This Week at a Glance

The last weekend of August was very busy and one of my favorites of the summer.

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A Weekend in Leavenworth

If you’ve never been to Leavenworth, Washington, it’s one of those places that genuinely surprises you the first time you see it.

Nestled in the Cascade Mountains, Leavenworth reinvented itself as a Bavarian-style village back in the 1960s when the logging and railroad industries that had sustained it began to decline.

Today, Front Street and the surrounding blocks look like they were lifted straight from the Alps, with painted half-timbering, window boxes of stunning flowers, and steep rooflines.

There are plenty of shops, restaurants, taprooms, and wine tasting spots.

We enjoyed a frosty “frose” after tubing.

It feels completely natural set against the Washington mountains.

It’s charming in every season. I’ve seen so many pictures of the town in winter, covered with snow, and it’s right out of a Hallmark movie.

Oh, and if it looks like a ghost town in these pictures, it’s because we took a walk in the early morning before things got going. It’s always better to take pictures without a crowd.

It really is a busy tourist town this time of year.

We had the best Italian dinner at Larch. If you like pasta, this restaurant is for you. We couldn’t beat the location. It was literally across the street from our Airbnb.

We went on this trip for one very specific reason… tubing down the Wenatchee River. And it was the most fun! 2 ½ hours floating downstream.

The water was shallow in spots this late in the season, but the weather was perfect. Not too hot, and after a summer of wildfire smoke that had been tough on the area, the air was finally clear. I cannot think of a better way to spend the last weekend before Labor Day.

On the drive toward town, we came across a roadside fruit and flower stand that stopped us immediately.

My husband was all about the fruit, and I was all about the dahlias.

And there were a lot of them.

The Garden in Full Harvest Mode

Coming home to the garden after a weekend away felt like walking into peak season.

I’m canning tomatoes for the first time this weekend. This is a project I have always wanted to do, but never found the right timing because of our traditional September boat trips.

And then there’s the loofah. This was my first year growing it, and I harvested some this week. I’m looking forward to the process of turning them into sponges.

I’ll keep you posted on how that goes because I genuinely have no idea what I’m doing yet.

I harvested zinnias, celosia, blazing star, eucalyptus, yarrow, and strawflower this week.

I’m drying blazing star for the first time, and I’m curious how it will hold up. Fingers crossed it’s as beautiful dried as it is fresh.

The panicle hydrangeas are ready, and I have been cutting them all week to dry in water.

Those dried hydrangeas will carry through fall and straight into Christmas, and I love every stage.

The Garden is Shifting

If you look closely at the garden right now, you can see the season turning.

The dahlias and celosia are absolutely gorgeous this time of year.

The black-eyed Susans are looking a little tired. They’ve had a long and amazing run. The sedum Autumn Joy has deepened from that soft dusty rose into a bright, saturated pink.

The zinnias, sunflowers, and statice are still blooming but have slowed noticeably. And the asters have their first few purple blooms showing. When those open fully, the garden will shift into something new all over again.

The mini pumpkins are climbing the trellis in the cut flower garden alongside more loofahs, which is such a fun late-summer sight.

I grew quinoa for the first time this year. I had no idea what to expect. They look a bit strange in the garden and are a lot taller than I expected.

And I picked up some spring bulbs from Costco this week. They always look beautiful, and the price is unbeatable. I’ll be planting those in another month or so.

I’m already thinking about next spring while August is barely behind us. That’s gardening for you.

Looking Forward to Flower Container Shopping Next Week

I was looking back at some photos I took last year while shopping for my fall containers, and it reminded me just how much I love this season.

As much as I enjoy summer window boxes and pots, there’s something about autumn flowers and foliage that makes such a stunning statement in the garden or on the patio.

I can’t wait to shop for annual fall flowers this week. I’ll share the progress with you next week. What is your favorite fall recipe for a flower container this time of year?

On the Blog This Week

My Favorite Inspiration Around the Web This Week

This is the cutest country home!

Embrace the essence of fall with this hot apple cider recipe.

Check out these 30 recipes to cook in September.

This villa is in Kristin Mullen Designs’ portfolio and is gorgeous.

Here are some simple steps to harvest, store, and share hollyhock seeds.

This apple cider doughnut bread recipe with cinnamon sugar topping looks amazing!

You have to see this gorgeous home from Marie Flanigan Interiors’ portfolio.

See how you can make these DIY rustic pumpkin topiaries.

This easy braided pumpkin DIY.

If you have plenty of zinnias in the garden, here’s a wreath you HAVE to make.

Coming Up Next Week

September is here. That means more harvesting, more drying, and more watching the season turn.

I’ll report back on the loofah situation.

Until next time,