Peonies, the Garden, and the Loving Gaze

 It occurs to me that if you were to have just recently started reading this blog you might think it's a gardening or a flower blog, not a blog about the trials and tribulations of my beloved store Passionflower in downtown Eugene.  But flowers are a big part of the store and they always have been.  Al Klute, and Chris, and I are all long time gardeners. We have always supplemented commercially bought flowers with home grown ones at Passionflower

 Truth be told, Chris & Alison are way more devoted gardeners than I and they have the goods to show for it.  Like when Chris comes in with a bucket of full on peonies and tells me she has so many she doesn't know what to do with them all, I know she's in full on flower fantasy world at her place.

So even though I knew the answer, I asked her, "How's your garden looking these days?".  Mostly because I wanted to see what she would say.  And do you know what she said?  She said, "I can't stop looking at it.". 

And those, my friends, are words spoken like a true gardener.

Happy gardening to all during this lovely month of June.
And I promise you there really is a store somewhere here amongst all the flowers and store pics of our summer reset to follow very soon.

Gardening Tips from a Long Time Amateur

A few things I've learned about gardening over the years -

1) Plant where you can see it a lot, everyday, all the time  Because the more you look at your yard, the more engaged you are. Consider the view from your windows in your house. In my case, I can see my garden beds from my kitchen window where I spend a lot of time and since they're right on the side of my driveway, I see them everyday when I come and go. But maybe it's your front steps or back deck that you gaze upon a lot.

2) Pick a theme and stick with it.  In my case, I picked rustic cottage so I outlined the beds with alder logs and I planted lots of herbs and old fashioned flowers. Plus I left some of the grasses in the rest of the yard unmowed to give it a little bit of the wild, overgrown look.

 

3)  Always plant at least a few edibles in your flower beds.  They're just one more reason to get you  out in the yard.  Here's some chamomile growing amongst the peas.  I've been enjoying drinking  fresh chamomile tea these days.

 

4) Resist all voices that tell you gardening is a chore.  Delight in everything, even the weeds.

Happy Gardening.

Scented Geraniums

For me, certain plants are always associated with certain people.  And I can never look at a scented geranium without being reminded of Ted Waston, my friend, the shopowner of Watson Kennedy, the uber fabulous store up in Seattle.  So Teddy, this ones for you.  It's a citronella scented geranium which I just planted on my back deck. I thought the citronella scent might be good for insect control. Plus geraniums do pretty well in pots and can withstand a day or two when I might forget to water.  I'm planning on watching this baby grow all summer and a few sprigs might make it into a bridal bouquet or two!
And if you want to find out more about all things Watson Kennedy, for sure check out Ted's new book Style & Simplicity which we're selling at the store.

Happy Gardening

I must have flowers.  Just a sprig or two here and there....but a magnificent sprig (or two or three)!

Doesn't take much.

Life is Full

 

Wow, it's been crazy busy.  I've been doing a lot of gardening - mostly early in the morning.

And we've hired two lovely new people at the store. And that always takes a lot of time.  But it is so interesting to try and discern who someone is from a single page or two of paper that they might send you.

And then there's the interview.  Interviewing people is one of the most interesting parts of my job description.

And you never know what miracle might be heading your way.  So I try to stay really open and look for little things that might mean something.  Like a funny email address.  Or the turn of a phrase.  Or an idiosyncratic interest. 

 

 And I've been going out to look at some beautiful wedding venues which is a great way for me to get inspired and revel in the beauty of the southern Willamette Valley.

 

Plus I had two lovely houseguests from Pakistan who were visiting as part of a government delegation.  (Total aside, but OMG, how do mom's do it?  Shopping, cooking, and cleaning for 3 meals a day for 3 people just about did me in. But we did have some lovely meals and I learned to cook a tasty potato dish and they loved the fruit smoothies I made for them every morning. That took just about every waking moment.)   Plus they had the most beautiful clothes.  The turquoise sari my friend on the left is wearing was just one of many stunning outfits she wore.  There were scarves and embroidered silk dresses and pattern upon pattern, plus great tights and bracelets, and plastic shoes. I want to go clothes shopping in Pakistan!  Who knew?

 

Then I went to southern Oregon, Malheur in Harney County to be exact.  Exactly in the middle of nowhere.  No cell service, no wi fi, maybe a lone goose to carry your message and that's about it.  Cowboy country and birds.  Lots and lots of birds.  Red wings and yellow heads with names like bobolink and nightjar.  One ginormous great horned owl, kestrels, and pairs of sandhill cranes with their babies.  Ducks, gulls, terns, and pelicans galore.  And antelope and jackrabbits and herds of marmots.  It's juniper and sage country.  The other half of Oregon - the eastern side.  Dry desert country.  If you're ever looking for consciousness altering experiences, I might suggest spending a few days just looking at birds.

And now I'm back home and summer is definitely on it's way.  Getting ready to make room for summer at the store~!

Summer Right Around the Corner

Summer is definitely here - time to plants tomatoes, liberate houseplants from their winter domicile, spiff up the deck,  and take time to smell the roses - because they are insanely beautiful right now.

Hoping you are all having a lovely Memorial Day weekend.  I'm using the two days in a row that the store is going to be closed for a little summer reset so next time you come in, we'll be in full summer mode!

What does summer mean to you?

Dash & Albert Rugs

I have really appreciated my Dash & Albert indoor/outdoor rug this winter season.  I have a runner out on my back deck that keeps things from getting too slippery and looks good to boot.It doesn't look like plastic and you don't have to worry about it getting rained on and it's super easy to clean.  And from what I've heard, people with dogs are loving them inside in mud rooms etc....And with summer dining just around the corner, we though this would be a good time to bring a few of these lovelies into the store. In fact, we've brought a whole new batch of rugs for your perusal.

 The cat's paw (pictured above) is a Passionflower perennial fave.  It's a sturdy , well priced, wool rug that comes in four fun colorways.

And Dash  and  Albert just excels at cotton ticking rugs. There's a zillion combinations.  Each more perfect than the next.  Don't you just love ticking?  It's contemporary but old world at the same time. It's fun but it's classic.  And these come in runner sizes.  Great way to spiff up a hallway.

 And finally, I'm presently enchanted with the plain tin rug (pictured above).

I have it in my bathroom but I can easily see it in a very classic or contemporary home setting.

And there's always this: Buy a rug that your dog will look good lying on. Something Martha taught us.

Happy rug hunting! 

Bottom three photos courtesy Dash & Albert Rugs