entertain outdoors, having a pretty side entrance has been wonderful and a welcoming entrance so guests can walk right into the outdoor space where we will entertain or righting the mudroom to the kitchen.

It’s forecasted to be 91 as the high on Sunday, but I’m having the party in the evening so it should be nice. This is the third garden party I’ve hosted.

I want to take so many photos and videos of the garden because this only happens once a year – which is why I invite friends to come over and enjoy it! And I can invite you over the internet without you even having to put on any pants! ;)

Our siding is James Hardy and paint color is Sherwin-Williams Alabaster. I like it, but if I were do repaint I’d go a tinge creamier. But, this is not to say I’m dissatisfied with the color white we chose, I’m glad it’s still on the warm side and not the bright white modern.

My longtime friend and fellow rose hoarder LieShia told me about Rose Shield and it works! Yes it’s probably pumped full of chemicals, but it works. Sprayed it on my roses when they were leafing out and no aphids or many bugs in sight! I haven’t sprayed them lately but I need to soon. I would suggest every two weeks. With how many roses I have, I use an entire bottle for the property. I say the 3 pack is great if you have many like I do, and you just go through it all in one growing season. By the time I’m out, it’ll be summer and I won’t care about the blooms.

I feel so blessed to have great outdoor furniture. Working with Paddy O’ Furniture has been life changing, truly. We sit outside, we linger, we have more parties because it feels welcoming, comfortable and lovely to be outside more. Patio furniture to scale, with comfort is absolutely life changing. We are so grateful. See the collaboration post here.

The Olivia Rose Austin rosebushes are looking happy! I am so excited to have more to line the orchard, it looks so great and next year they will be even larger! To the left is my Queen Elizabeth rose. She’s an old one and I’m trying to figure out to get her to bloom more magnificently as I’ve seen in the past but I think I need to fertilize better. There’s just so much to do and so many rose bushes I sometimes neglect her.

All of those flowers on the MacKenzie-Childs planter or ice bucket (now on sale!) are edible. I’m using them for my garden cocktails. Also that planter you turn the inside sleeve the other way and it can be a planter, or a large ice bucket for drinks! It’s so versatile I almost want another one, but it’s enough :) And when it’s not in use I have it flipped so it’s an outdoor console table.

Also the fancy trash can always gets asked about. I love it, and it’s lightweight and you can put in a black lawn bag (I wish they made them in white) and drop it in. I put in clippings and random things in there until it’s full then I take it out, well Benjamin takes it out. It’s great to have for all the outdoor entertaining and gardening we do.

Here’s a tour I did on Instagram stories: