Playing in the Nursery

BUTTERNUT SQUASH IN A VINTAGE DOLL CRADLE

Currently, my days are pretty evenly divided between sorting through my

numerous collections...and working in

my vegetable garden.

When you garden organically, it's a very time consuming process. 

Even one day missed, can give the bad guys—those noisome weeds

 and pests—the upper hand.

BABY CORN AND CORN HOLDERS

It's almost like having a nursery full of infants to attend to!  But...

truth be known, I enjoy taking care of my

 garden babies.

JUNIOR BUTTERNUT SQUASH IN A VINTAGE PIE TIN

I nuture and care for them, and they provide me with a larder full of

 wholesome, healthly goodness.

INFANT WATERMELON ON A VINTAGE BUTTER PAT

If you've ever gardened, you probably understand the joys of gathering your

fruits and veggies fresh daily.

BABY WATERMELON IN A COFFEE CUP

Not only does fresh, vine- or tree-ripened produce taste far superior to

anything purchased in a grocery store... 

BABY CANTALOUPE ON A VINTAGE DESSERT PLATE

but it's just plain fun to grow and harvest food for yourself.

BABY CANTALOUPE UNDER A MINI CLOCHE

I like knowing that my food is being produced in the healthiest

manner possible...

BABY BELL PEPPER HANGIN' OUT WITH A VINTAGE TEA INFUSER

and that I'm not only providing my family with something that taste good,

but is also good for them.

So...

 the days spent out in the hot sun—digging in the dirt, weeding, and eliminating

 bad bugs—are a small price to pay for all the benefits that are reaped...

especially...

when I also get to have sooo much fun

playing in the nursery!   ; )

Joining LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Tootsie's Flaunt Your Flowers Friday,

Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink, Bev's Pink Saturday,

Eileen's Seasonal Sundays, and Tammy's Anything Goes.

Companion Gardening

There was a very special guest at the cottage last week who has never gardened—

NOT ONCE, in her entire life.

She was quite intrigued by every aspect of the process...

and like my shadow,

followed me everywhere I went, wanting to know what I was doing and why.

For five full days, she was my constant companion.

She thought the vintage water cans we use to water the plants were just

the greatest inventions

 but...

was none to impressed with my rusty, crusty, old gardening tools.

So the Yankee—aka Poppy—promptly set out to find a set of gardening implements

that SHE would find more appealing.

And, of course, he gave absolutely no thought to the fact that it would take him

forty minutes to drive all the way to town to find

something suitable.

But then....

I can NEVER resist this precious little face—

with those big blue eyes—either!   ; )

Linking to Susan's Outdoor Wednesday, Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday,

Mary's Share the Love Wednesday, Tracie's Cottage Flora Thursdays, Cindy's 

Show and Tell Friday, Tootsie's Flaunt Your Flowers Friday, Debra's 

Vintage Inspiration Friday, and Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink.

Time Travel Thursday #51 - How does YOUR garden grow?

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~



Welcome to the 51st Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

I love, love, love to garden!

There's something so gratifying about digging in the earth, planting a seed or tiny plant,

then watching the miracle that transpires as that plant matures

and provides something yummy to eat.

Unfortunately, all the time spent on the road last year—doing antique shows—kept us from

weeding and maintaining our garden beds properly.

Needless to say, it was a LOT of work whipping the much-neglected gardens back into shape.

We spent WEEKS weeding, tilling, and amending the soil.

But...

  we've finally started to reap some of the many delicious veggies, as a reward for all that hard
manual labor—in the sweltering heat, I might add.  ; )

And...

we've even begun to beautify the space, once again.

Recently, my Yankee sweetheart built some rustic tepees for the cucumbers—from saplings

growing in our woods.

They really add a lot of interest to the garden and they make it so much easier to watch the cute

little cucumbers as they grow.

What?!  Cucumbers can be cute, can't they?

The leaves of the squash plants have grown large and lush—providing a beautiful, protective

canopy for the vegetables.

And the Yankee is dying to wrap his taste buds around the many varieties of tomatoes that

were planted.  They're one of his very favorite fruits, so he went a little crazy with the number

of plants he planted this year.

Let's just say, I'll be canning tomatoes and making salsa for a good long while this summer.

Now I know we were taught NOT to play with our food,

but...

I pulled a few of my vintage treasures out of the cottage today, so I could play with some

of the fresh picked goodness from the garden.

This old scale was won at auction many years ago.

Believe it or not, there wasn't really any bidding competition for it, because it has a piece

broken out of the top, and the metal is a bit pitted—neither of which

bothers me in the least.

I've garned quite a collection of vintage enamelware over the years, but have finally concented

to selling off all but the most treasured pieces.

The grays will definitely be KEEPERS!

Between the cottage and the barns, I've stashed away quite a few pieces of old tin,

with the most wonderful weathered patina.  A lot of that will be going soon,

as well.

But...

I think I might have to keep this little tin cup. 

I think it looks terrific with a bunch of Queen Anne's lace tucked inside.

We're having a group of family and friends over, to help us celebrate the 4th.

Maybe I'll use some of these vintage pieces on the party table.

And I think fresh veggies should DEFINITELY be on the menu! 

What do you think?   ; )

Linking to Susan's Outdoor Wednesday, Mary's Share the Love Wednesday, Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday, Susan's Tablescape Thursday, Tracie's Cottage Flora Thursdays, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday, Tootsie's Flaunt Your Flowers Friday, and Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink.

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.