Welcome To This Week’s Saltwater Sounds…

A collection of ideas, tips, and inspiration. Here, I share everything happening in the world of Shiplap and Shells, what to look forward to on the blog, and the inspiration I’ve found throughout the week.

The last week of August has a feeling all its own.

Cooler temperatures, a few sprinkles of rain, evenings going dark a little earlier than you expect, and those spider webs that appear out of nowhere and find your face every single time.

The garden shifts so fast in the second half of August…faster than I remembered. Every morning looks a little different than the day before.

The cut flower garden has kept me busy with cutting, harvesting, filling vases, and starting the process of bringing summer inside in a way that will last well into the fall.

And I’ve had my garden planner out all week, making notes for next year while everything is still fresh. What worked, what didn’t, what I want more of. I’m already planning next year’s garden. More of the tried-and-true flowers that showed up and delivered, and less of what looked pretty in the seed catalog and then did absolutely nothing.

As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. My blog also contains other affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

This Week at the Cottage

Fresh hydrangeas cut from the garden and ready for drying at a Pacific Northwest beach cottage

Many of the hydrangeas are ready for drying, and I have been cutting them all week. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this part.

Hydrangea stems cut for drying to use in fall cottage decor

Dried hydrangeas filling the cottage is one of my absolute favorite things about late summer and early fall.

The way they hold their color as they dry, the charm they bring to a room, and the way they make everything feel soft and gathered.

They’re all in vases with a bit of water in the laundry room, but they’ll soon be moved to their new spots for fall throughout the house.

holding a vase of Fresh cut flowers from the garden

The fresh flowers have been coming inside too.

Fresh cut flowers from the garden filling a vase inside a Pacific Northwest cottage

There are blooms on the kitchen table, my nightstand, and the coffee table in the living room.

Summer flower arrangements from the garden displayed inside a cottage on Puget Sound

Whatever the garden is willing to give right now, I’m cutting these gifts and bringing them inside.

Fresh homegrown tomatoes harvested from a Pacific Northwest cottage garden

And tomatoes. Finally, the tomatoes. After all the waiting and watching those green fruits ( I still think of them as a vegetable) hang on the vine for weeks, they are finally here.

There’s nothing quite like that first ripe tomato of the season pulled right off the vine.

The Living Room

Cottage style living room decorated with fresh summer flowers in late August

It’s been a while since I’ve shared this room, and I’ve been looking forward to showing it to you.

Late summer living room in a 1920 beach cottage on Puget Sound with fresh garden flowers

No fall styling yet. I’ve still been very much in summer mode this month, but will start making some seasonal changes now that we’re moving into September.

Cozy cottage living room with summer styling and fresh cut flowers in August

Summer cottage living room with vintage decor and fresh flowers from the garden

There are flowers throughout.

Ollie the cream colored dog on the leather couch in the cottage living room

Ollie taking up his usual spot on the leather couch…

Ollie the cream colored dog sleeping on the leather couch in the cottage living room

white slipcovered chair in the cottage living room

and the white slipcovered chair.

Jax the dog in the cottage living room at a 1920 beach cottage on Puget Sound

And Jax keeping an eye on things from nearby.

living room with green vintage window hung on shiplap walls

Bright and airy cottage living room in late summer with fresh fish teal and cream metal sign and glass door cabinet

black cabinet with vintage white ironstone collection

black cabinet with vintage white ironstone collection next to the cottage style kitchen

Let’s Plan Your Dream Garden With Our

Gardening Planner

Unlock Your Garden’s Potential.

Our 35-page Ultimate Garden Planner is designed to help you organize, track, and flourish in your gardening endeavors.

Get yours for $4.99

Learn More

In the Garden

Black-eyed Susans in full bloom in a Pacific Northwest cottage garden in late August

Not much has changed in the garden from last week.

Black-eyed Susans bringing late summer color to a Pacific Northwest cottage garden

The black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) are still the strongest presence in the garden and still bringing all the color.

Black-eyed Susans and summer perennials growing along the fence n a late August cottage garden on Puget Sound

They are such reliable, cheerful bloomers and I’m grateful for every one of them right now.

Cottage garden pathway lined with late summer perennials in August on Puget Sound

Late August cottage garden with black-eyed Susans and summer perennials in the Pacific Northwest

Rudbeckia black-eyed Susans bringing late summer color to a Pacific Northwest cottage garden

I grew a few rudbeckia varieties by seed this year. They started off extremely slow but are finally blooming.

Cut flower garden in late August at a Pacific Northwest beach cottage on Puget Sound

There are still plenty of flowers to harvest daily in the cutting garden, and they are still keeping me very busy!

Next year’s garden is already taking shape in my head. More of what worked, less of what looked pretty in the seed catalog and then did absolutely nothing.

In the plan currently…

Zinnias (of course)
Strawflowers
Sweet peas
Snapdragons
Marigolds
Dahlias
Statice
Celosia
Sunflowers

LET’S GO SHOPPING FOR

Garden Supplies and Tools

Check out my favorite garden supplies and tools for the growing season. Whether you’re looking for potting soil or deer repellent, you’ll find what I use in my own garden.

SHOP HERE

Mum Tip

Mums are starting to show up everywhere right now at Costco, nurseries, and garden centers. If you’re planning to bring some home, here’s the one tip that will make all the difference: always choose plants with more buds than open flowers.

Longer Bloom Time: Buds continue opening in your garden, providing color for weeks instead of days.
Healthier Plants: Less energy spent on flowers means stronger roots and better overall growth.
Better Adjustment: Plants settle into their new spot before putting all their efforts into blooming.
Fuller Displays: Mums with buds usually branch out more, giving you a bushier plant loaded with blooms.

It’s tempting to grab the ones already bursting with color, but trust me, choosing mums that are just starting to show will reward you with a much longer, more beautiful show all season long.