Memorial Day weekend always feels like the unofficial start of summer. Longer evenings, flowers everywhere, and a little more time just to be outside.

But before all of that, it’s first time to pause. To remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country, and the families who carry that loss every single day.

There’s something about being in the garden on a weekend like this that makes gratitude come naturally. Beauty and remembrance have a way of living side by side.

I didn’t make any plans this weekend, and I’m so glad. These are actually my favorite kind… unscheduled, unhurried, and nowhere to be but here.

What are you up to this weekend?

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Inside the Cottage

I’ve been a little light on cottage pictures lately.

So this week I’m starting here. The fuchsia rhododendron tree just outside the kitchen window finally hit its peak, and I cannot stop looking at it.

From the kitchen table, the peonies in the jar and the turquoise hutch in the background, the view is just about perfect right now.

It’s one of those combinations that happens on its own during this month… nothing staged or planned. I just try to get plenty of photos and video of it before it’s gone.

This is why I love May.

In the Garden

Friday night, around 8:30 p.m., Jax, Ollie, and I walked outside with my camera, and the light was absolutely perfect. The bistro lights were on, and the bay was perfectly still in the background.

I took picture after picture and didn’t want to stop.

The cottage garden is even fuller than last week.

The alliums are still holding on, and are tall and perfect against all that lush green growth.

The yellow roses climbing the arbor to the cut-flower garden are in full bloom, and many of the other rose plants are beginning to open throughout the beds.

The honeysuckle vine growing up the arbor to the cutting garden is blooming, and the smell is absolutely amazing!

The Spanish lavender’s purple blooms are the most prominent pop of color in the cottage garden this week.

The little patio area in front of the greenhouse is one of my favorite spots this time of year. The bistro table and chairs, the small garden surrounding it, and the greenhouse glowing behind it all in the evening light.

I love how this space is tucked away from the rest of the garden, and that no one else can see it. Only we can see the view from our deck or the kitchen window. It feels like our own little world.

The new herb bed is starting to fill out.

Stepping outside and cutting fresh herbs for dinner is the very best!

The Cut Flower Garden

There’s that potting bench with the original vintage farmhouse sink… the one from our very first kitchen renovation. It still makes me smile every time I see it out there.

The seedlings growing in the garden beds look much fuller.

But I have to be honest, this week threw me a little. I have never, in all the years I’ve been growing a cutting garden, had pests arrive this early and hit this hard.

The zinnias are being attacked, and the leaves on the pole beans are being eaten, too. I’m genuinely in shock, and I won’t pretend I’ve been on top of it the way I should have been. Pest pressure this early just hasn’t been my reality before, and I didn’t see it coming.

I think I’m crossing my fingers that the zinnias pull through. My new goal is simple: check the garden every day and deal with problems before they get out of hand. Lesson learned, even after all these years.

On the Blog This Week

My Favorite Inspiration Around the Web This Week

I can’t wait to make these DIY copper plant markers.

If you like blue-and-white decor, this house is for you!

These pull-apart jalapeño pepper jack cheeseburger sliders are so fun!

A complete guide to collecting vintage ironstone.

Check out this gorgeous home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

How to create botanical artwork with supplies on hand.

How to enjoy A cozy breakfast picnic in your backyard.

Looking Ahead

Sometimes the best weekends are the quiet ones spent at home, surrounded by flowers, with a grateful heart and a little dirt on your hands.

Wishing you a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and a garden full of whatever makes you happiest right now. I’ll see you next week with some summer coastal cottage decor and more garden updates.

Until next time,