Easter in Germany

Last year we were in Germany for Easter and it is so hard not to think back to all the decorations and celebrations we saw while we were there.  Every town, shop and neighborhood gave us a reason to want to celebrate the season. 

We especially enjoyed reading that this town square requested we avoid touching any of the 3,000 hand-blown eggs that were part of this display. 

Look at the woman's head to the left of this egg...this thing was HUGE!!!

  Every evening as the sun went down we would observe the hillsides covered with Easter bonfires.  You can learn more about the tradition of the bonfires here.   I've done some decorating but nothing that compares to the Easter celebrations I was able to observe last year.  Meanwhile I'm looking forward to Easter fun with the grandgirls. 

weekend finds…

Another hop over to the local thrift. Yep Habitat.

We found a travertine topped outdoor wicker table… Big.

Heavy…well made….we need to glue back on a few pieces on the edges

Get this…

Ten bucks…I kid you not.

Found a little garden nook…sheathed in blooming jasmine

as it’s current home.

The Jasmine is heady and Intoxicating this weekend…

The Jathropa…decades old…continues to canopy

what we call the “dog path”

The Frangipani blooms with it’s face to the strong sun.

all is well {ish}

well…until we found out how much we owe the Feds. Taxes. Ouch.

What were your weekend finds?

Nesting

Sometimes…

Words are not even needed.

Sometimes.

images: Coastal living

"If You Go Down To The Woods Today"

Himself and I took to the hills last weekend where we went walking and garden visiting . The weather was simply glorious. We walked part of Wenlock Edge in Shropshire, where we came across various wild flowers including violets, celandines, primroses, cowslips as well as bluebells which were just beginning to open. What took my breath away were the carpets of wood anenomes, which I have never seen in such numbers before ~

'Wood Anemone'
"The wood anemone through dead oak leaves
And in the thickest woods now blooms anew,
And where the green briar and the bramble weaves
Thick clumps o'green, anemones thicker grew,
And weeping flowers in thousands pearled in dew
People the woods and brakes, hid hollows there,
White, yellow and purple - hued the wide wood through.
What pretty drooping weeping flowers they are:
The clipt-frilled leaves, the slender stalk they bear 
On which the drooping flower hangs weeping dew,
How beautiful through April time and May
The woods look, filled with wild anemone;
And every little spinney now looks gay
With flowers mid brushwood and the huge oak tree"
~ John Clare,1793 -1864

More from Shropshire to follow.

Note To Self

M IS FOR?

MORE!
I have decided that I simply must plant more tulip bulbs this autumn. I have never been a great fan of the leaves which I think are most manky, but oh what magnificent flowers. Mine are all planted in containers so that I can hide them away once the flowers are done and dusted. They seem to be a couple of weeks ahead of last year. In the above photo are 'Couleur Cardinale, Havran and 'Prinses Irene'. In other pots I have 'Spring Green', 'Passionale', 'Mount Tacoma' and 'Bruine Wimpel'. Would like to know which tulips other folk are growing this year.

You will find more on the letter M over at ABC Wednesday!

Are you feeling it?

Can you smell the coconut?

Images…just browsing real estate and Architectural digest