28
Mar

Taking It Outside

Posted in Outdoors + Gardening, Products We Love, Vintage Inspiration

How was your weekend? Ours was busy with family and friends but we got a lot done too. My hubby had 4 days off and finished a landscaping project he started a couple of weekends ago. This is our front yard. As you can kind of see, we’ve got a U-shaped driveway, which I love for driving into the carport (hard to see, but it’s in the centre) on damp West Coast days. We have tenants in our basement suite and having an extra vehicle in one half of the driveway was hampering my drive-through style so we decided to sacrifice the end of our lawn (which is completely dead by mid-summer anyway) and add a gravel parking space. Brad did the hard work digging it out, with the handy help of our neighbor and his Bobcat, and building the fence.  This weekend we hit the gravel pit for rocks and bark mulch and even had time to visit a local greenhouse and nursery. We planted a Japanese maple in the middle, flanked on each side by dogwood, dracaena, lavender and another Japanese shrub that I can’t remember. And some little crocuses too. I’m sure I’ll add more eventually but each of these should do well in our climate and won’t need too much maintenance by me…perfect!

Has Spring finally arrived where you are? The weather was nice and mild all weekend here, with a good amount of sunshine mixed in, and I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to sit outside and read a good book. Brad built a small deck under our front windows last year (a handyman, I know!) and it’s the perfect spot to sit with a coffee and watch the kids play. Many of you likely live in more urban areas than I and some pretty city patios have caught my eye lately. Here are a few of my favourites…

Lonny

1. Du Cote de Chez Vouz 2. Steven Gambrel via No. 19

Style At Home. Photographed by Janis Nicolay.

Alvhem

House To Home

Elle Decor

I don’t know about you, but when it comes time to haul out our patio furniture, I like to use colours and patterns that are a little bit bolder outside than the ones inside my home. I’m in the market for some new cushion covers this year and I’m leaning towards something with wide stripes and a bright pop of colour, maybe yellow or green with white. Vintage accents are something else I’m always on the hunt for. Our friend Andrea scored a fantastic gnome, similar to the ones below, on our Seattle trip and I think the old faucet nozzles would look great mounted on the wall or even framed in a mudroom…

1. Sushipot Parts 2. Stiletto Girl 3. The Vintage Supply Co 4. Bright Wall Vintage

I lost a few of my ceramic pots to windstorms over the winter and will soon be looking for replacements. I do love simple terra cotta pots, especially when they’ve become weathered and a little mossy, as well as old metal buckets for my patio. This wooden vegetable box is the perfect size for smaller patios and would be more than enough space to grow your kitchen herbs and lettuce in. And you know how much Rachel and I love vintage crates…aren’t they lovely when used as containers?

House To Home

Design*Sponge

Studio Choo on Design*Sponge

Do you have any big plans for your outdoor spaces this spring? Please share…

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8 Comments ( Reply )

  1. Eleni
    Mar 28, 2011 @ 1:25 am

    I wish my house had even a tiny bit patio, just to host a few plants and a little table with couple of chairs. It so nice to feel the spring breeze while sipping on a cup of tea..
    Great inspiration! Have a sweet new week!
    xo, Eleni
    Eleni recently posted..Moodboard- Canarys song

  2. Lillian
    Mar 28, 2011 @ 5:56 am

    Oooh – LOVe those crates as containers! I just saw a ton of great pots at MArshall’s this weekend – all on clearance for $10 or less. Had the money already been budgeted, I would have easily spent $200 on a big variety of colors for a fun potted herb garden. For now we’re sticking with our raised beds(and loving them!). The bigger projects this spring/summer are going to be adding more raised beds and ripping out our old rotting deck and replacing it with some sort of economical patio -we just need to decide on what material?? Loving all of these spring projects and the gardening that everyone is discussing right now – freshness at best. Happy happy Spring!!
    Lillian recently posted..I Heart Faces – Slice of Life

    • rachelandlily
      Mar 28, 2011 @ 8:34 am

      Sounds like you have lots of great plans Lillian! We have some raised beds in our backyard too and I’m determined to have a successful veggie garden in them this year. Have a great day :) ~Lily

  3. janis - pinecone camp
    Mar 28, 2011 @ 8:11 am

    I can’t wait for outdoor parties. By the way, your house is the exact style my husband and I both love!!
    Wasn’t Rosie Daykin’s garden beautiful? A little old growth in an old Vancouver neighbourhood. So nice to see.
    Have a good Monday!
    janis – pinecone camp recently posted..Sunday Observations

    • rachelandlily
      Mar 28, 2011 @ 8:36 am

      I love, Love, LOVE Rosie’s garden! And your wonderful photos too, Janis! We love the style of our house too…I always thought I was a Craftsman style girl until I stepped foot inside…must be a West Coast thing :)

  4. Suzanna Scott
    Mar 28, 2011 @ 9:24 am

    Oh! This makes me want to go spend time outdoors–problem is, it snowed again last night. Spring needs to stop playing hide ‘n seek with us here in Kansas ‘cuz it’s driving me a bit insane. Thank you for including my collection of garden valve knobs among these lovely vintage finds today! Wishing you a beautiful week.
    Suzanna Scott recently posted..Mellow Yellow

  5. Tiffany
    Mar 28, 2011 @ 9:25 am

    These are lovely gardening finds! We lost part, and will loose more, of a large old tree in our yard this year which is turning my well established shade garden into a full/part sun area faster than I can keep on it! I have an enormous amount of work to do out there this year and now I have new inspiration as well! Thank you for including my vintage lawn chair in your selections!
    Tiffany recently posted..1960s Van Gogh Water Lily Party Dress Small Medium

  6. colleen
    Mar 28, 2011 @ 3:34 pm

    Great job on the landscaping I really like your U driveway!
    We are just hoping for sun and then maybe we will seed this year…going green is a sure fire way to have a moss yard around here!
    colleen recently posted..Vintage Market


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