Loft Update and Geraniums in Window Boxes Tutorial

 Welcome Back Mini Friends!!!  Ever had a project that just sits and waits for you while life is chaotic?  2025 has been a tough year on the farm but one thing I can count on is that my miniature project in the craft room is patiently waiting for my next move.   There is such a comfort in that.  

The Loft above my Apothecary is coming together.  At least the patio is, and today I am sharing my progress and some "flowers" and flower boxes for the patio railing that I made.  For the planter boxes I used packaging from my dog's heartworm medication and added some hot glue details and then painted them.

For the geraniums I used beet seeds, mounted them on green floral wire and then painted them.  I glued floral foam into the planters and painted it brown.  Then I just stuck the flower picks into there with E6000 glue.  For the geranium leaves I used a flower-shaped punch.  

Towards the end of the post you will see that I added ivy climbing the half wall.  I also have started on the flooring in The Loft.  

My big question for you is... What do you think the inside decor should be?  I am thinking it should be an Artist's Loft, with paintings and paints.  What do you think??

Thank you for visiting!  Stay tuned for more Loft updates.  Maybe I'll get it finished by the end of the year!  LOL.  I'm working on lighting, flooring, walls, and eventually a ceiling and rooftop.

What do you think on decor for this space?  

XOXO! Laurie

2020 Garden

OMG!!! I have officially put my order in for the seeds I wanted for our garden this year!  My only question is... What are we going to eat???!!!

I have ordered the more beautiful flower seeds from Floret Flower Farm!  This is my third time to order from this lovely company.  If you grow your own flowers you should seriously look into their selection.  I unfortunately was too late to buy some of the seeds on my wishlist but that's ok.  What is meant to be will be and I am so tickled at what I did buy.  If you are lucky to be one of the people that had my flowers adorn their summertime tables last year then you will know the fortunate beauty of bringing garden flowers indoors and should really be excited about my selection this year!  Here are pictures (taken from the website of Floret Flower Farm) of what is coming this summer to a garden near you!  And please click HERE to see my wishlist where you can find all of these flowers of my choice and more!

Here we have Bachelor's Buttons, Cosmos, Snapdragons, Black Eyed Susan, Sunflowers, Zinnias, Foxglove, Dahlia, AND ornamental squash!

ALSO, I was teasing about what to eat :)  I still have tons of seeds leftover from last year for fresh veggies.  I did, however, have these on my list of seeds to buy from Rareseeds.com or Baker Creek Heirloom.  Find their website HERE.

I'm excited to grow Stevia this year as I haven't had any in the garden in several years.  In fact, I'm still using it from the last time I grew it in 2014 LOL!  

I decided to include Marigold in with my tomato growing this year to keep bugs away which I haven't done in a long time.  I had some strange bugs last year that didn't seem to mind any kind of poison I put on them,  

I am really looking forward to having dried Parsley after this season!  It's also been several years since I've grown parsley.

I love these white zinnias and can't wait to have them as a bit of contrast in cut flowers this summer.

And the Brandywine Tomatoes.  I had really good success last year with Bonny Best from this site and decided to try these for this summer.  I am planning on only growing two varieties this year.  last year I had five varieties in the garden and seriously only wound up canning the Bonny Best.  I'm not going to grow any cherry tomatoes or smaller varieties as I really just wound up having too many to eat.  Seemed a waste of garden space and only gave the bugs something to eat.  I'm trying to use my space wisely I guess?   

I will still have squash, zucchini, green beans and peppers to eat.  And of course the flowers!  I'm drooling just thinking about how beautiful this summer is going to be!

Around Here

Well Vicky Darlin... this one's for you.

Around here... it's the last day of Spring.

There's a black candle burning in hopes of Spring returning next year.

I'm looking forward to the heat.

To pickin, canning, hanging out and enjoying life.

There's flowers blooming on the porch.

And indoor plants bathing in their summer vacation outside.

Tomorrow is the first day of Summer.

And I can't wait.

It will go by way to fast.

These first pictures are a few from this Spring.

Since I've been too snooty to share!

Or maybe too busy to care.

Either way... while lids on peach preserves are poppin in my kitchen...

here they are.

The new job is going great.

Thanks for askin!

I've missed you too.

If you want to know what any of the plants here are just ask.

Bet you can't name 'em all.

The first full moon of Summer is tonight.

And I'll be dancing naked under it.

I suggest you do too.... at your own house.... preferably after dark if you got neighbors.

Just thought I'd share that.

bulbous blooms

I tell you what... the flower child that I am sure did enjoy the bulbous (or tuberous) begonias on the porch this year.  Our porch, on three sides of our house, extends ten feet out from the house and is covered by our roof so direct sunshine all day does not happen for my flowers.  This is where the bulb type begonias came in very handy and beautifully because they are shade lovers.  Direct sunlight will actually burn the leaves and bloom.  I had one pot at the top of the front steps and wound up having to move it back out of so much light. 

 

Here it is November 20th (when I typed this post) and all of my begonias are still blooming.  I need to take them in and over winter the bulbs but I just hate to when they are still so pretty.  They are under the porch cover so frost can't get to them and yellow them on out.  I may set them on the front steps tonight to get the process rolling.  I've heard that you don't want the bulbs out during a hard freeze and that we will have tomorrow night with temperatures dipping into the twenties.  Ick!

 

I had such good luck with these easy plants that I looked online for another source and found it pretty quick.  I don't know why I had a problem finding tuberous begonias back when I was on the hunt for them.  I reckon I was just looking in the wrong places.  I bought some today, that will ship to me in the Spring, to add to my collection.  I got two new kinds of begonias, a beautiful new to me caladium and a bag of bulbous dahlias to try.  I have a set of caladium bulbs that I have set out for the last three years.  They are what got me started with the "bringing in the bulbs" movement that I seem to have.  But hey... why buy new sets of flowers to plant every year when you can just pull out the same bulbs from year to year?  They are beautiful and so easy to care for.

 

These are the ones I just bought from edenbrothers.com.

 

Apricot Lace Begonia

 

Picotee Begonia

 

White Queen Caladium

 

Dahlia Bulbs Gallery Mix

 

 

That's about all I can spend on flowers for next year but I'm pretty happy. 

 

 

Aren't these gorgeous too...

 

Dahlias Bridal Bouquet

 

 

Dahlias Rembrandt Mix

 

 

Dahlia Bulbs Choc

 

 

Hosta White Feather

How gorgeous!

 

Hosta Fire and Ice

I can just see these in pots at the bottom of our steps.

 

Calla Lily Bulbs Black and White Mix

Golly these are gorgeous!  I am in love.

 

 

 

You can find these and other Spring planting bulbs from edenbrothers HERE.