Balboa Island, California (Beach Cottage Gardening)

Hee that is in a towne in May loseth his spring. ~George Herbert, originally uploaded by Abby Lanes.

My sister-in-law came for a visit and I suggested we take a quick day trip to Balboa Island, located in Newport Beach, CA.


This adorable cottage town has fun activities for families and children, including a ferry ride, a carousel, and an arcade.


And the endless rows of cottage houses, with the accompanying cottage gardens are stunning.


To add to the charm, the restaurants are casual and inviting.

It's the perfect place for a day trip and if you do go, let me know if you enjoyed yourself. We certainly had fun!

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life in la la land

life in la la land, originally uploaded by Abby - going camera shopping today!!!.

There are many ways to enhance a garden. Adding a picket fence is certainly one way to go. Earlier this year, I found ready assembled sections of picket fences at Lowes.

With the help of a good carpernter, and and a few buckets of white paint, my front yard was transformed into a cozy cottage garden.

Welcome to my little slice of paradise.

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“The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.” ~ Jacques Benigne Bossuel

Happy Pink Saturday!
Thank you Beverly at "How Sweet the Sound" for hosting.

Welcome to my flower blog. This week I'm taking you on a garden tour. First stop; my rose garden! The more I garden, the more I realize roses are my favorite flowers.

“The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.” ~ Jacques Benigne Bossuel, originally uploaded by Abby Lanes.

Earlier this year, I added new bareroot roses, and this is the first "pink" bloom on the new bushes.

Next stop... the area women's club hosts a yearly garden tour... and this home had a beautiful waterlily coy pond that ran right underneath the driveway.


The tour had five gardens, and the perfect mix of garden styles for the tour.


The cottage garden had this mullein verbascum album. It was quite frankly, the first time I had ever seen this flower. Thank you to my gardening friend Kate for the flower id. If you get a chance, visit her blog, it's packed full of gardening knowledge and beautiful flowers. http://www.katesmudges.com/


Finally, the last stop on our garden tour today, was taken at the flower fields in Carlsbad. There were so many ranunculas there, to focus on one seemed odd, but I thought it was fitting for our tour.


I hope you enjoyed your pink garden tour. Stop back soon, and you'll get the rest of the garden tour, and I'll surprise you with giant honeysuckles climbing the walls of a Spanish Villa. Until then, have a lovely Memorial Day weekend.

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Cottage Garden Curb Appeal

"Cats never strike a pose that isn't photogenic." ~ Lilian Jackson Braun, originally uploaded by Abby Lanes.

Nothing is more relaxing to me than walking my dog through my neighborhood, and studying my neighbors "cottage gardens."


My home is a small 1950's ranch house, and as my rose and front yard wildflower garden grows and flourishes, it finally occured to me that I want a picket fence, and a coastal cottage curb appeal. Luckily, my neighborhood is filled with this cottage gardening style.


As my ideas for the the landscape design become solidified, I'll post before, during and after photos of my garden updates. I'm currently studying fencing, arches, and cottage garden accessories.


Meanwhile, enjoy the stroll through my neighborhood!

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