Happy Memorial Day! I hope you all have had a wonderful time this weekend celebrating all the men and women who have done so much for us and our country in the line of duty. And to any of you reading this who have served our county, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do or have done. You are truly selfless human beings and are courageous beyond belief.
We have been lucky enough to have my dad visiting with us in from Italy this weekend. I think I’ve mentioned that he lives over in Tuscany, but in case I haven’t, he lives about half way in between Florence and Rome. It’s been about a year and a half since we’ve seen him and this was his very first time meeting Mr. Caspian Finn.
My dad has the ultimate green thumb. I’d say he’s probably the best gardener I know, so he has been helping us get the cottage garden back into tip-top shape. We have been so busy traveling as well as with work and the kids, that we really hadn’t gotten a chance to get out in the yard much.
You might say my dad has a mild obsession with gardening. I can remember many, many weekends as a child spent in our local garden centers. He always took such loving care of our plants and yard and I was very proud to have my friends come over to our house and spend time outside. I don’t consider myself to have a green thumb quite like him, but I love being able to have him here sharing a little bit of the knowledge he has gathered over the years.
Memorial Day seems to mark the beginning of new growth here in Chicago and it’s when we can rest assured that we probably won’t get another freeze. Here are some pictures of a few of the wonderful things that are happening around the cottage garden……..
Lindsay Wilkes is the owner and designer behind The Cottage Mama. She creates timeless, vintage inspired sewing patterns for children’s clothes. She is also a fabric designer for Riley Black Designers / Penny Rose Fabrics, author of the book ‘Sew Classic Clothes for Girls’ and can be seen teaching nationwide and online in her video series ‘Lessons with Lindsay’ sponsored by Baby Lock Sewing and Embroidery machines.
oh i love seeing all your goodies growing! we just finished planting our two gardens. the largest garden is filled with all of our veggies and fruits. and the smaller garden is full of pumpkins and squashes. im always amazed by how fast things grow. glad you have a wonderful weekend!
Gorgeous!! How exciting to have your garden cleaned up and your dad there visiting! Love the coach house – could we get a zoomed out picture please? And grape vines, too!!! Our “garden” comes along very slowly – I planted a few beans, but mostly the hubby worked on the chicken coop all weekend. Wish I had a “finished” yard like yours – it’s just beautiful.
Vacation at the beach!!!! Well deserved – I can’t wait to see pictures!!
Your property is dreamy….sigh….
Your “cottage” is the sweetest place….please, post more pics as the summer progresses and your gardens do, also. So glad you had a great time with your dad!! Treasure those days;-)
This is a wonderful, wonderful post! I love every flower and tree in your garden and my dream is to have some grape vines. My Mom was second generation Italian and French heritage. I always wished she spoke the language so I could be bi-lingual. Thanks for sharing your wonderful cottage and garden! ♥
Let’s see… I weeded. And weeded. Oh, and then, I weeded some more. Gah! But now I can get a wheelbarrow down the side of the house to deposit 1.5 cubic yards of compost in my backyard. Such fun… Your yard is gorgeous! I grew up in Mundelein and we never had fruit trees. Now, living in Portland, OR, we could grow just about anything. And I still don’t have any fruit trees. Really should do something about that!
Your garden and cottage are lovely! We are starting a garden, MUCH smaller, so far only little bean plants, but I love the idea of gardening with my daughter. We live in Florida, near Disney and about 2 hrs from the beaches, so we have the best of both worlds. You will love the beaches! If you haven’t heard of Caladesi Island I highly recommend it, has been voted the best beach for a few years, and still not super-crowded. 🙂
What an absolutely charming place you have! So glad you got to spend some precious time with your dad.
Oh my goodness, is that your house? It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! Gorgeous plantings, too. So cute!!!
~Angela~
What a beautiful yard! Excited to get back to the midwest soon and the lovely green!
I am a new follower…your cottage is so lovely and so is your Etsy shop! I have a three year old daughter and am already eyeing a few adorable dresses!
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