Ready, set, go!!!!

It's approaching that back to school time and it feels like my old track and field days when the gun goes off! The slow moving days of Summer are rapidly coming to an end. All of a sudden there are practices, races, appointments, back to school shopping, orientations, Ahhhh!!!
So what does one do when feeling already overwhelmed when time is ticking?
Build a deck of course! 

So, my family often chuckles when I build another nice, cozy,  relaxing place to sit on our property. They chuckle because the sitting/relaxing thing isn't really MY thing. I try, really I do! And if I sit, it's usually at this table overlooking my garden. The table sits under two maples that provide a nice shady canopy. Also, the trees provide protection from the rain. I know this because I left my phone out on this table during a huge storm, and the phone survived! 

Because this spot is so shady, grass grows sporadically. So of course the spot needed a floating deck! 

So one fine morning while everyone was at work, I jumped in my husband's truck and went to pick up my lumber with the rest of the "boys" at the local lumber yard. 

With some cement pavers, a level, drill, decking screws, and spacers... 

A 10x10ft deck was formed!

 Some rock work was added too.

Turns out to be a great place for dinner in the evening.

It doesn't overlook our pond, but it is a nice place to sit in the back of the house. The project was on my list of things to try this Summer. 

Here are some other pictures of what's happening around here this late August...

I love creeping Jenny!

Gladiolas are ready for cutting.

One of my favorite Summer guests: Bruce

Bruce Wayne that is. He pops in and out. 

My roses that I bought from the grocery store in the middle of the winter.

So in this crazy/busy month I will be taking moments to enjoy decks, flowers, frogs and taking a moment to sit and relax. I think... 

I'll try :)

Petite Ferme de fleurs

Build it and they will come? Or find one side to an old baby crib for free an make a really cool sign. Wishful thinking...

So it's no secret that I love flowers around here.

It's what I do all summer.

Plant and split more,

and more

and more

perennials! I'd also like to dabble with propagation. ( I say dabble, haha, like it's an easy task!)

I have started to experiment with cut flowers too.

In the future, I may just have to experiment with producing enough flowers to...

bring them somewhere? And maybe be considered a small flower farm? Maybe?

Next Summer I may see how a distribution and preservation process happens.

And I may decide this fall to expand my cut flower garden, while keeping it surrounded by a white picket fence of course :)

I am a firm believer in envisioning things that you want to come true, even if you begin with an up-cycled piece to an old baby crib!

Returning from vacation to mayhem.

Vacationing for any length of time during the Summer means returning home to pure mayhem.
 Mayhem in a good way, that is. Claude Monet said..." I must have flowers, always and always." 
Did Monet ever mention anything about a surplus of veggies (out of control yellow squash that even Pinterest won't have enough recipes for) or the WEEDS?
Were we away for that long? My oh my!

Nice to see that our friend is still here. Dead heading petunias while we were away? How nice.

                            Yes, mayhem in a good way?

Lot's of veggies and flowers.

I have been reading up on flower farming this summer. Preliminary research for a future project maybe.

My favorite resource is from the Floret Farm

The Floret Farm is so amazing with so much information! 

I have been experimenting this summer with just dahlias, zinnias and sunflowers.  The Floret Farm is out of this world! I'd like to see what I can do in the future with my possible quest. Stay tuned :)

For now... I must have flowers, always and always ;)

Now it's time to tackle those weeds! Enjoy!