New Residents at Lowfields

The baby peacocks have hatched!  How cute are they?  Still contemplating names so stay tuned...

Sweet lil peacocks

Spring Gardening

Spring is my favorite time of year...  I know I probably say that about every season when I am in it, but spring is really a lovely time at the farm.  Everything is fresh and new and the weather is such that I can be outside for hours at a time and the heat won't kill me like it does in the middle of summer.    

It's great fun to see the perennial gardens returning and it's even more fun to plan out new things.  A perfect morning for me recently was sitting down with my coffee surrounded by seed packets and planning out my next garden project.    I've also included some pictures of what's blooming and thriving in our gardens.  

A lovely morning of garden planning

Looking forward to getting into the dirt

The fun little perennial garden between the Hall & Whimsey

Very soft Gertrude Jekliy colors - lavenders, pinks, whites

Baptista or False Indigo -
my southern answer for delphiniums which don't do well here

Old urns give gardens structure -
this one filled with Hyssup & nepata

It's so great to look out and see all the beauty

Everything is so green and lovely

Just planted by the pool -  can't wait to see how it develops!  

Not Your Average Commute

I often get asked how we travel back and forth from Raleigh to the farm with 5 dogs and all the necessities needed.  Let me tell you, it's no small feat, but we have it down to a science.  I thought it would be fun to document and share with the blogosphere world!  

My staging area at Sunset for everything we need to bring

The start of load-in with spring plants
and of course a cooler for food transport

Everyone has assigned seating -
big dogs in the back and little ones in the front 

Clara Belle is ready to go!  

My co-pilots - Floyd & Clara Belle 

And we're off... 

Tiny Rooms = Big Impact

Over the years, I have done a lot of very small rooms. Just because a room may be small, it doesn't mean it can't have a big impact.  My purpose is always to make the space functional but at the same time to keep it beautiful.  One "trick" is to use one tone of color, preferably a light one,  very little pattern and bring in a lot of different textures.  

A favorite small room of mine is our guest room at Sunset.  It's a 10x12 room covered in vanilla!  

The vanilla guest room at Sunset

The window in the room has been visually enlarged by having suede and damask curtains covering the entire wall.  This also acts as a headboard/background for the suede covered daybed which is accented by pillows made from old angora sweaters.  Everything is brought together by the fluffy wool shag carpet. 

On the other side of the room is a dressing table that Donna found which started the entire theme of vanilla, one of my favorite flavors and colors!  

Dressing table that started it all! 

Pillows made from old angora sweaters

Close up of darling vintage lamp