Memorial Day

Always grateful for those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom. Hope you have a good Memorial Day. All pictures from Pinterest.

Cottage Homes and Gardens

I love so many homes in my neighborhood of East Hill. Charming and eclectic best describe East Hill, a neighborhood of homes primarily built in the 1930s and 1940s. Many of the cottage-style homes featured in these photos have two and three bedrooms. There are exceptions like the home below. Most yards still retain the original azaleas, camellias and oaks--but owners like to add a variety of new plants. Some hardy perennials that you will see are hydrangea, agapanthus, society garlic, begonias, oak leaf hydrangea, and various ferns. Palms and citrus trees also thrive in this environment bordered by Bayou Texar and Pensacola Bay. 

Designs in Landscaping

I've been busy this month with an outside home improvement project. So far the new pergola and lattice fence started in April is about 90 percent finished. I hope to show pictures of the project when all the finishing touches are done. Instead, here are a few pictures of yards in my neighborhood that show good examples of landscape styles that I like. Drought tolerant Vinca ground cover and rosemary do well throughout the year. Good shade trees include birches and Japanese maples. Crepe Myrtles provide beautiful blooms in watermelon pink, electric red, lavender, and white hues. Something new on the scene is the horsetail bamboo in the last photo. 

Refurbish Gold Jewelry

A friend of mine showed me a clever way to rejuvenate tarnished costume jewelry. She uses Design Master 24 KT Pure Gold spray paint. I was amazed at how these pieces looked like real gold plating.

Spring Front Porch

Spring Fling link parties are a fun way to see some pretty nifty ideas for home decor. I've been at the Spring Door Decor linky party over at Rhoda's Southern Hospitality. My egg wreath is smaller than most of the other wreaths at the party, but it looks perfectly at home on my front door. The hydrangea topiary from Lowes is the hit of my neighborhood. So hop on over to the linky party and join the fun.

Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

Yesterday the weather was absolutely gorgeous along the Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida. I was walking down the sidewalk when I spotted this beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly (Papillio Cresphontes).  For identification and information, I went to the Florida Butterfly Database. When feeding, swallowtails keep their wings fluttering, similar to hummingbirds,  while hovering close to flowers. This cluster of blooms is one type of lantana. There are about 150 species. Some are native and grow into tall bushes. Many hybrids of lantana are available from nurseries. Colors range from yellow, orange, pink to lavender-like blue.