Container Gardens

Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. Would you like to join me in my garden to relax and smell the flowers while having a cup of yummy Pomegranate tea? I would love to share parts of my container garden with you and the fun news that my container garden is featured in Country Almanac's Container Gardens magazine.



The beautiful cover photo was taken by Jerry Pavia and the lovely photos of my garden were taken by Mark Lohman and styled by Sunday Hendrickson. I was so honored and excited when Associate Editor Diane Speros contacted me earlier this year with the news that she wanted to feature my garden in the 2010 issue of Container Gardens and that she was writing an article "Artist's Vision" about my garden and how to create and instant cottage garden using containers.

The above photo was featured in the magazine and is an example of an "artful accent" on the back of my Adirondack that gets a flourish with a planter filled with mini zinnias.

Diane Speros's beautifully written article really captured the story of my personal garden that I created when I downsized from a large home with a generously sized garden to my Cape Cod Town Home with a smaller garden. The article is filled with lots of tips on creating a lush garden using containers, decorative details and re purposing and recycling using flea market finds.

I would like to thank Diane for getting to know me and my garden and then writing an article with so much useful and practical information to share with the magazine readers.

You can view the entire article on the side bar on my blog under Press or better still you can purchase the magazine on the news stands to get the full impact of the beautiful photographs and article.

I will be taking a blog break for the next few weeks getting ready for the Balboa Island Art Walk show on May 17th. Please enjoy my personal photographs and tips on my container garden while I am on a blog break.

My blue chair was featured in the magazine and it is a great example of how flowers planted in pots can give your garden a very lush look.

A flea market wash stand makes a great container for plants. I planted Azaleas in the wash bowl and hung one of my little garden hat paintings on the stand for a touch of "Art In The Garden"

The same container shown in the magazine only this time I planted it with happy little pansies.

Geraniums planted in a window box attached to an old window with mirrors.

Bentley, my helpful Studio Assistant, helping with Natstrums and Geraniums waiting to be planted in a container.

This is one of my favorite areas for container plants. The old white bench was also featured in the magazine. It was planted with pinks and blues in the magazine. I have since added lots of reds to my garden. Note the old blue tool boxes that now have a new home as planters. The bench was given to me by a neighbor - it was originally a seat in a Boston Whaler boat.

Another favorite "container" is the basket of my old vintage Rocket bicycle.

A close up view of the old bench with a tool box planter.

A flea market white wicker chair surrounded by pots of flowers in containers.

Containers can also be hung on a fence.

Containers filled with lavender soften an old Adirondack chair.

One of my favorite tips for container gardening is to use mirrors in your garden to reflect flowers planted in containers. I have three mirrors in my garden. The angel and mirror are garage sale finds.

Another example of adding color to your garden by using pots and an old tool box. I also use old rugs and lots of fabric on my chairs to add another dimension and to tie in the colors.

I hope you enjoy smelling the flowers while I am on a blog break.

Thank you Diane Speros for sharing my container garden with the readers of Country Almanac's Container Gardens magazine and for letting me share your beautiful article with the readers of my blog. The article is on my side bar - under Press.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, comments and those of you who are following my blog. If you would like to see me paint something special or have any questions, please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail.

I am sorry that I have not had time to visit each one of you as I am getting ready for the Balboa Island Artwalk this month and simply have not had time. I promise to visit you after the art show. Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

French Inspirations

Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. Would you like to join me for tea and raisin bread toast sprinkled with lavender sugar? I would love to share with you French Inspirations for a new painting of a lavender field that was inspired by my recent win of Penny Carlson of Lavender Hill Studio 's fabulous French giveaway.

I love reading French Decorating and Home and Garden magazines and Penny's giveaway included four beautiful magazines. Love looking at them and trying to figure out the French words.

Mon Jardin was filled with beautiful photographs of gardens in the South of

France as well as lovely lavender.

After pouring over the beautiful magazines I was reminded of my own trips to France and decided to paint something reminiscent of traveling through Provence in the South of France.

Penny also included two jars of delicious French Tapenade D'Olives Noires.

I noticed on the jars that they were made in Fontvielle which is a charming little village in Provence. How special as I stayed in a delightful bed and breakfast in Fontvielle on a trip through Provence.

Penny also included a charming French tote bag as a special surprise and a Euro bill and coin to spend on my next trip to France.

Penny is a fabulous mosaic artist and has two beautiful blogs:

http://www.lavenderhillstudio.blogspot.com/

and

www.thecomfortsofhome.blogspot.com

Bentley, my studio assistant, is looking for French inspiration for the new painting.

Finding Inspiration . . . . . .

Here . . . . .

There . . . .


Everywhere . . . .

I decided to paint a French lavender field in my favorite village of Fontvielle with a roadside stand selling fresh cut bunches of lavender, sunflowers and red geraniums. I also added Olive trees that could have produced the olives in the yummy Tapenade D'Olives.

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, comments and those who are following my blog. If you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special, please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail.

I am sorry that I have not had time to visit each and every one of you lately - I am getting ready for The Balboa Island Artwalk in May which is the one big show I participate in every year. I promise to stop by and see you when I have a little more time.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

Touches of Red

Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. Would you like to take a little break with me and have a cup of tea in my garden? I have been busy adding touches of red to brighten up my side garden and I would love to share them with you.

Bentley is already relaxing on this beautiful cool Spring day.

I shared with you a while back that I painted my house a darker shade of gray and wanted to add new touches of red to brighten the darker paint.





I found wonderful red garden boots on Target.com and liked them so much I decided to leave them on the front porch when I am not wearing them for a touch of color.

I found an American flag at Joanne's and love that it has a special plastic fitting over the wooden pole that keeps the flag from wrapping around itself.

Red cushions purchased at last year's end of season clearance
at Pottery Barn really helped to add spots of color.

Vintage red, white and blue pillows add another touch of color.

I display my paintings in the garden for a touch of color - I like to call this "Art In The Garden".

The Red Geraniums are called "Big Reds". The flowers are very large and remind me of the fabulous geraniums in the South of France.

The garden shelf is a treasurer I recently found when shopping at a flea market one day in the rain.

It makes a perfect place to hang "Art in The Garden.:

Crimson Mandevilla

Our recent rain really helped the newly planted Sun Parasol Crimson Mandevilla vine
get a great start.

Another flea market find - an old tin container hanging on the back of an Adirondack chair makes an adorable planter for red geraniums.

Legend says that Lady Bugs bring good luck to your garden.

I hope to have double good luck in my garden with two lady bugs in my garden.

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visit, comments and those who are following my blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

Spring Blue and White Inspirations

Welcome. I am so happy you stopped by. We are having beautiful Spring weather - a little cool with beautiful blue skies - the weather has been perfect for our early blooming White Iceberg Roses. They almost grow wild here in Southern California and usually bloom until November. What have you been up to? I have been relaxing and taking a blog break to enjoy Spring, paint and plant flowers. Would you like to take a little relaxing tea break with me and I will share some blue and white inspiration with you?

Bentley is already in the garden and wanted to show you his blue and white rug where he likes to curl up and nap in the sun.

The first of the white and pink Iceberg roses.



I collect blue and white china and love shopping for special pieces at flea markets and tag sales.

Every room in my home has some blue and white.

My painting aprons are, of course, blue and white.

Paint brushes are stored in a blue and white vase. Blue has become my signature in my art and most of my larger paintings have a piece of blue and white as part of the still life.

The beautiful Spring blue sky is a perfect backdrop for the first blooming climbing white roses.

The Iceberg roses bushes are covered with blooms.

The beautiful white roses were just irresistible and the inspiration for a quick little painting. I paired the roses with blue silk hydrangeas since the hydrangeas will not be in bloom for a a few more months.

Thank you for stopping by. I love hearing from you and sincerely appreciate your visits, comments and those who are following my blog. If you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special, please leave me a comment or send me and e-mail.

Have a love week. Blessings, Erin