ah, summer!...

 

 

...is it really over?!... It seemed to have just whizzed by, especially in our part of the world where it really is much to short of a season!!... How was your summer? 'Hope it was good!...

 

 

I spent my summer again at what is probably my most favourite spot in the world: our place at the lake!... I absolutely love it there and I often feel like I have to pinch myself because I can't believe how lucky we are to have found this little paradise... So, I thought I would try to share with you in this post a little glimpse of what it's like by bringing you along with me on a visit, starting with a swim in the loveliest of lake water, just off our dock from where you can see our house on top of the hill...

 

 

As you can imagine, our dock is one of the most used and beloved spots to hang out, whether on your own with a good book or a sweet hooking project, or with a bunch of family and friends; this year, we extended it out a bit and I decided to finally give it a bit of "dock appeal" by digging into my vintage fabric stash and making cushions. We also built planters from an old broken down dresser which I then planted with zinnias, sunflowers, sweet peas, roses, strawberries, grasses and other cottage favourites. And, after having spent a good part of summer this year on this very dock, I can't help but ask myself now: what took me so long to spruce it up?!...

 

 

Now, the dock is a relaxing spot which is a good thing because the walk, or better yet, hike up the 101 steps to the house may seem a tad daunting especially on those lazy hazy days of summer!... Luckily though, the view somewhat makes up for it...

 

 

Once you've made it up to the house (I can always assess my fitness, or more likely lack of, after going up all those stairs!...), you reach a brick walkway which we made over the last couple of years from bricks repurposed from an old school which was demolished in Vancouver. In the photo below, imagine yourself turning around after walking up to look at the lake; the house is to your left where you can see the deck posts and the grass I recently planted and which I absolutely love because of the way the sun shines through it...

 

 

If you turn around again and continue waking along the brick path, passing the house to your right, you will quickly spot my enclosed veggie and berry garden (enclosed to protect against deer!) which is bordered by a burst of colour from blooming perennials, herbs and roses...

 

 

I have to say that this is the part of my garden which I've really enjoyed this summer because it has finally started to look healthier and has become much more floriferous; over the last couple of summers, I've worked hard to amend the soil here which was rather poor in nutrients, with bedrock not far below the surface. As you can see, our brick walkway joins up to a clearing which is part of our driveway where this summer we put a few truck loads of one of my favourite landscape surface materials, pea gravel. I'm very pleased with the look of the pea gravel here as I think it offers a lovely and uniform contrast to all the surrounding greenery and matches the natural tones of the local bedrock -- what do you think?!...

 

 

While the palette of my flower borders always seems to change a bit with every summer because of new additions and tweaks, I really liked this summer's edition!...

 

 

'Loving my gaura below and I'm thinking that I definitely have to seed more of it in my garden!...

 

 

Now as summer went on, the sunflowers in my veggie garden just kept growing and growing, a bit like Jack's beanstalk, which made me wonder if is was the variety I chose or the extra help they got from the tomato fertilizer I was using on the nearby tomato bushes!...

 

 

As you can see when you walk into the enclosure, the sunflowers did a nice job of framing my little cherubic water fountain which I mentioned here...

 

 

I should admit here that this is the first time I have been so successful in growing sunflowers which thrilled me to no end and put a smile on my face every time I looked at them!...

 

 

What's not to like?!... I will definitely be growing these babies again next summer!...

 

 

It's been a very good summer in the veggie and berry patch as we happily lived off of its fresh and tasty bounty all summer long; it's been quite an adjustment to start buying sad-looking veggies and fruit at the supermarket now that I'm back in the city... sigh!... Oh, and I made pickles for the first time in my life with the pickling cucumbers I grew this summer; yum,yum, they were scrumptious and a definite staple for summers to come -- and, after all, I am of Polish descent!!...

 

 

Now, if you move past the enclosed garden, you will get to a clearing on which my version of a lawn grows: a wild mess of low grasses, creeping thyme and clover! This "lawn", under which our septic field is located, is bordered by lovely roses, butterfly bushes and vines, and if you walk onto it and turn towards the house, the lake below and the mountains above, this will be your view on a glorious summer day...

 

 

I love this spot, especially on sunny summer afternoon when all the lovely rose and butterfly bush blooms perfume the air with the sweetest of scents, making it the perfect spot to play with fabric and yarn...

 

 

...which I did do a bit of this summer...

 

 

While the garden goes on for a little bit still, I have to stop here because I've run out of photos!.. I do hope you've enjoyed this little tour... Despite summer being over and my having to return to the big city, I'm very happy to be back here with you after my little break, and I do hope you will keep popping in as I do have a bunch of rosehippy autumn projects I'd love to share with you... As always, thank you so much for the visit and thank you also to all of you who have kept in touch throughout the summer via my Instagram!...

 

 

 

Comments

[mrs robinson]

Dreamy... truly a little bit of paradise!

[Nathalie]

You have indeed a little place called "Paradise" not far from the city. I hope you enjoyed your summer! Nice pictures and thank you to share those with us... Have a great fall!

[Kim Sharman]

Somehow I clicked and found myself at your lovely country home and garden. How wonderful to spend your summer at this 'little' piece of paradise. Oh, those views and then there is your beautiful and wild garden. Truly, I don't think I would ever want to leave. So, so happy to visit and drink in all the vision splendid!

[Joanne Roberts]

What a wonderful place. Your garden is absolutely amazing, I love those kind of gardens. Such an inspiration. Jo xx

[Angela]

Oh, Beata, it's soooo beautiful!!! I love seeing your garden photos. Sigh!! ~Angela~