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Prolonging the Garden

This being our first year living on a property with an existing mature garden, I have savored every flower and hated to see any of them them just wilt and disappear. I thus embarked on a mission to preserve as many as I could so we could enjoy them inside through the winter months.

Drying

I had dried hydrangeas a couple of times in the past, and I love the look when they’re done right. Since the Rockhkaven garden has an abundant supply of hydrangeas, I focused my attention on them first. How do you like the wreath I made with a grapevine wreath base? So easy! I just kept adding blooms as they were ready until I filled in all the holes.

dried hydrangea wreath, Rockhaven B&B, Harpers Ferry
I mounted the wreath over a vintage window and hung it in our dining room

Then, I got a little obsessed and tried to save every bloom I could. No bloom left behind, you know! At some point I think Christian was a little worried that the house would be overrun with them. They’re so pretty though! Continue reading “Prolonging the Garden”

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Our First Garden Season in Review

We first laid eyes on this house and its lovely gardens approximately one year ago when the real estate agent showed us around the property. When we returned in late fall for the inspection, we identified some dogwood and a few other plants from their leaves, but other than that we knew very little about what garden would look like in full bloom.

Let me tell you, this garden did not disappoint.  The daily discoveries were pure joy!

As we draw to the end of the growing season, we thought it would be fun to share with you a review of what we found blooming here. These photos are just the tip of the iceberg. We could fill up the web with them, but we’ll try to be selective.

We’ll begin with April, just before our garden wedding, and take you through summer to the present: Continue reading “Our First Garden Season in Review”