June 25, 2014

Winner Announced!

Let's pretend it's still Tuesday, ok!? Thank you all for sharing your fun plans
for the Solstice last Saturday. Sounds like everyone squeezed the most
out of the day!

The Garden Conservancy hosts a summer series called "Open Days" where gracious people open their exquisite spaces to the public. Who can resist! I had a really wonderful, inspiring day touring a couple gardens in Litchfield County with my sweet friend Denyse Schmidt. Here are a few photos from Bunny Williams' extraordinary grounds and gardens.

Denyse talking a stroll along the poolside
(she was hoping to "accidentally" fall in)...
A beautiful folly with tree trunk columns and a pine cone pediment...
Denyse and me being captivated by the same little blossom in Bunny's magical woodland garden...
This is the photo i was taking in the image above:
Such a beautiful planter and transition space that lead to...
... a compact boxwood parterre ...
... lovely combination of spent allium blossoms and giant hosta ...
...and a vegetable garden to die for!
So beautiful!! Can't wait for next month's adventure.

You probably didn't come here looking for another garden tour, though, did you? So without further delay...
You're the lucky winner of the Solstice Fat Quarter Bundle! Please email your mailing address to pete(at)katespain(dot)com and we'll zip that off to you today!

Thanks so much to everyone for participating.
xo,
kate

June 20, 2014

Summer Solstice aka: The Longest (Sewing) Day of the Year

Hi everyone! Can't believe the Summer Solstice is already here (it officially arrives tomorrow morning June, 21st at 6:51am EST). Hope you've got some fun plans for making the most of the longest (or shortest) day of the year. For those of you in the southern hemisphere, the days will only get longer now for you – hooray! We’ll be visiting family, checking out some gardens up in the foothills of the Berkshires with some friends, attending a local fundraiser concert for the public schools, and...weeding the garden.

Before the crab grass stakes its claim on all the cracks and pathways, thought i'd show you some photos of our garden from a couple weeks ago, along with some of my favorite spring blooms.

Here's the veggie area in raised beds that we built last year.
Because we've had such a prolonged and cool spring, it's been the best lettuce season i can remember in a long time!
We also had a healthy harvest of baby bok choy:
Here's a view of the flowery garden area with the flagstone patio and parterre we made last summer — i still kinda can't believe we took on a project like that. Crazies!
And here are the beauties of our spring garden...whose gorgeous colors and elegant shapes will continue to inspire me long after their blooms have faded.
The summer bloomers are already on their way, and so are the sweet peas! Stay tuned.

Almost forgot! to celebrate the Solstice, and to kick-off the summer sewing season, we're giving away a Fat Quarter bundle of...Solstice — my new Christmas/winter fabric line for Moda Fabrics!
Please leave a brief comment regarding something you like to do on the longest (or shortest) day of the year. One entry per person. The winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday June 24th.

Have a beautiful weekend!
xo,
kate