Sharing a Few Favorites– Saturday Sidelines

Sharing a few favorites from the internet this morning. Thank you for joining me today for Saturday Sidelines. Moments and memories, recipes and creativity that inspire me. Hope all of them will inspire you, too. Join me with a cup of coffee or tea for some fun reading.

Guess what’s beginning to bloom? My blue hydrangeas. Aren’t they lovely?

Perfect timing for a red, white and blue Memorial Day theme on the lawn.

Are you traveling this weekend? You might want to read this post about the AAA’s worst and best times to travel this weekend.

We are homebodies this weekend. Finalizing preparations for next weekend’s family wedding brunch and gathering. Can’t wait!

Favorites for a Happy Memorial Day Weekend

If you are like us and planning a burger event, you might like these smashburgers.

If you are still struggling to find favorites to add to Memorial Day gatherings, here are a few of my favorite summer recipes:

• Grandmother’s potato salad.
• Summer garden skewers.
• Tortellini salad.

• Aunt Helen’s Marinated Salad

Top Favorites Found

• Are you a Downton Abby fan? Here’s a great article about the castle where it was filmed.
• Another one of my favorites is all of the interesting strawberry facts shared by Elizabeth at Pine Cones & Acorns.
• Who knew that you could host a Jane Austen picnic and help the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation? My schedule is overflowing already for May and June…but, that may have to happen here. Let me know in the comments if you want to join me if that happens!
• I have a wedding family brunch coming up next weekend…I may have to create tablecloths like this. Beautiful.
• And this wreath to add to the screened porch to compliment it may have to happen. Perfect to add those sweet herb pots, don’t you think?

Need more gardening tips?

We stretched the limits of trimming before it’s too late last week. Boxwoods, snowball bush and roses got a little trim to keep them a bit more in control.

The snowball bush has finished its blooming, so now before the summer heat hits and it begins preparing blooms for next season, a little pruned from the top was needed.

An azalea was moved from behind the snowball bush and then three new Ligustrum bushes were added where other bushes had been removed.

The herb garden pots are expanding on my deck until I make a decision of where I can locate them in the landscape.

This was a few weeks ago…do you see that basil plant? It’s now above the railing by several inches. It’s gonna be huge!

A new pot was planted this week with the thriller, filler and spiller technique. When you have random flowers that have been rescued from a community project…you research and plant them together to save them.

Ferns have been planted, and pots on the porch and around the landscape have been finished. At least until after the wedding.

There are two pots that aren’t bringing me joy. New plants may have to replace or be added to what’s currently there.

Does that ever happen to you, too?

Garden Tower progress…

I haven’t shared about this little garden tower on the blog before. We ordered the Garden Tower in 2020. If you’d like to order and read more, you can find it here.

Still adding seeds to my garden tower. I learned so much the hard way of what NOT to plant together in that tower during COVID.

In 2020, here’s where we began:

Put everything together, including the tube that holds the compost and worms…yes, worms…and then add soil and plants or seeds.

Simple, right?

See the drawer at the bottom? As you water the tower or it rains, the “tea” water collects in the bottom to use for nutrient rich watering again. Genius.

You feed the worms as you compost the tower…and then those worms are amazing for their benefits to the plants.

That first year of the garden tower?

We thought we could plant anything anywhere…you can see the progression here.

TIP: Make sure you purchase wheels and add BEFORE LOADING DIRT!

NOTE: Do NOT plant cucumbers and squash together unless you want hybrid unedible combinations. Learned that one the hard way! We called them “squ-cumbers” and they had to be tossed.

See the netting added that prevented turning and picking all the produce? Goodness! That was the year.

So, this year?

I’m adding herbs, lettuces, and a few easier plants to the tower this year. Easier to control, turn and maintain. No worms and compost for ease this year. Just some worm castings added to the mix.

Wish me luck!

For those of us who have deer munching on anything in raised beds…this tower on the deck has been helpful.

What are your plans for the beginning of summer?

Since we have a family wedding next weekend, there will be family staying with us and hosting a family brunch is planned. I’ve had so much fun creating the menu, decor and planning. Praying for great weather and NO CICADAS and that it’s a great weekend filled with family and celebrating.

Then there will be birthday celebrations for two of my grands next weekend. Love having them here to celebrate them both.

This week I felt a tug on my heart to share navigating friendship. You can read the post here if you missed it. Somehow I can hear my mother and then myself saying, “be careful the effect that others have on you”. Parents can always tell what friends are “good influences”, right? And then there’s the extend grace to those who need it along the way.

Are your favorites added to your summer plans?

It’s a fast and furious beginning of summer with visits to both boys and families in Boise and Atlanta. There’s a grand graduating high school and a granddaughter’s play performance to cheer on.

And? My husband and I have a great anniversary get away planned, too. A busy June for sure.

Hoping I’m home to can all those great pickle recipes for sweet pickles, dill pickles and pickle relish;

pick blueberries with great nieces and nephews; and celebrate Father’s Day in a big way.

Speaking of blueberries, here’s a favorite find of a blueberry recipe for the road from the featured picture.

Happy Memorial Day weekend, friends,