No cookies, but a potato barrel

Gardening has been taking up more of my time than baking these days (with the exception of the wedding cookie marathon).  There is a reason for less time in the cookie world, and I am hoping to get myself back in the game soon.  In the mean time, I have been grubbing in the dirt.  

Specifically, I would like to share my potato barrel project.  I have seen a good many of these on Pinterest, and it was time to put one in the enchanted veggie garden.

Step one is to make a barrel shape out of chicken wire or metal fencing (which we already had on hand).  Just cut to size and use wire to hold it in shape.

I also lined the sides with bird netting to keep the soil in.  Lucky me, I had some hanging around in the shed.  I placed a good amount of straw as a bottom layer.  On top of the straw goes a layer of compost.

Next cut up some seed potatoes, making sure there is an eye in each piece.

Place them around the edge of the barrel with the eyes facing outward.

See how they are pointing outward?  That is important because we are going to be adding layers.

Straw on top, then compost, then potato eyes, and repeat till you get to the top.  The top layer can have eyes planted all through the center because they can grow straight up.  Now keep it watered, watch it grow, and when the foliage dies just dump the whole thing over and dig for buried potato treasure.  

At least in theory.

Drew and Genevieve's wedding

All photography by Hillary Harvey Photography.  

I can hardly believe the BIG DAY is over.  It was a very beautiful ceremony overlooking the Hudson River.  

They looked so happy you couldn't help but smile.

I am kind of proud to say that I made the wedding veil.  Let's just say that I won't be going into the veil business any time soon.  I told Genevieve to keep it nice for Isabelle to wear, because it is my first and LAST.

Photo by me.  Bad lighting.

The flower girl and ring bearers were adorable.  

Ted and his girlfriend Katherine

Ted did a reading at the ceremony and then a toast at the reception.

Spiffy feet.

Ted changed into the red boat shoes for the reception to "see if Drew's head would implode".

Alec, Isabelle, Ted, Genevieve, Drew, and Katherine.

It was such a happy day,

 but there was one thing missing.

Wedding cookie sneak peak

Here is a quick look at the cookies I have made for my son's wedding this weekend.  

 I can't wait to post pictures when I return!

What is orange, red, and white?

The ORANGE would be salvia, lantana, poppy, scotch broom, pansy, snapdragon, daylily, begonia, and thunbergia vine.

The RED is moss rose, begonia, geranium, rose, weigelia, snapdragon, and nandina.

And the WHITE, is Silly Ya Ya climbing the arbor to view his cat domain.

He walks the balance beam,

scratches his face on a post,

watches for enemy cat intruders,

or tasty critters (ewwww),

and enjoys being king of the garden.

Ya Ya's garden tour

Because the garden is so beautiful right now, I set out with apple cider in thermos and camera in hand to take some pictures. You see, Mr. Enchanted has built me something I have always dreamed of.  A little veggie patch surrounded by a fence and entered through an arbor.

Sigh.  Picture it covered in clematis and morning glory.

Sigh again.

After a visit to my favorite plant nursery, 

I planted the front of the new garden with an abundance of marigolds.

After a while it became clear to me that I was going to get help with my photography.

Every time I bent down to take a picture, I got a cat face that wanted to give a kiss.  

Ya Ya loves to give kisses.

I thought maybe I could give him the slip in the veggie garden.

Nope.

He was rather determined to get in every shot.

And he somehow managed to.

Over and over.

My little white prince is 

AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL (CAT EDITION).

Since I had enough cat head shots, I decided to do a little yoga outside.  Where I live in Pennsylvania, it seems like we go from cold and damp to hot and humid very quickly.  There really aren't all that many days when it is perfectly lovely, and yoga outside is a real treat on a beautiful day.  

After I finished and rolled up my mat, something caught my eye.  There is an area in our yard where we bury our pets.  It is a special place where we plant flowers and have little markers by their graves.  I had recently found a dog statue that looked just like my little spaniel Nellie, and I thought it would be nice to place it in the raised flower bed above the graves.  So what I saw when I looked up, was Nellie lying in the raised bed in the center of the pet cemetery next to the statue that looks like her.

If Nellie sees me looking at her, she typically comes running.  Not this time, though, she stayed by the statue.

We also have a kitty statue, so guess what happened next?

I couldn't believe it!  If I tried all day, I would never be able to coax these two into posing by the statues.

It was such a special moment - a sweet gift.

Some slightly squashed hostas and begonias, but worth it.  

Does anyone else garden with their fur babies?  

Sharing my PINK nosed cat today with Pink Saturday

The Tablescaper

Mod Mix Monday

Tuesday's Garden Party