The Shed--One Month Later

As you can see from this updated picture of my new garden shed, I have not yet painted the exterior. I'm waiting for some hot summer weather when the paint will dry immediately and bond to the wood. It will be Cape Cod Grey with Country White trim. For now, I am landscaping the area around the shed, and working on the interior, finishing the beaded board, and laying down plank flooring to be painted sage green. I love all of the ambience this new structure has brought to a previously unused area of the pasture.

The Weigela is in Bloom

This lovely shrub thrives in our shade garden at the back end of the property. Since it only blooms for a very short period of time in early summer, I am enjoying the fuschia-colored blooms and their profusion. The shrub itself has tripled in size in three years, and it's a lovely sight at the end of the yard bordering the trees.

Melons in my Three Sisters Garden

My second crop of heirloom melon seeds from Baker Creek Farm in Ohio managed to avoid the slugs in the garden due to the beer traps set nearby. The new sprouts are looking healthy, and the warm and damp weather is giving them a boost. They are the third element of my Three Sisters garden, and I hope they can catch up to the corn and beans to create the symbiotic relationships that this type of planting creates.

Pie Cherries

Here are the cherries forming on my pie cherry tree. The arborist treated all of the cherry trees in March, and they have recovered from their disease last year. I was so happy to see so many cherries forming on all of the branches. Also, the Orchard Mason bees did a good job pollinating a half-mile radius this year. More home-made pies in my future!

Tiny Liberty Apples are Appearing!

The fruit trees have been rather dormant for the last rainy weeks, and today, I noticed bunches of tiny Liberty apples forming on one of the apple trees in our orchard. The miniatures look exactly like the full-grown apples, right down to the green color and the pink blush. They are no bigger than my thumbnail now, but will grow to a medium apple size, and will be one of the most beautiful of apples that I raise. The best apple pies of the season come from this tree!

The First Rose of the Season

My Julia Child rose bushes had their first lovely rose open up today. The buttery-yellow color tinged with light ochre offered up a vibrant spot of color along the cedar fence. With four Julia rose bushes at this location, there will soon be a wall of yellow blooms and a heady fragrance to greet us as we walk by on casual summer evenings.

Rose Festival at the Antique Rose Farm

On our way to downtown Snohomish, we stopped by the Rose Festival at the Antique Rose Farm. It's truly amazing to see so many roses all in one place! I got a geranium basket, and Alex found some succulents that would look good on her deck with all of her other plants from Flower World.

The rose garden is housed on a multi-acre old farm, complete with a huge old barn filled with antiques. Here's a view of the rose garden, with virtually every rose bush on the property fully in bloom. It was breathtaking!

Summer Sunday Afternoon in Downtown Snohomish

Sunday was a beautiful and unexpected weather day, so Alex and I headed out to historic downtown Snohomish for some shopping and walking. We tried on hats, strolled by the Snohomish Pie Company and surveyed all of the pies fresh from the oven--chocolate pecan, marionberry, peach, apple and rhubarb-strawberry. It smelled SO good in there!

We visited Joyworks and the Speckled Hen, looked at amethyst jewelry at Sachi's Jewelry store, and ended up at the Cinnamon Stick, a great store for hooked rugs and hand-woven fabrics.

After shopping, we walked down to the promenade by the Snohomish River, and made our way to the other end of town. It was all uphill to the car, but we made it, and headed to our next destination, Snoqualmie Ice Cream company. It was the perfect ending to a great day!

An Old "Outbuilding" Door

At Country Village yeserday, I found this door at White House Antiques. The tag on it said "Old door from a park founded by Teddy Roosevelt".

I'm going to sand it down and paint it white, and it will be an exterior element for the north side of my shed, which will be painted Cape Cod Grey next weekend.

Shed Interior--New Addition

I found this great hatrack/storage shelf at an antique store in Duvall yesterday, and it's perfect for the north wall of my shed. It will hold my straw hats, and gardening magazines and books.

Summer Flowers

This bed of summer flowers caught my attention today in Duvall, where I spent the afternoon . Their bright profusion tells me that summer is really here, even if the weather remains cool and damp!

Trompe l'oeil in Duvall

I went antiquing in Duvall this afternoon in the midst of a torrential downpour. Fortunately, it was warm outside, and my bare feet in sandals didn't feel too cold!

This trompe l'oeil of a cow and chicken resides on an exterior wall of a local restaurant, and I love the detail and how real it looks. It really reflects the mood of the small logging town (Duvall) that a century ago was only linked to the larger world through the railroad.

I found several items for the interior of my new shed, and I'll be working on painting shed walls in the morning. I love weekends!

A Sunny Afternoon

Here is the garden area next to the solar woodshed. The corn and beans are coming up, as are the peas, lettuce and various flowers. This area of the pasture gets about 7-8 hours of direct sunlight each day, making it a prime spot for growing just about anything. You can see the small tomato plants in front of the windows of the solar woodshed.

Shed Progress--Exterior

Here is the shed early this morning, nestled between the neighbor's yard (four acres) and the raspberry and blueberry patch. I've laid down three stepping stones in front of the double doors, and added an antique watering can and a pail filled with petunias. The small bistro table and chairs in front of the fence offer a place for a mid-afternoon snack or lunch on weekends. Hanging baskets and planters full of summer flowers brighten up this corner of the yard.

The Back Yard

Here is a picture of the backyard, home to BBQ's and lounging on the blue bench in the corner of the yard. You can see the back of the new shed from the deck, and the pasture is in the distance. You can almost smell the freshly-cut grass, and the barberry bushes look great among the Arbor vitae along the fence.

It's a great place to lie on a lounge chair and while away the summer afternoons.

It's Summer!

Summer has finally arrived in Maltby! I woke up to blue skies and warm temperatures this morning, and I took this picture of my beautiful flower basket on the pergola. It was so quiet outside, and I could hear the birds and see the bunnies in the pasture.

I'm trying hard to keep up with the lawn-mowing, and I stayed out last evening until 9 p.m. finishing the front yard, back yard, and the pasture. It looks wonderful!

White Paint on the Shed Ceiling and Beams

Here is a shot of the first section of the shed ceiling painted white, with the ceiling beams also painted. The combination ceiling paint and primer went on smoothly with no drips, and I expect to have the ceiling painting complete next week at this time (thanks to two days of vacation later this week). It's coming along nicely!

Antique Cupboard

Here is the interior of the shed after I nailed up another wall of beaded board Sunday. This small cupboard houses seeds, small books, garden publications, and small tools. It's been in my family since 1918, and it's a cupboard made by my grandfather for his daughter, my aunt Elsie.

Painting the Shed

It was a cool and overcast day, and the grass was too wet to mow, so I figured it would be a good day to start painting the interior of my new shed.

I started by priming the inside of the double shed doors, and did the door trim in Cape Code Gray, which will eventually be the color of the shed exterior. Here is a picture of the doors drying after being painted.

Blueberries

The bumblebees and Orchard Mason bees are doing a great job of pollinating my raspberries and new blueberry bush this year. Look at the number of blueberries forming--this is a new crop for me this year. Thanks to my neighbor John for getting me this mature 10-year-old plant!

Flowers and Herbs

I love to plant herbs and flowers together in the same garden area. Here the iris co-exist with rosemary, thyme and rhubarb. Looks like it is time to make another rhubarb-strawberry pie this weekend!

Yellow Iris

Chere divided her iris a couple of years ago, and it looks like I got all of the yellow ones! They are unusually tall this year, and are just coming into their prime. They were beautiful this evening, standing in front of the rhubarb, their dusky sweet smell filling the garden.

June--Midsummer Day

The enjoyment of life is the quiet lesson we learn in our gardens. In June, the promise of summer stretches before us. The days are filled with light, growing progressively longer until the summer solstice on June 21, the longest day of the year. In early Britain, before the advent of Christianity, people feasted outdoors and lit bonfires, celebrating Midsummer Day on June 24. The custom of outdoor feasting and games endured until the Middle Ages. In Scandinavian countries, Midsummer is still a holiday, celebrated indoors with feasting, drinking, and good fellowship. Even in America, many people unknowingly repeat these early rituals, lingering in their gardens on a summer evening, lighting their barbecues, and enjoying outdoor meals with family and friends.

Garden Shed Hall of Fame

I found a link on the internet featuring sheds from all over the country. Although they are no longer taking nominations, they left the shed archive up for anyone to view. The possibilities are endless! Take a look.

http://gardenshedhalloffame.blogspot.com/2007/06/patricias-shed-garden-art.html

Crocks From An Old Country Farm

A schoolmate of mine (elementary through high school) brought me two butter crocks a couple of weeks ago to decorate my new shed! He just moved from Clearview to Castle Rock, Washington, where he built a new Lindal Cedar home on several hundred acres. He has horses and cattle, and is very happy leaving city life behind.

I'll find a good use for them, and I appreciate his efforts to perpetuate my fantasy of having a little farm here in Maltby!

Shed Exterior--Sunday Afternoon

Here is what the shed looks like Sunday afternoon. I hung a small curtain over the window, added planters full of snapdragons, got out the lawn furniture, and hung two new flower baskets on the fence. It's ready for anything, whether it be garden planning or place to host a small party!

Equipping the Shed--The Weekend

Saturday finally arrived, and I was out in the pasture early, taking a look at my completed shed, and making plans for the interior.

The first task was a trip to Home Depot to buy a couple of 4 x 8 foot pieces of Beaded Board to nail to the walls. I wanted something that looks a little finished, rather than looking at the bare studs and the exterior siding. We cut the board to fit, and then carried it out and nailed it in place. It looks great! Next weekend, we will buy a couple more pieces and get the inside finished so I can paint it. It's already primed, and won't take too much time.

I finished the weekend by re-purposing an old bookcase into storage for my books and supplies, and then moved my 'cow table" (so named because a border of cows is painted around the perimeter of the table) into the shed to serve as my desk. I added a clock with a thermometer on it, and an old doll cupboard my grandfather made for my aunt in 1918. Its six drawers make it perfect for storing small items.

I still need to come up with a transparent colored stain for the floor, and a color for the joists and wall above the beaded board. What an exciting first weekend!

The New Shed is Ready for Gardening!

Here is the shed that was completed this morning. Tom and Frank from Amish Country Originals finished the roof shingles, put the hardware on the double barn doors, and installed the screen on the window. I'm glad the weekend is coming up, as it will give me the chance to plan my exterior paint scheme, and then graph out the inside of the shed to decide where my tools, storage bins, furniture, and potting bench will go. Can't wait!

Shed Update: 7:30 p.m.

Roof progress continues, and the window is in. The double door is still wrapped up in the truck, and it's the final piece to go on the shed.

Shed Progress--6 p.m.

The roof is on, and the composition shingles are being put on the front side as I write. This is the view of the shed from the kitchen.

Garden Shed--Progress at 5 p.m. June 2

The walls are up, and it's coming along nicely. Estimated time of completion is 9 p.m. tonight.

The Garden Shed Has Arrived!

My Skyline shed, made in Ohio, made its journey across the country last week, encountering a brief delay in Montana due to a bridge washout. It arrived in Clearview on Tuesday, and the crew just arrived an hour ago at my property to start the construction. The builder estimated it would take five hours to put together.

Here is my first "before" picture. More to come!