Martha's Vineyard: architecture

First of all, let me just say how much I was loving the architecture, details, and lush gardens of Martha's Vineyard. Most of the houses that we saw were built in the 1700-1800s! oooh... I was seriously in love. Where we stayed in Oak Bluffs, there was an entire "campground" of gingerbread-like Victorians, that were each unique in their own right, and beautifully maintained. And I couldn't get enough of the cedar shingles, and ornate moldings on the cottages and churches. I also loved the one-of-a-kind windows and doors. I felt, at times, like I was walking on a movie set. It was just unreal, the craftsmanship and beauty of it all.

Oh, and I can't forget about the hydrangea. Simply gorgeous... big, full-headed blooms, dripping out onto every sidewalk.

(images by RowHouse)

Wish I was here...

While I'm on the subject of gardens, I remembered that I had recently found a CD with photos taken 3 years ago the weekend that my husband proposed. I thought I had lost the disk, so this made me soooo happy! We were in the Hamptons in late June, and it was a total surprise. He had planned ahead and made reservations for us to stay at this unreal-beyond-gorgeous bed & breakfast in East Hampton. I was in a dream state of giddiness. Looking back on that weekend, we always remember the garden and pool behind the house as being our ultimate "if we could have it" backyard. Just some eye candy and inspiration for you on this oppressively hot Tuesday...

Plant now for Fall veggies

I've wanted to plant some veggies in our backyard, and so I've been looking for ideas for late summer plants... I stumbled upon an article, found on Gardners.com. It was helpful so I wanted to share a quick summary:

Seeds germinate fast when the soil is already nice and warm. For delicious, picture-perfect fall crops of spinach, lettuce, peas, kale and broccoli, now’s the time to plant. Here are 4 easy steps to ensure your success.

1. Pull some. Plant some. Pull out any plants that are past their prime, and toss into a compose if you have one. Then till the soil with organic fertilizer and any compost you may have, and plant your new seeds.

2. Screen the Sun. Keep the soil surface from drying out with netting or screens. Fall-planted seeds should be sown twice as deep as in the spring.

3. Sow the Right Crops. Plants that thrive in fall weather include: carrots, beets, broccoli, Swiss chard, kale and all kinds of salad and Asian greens.

4. Don’t Delay. Summer-planted crops usually require an extra 2 weeks to reach maturity (since fall days become shorter and air temperatures are cooler).


Also, a note about lawncare (however tiny like ours!)... Late summer and early fall is also the best time to seed lawns. Home gardeners can begin seeding of lawns in mid -to-late August, depending upon your climate/zone.

(image via flickr, and me)

rosemary

Quick thought today... So I have a thing for rosemary. I love it. I love the aroma, the taste, and the look, especially in pots or topiaries... I was successful growing it last summer, but this year I haven't been too organized about growing herbs. So, the Safeway aisle will have to do for me until I can get my act together. I did find some delicious sounding rosemary recipes on epicurious though for your cooking pleasure!




(images from organic facts)

Lavender

Lavender... it's probably my most cherished plant at the moment... Although I'm ashamed to admit that I tried planting some last year and our dog decided that he wanted to yank it out of the ground 4 days later and run around the backyard with it dangling from his sloppy jowls...

Every time I see lavender I feel like I should be walking barefoot near a farmhouse in Provence, without a worry in the world, sipping on Bordeaux and admiring my summer tan. Then I realize that I'm staring at what I think is lavender, and it's actually not lavender at all. Rather, some new grotesque variation of a city weed growing out of an usually large crack in a DC sidewalk... I realize this while waiting in a cloud of CO2 fumes at the 13th Street bus stop where I've just been kicked in the heel by the person behind me... awesome.

hey, a girl can dream, can't she?