Inspiration for a joyful and creative life

When I was a kid, my Dad built us a playhouse that I used all the time.  I used to pretend it was my restaurant.  I was cooking even back then, although it was plastic and pretend food!

This wonderful garden potting shed is like a grown up version of a playhouse.

My neighbors across the street have created a delightful garden greenhouse and potting shed out of old recycled glass windows.

It is a lovely focal point in their backyard that is whimsical, attractive, and practical.

Mike built the structure and Sharon adds the decorator touches.

I’ll share some of the cool details with you in these photos.

This is one of the views inside.  You can see the windows they used for the roof.  They also built a potting table and shelves to hold supplies.  There is peg board on some of the walls to hold tools and garden supplies.

This is a close-up of an old painted door with a rabbit and a checker board pattern.  They found this door at a garage sale and ended up cutting the top half of the door off and using it as a fun accent in the garden shed.

These are some of the side walls using recycled windows.

Here is another little peak inside this fun greenhouse where Sharon has set up a little vignette of garden shoes, miniature chair, potted plant, and a watering can.

Doesn’t this make you want to have one of these in your yard?   Hopefully this will give you some inspiration and ideas on creating your own.

Orchids have long lasting blooms

I enjoy living in Colorado and enjoying the different seasons but I miss seeing flowers and leaves and green outside our windows in the winter.

As much as I appreciate plants and flowers, I don’t have much of a green thumb.  But even for someone like me, there is hope.

There are a few plants and flowers that grow well indoors and bring splashes of color and spring to a gray and cold winter’s day.

Orchids
Orchids are often on sale in the winter at your local grocery store, garden center, or places like home depot.  The blooms are long lasting and absolutely gorgeous in an array of colors and sizes.

I don’t worry about the fact that I may not be able to keep it living for months or years.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis
My husband brought home a pre-planted container with 3 amaryllis.  They have each bloomed at different times.  Just add water!

Paperwhite blooming

Paperwhites
Paperwhite bulbs are fun to grow all winter.  A lot of people think of them only at Christmas but you can start bulbs at different times and always have some in the process of blooming.

You don’t even need any soil to grow these.  You can put them in bulb vases or other containers with just plain water and simply add and change the water once a week or so.

These are so much fun to watch them grow.  Sometimes it is like watching a science experiment.  This one had more roots than I’ve ever seen!

Paperwhite bulb

Cyclamen

Cyclamen
We love the pop of color these cyclamen bring to the indoors during winter and even summer.  My husband takes care of these – that is why they look so good!

He doesn’t do anything special with them except keep them watered but we have found these will bloom for a very long time and then bloom again, winter and summer.  They come in shades of pink, white, and red.

He planted them in a larger planter and that helps to keep them from drying out too fast.

Rosemary or Herbs
In our climate, even the perinnial herbs will go dormant in the winter so it is nice to have a few indoors.

I’ve had luck in the past with rosemary, although it seems to dry out very quickly and has to be watered often.  If you forget and the leaves start to dry, it is usually hard to get it to come back but all isn’t lost!  You can cut off them stems and dry them and use the rosemary dried instead of fresh.

It is a bonus to have the wonderful aroma of herbs and to use them when you are cooking.