thingsilovetoo-marmee: antiques

i love how in the garden unexpected things happen...not all of the unexpected things that happen are good. like when all the purple broccoli you planted gets eaten by something invisible or how some seeds just don't germinate at all. i planted nasturtiums in the spring by seed...i don't have a single one in my beds. or how the tomatoes i grew from seed and planted on the hottest day just dried up and shriveled.

but back to the good things. this is about those things. like the fact that i adore rust and i adore plants. when these two are combined i have a surge of inspiration.

it's a rainy saturday but i don't mind...of course because i'm a gardener and we gardeners love rain.

rain brings new life like these tiny leaves on my purple moustache beans...it's growing on an old wrought iron bed in my front victory garden/potager. i love the way these tiny bright chartreuse green leaves look on the twisted purple stalk all the while twisting around this rusted wrought iron bed post.

another view of the purple moustache beans tendrils on the rusty bed post.

also the contrast between the brightness of the green leaves of the sunflower not yet blooming and the darkness of the rusted garden gate just says to me.

"this is right".

add in white and i'm all in. this tillandsia or air plant on a bed of moss looks so happy in this ole' bird feeder with it's rusty base.

don't you just the love the idea of something freshly painted next to an old rusted white chair? i do.

lavender and rust...a must.

some of my nandina are already turning to that lovely burnt orange hue...well sitting in front of an old rusted stroller makes it twice as nice to me.

this persian shield and ruby red caladium looks so at home next to the rusty bit of fence stuck inside the plant container.

i got two of these white columnar stands at one of my favourite local antique spots(City Farmhouse)...i am still trying to decide the best suited area in the garden to place them. but don't you just love the bit of rust on the the top capital and the fact that they are white and textural is a big plus.

my oak~leaf hydrangea are turning from originally white to blush pink to russet pink and now this amazing colour of coppery rust.

this could well be my favourite plant in my garden.

close up of just one cluster of this beauty

this 1930's birdcage is hanging just outside our back door leading to the patio garden. the patina on this antique couldn't be any more beautiful. my intention for this is to put in some succulents but i could look at it all day just as it is. another find at city farmhouse here

in franklin, tn.

i hope y'all are enjoying your summer gardens and adding in whatever tickles your fancy.

happy july,

marmee

what a gorgeous day here in middle tennessee.

the sky was blue and

our black locust tree is in bloom.

it has been a very cool, wet spring here so planting has been put on hold until today.

it is still very moist around here so it is slow going.

we did get our purple mustache beans in the ground.

dave used his new dibbler. we planted on three of the four corners of our old wrought iron bed in our front fenced in are or as we call it the victory garden, the potager, our raised beds...we call it different things at different times.

our native wisteria that was planted last year is starting to bloom. it is on the two outside corners of the front yard white picket fence that houses our potager, raised beds, also known as our victory garden.

just inside that white picket fence flanking our iron gate is two clematis in the most beautiful hue of lavender.

these are very large blooms with wide open faces.

we haven't really started our summer edibles yet but most of what is growing in our raised beds are herbs, annuals, garlic and onions. we have finally managed to get the grass removed and have pine straw as our base in that fenced in area. i have begun to plant ground cover and it will take some time to get it to fill in.

ajuga reptans, chocolate chip is one of the ground covers i have chosen. this ajuga is a low growing, narrow leaved ground cover with compact variegated foliage: dark green splashed with chocolate, with burgundy highlights.

i have also planted a low growing vining verbena.

i find these charming little plants are fairly carefree. the fact is, the main problem is paying too much attention to them by over~pampering, overfeeding, or having them where they get too much water.

the fact that they are purple makes it an easy choice for this girl.

i have also found some native grasses that bloom and have been adding them around special features like the cast iron urn and pedestal. this grass(and the name eludes me right now) has the most delicate little blueish/purple flowers.

our wild strawberries are blooming and green strawberries are appearing under the large rick/rack leaves. it would be nice if we get to eat them before the birds get them.

two barberry bushes flank the side entrance of our white picket fence...i love the contrast it gives up next to the fence. it has an ornamental element as well has the fact that it is deer resistant, helps with erosion control, and the wildlife love it.

it is thorny but i love the colour and the way the branches cascade away from the center of the plant.

i did remove several of these that were planted by the previous owner too close to the front steps that led up to the front door. they had become a nuisance.

we replaced them with two large containers planted with boxwoods, sedum, and a dark leafed heuchera,obsidian.

also in the ground another heuchera(i believe it is venus) with variegated lighter green leaves and a fabulous new to me bush...the reblooming lilacs.

vivian is my constant companion while i am outdoors.
i love her keeping me company plus she is adorable.

ethan has been a big help to us this spring there are so many chores to do on the farm. here he is filling the sock feeders for the finches.

i found a couple of eggs while gardening...tiny, fragile, i'm not sure what to do except admire them.

some curly parsley coming back in a terra cotta pot.

the view of the porch from the garden.

newly acquired decorative tin

shapes hanging from the porch.

i put this sign up a few years ago for christmas and haven't taken it down since. you can see it as soon as you turn into the driveway and it speaks to me. the bust of marie antoinette was a local acquisition several years ago. i love antiques in the house, in the garden, and on the porches. this little stroller came from an estate sell a few years ago.

the finches are happy to be eat
as much niger seed as we put out.

our apple picking ladder greets our visitors as they arrive with a basket of greens...the old seeder is usually filled with some kind of annual...right now pansies
and cat grass.