Or: How we got this crazy heavy sink out of the kitchen and onto the deck. I’m writing this Sunday morning. The cabinets are being installed and I’m mostly hiding because I don’t really care for the messy/scary parts. But rather than leave you totally hanging on a kitchen update, I thought I’d share a little item about how to ...
With any renovation there are big decisions and little decisions. I find the big decisions to be nerve-wracking exercises in self-doubt. There is nothing like knowing you are spending a lot of money on something that is not easily changed—the layout, counters, etc—to give you a good case of decision paralysis. Because we sort of fast-tracked our mini kitchen renovation ...
Last week A couple weeks ago (can you tell the draft of this post has been sitting on my computer for a bit?) I told you that we are getting back into the renovation game and redoing our kitchen. Today I’m going to tell you a bit more about the plan. The layout of the kitchen will stay the same. So ...
Slowly but surely the living room transformation from a warm modern French country feel to a more casual, slightly nautical feel has come together. I showed you the new main seating area (our living room is long and narrow so we have three seating areas). I also showed you how I reupholstered the set of chairs by the game table ...
It has been two years since we finished our renovation. We love almost everything we did as part of that insanely large project although there are very few things we would choose to do differently if we were to do it all over again. But looking back, that renovation damn near killed me. OK, that’s being dramatic, but it was ...
What is it with me and spur-of-the-moment door painting? It’s really quite strange. I usually really think about a project before I jump into it. I’m not one of those people who will tear down a wall on a Friday night without thinking through what happens next. But for some reason, I get a little crazy when it comes to ...
First off, I’m sorry for the radio silence this week after the big bang of two posts on Monday. I had posts all ready to go and then work got so busy I didn’t even have time to hit send. The other day a friend and blog reader sent me a message in the middle of our intense Words with ...
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Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I worked with Garrett Wade, which has some very cool garden tools, on this post. I was compensated for my time and provided samples to try out. As always, my words and thoughts are genuine and mine alone. I took a look at the extended […]
My appreciation for shrubs grows deeper every year as I appreciate the low-maintenance aspects of them and new, improved shrubs of all shapes and sizes are released every year. Hydrangeas are not unique. In fact they are so popular that even professional plants people will admit they get a little sick of them. But more […]
A quick note before we get into a makeover I’m really excited about: This post is a paid partnership with Lowe’s Home Improvement, but you know how I roll on these things: You always get my honest opinion whether you want it or not! Here’s a typical summer for me: Part 1: Hurry, hurry, hurry. […]
Over the weekend I did something I should be doing much more often. I got out of bed early and, instead of lingering over multiple cups of coffee, I grabbed my camera to take a few pictures in the nice morning light. Whether you take photos to share, as a record of your garden or […]
There’s something special going on at a little island smack dab at the meeting point of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. I’ve never been to a place outside the tropics where a garden can be filled with every color and have it work like it does on Mackinac Island. The air there is clear, the […]
Four years ago when I planted comfrey, I went into it with my eyes wide open. I knew that because comfrey grows very deep roots (like 15 or more feet deep), and because it grows very easily from root cuttings, that once I planted it, odds are, it would be in that spot forever. So, […]
Whenever I’m in Chicago I try to take a stroll through the Lurie Garden in downtown. I realize that the whole point of Piet Oudolf‘s iconic design is that looks great all the time, just in a different way (and in a way that sometimes redefines what looking great means for a garden), but it […]
Do you ever wonder what size plant you should buy? Is that bigger plant really work twice the price of a smaller plant? I have no clear position on this. Years ago when I was first starting this garden I got very involved in a plant co-op that I purchased dozens (or maybe hundreds) of […]
I’m writing this on Friday night because a Friday Finds never happened. I gardened after work until late—I’m determined to have every plant that’s in a pot in the ground by the end of the weekend—and waited for a big expected storm to come through to water it all. It’s amazing how efficient I am […]
It’s that glorious time of year when most people are settled into summer and a lot of folks are heading out for vacations. I love a good summer vacation, maybe even more than those blessed jaunts to warmer places in the middle of winter (although those certainly do more for my mental health), but it’s […]
The privacy screen garden I created at the end of the driveway a few weeks ago should have been an easy project from a plant selection standpoint. It was just four plants: an evergreen, a multi-stem tree, a shrub and a grass. It is, by far, the most restraint I’ve ever shown when planting a […]
It’s been a bit since we’ve had a Friday Finds here, because there’s been so much going on in the garden. But I thought I’d dedicate this Friday Finds to all kinds of catching up. First off, I’ve been trying to get some videos up on the YouTube channel, although not as many as I’d […]
I waited a bit to show you what I did for containers at my house this year, partly because other gardening projects have been stealing attention, but also because all containers look a little better when they have chance to grow in just a bit. They are all now getting to the point where you […]
A quick note: This post is sponsored by 3-IN-ONE® Fast-Acting Penetrant, but you know I will always tell it like it is, so all words and opinions are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support this blog. This time of year is full of big projects. Whipping the garden into shape, never-ending […]
