Saltwater Sounds: Our First Day at Sea

Welcome to Saltwater Sounds, a collection of ideas, tips, and inspiration. This is where I share everything happening in the world of Shiplap and Shells, what’s to come, and the inspiration I’ve found from other bloggers around the web.

THIS AND THAT

Happy weekend and greetings from our boat, Wildflower.

We’re currently anchored in Ganges Harbour, off Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada.

We spent yesterday boating to the town of Ganges from The Butchart Gardens, getting off the boat and heading over to the Saturday Farmer’s Market, followed by a “Hop On, Hop Off tour of Saltspring Island Cheese and Goat Farm, wineries, and more.

Today we’re going to take a kayak ride before heading into town for a walk with the dogs and do a little shopping.

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So, speaking of The Butchart Gardens, I have so many pictures to share with you so I’m planning on writing a special post with all the amazing pictures. But for now, I’m sharing my favorites.

This is the sunken garden which has the most vibrant colors of seasonal flowers.

I can’t tell you how much I love this place. It’s like Disneyland for gardeners. We are so privileged to have a special spot like this in the Pacific Northwest.

There are arbors throughout the gardens with hanging flower containers hanging from them.

For those of you who have followed me for a significant period of time, what gardens do you think were my favorite?

If you said the dahlia gardens, you are a winner. They are absolutely amazing!

You have no idea how many pictures of dahlias I took during my visit. I can’t wait to show you every one of them when I publish The Butchart Gardens Experience blog post.

Before our visit to the famous gardens, we anchored in Garrison Bay for 3 days. It was so incredibly peaceful and just the time we needed to relax and unplug for a bit.

Jax was in my kayak and Ollie was in his dad’s one morning when we decided to go to English Camp.

We didn’t take many pics here. We had a great walk through the park during a past visit but I’ve been having some issues with my feet this trip so we decided to stick to a short walk and back in the kayak.

What an amazing goodbye gift. The sunset was gorgeous this particular evening.

The next day we went to the Westcott Shellfish Co. to try some oysters. We came by dinghy and as we made our way up the dock ramp, we found these hard workers shucking oysters.

Above is where the oysters were grilled.

You can buy fresh oysters on-site as well.

Here’s a view of the space as we walk the dock.

The menu was limited but amazing.

The house panini was pretty much a fabulous grilled cheese sandwich with the perfect side salad. The Caesar salad was incredible.

The chef even sent us back to the boat with extra Caesar dressing since we were the last set of reservations of the day.

In full disclosure, I have never liked oysters. Until this day. They were absolutely fabulous with the best flavors. We are true fans and will make the trip every time we are in this area.

The stop before Garrison Bay was to the small town of Eastsound and Rosario Resort. We loved the Saturday Farmer’s Market.

This booth was so amazing. Farm fresh items on the menu and the most beautiful flowers as well.

There was also such a variety of fruits and vegetables available in many booths at the market.

We had dinner at Oyserbay Seashell Co. about a 10-minute dinghy ride from Rosario, Orcas Island, where we were anchored about a week ago.

They had the most beautiful flower, herb, and vegetable garden and we were allowed to roam and cut all of the flowers we wanted.

As you can see, we took zinnias and sunflowers back to the boat to enjoy.

Next on the September trip is Victoria, Canada B.C. You won’t believe where we are staying! Stay tuned for next week.

SHOP MY FALL HOME DECOR FAVORITES HERE

FROM THE BLOG

Vintage Fall Decor Ideas to Add Charm and Character to Your Home

f you’re looking for fall decor ideas to add charm and character to your home, mixing vintage pieces throughout your spaces is a perfect way to accomplish just that… CONTINUE READING.

Benefits of Leaf Litter Mulch in the Garden and How to Make It

Did you know that there’s another way to clean up all those autumn leaves piled throughout the yard? I’ll share how you can not only clean up those fallen leaves but use them as leaf litter mulch that will benefit your garden…CONTINUE READING.

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SHOP GARDEN SUPPLIES AND TOOLS

MY FAVORITE INSPIRATION AROUND THE WEB THIS WEEK

This DIY fall garland.

These tips for decorating side and accent tables.

French country fall mantel decor.

How to decorate with secondhand finds for a stylish fall makeover.

Fall Candle Favorites from Antique Candle Co.

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and let me know what you’d like to see on the blog! Thank you for being here.

Until next time,

Wishing a wonderful week ahead,

Be sure to follow me @shiplapandshells on the following…

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