Spring Has Arrived & So Have The Black Flies!

Spring has been in full swing this week & the gardens are coming to life!
Bridget & Baxter have been enjoying the Peppa Pig Pool again, cooling down after running a getting a drink from it too!
The black flies are now feasting on us, I got my forehead bit two days ago & they seem to swarm around the head. I now wear my netted hat with a brim if I'm out for any length of time, not very attractive however it is very effective keeping them off your head!

Does this not show how warm it is here now?! These two just love their pool. It's hard remembering that just three weeks ago there was snow! We have truly turned the corner now & everything is looking so beautiful with all the new colours & textures of green!

 Bridget getting into her clean pool this morning. I use their dirty water to water the front limelight hydrangea bushes, then fill with clean water for the day. They are pampered Boston's as the garage has hot/cold water & I fill it with warm water for them. lol

Spring Sewing

 I was viewing Susie's Scrap Blog & loved the look of this one 16" block. I had scraps of the 1930s reproduction fabric in 2 1/2" squares that were needed & made this 16" placemat. And from the 4 1/2" snowball blocks...

 

                                                       I made this little coaster!

After seeing how fast it went together & found nautical 5" squares that I could make 4 - 2 1/2" squares & the process gave me this!

 There will be borders put around it to complete this picnic quilt, the X pattern really stands out now!
And to think it is all only one block pattern, one of those 'One Block Wonders!'.

 Then I quilted up this fat 1/4 to cover a rectangular pillow, it too sings summer with the butterflies!

The back is zipper closure, I'm finding that velcro picks up all the pet hair in this house & if the pillows are feathers the back bulges out. This zipper technique is fast & easy to giving a clean back & an easy in & out for seasonal changes or laundering. 

 I had a fat 1/4 of each fabric so I cut it in 2 1/2" strips for a striped seashore pattern of shells & coral.

 Muslin fabric was added to the back with a black zipper for closure.

 Whilst cleaning my sewing room a cross stitch that I made back in the 1980s was found, it had a plastic blue house frame that I removed & started to play with Civil War scrap fabric.

 I framed it with some cobblestone muslin & this small pillow has a velcro closure on the back.
What fun making something from nothing! Embroidery work would've looked really good on it too but I was supposed to be organizing my room not creating. Just had to sew that day!

 This project is now hanging in the kitchen! No a great photo with the flash & even worse without.
It looks great hanging up though! lol

 The oldest bird on the right had to be glued back together after a fall, so I placed it next to the newest modern made albino bird.

All the birds are stuck down with museum putty to keep them in place. I'm pleased with the way they turned out & so surprised that my girlfriend Jocelyne gifted me with the ideal frame for this project!
Funny how things just sometimes work out perfectly!!

 The oak entertainment unit is now in my sewing room, which is still upside down & needs my attention. The great room has undergone some big changes too more of that to follow in this post.

 Two bookcases had to move out to place the unit in the sewing room & the closet under the foyer stairs was a perfect place for them. Bonus as it's right outside the sewing room too!
A lot of organizing needed in that closet too, it's great getting organized but I have to put a hold on the creative mode that wants to play!

 The room has a better feel with the shelving having doors on it, out of site creating visual neatness.

There's a bookcase on each side of the unit & baskets on top to hold projects that are on to be done in the future. Oh, the mess that lies ahead of that room by the window & on the desk. A rainy day project with so much to do outside right now.

 Bill was very busy this weekend, he arrived from Italy on Thursday night with this new screen door that he installed in the great room. The south summer breeze will flow through this room now!

 I'm enjoying hearing the hand-tuned windchimes through this door & the Boston's looking out namely Baxter looking for the squirrels. lol

 The chore of emptying out the great room's sofa, two chairs, & the entertainment unit that went into my sewing room created chaos before the change happened.

 The amount to rebuild the Louis IV set was a lot right now so we opted to order a leather set from Costco that will be easy to care for in the coming years. The antique sofa & chairs now grace the sunporch & look great out there.

 The sofa is in place of the IKEA daybed, the marble coffee table moved out there too!

 The chairs face the large mirror that looks at the water & Bill moved the mirror on an angle to capture the beauty of the Miramichi Bay view.

 The other sofa sectional just moved down a bit & that's where the pets look out or in the afternoon take in the setting sun.

The antique desk was moved by the great room door & now feels so open when the door is open & the all glass screen door provides a view to the Gnome garden.

Gnome Garden

 Bill planted his metal garden with the gnomes this year. I painted the purple hats red on the gnomes.

 Bill did a great job on the gardens getting all the cement & garden decor out. I loved what he did with the fence & the gnome with the glass mushroom top! XO

 This action shot of Baxter is a daily routine as he is tormented by the squirrels in the trees. He paces back & forth then will just sit at the base of the tree & wait for so long. He nearly froze doing that this winter!

There are two new gnomes in the garden this year too! Can you see the one blending into the woods in the center of the photo on a stump? I didn't want to paint his hat bright red...not this year anyway. lol

Gardens Around The House

Bill was very busy this trip & it truly showed after 40 large bags of black mulch were spread onto the winter-beaten gardens & around the evergreens in the backyard.
It is a pleasure to stroll around the yard until that d#*! black fly swarm finds you!

 I started these bulbs way back & soon will transfer them in a larger pot outside.

 Bill made a stop in Moncton at the Costco & purchased 7 of these baskets, 5 stayed here & 2 went to the Eel River Apartment for the front sitting area.

 The handles stay on for now because every time there's a 'chance of frost' warning, I grab the handle & carry the basket to the front porch.

I love just looking at the green grass that's getting lusher & greener!

The EBH Garden Club had their first meeting & free seeds last month, I thought I'd try my hand at getting the morning glories started & put them out mid-June to help with our short summer season. There were also hollyhocks but just a few came up for me. I had red, pink, & black hollyhock seeds & coloured the ends of toothpicks to let me know which colour was growing where. So far one of each colour is starting to poke through. Julia, a fellow blogger, would be able to get this bunch growing! I planted cilantro seeds in the ones with no toothpicks & will see how that works out for me.

The Potting Shed garden is rapidly poking through! The forsythia is smiling yellow & starting to turn green on the bush that has the longest sun on it.

The firepit burned all day when we were cleaning out an area in the bush behind the Gnome Garden.

Bill took up the patio stones & placed black gravel around the pit for easy mowing maintenance.

And this is the first photo of many this summer... it is the future home of Bill's 36' x 40' storage garage for all his trailers & 'things'. More photos to come with that process.

Outside the Boston's dog pen is the cottage garden, plants will be divided & transplanted back to their original home on Eel River once the landscaping is done there this summer.

Pink bleeding hearts are coming to life!

Jocelyne's retirement plant has really taken off this year!

Some plants did not survive this harsh winter but those that did are very hardy this spring.

More black mulch is needed in some of the sideyard gardens.

Lupins! I love lupins!

Peonies from Ontario are coming to life again!

Potting Shed front garden. The Potting Shed is getting windows this year & a solar panel installed on the roof! I don't know how that will work with the plough hurling black gravel on the roof with the blowing up & over with the snow.

The pink rose bush really likes its new location!

I'll be dividing the Iris's this fall too, they are so lush already!

How pretty are these bulb colours?! They just make my heart sing!

So summery, I keep touching the Lambs Ear, it's velvety soft!

Rhubarb has taken root & I hope to have a pie from it this year!

The Pom-pom bush had broken branches that I put in water & it took to rooting so I'll transfer it to the ground once we are frost free. June 17th is our full moon, so after that, it should be safe.

The French Lilacs with Russian blooms are up to & past the great room window, just beautiful!

The side deck will have a heavenly fragrant smell to it this summer!

 The cement urn has been filled & supports are in place as I cover it every night with a blanket & rug when there's a frost warning. What a pleasure to look into the backyard & view the beautiful colours and texture design on the urn.

 Rexton the Manx with Bridget in the bay window, discussing who was there first & who is staying! lol

 This huge Golden Eagle has been around lately & I'm happy the Bostons are over 20lbs now.

 The Hummingbirds came back two days after Mother's Day, more & more are coming now to the feeders. The cats & dogs don't even bother them looking at them as they quickly drink & come & go.

 The sunsets are spectacular here, as those that have been here for any length of time know.

 Even moody nights are calming to look at.

And on nights that are bright & not moody, the rooms on the shore side glow a bright red!
As a sunset says it's the end of the day, so is the end of this very long post. lol

Thank you for stopping in for a visit & I hope your garden brings you the joy that mine does. Thank you, Bill, for bringing it all together again with the black mulch & all cement lawn & garden ornaments.

Have a great weekend. I'm off to Rexton, yes home of the Manx, to see a quilt & craft fair. I'll post some photos for you artisans to take in. Stay safe.

Cynthia