Let's Build a Trellis

the easy way

Today's post is about a product I ran across on Pinterest.

I didn't like it when Pinterest started with the ads a few years ago but darn it if I don't find things I need through that feature from time to time. Clothes and shoes mostly.

But...I've had a situation at my house for quite awhile that I did not know what to do about till I happened upon a solution on Pinterest.

Last summer I bought a sweet pink climbing rose off Ebay.

Yes, I buy all kinds of stuff off Ebay including plants. I've bought hostas, lilies and this rose.

This rose was advertised as being native and hardy to my part of the country and I needed a rose that could survive the bright sun and heat that hits the front of my cottage in the summer.

Just looked up my past purchases on Ebay and this was an Antique Heirloom Seven Sisters Climbing Rose. I bought in June of 2017. Oh my two years ago!

It was just a little sprig of a thing. The first year, not much happened.

But this past spring I got some lovely blooms and it took off growing!

But as the summer progressed - this was the situation.

I knew I needed a trellis. But all the trellis's were made straight up and down.

I wanted it to curve and follow the arch of my front porch.

I debated making one of wire or copper pipe...which seemed involved and I didn't want a big trellis on the front of my house. I had seen hooks that you are suppose to drill into your house. But I did not want to drill holes into my brick. It's old and fragile.

So one day I'm on Pinterest and I see this ad for Magic Tape!

This stuff is suppose to hold up anything. And even works on a rough surface like brick.

It's double sided.

It will stick up very heavy things and when you are ready to take whatever down..it comes off without leaving a residue.

It's truly magic stuff.

Here's the link so you can watch the video if you have not seen it.

I bought from the site LifeBooster. I was skeptical and worried it wouldn't come but in two weeks it appeared in my mailbox.

I ordered the smallest amount. It was $14.99.

 I bought command hooks at Walmart. 
I bought these because they are clear.

 I cut small pieces of the tape and stuck it into the grout of my brick. I had done a test the day before on the back of my house to see if it would work and it did...stayed all day and came off very easily when I pulled it off.

I stuck up several hooks with the stuff and pushed the vine into the hooks. I had contemplated tying the stalk to the hooks with twine but decided to push inside. I may regret and be taking them out and tying next year because if the vines get large they will burst out of the hooks. 

Any gardeners have an opinion on this? 

There you see it close up. 

So this has been up over a week now and it's doing great. 

Still stuck very tight.

 

I guess as more branches grow - I'll add more hooks.
I guess...I don't really know how this is going to go.
It's an experiment.

 One day the front of my house will look like this!

 This magic tape is amazing. I fixed this little problem too.

I bought this mailbox a year or so ago because the weenies kept eating my mail.

I have a mail slot and it drops to the floor and the dogs run in there and get my mail before I do and scatter it around the house. This has been a problem since I moved in. But one day I was browsing Hobby Lobby and found this antique looking mailbox that was just the right color to blend with my historic house plaque on my porch.
This was the solution to keep the weenies out of my mail.

 I drilled holes into the brick and used anchors to hang it but there was no way to keep the bottom of the mailbox attached to the house. This really became a problem say if I got a magazine or a bunch of mail - the postman would cram it in there and I'd come home finding my mail box about to fall off the wall. Sometimes dangling. It just wasn't stable. It needed to be attached to the wall at the bottom as well. I tried several sticky things and nothing stuck to the brick.

But after I made my trellis, I cut a bit of the magic tape and stuck to the bottom on the back 

and ta-da!!!!

Now my mailbox is very secure. It doesn't move around at all any more.

I have no idea what else I'll use this magic tape for but I bet I come up with some other uses.

 A few photos of the porch as summer is winding down. 

It will be super hot here for at least another 4 weeks. So it will be awhile before fall goes out on the porch. I keep twinkle lights in the lanterns on my front porch year round.

 I love that nest pillow. 
I bought from my sponsor over on the right margin of this blog - 

shop here

This was the first pillow bought from her. 
But I have several that I change with the season.
I'm sure many of you are familiar with her designs. So lovely.

 They are always beautifully made. 

A few cement rabbits tucked here and there.

 My impatiens are doing really well now. 
I didn't have much of a budget for flowers this year.

I bought one group of six impatiens for $1.98 in the spring.

With that one group of six tiny plantings...I've filled four big pots full.

Actually, when I buy impatiens I look for gangly ones...
ones that have gotten long because I 

nip them off and stick the part I nipped off into damp soil in a pot and keep it damp for a week.

At the end of the week...those little cuttings have started growing in the new pot and the old ones are better for being groomed. I do it over and over during the summer till I have lots of impatiens around here. 

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Yard of the Month

June Yard of the Month

in Edgemere Park

 Yes, this house looks similar to my own. Yet it had many differences.

It's actually just down the street from me and it was selected as yard of the month for June.

 This yard is more manicured than my own.

 The couple that lives here is all about restoring this home to it's original glory.

 They are leaving all the original details in the home and restoring rather than renovating.

I love that!

 I'm sure these begonias will be big and bold in another month.

 Pretty pots on the porch.

 A simple landscape out back.

A nice deck to enjoy the evening on.

 Their garage includes a small apartment. I wish I had that. I'd turn it into a studio.

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Cottage Dream

Landscaping Inspiration

Yesterday, Debra of 

http://www.commonground-do.com/2014/02/cottage-plans.html

who is planning on building a new cottage soon -

posted several photos and illustrations of what her new home might look like.

She was writing about her cottage plans and shared several examples of cottages she is inspired by.

She also shared her Pinterest Board - Cottage Plans and Inspiration

I immediately went there to see what cottages were inspiring her.

There at the bottom of the page was this cottage...

It's new! It's a Stephen Fuller home - read about it here and see the floor plan.

It's actually bigger than it looks. I thought it was small at first but it's 2,800 square feet.

Much larger than my cottage which is only 1,400 square feet.

When I saw that rendering above I was immediately smitten with the landscaping.

The color of this cottage is so similar to my own and the landscaping is exactly 

how I'd like my own to look.

That's my cottage...See the similarities in the color scheme?

Last year I was toying with the idea of planting a pink crepe myrtle in the front yard.

After seeing that rendering...I'm definitely planting one. 

The landscaping in that rendering is exactly the feel I want for my own front garden.

I need more bushes and plantings and less grass....yes...less grass.

It's hard not to feel like gardening time is upon us.

The weather has been super nice here this week.

We were in the low 70's today.

70's, 50's and 60's the rest of the week.

Oh...I know winter will be back.

But I can start dreaming of warmer days.

I wrote Debra and thanked her for sharing her cottage plans yesterday so that I would find this.

I've long wanted to add flower boxes under my windows and turn the vents up top into small windows.

Things that the new cottage has.

I think I'll print this beauty out so I can stare at it and dream.

Then when it warms...I need to make that dream a reality.

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The Painted Home

Scrumptious Color

and lots of it!

You just want to eat these rooms up with a spoon.

All of these images from this book -

The Painted Home by Dena

available here on Amazon

Next design book I'll be buying.

Of course I love the yellow and pink.

precious bathroom walls

This room is my favorite.

Have a Very Pretty Saturday!
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Open House Sunday

Whimsical Cottage in Atlanta

built 1920

This house has so many charming details that even though it is not staged and barely furnished, 

I just had to show it.

It had me at the front porch.

So many things about this home that are so pretty and quirky!

First the mixture of shingles and stone.

The deep overhang on the porch and unusual porch posts. 

It's painted a lovely gray color that looks so nice with the white trim and the stone.

And the gardens are straight out of a fairytale.

Look at the sweet flower box under the diamond pane window on the second story.

I love it that there are french doors leading out on to the front porch.

Love that big blue pot too. Copper gutters add to the charm.

Someone with artistic flair  lived here.

I love the way the stone walkway is edged in smaller white stones.

Through the stone archway and through an unusual front door.

Notice the fireplace to the left is covered in either rocks or shells.

I think it's shells.

I wish there was a better photo of it.

Nice built ins. I'd paint those white super fast.

charming little fireplace in this room

dining room is pretty straight forward

This kitchen is not so great but it wouldn't take much to make it gorgeous.

Tone down the color of the walls first of all.

New appliances would make a world of difference.

I do love the copper stove hood.

That is very strange tile. It has hot air balloons on it!

Slap some subway tile up there and paint the cabinets and it would be so much better.

Very vintage bathroom.

Another very vintage bathroom. 

Not sure what this room is.

This I am guessing is a large room size closet.

It's very over the top.

I don't care for the way the cabinetry is painted but imagine it all painted white.

It would be pretty!

Love that armoire!

I imagine this room as a craft room...potting shed room.

Can't you just see that built in with sink on the left filled with pots and flowers?

Those curtains would have to go immediately and I'd change the color on the  walls.

Upper deck..I'm guessing is on the back of the home.

Guest cottage out back and a glimpse at the wonderful garden.

Inside the cottage.....looks all set to be an artist's studio to me. Or at least that is how I imagine it.

Wonderful old gate on the side. Notice the large potted boxwoods.

Amazing angel statues accent the stone walls of the garden.

Here is a view of the garden.

Isn't it lovely?

I can just imagine giving this place some love..can't you?

See full listing here.

I'm giving away two copies of this book....go to my post about it here to enter.


Today - 
Mom and I are going tree shopping.
It's our tradition to shop for trees on Mother's Day.
We started this tradition because my Mom says my Dad always chose Mother's Day
to trim all the trees and bushes at their house. This always upset her to see him hacking away at them
or rather chainsawing them.
One year he ripped up her favorite tree without asking because he was sick of the acorns
that got in the way when he mowed.

She was traumatized by this. My Dad always took care of the yard.
Mom never did. It never occurred to him to tell her he was planning on ripping out that tree.
He just thought the yard was his deal and he was going to do whatever he thought best.

That tree that he ripped out? It was a Bur Oak.
She planted one back in her yard in the spot where he chopped down the first one
the second year after he died.

There is also one in my front yard...planted by Mom in honor of the one she lost.
My Dad killed her tree over 30 years ago and she is still mad about it.

Did she ever tell him she was mad about it?
No.
But now even ten years after he is gone...she still is taking her revenge.

Her revenge was making sure she had another and I had one too.

And you know what?
That crazy tree drops huge acorns everywhere that have to be picked up when mowing.

Dad knew what he was doing.
We should have chosen another type of tree.

I never tell Mom that, though.

Today we'll shop for a tree to replace my maple that bit the dust last year.
Our Mother and Daughter tradition.

Happy Mother's Day!

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