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.

Happy Sunday!

Whether you’re celebrating Easter, observing Passover, or welcoming another beautiful spring Sunday, I hope this week has offered a little time to slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy the little things that make this season so special.

April has arrived, and I honestly couldn’t be happier to turn the page to a brand-new month.

We’ve been spending more time outside, and the changes are starting to happen quickly! The days feel brighter, the blooms seem to multiply overnight, and everywhere I look, there are little reminders that spring is settling in for good.

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This Week at a Glance

The garden is slowly filling with more color by the day. More rhododendrons and azaleas are beginning to put on their spring show, and the flowering trees are adding the prettiest soft blossoms around the yard.

It’s one of my favorite times of year to walk outside with my morning iced latte and take it all in before the busier gardening weeks begin.

April is the kindest month. April gets you out of your head and out working in the garden

marty Rubin

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From This Week in Years Past

cottage garden overlooking the bay with a stone pathway and greenhouse

Since this is Easter weekend and the beginning of a new month, it felt like the perfect time to look back for a moment, too.

Do you remember when we had a stone pathway in the garden? It was always a bit tricky to walk on because of the slope, and I had been dreaming of replacing it for years.

About 11 years later, we finally had a paver path installed, and I loved how much it transformed the space. Not only did it look so much better, but it also made it so much easier to walk through the garden and enjoy that part of the yard.

working on removing grass to create garden beds

A year later, though, I still felt like the area needed a little more warmth. And that’s when the garden beds came in.

We had some help removing the grass along both sides of the pathway.

grass has been removed and ready to plant shrubs and flowers in the garden

And then it was my turn to do the fun part…planting.

I added evergreen shrubs, rosemary, and lavender. Then I divided some of my favorite cottage-garden plants from other beds, including daisies, black-eyed Susans, and sedum Autumn Joy, and transplanted them alongside the path.

new plants are along the paver pathway in the garden

Since we did the project in the spring, everything still looked fairly new, and you couldn’t see much of the final vision just yet.

new plants have been planted in the garden beds and cream dog looking

I remember being so excited to see how it would all look once summer arrived, with everything having a chance to fill in and bloom.

cottage garden with a paver pathway and summer flowers blooming along the garden's edge

And here are the garden beds during the summer months.

greenhouse and cottage garden in full bloom during the summer

These kinds of photos are always such a good reminder that gardens truly are built little by little.

daisies and black-eyed Susans blooming along the garden walkway

I always love revisiting those moments because they remind me how much can happen in a year.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

on a bright blue tarp dividing dahlia tuber clumps with cream and black dog

Next week is when everything begins to happen all at once.

We’ll be digging up the dahlia tubers to divide them, bringing in fish compost for the garden beds, and getting everything ready for one of the most exciting parts of spring…hardening off all the seedlings and overwintered plants in the greenhouse.

It always feels like the season suddenly shifts from planning and waiting into full-on garden mode.

geraniums and seedlings on the deck getting acclimated to the weather

After months of seed trays, grow lights, and greenhouse check-ins, it’s almost time for everything to begin making its way outdoors.

The busy season is here, and I’m excited to share it with you.

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