The Spring House & Garden
This year, more than ever before, I’ve wanted to not just be outside, but to tend to outside. I’ve wanted to clear out the dead leaves and make the edges clean. I’ve wanted to plant flowers in every bed, fill the birdbath, set beautiful pots all around to make the outdoors a haven to enjoy. It’s satisfying to work in the yard and look around in the evening to see what you’ve done. This year feels much different than last because we’ve finally completed our renovation and we are into the season of renewal…I can finally exhale. I love spring because of my birthday in May and Mother’s Day. It means my girls are all coming home and it’s such an easy time that doesn’t require hours in the kitchen or insane decorating inside. It’s simple…light a scented candle, cut flowers from the yard, set out a beautiful cheese plate or pack a picnic and enjoy the beauty that comes along with Spring!
I’ve been at the garden shop…a lot…and this lavender caught my attention. It will go in a sunny spot in a border by the brick wall soon, but for now, I love how it looks on the rustic French table.
These little white flowers are going everywhere…I want them to accent every edge and spill over the stone border that goes around the flower beds. I still have so much to do and can’t wait to get outside…I think I’m becoming a gardener at this point in my life!
THE SPRING HOUSE
There is a moment — if you are paying attention — when the house changes.
Not dramatically or all at once. It happens quietly…a window left open that was closed all winter, a blanket folded away, a candle swapped for something lighter. Small decisions that mean the season has turned and we are beginning again!
Outside, the Lady Banks is still holding on…those tiny yellow clusters that always feel like a surprise, like the garden offering one last gift before it moves on to something grander. The hydrangeas are just coming out and then there are the peonies…I wait for them every year because they are my favorites! If only they lasted a bit longer and every year when they come I feel like I am being handed something back.
This is what spring does to a house. It allows us to metaphorically, begin again.
Inside, the heavy blankets come off the chairs and sofas and go into storage until October. The dark, warm candles of winter…amber, tobacco, cedar, are replaced with something that smells like it came through an open window. Linen gets lighter. The table gets flowers instead of branches and the whole house seems to exhale.
Outside, the courtyard is waking up. Flats of flowers are waiting to be planted and everywhere you look things are popping out of the ground. The stones on the patio hold the cool of morning, and I love the way you can feel the season in what's underfoot. The hydrangeas will fill in over the next few weeks, the magnolias will bloom and by June the whole space will feel like something from a novel, which is, I will admit, what I’m living for right now! I often take my computer outside along with the dogs to work so that I can be part of the unfolding.
There is a reason we do all of this…the swapping and the switching, the deliberate act of bringing the season inside. Our homes are the one place we get to make entirely our own, and the way we move through the seasons is part of that authorship. We are not just decorating…we are marking time with the changing of the seasons and each year, spring is different.
Spring does not ask you to be ready. It simply arrives. The Lady Banks blooms whether you are watching or not…the jasmine creeps up and scents the whole yard. The peonies open on their own schedule. But the house…that part is up to you. Open the windows, swap the candles, put the peonies somewhere you will walk past them twelve times a day, and pay attention to this new beginning.
We bought this beautiful little stone birdbath at a craft fair years ago (this one is pretty) and I’m trying to keep it full of water for the birds that seem to be everywhere! I noticed a humming bird yesterday and I’m looking into getting a humming bird feeder to hang next to the jasmine that’s crawling up the side of the gazebo!
Our house is next to a wooded lot and there’s a grassy spot that’s bordered with oak leaf hydrangeas and hostas that’s s a perfect for spending an afternoon reading under the shade of the oak trees. I’m hoping to make time before it gets too hot to pack a picnic and enjoy the day…without my phone!
Our little gazebo is one of the spots I go to again and again…to drink coffee in the morning, to enjoy a glass of wine in the afternoon and just to sit and think as I look around. It could use a good coat of paint right now and that doesn’t even seem like a chore at this point…just a good excuse to spend a day outside! I’m wearing one of my favorite caftans from Just Darviny…perfect for a spring morning (or afternoon) along with jewelry from Julie Vos!
Spring is also derby season and throwing a Derby Party isn’t as hard as you might think…grab a hat and a great dress, make a batch of pimento cheese and some Kentucky Hot Browns and invite a few friends!
You can get the recipe for my Kentucky Hot Browns here…I’m not sure why I don’t make these once a week because they’re absolutely addictive!
Use a big flat basket to create a beautiful cheese display and garnish with ivy, fresh mint and anything that’s blooming outside. It’s an easy way to entertain and so pretty!
Chives and asparagus are in season right now and are a tasty combination in this Asparagus Fritata!
I look forward to the magnolias trees blooming every year! They scent everything around them and make our neighborhood smell like heaven! If you want to bring the amazing scent of magnolia blooms into your home, you’ll love this magnolia scented candle from Lafco!
I’m including a boutique below with a few items for spring that go along with this post…kaftans, picnic baskets, candles etc…!
I found our vintage 1950’s Palm Beach table last spring and can’t wait to host a dinner party outside very soon!
Sitting in the gazebo wearing a top from Benaar LA, jeans from Citizens of Humanity and wearing gorgeous jewelry from VAHAN!
Shop the exact outfit above and the kaftan I’m wearing below!
This year, with the renovation behind us and my girls coming home, spring feels less like a season and more like a reward. The cheese plate is ready, the candle is lit, and the peonies are on the table. That is enough.
I hope you feel inspired to create beautiful memories this Spring!
Thanks so much for reading!
~XOXO Suzanne