There’s something about June that makes me long to dine alfresco with friends and family. I love to bring tablecloths and tableware outside, and sit awhile as the sun goes down. We dine later, we drink chilled white wine, and we enjoy the fine weather.

Here is a glance at some clippings from my inspiration file. These all draw me to the table in some way or another.

All you need is a simple tablecloth and napkins on a plank picnic table, united with some colored glass, and a bowl of fruit to linger long under this tree.

Read the rest of this entry »

There is a special farm in Sonoma County, California that receives visitors from all around the world.  When visiting the Wine Country, many make a stop at the Lavender Bee Farm, an all natural, organic farm where owners Rich and JoAnn Wallenstein tend their crop of lavender, their orchard and vegetable garden, and their fifty bee colonies.  This farm is a magical spot, and I had the privilege of a private tour over the weekend. 

The farm is planted with four kinds of lavender:  Grosso, Spanish, Provence, and English.  The word lavender comes from the Latin word “lavare”, and means “to wash.”  One cannot help but feel cleansed walking among the fields of lavender at the Lavender Bee Farm.  

Read the rest of this entry »

We have a lovely little front porch, with white columns and benches, divided pane windows, and hydrangea bushes that thrive nearby in their happy spot, but the porch was still lacking a bit of greenery, so I began the process of sprucing it up with some new fiberglass urns spotted at Home Dept for $39 each.  I love bronze, but up close, these had an orangey coppery detail that did not complement my decor, so I decided to give them a more formal and elegant look with the use of (non other than) spray paint.

Before and After:

I’ve painted plastic planters before with good results, and realized that the same product can be used to paint fiberglass. 

Read the rest of this entry »

I have some good friends, David and Robyn, who have been remodeling their country property for the past year.  They are also adding massive amounts of fruit trees and vegetation to their very special 10 acres, located here in Sonoma County. David happens to have a very green thumb, and yesterday I had the pleasure of touring his culinary garden, and also watching him and his assistant build a redwood planter box.

How to build a simple raised planter box out of redwood:

Step One:  Prep soil with amendment and with a rototiller or good rake.

Step Two:  You can cut your lumber yourself, but it is easier to have the wood supplier cut your redwood to your specifications.  In David’s case, he went with a 12 foot length.  He reminded me that you cannot use pressure treated lumber, since those chemicals would leach into your prized vegetables.

Step Three:  Screw your 4 x 4 posts to your side lengths with 3” deck screws.

Step Four:  Attach your long lengths of redwood to your finished ends.

Step Five:  (optional)  Attach gopher netting to base of your planter if you have problems with this type of rodent.

Step Six:  Stake your raised planter to the ground, and fill with good potting soil.

Sorry for forgeting to shoot the entire planter, but you can see part of it in this photo, where David has just started his strawberry patch:

I was also impressed with David’s waist high raised planters that he built for his 80 year old mother, so she doesn’t have to bend down.  Check these out:

He built a platform to support this mega raised bed, and held it all together with galvanized bolts.  Then he created a detachable hot house with PVC pipe, some fittings, clamps, and plastic.  Brilliant !

And he starts all of his plants from seed, and nurtures them right here on this potting bench:

I am so glad to have friends like Robyn and David, not only because they teach me so much, but because I hope to enjoy some of their garden bounty all summer and fall.

.