The Last of Summer's Bounty: Sunflowers

Grew all of these beauties from seed and faithfully watered aaaaaaaaalll summer long, then staked so they wouldn't fall over. Now, I'm finally being rewarded with multiple blooms on each tall stalk. Happy, happy, happy. 

The First Sunflower of the Year

When you wake up to find this lovely addition to your garden, you know it's going to be a good day. :)

Gifts from Nature

Took a break from designing today to gather some of nature's bounty to brighten up my kitchen and to admire the close-up, intricate details of my newest arrivals.

 I've got a bumper crop this year (and the bugs have been kind - not eating that many holes in the petals). My kitchen is so much happier now with this terra cotta jug of Purple Coneflowers to brighten it up.

New Zinnia blooms are popping open every day! I love the bright colors of the blooms and the geometric shapes of the buds are so interesting. These will last into October. 

July and Purple Coneflowers

All year long, I look forward to July, when my Purple Coneflowers finally bloom and all of the sudden my garden is an explosion of color. These last til the end of summer too, making them an especially welcome addition. Up next, Zinnias and Sunflowers! 

New BLOOMing artwork and a summer sale!

 In between gardening projects, I finally found time to finish my 'Bloom Where You're Planted' prints and list them in my Etsy shop. This is the 1st piece of brand-new artwork I've created since before I got pregnant with my son (over 3 years ago). Woot! Woot! To celebrate, I'm offering 15% off all purchases from my shop (with Coupon Code: BLOOM. Good through the end of August). Happy Day!!! :)

Shalom Schultz  Designs on Etsy

My Bargain Shade Garden

Back in April, I promised I would share a pic of my flea market planters that I scored for just $16, once they were all filled in. Now that it's mid-June, they are looking quite lovely, if I do say so myself. The two long wooden ones sit on either side of my porch, where a blend of New Guinea Impatiens, regular Impatiens, Vinca Vine and Coleus thrive in the shade. Didn't get the big metal tub planted this year, as I had too much yardwork to do before the bugs and heatwave arrived, but there's always next year. 

My Russian Sage and The Scent of Summer

The Bluebells are gone and my Irises are already starting to fade, but while I'm waiting for my Purple Coneflowers to explode into bloom in July, I have purple, wavy and deliciously-scented Russian Sage.

Bluebells in the Morning

This is the first thing I see when I open my curtains each morning. These gorgeous bluebells come up every year on their own and are the first flowers to bloom each spring - a very welcome sight after a long winter. I love to sit in my kitchen and just admire them while I sip my tea or coffee. It puts me in a great mood for the rest of the day!