Phaedra's Adventure

[Phaedra]

congrats on finally being able to have your cafe open.

You can open your shop now!

Yes! But now I am a bit too much in the gardener mode, hahaha. I didn't expect (or believe) that it will be finalized so soon, and thought the shop might open in autumn.

Well, I will prepare for the soft open anyway, let's see.

 

[Phaedra]

Once, it's a lawn, and now, there are so many different plants growing in the different corners. It's beautiful, however, mowing is also more complicated. It's impossible for me to use only the mower like our neighbors. Usually, I need the mower, grass shear, and also the trimmer.

Since this west facing area is majorly created and maintained by me, the best return of investment is enjoying the daily life in it.

The perennials growing in the central flower bed are going to bloom very soon.

The first show on this arch is the orange-yellow toned honeysuckle - it was transplanted on the right side, and only climbed half the arch last year. The ongoing training works, and it climbs properly this spring.

In another two weeks, the climbing rose from the left will start bloom. That is my 2016 birthday gift, and we brought a cutting from my FIL's house. After these two, there will still a third wave of flowers from the other late variety pink-white toned honeysuckle (from the left).

Compared with either pastel or cold tones, adding warm colors to the garden needs more experiences in my opinion. I think I can start adding more from now on

The first yellow lupine

Pond area - it seems that much rain from the last autumn months is helpful for the Rhododendrons and Azaleas - they are just blossoming like crazy this year.

Just like colorful flames

From another direction - the yellow Iris are about to blossom, too. This is my favorite seat for having breakfast.

With loads of salad greens, the best meal recently is like this - simple but luxurious.

 

[akroberts]

Once, it's a lawn, and now, there are so many different plants growing in the different corners. It's beautiful, however, mowing is also more complicated. It's impossible for me to use only the mower like our neighbors. Usually, I need the mower, grass shear, and also the trimmer.

Since this west facing area is majorly created and maintained by me, the best return of investment is enjoying the daily life in it.
View attachment 66045
The perennials growing in the central flower bed are going to bloom very soon.
View attachment 66046
The first show on this arch is the orange-yellow toned honeysuckle - it was transplanted on the right side, and only climbed half the arch last year. The ongoing training works, and it climbs properly this spring.
View attachment 66047

In another two weeks, the climbing rose from the left will start bloom. That is my 2016 birthday gift, and we brought a cutting from my FIL's house. After these two, there will still a third wave of flowers from the other late variety pink-white toned honeysuckle (from the left).

Compared with either pastel or cold tones, adding warm colors to the garden needs more experiences in my opinion. I think I can start adding more from now on
View attachment 66048

The first yellow lupine
View attachment 66049

Pond area - it seems that much rain from the last autumn months is helpful for the Rhododendrons and Azaleas - they are just blossoming like crazy this year.
View attachment 66050
Just like colorful flames
View attachment 66053

View attachment 66052

From another direction - the yellow Iris are about to blossom, too. This is my favorite seat for having breakfast.
View attachment 66051

With loads of salad greens, the best meal recently is like this - simple but luxurious.
View attachment 66054

Your gardens are gorgeous. Congratulations on being able to open the shop. I know you are going to be a blessing for the people and community that enters your shop. Have a wonderful day.

 

[Phaedra]

Your gardens are gorgeous. Congratulations on being able to open the shop. I know you are going to be a blessing for the people and community that enters your shop. Have a wonderful day.

Thank you, and I hope that you would create lovely corners in your garden and enjoy building your oasis.

 

[Phaedra]

The second phase of this small hoop tunnel begins - all plastic planters were out, and the warmth-loving plants (majorly tomato) moved in. For the third phase (after tomatoes), it will be used for growing greens again.

I am also trying this watering method.

This morning, I transplanted 6 Dahlias into the raised bed with newly-attached hardware cloth, and sweet peas next to sweet corns - extra sweet, hahahah. My idea is just like the good old three-sister method - let sweet peas climb on the corn stalks.

Luffas, melons, pumpkins, summer squashes, marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, and etc were all transplanted. I have about 20% young plants left and will finish the work in a day or two. Don't know why, I feel so relieved to see the greenhouse becomes empty again.

Flowers for today

Besides the flowers I picked this morning, I also harvested some catnips that grows too wildly in one of the flower beds. As it's my first time to grow them, and they are established from the second year - the clump at the front has to go, otherwise, the neighboring plants will suffer. The other clump at the back remains, and I believe, it would flower soon.

The removed ones are now in the dehydrator.

Foxgloves are preparing their show.

The bearded Iris is on the way, too~

 

[Phaedra]

I am cleaning my tiny shop today and preparing for a soft open from next week. The light and music is on, and everything is again clean and shining.

Somehow, I feel that I opened a small time capsule today and received a gift from 2023 version of me. Yes, everything inside this space was arranged by that me. However, I am still surprised how many details I accompolished then.

This is the display shelf for sweets that can stay at room temperature - pound cake, cup cake, madeleine, or finachier.

And those lovely loyalty cards - from ordering the stamps, picking suitable papers, stampig, coloring, and laminating. I am healed by that version of me, who didn't know what is waiting but still did her best.

Isn't it not too far away from gardening? It was a seed that was sowed one year ago -tried hard to keep growing, overwintering, and adapting with some sort of faith.

Hey, now i know more about my lovely tiny cafe, it's a biennial plant, and I can feel its strength now.

 

[akroberts]

I am cleaning my tiny shop today and preparing for a soft open from next week. The light and music is on, and everything is again clean and shining.

Somehow, I feel that I opened a small time capsule today and received a gift from 2023 version of me. Yes, everything inside this space was arranged by that me. However, I am still surprised how many details I accompolished then.
View attachment 66080

View attachment 66085

View attachment 66086

This is the display shelf for sweets that can stay at room temperature - pound cake, cup cake, madeleine, or finachier.
View attachment 66087

And those lovely loyalty cards - from ordering the stamps, picking suitable papers, stampig, coloring, and laminating. I am healed by that version of me, who didn't know what is waiting but still did her best.
View attachment 66088

Isn't it not too far away from gardening? It was a seed that was sowed one year ago -tried hard to keep growing, overwintering, and adapting with some sort of faith.

Hey, now i know more about my lovely tiny cafe, it's a biennial plant, and I can feel its strength now.

You have a very lovely cafe. I like the little cards on the table.

 

[Phaedra]

Life goes on, and many things are happening. This is the soft-open week of my Café, and I am adapting the new daily routine. Of course, I spent much less time in the main garden - usually in the very early morning when nothing disturbs the tranquility.

Lupines bring lovely and brightness to the garden.

The very first chamomoiles

Different daisies are also ready for the show time.

One of my very mixed beds -the brassica in the corner makes me laugh out loud.

Well, but now I have another container garden in front of the Café to take care of.

Today's baking

 

[akroberts]

Life goes on, and many things are happening. This is the soft-open week of my Café, and I am adapting the new daily routine. Of course, I spent much less time in the main garden - usually in the very early morning when nothing disturbs the tranquility.

Lupines bring lovely and brightness to the garden.
View attachment 66172
View attachment 66173
The very first chamomoiles
View attachment 66174
Different daisies are also ready for the show time.
View attachment 66175
One of my very mixed beds -the brassica in the corner makes me laugh out loud.
View attachment 66176
Well, but now I have another container garden in front of the Café to take care of.
View attachment 66177

View attachment 66178

Today's baking
View attachment 66182

View attachment 66180

Everything looks so gorgeous.

 

[Phaedra]

Those bearded Irises are really charming! When I bought the tubers, I felt, wow, it cost a small fortune; however, when I saw now their blooms, oh my, it's 100% worthwhile - no need to say, they are perennials.

The first wave of honeysuckle is fading, but the climbing roses are ready to take the stage.

Overwintered snapdragons - they will look sad during the winter months, however, once they touch the ground again in late spring, they grow quickly and will offer flowers much earlier than the young plants just sow in Feb/Mar.
Before I transplanted them again to the soil, I pruned them and put the stems in the water. After those stems root, more plants joined the cutting flower patch. So far, all of them are doing great. This is a lovely lesson. I will do the same this year - keeping the strong plants with colors I like in the greenhouse. Hopefully, I don't need to sow any new snapdragon next season.

Celery regrew from the store-bought celery - one of them is flowering - wow, it's pretty, too. The are several levels of flowers, I like them.

Look at those Night-scented stock!! I guess they are at least 1.2M high and offer massive flowers. They are biennials, but wow, so impressive. I have several plants in different corners, and they act like purple-pink firework.

This flower bed that I created last August is going t show a lot of colors (and goodies) soon.

Something funny, most of my flower beds are highly mixed with flowering perennials, berries, and annuals. I just couldn't help to laugh out loud when I saw some funny combinations like below - rose, lavender, currant, blueberries, strawberries, bachelor's buttons, and....POTATOES! The holy potatoes that you won't get rid of once you grow them somewhere. That 'somewhere' will always have some undug small potatoes that will wake up in the late spring.