Simple Summer Decor

One of my favorite ways to spruce up my home involves no money whatsoever. I simply take my garden shears to the yard and snip away.


My favorite arrangements are tall grass reeds in old beer bottles, wheat stalks in coffee mugs, and coneflowers in pitchers.



The summer is best time for this type of decorating, since everything is in bloom and lovely. But the winter is actually when I appreciate it the most. When everything is brown and dead outside, I love to have a bouquet of flowers and greens on my kitchen table. It makes those long, dark days seem brighter and cheerier. And yes--I do have to spend some money during winter for this pick-me-up, but most bouquets can last two weeks with some deadheading and thinning.


Do you have a favorite flower? Or maybe another cheap idea for freshening up your home during the summer? Share about it by posting your comments here!

Previous Related Posts:
Big Box Boycott
I Swore Never Again, Part 2
Five Things You Need

Ode to Peas

I’ve been waiting for them since April. Watching as they pushed their sprouts out of the ground, and started reaching up toward the sky. And then watched some more as they got so tall they pulled their trellis right out of the ground. Then one morning they were covered in blossoms--sweet white flowers promising things to come. And then suddenly, as if overnight, the peas were ready. Long, fat pods begging to be plucked and cracked open, revealing shiny emerald gems--green pearls for the taking.

And take I did, yesterday evening. Happily plucking and shucking and filling my bowl with crunchy peas. I could eat them like candy (oh...if only I did eat them instead of candy...). They’re perfect on salads and in pasta and in homemade chicken pot pie.



And they’re a perfect start to a new Retro Summer mini-series on growing food. Because you can’t have a theme devoted to the joys of summer without spending at least some time talking about the most important contribution of the season: food!

So the conversation begins with peas. As a child, the bulk of my pea-eating experience centered around the little squishy, soggy peas drained from cans. We used to eat them religiously with Spaghetti O’s, and they were actually one of my favorite veggies. I was, however, missing out on one of the best parts of summer peas: the crunch. And I suppose the crisp, sweet flavor. And also the vibrant green.

Okay, so maybe I missed a lot. Which is why I was eager to make up for lost time when I put my tiny pea seeds into the ground this spring. Needless to say, I'm not disappointed. Of course, not every veggie-growing experiment of mine is working as nicely this summer. But that is fodder for the days to come....

Until then, I'm happy to eat my peas.

What are your favorite garden veggies? Share your comments below!

Previous Retro Summer posts & links:
Look at more pictures and upload your own on Retro Summer's Flickr page!
My Community Staycation
Ode to Patios
A Day at the Farm

Sunset Gardens

Yesterday I posted on one of my sister blogs, Cigars in the Parlour, about growing a garden to help alleviate the burden on the global food supply.  (to read the post, click here.)

Fortunately, as I am not an avid gardener, I remembered that Sunset magazine recently published a simple how-to for creating your own backyard kitchen garden.

Click here to read Sunset's article, find inspiration, and maybe grow a garden of your own:)