Challenge Taken Part 3: Willow Corner

If you are just tuning into this series, you can access parts one and two by clicking here.   If you have been following along…lets get started!

When last we met here, I left you with a preview of the area at Mr. and Mrs. P’s farm I like to call Willow Corner. 
It’s not a terrible space the way it is…but it could use a little “something” to make it fantastic…don’t you agree?

I stared and stared at this space.   I racked my brain…Mrs. P wants this area to be a vignette that says relax…a still life that represents both nostalgia and a new beginning.   
The space used to be filled with wild flowers and perennial plants.   It is now just a turned soil area where the windbreak of trees meets the rest of the yard.  The flowers in this space were removed, as Mrs. P simply didn’t have the time, the energy or enough interest to maintain and care for them.   We all know that a neglected garden is a mess, and Mrs. P hates mess.
So…This space needs a low maintenance Tootsie Touch.

The chairs and little table will stay.  That is a given.   I need to add some interest to this space and still keep the rustic feeling of this area…hmmmm.

I remembered a bit of a conversation I had with Mrs.P earlier that week.   She said they love the way the pine trees make their own ground covering…like a carpet below them.   This gave me an idea!  I will make a primitive floor for this space!
I ran to the junk pile and got myself busy!

Once I got things going, and decided on the round rather than the square posts…I was good to go…this space started to flow…and it just kept getting better and better as the time went on!

I had tried a little of this and a little of that in this space…what didn’t work got stuck over here in the corner, to  wait for me to either find it a home, or put it away.  At one point Mrs. P walked up to see how I was doing and noticed it.  She thought I did that on purpose and likes it right where it is…so it stays!

I added a few more pieces of junk to that area…and some driftwood that they had collected on vacations from years past…I also moved a large concrete paver to this space.   It was one that the grandchildren had made with hands and feet prints.   This area became a bit of a memory garden so to speak.

…It seems that this entire area just got a little bigger!  lol
Mr. P is VERY protective of ALL of his trees….so there was NO pruning of any kind happening…I needed to be able to work around them…and I did.   Around, Under, Between and Beside… I even managed to find inspiration in them!  
This space is looking “okay” but not floating my boat the way I want it to ….YET.
It feels like something is missing.  

Ahhh….that’s much better.   I added an archway, and a few plants.  Those ferns that everyone loves so much are coming in very handy!!!   I will plant a vine in the archway…and talk Mrs. P into a couple of potted flowers…and that should finish my space!

I added one last thing.  I put a carpet of pine needles and cones in the wood floor, and added a few little special things here and there.  Mrs P loved it!

I just can’t seem to get the photos to make this space appear the way it does in person.   It is beautiful…calm and loaded with family memories.  It is exactly what Mrs. P wanted it to be.   She loves the potted flowers…loves the ferns …and is pleased as punch with the entire thing in general!
Next up…

Granny’s Garden.   This is going to be a challenge!!! 
Stay tuned…You will probably be surprised at the finished project!

That’s it for me today…I have loads to do today and need to get started!
Until Next Time…Happy Gardening!

*)*)*)   Never regret doing something that made you happy..

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.


www.tootsietime.com

Did you miss part 1 and 2?

Part one of challenge taken:  The Bike, the Cream Can and the Tree.

Part two of challenge taken:  Birdbath corner

Challenge Taken part 2. Birdbath’s Corner.

Hey!   Glad you popped by!   I am just about to share the second installment of the Challenge I took to Tootsie around in a farm yard with little to no flowers!

If you missed the first part about the Bike the Cream Can and the Tree,  you really should go back and have a look…it tells the entire story of how I ended up taking this challenging project in the first place.  Click here if you wish to start on part one!


This is where I left you…and I showed the view of the next space to be done.


Things here are simple and plain. Nothing to draw the eye and there is much potential in it’s “bones”.   I had direction from Mrs. P to do “something…anything” to make it pretty!

Lets take a closer look:


This is not a big space..The little fence was put up years ago to keep their son from driving his quad through the trees to get to the house.  There is a little bit of gravel and some shards from an old clay pot that bit the biscuit years back.   I stared at it for a while…and got an idea!


In my discussions with Mrs. P, I learned that Mr. P loves to have birds of all kinds in his yard.   I recalled seeing a birdbath in the stash of  things I was given access to use anywhere I saw fit.   I grabbed it…and popped it right in the middle of the alcove.   I then went to my truck and grabbed the two honeysuckle vines that I had picked up in town on my way out here that morning.   I then threw in another clay pot, arranged the broken shards and stood back. 

 It still doesn’t seem finished!


That is MUCH better!   I know Mrs.P likes her solar lights and there were a few in my truck…along with a pot of Dusty Miller that I planted in the greenhouse this spring.   I just needed to re-arrange things a little bit and this space is DONE!  

The vines will attract humming birds and butterflies…they will grow up and use the Karagana bushes as support…the birdbath is in a sheltered area and creates a focal point for this otherwise bland space! 

When I showed it to Mrs. P.    She was very happy…she loves it!

She also loves the “accidental” placement of an old window…


In my travels back and forth from the shed with different items to try to use in this space, this old window fell off the wheel barrow.   I didn’t want anyone to step on it, but didn’t need it at the time, so I just popped it in here and left it for a bit.   The old window now has a home right where I popped it!  haha!   What a happy accident!

The second space was complete and the next space was screaming for my attention.  


I affectionately named this space Willow Corner…What do you think I will do here????

Stay tuned…You will probably be surprised at the finished project!

That’s it for me today…I have to keep things down to a dull roar…somewhere along the line the last two weeks I managed to over do it on my arms…and inflamed my shoulder injury…my arms are numb (sleeping) and my fingers hurt like crazy to use…so for now…that’s it…that’s all!

Until Next Time…Happy Gardening!

*)*)*)   In order to appreciate your successes you must first appreciate your struggles.
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com
Did you miss part 1?

Part one of challenge taken:  The Bike, the Cream Can and the Tree.

A Challenge Taken. Part 1: The Bike, the Cream Can and the Tree.

A while back, Grammie  (my Mom for those who are not familiar with this site yet)  decided that Tootsie needed to put some business cards for Tootsie Time on the counter at the store she owns, so that people can see this site.

I made some up and set them on the counter for her customers to pick up as they paid for their shoes, and that is where today’s story will begin.

A little more than a week ago, a regular customer, and VERY nice lady was in buying a pair of shoes.  ( we will refer to her and her hubby as Mr. and Mrs. P )  She picked up my Tootsie Time card and took it home.  That evening, she had a little bit of spare time, so she decided to take a peek at what goes on here!   As it turns out, she loved what she saw enough to email me and ask me to come out and “Tootsie” up the joint a bit!  Needless to say, I graciously accepted.


A few days after her email, I drove myself out to the family farm where she and her husband live.   We met, chatted and toured around their home site, discussing a few areas that she would like me to Tootsify.   Normally being asked to do my thing in someone else’s yard is a huge undertaking, but it is not it the challenge of my skills that this task was going to be.  Mrs. P wants me to Tootsie around in her yard, wants her “junk” placed into vignettes that I am to create, she and wants it all low maintenance…with no flowers.  
Did she say NO FLOWERS?????   

NO FLOWERS!!!!

How on earth am I going to pull this off with NO FLOWERS???

Never in history has there been a Tootsie project done that didn’t include flowers!!!


This is a beautiful yard.  Simple, Mature and very clean.  There are a million beautiful little spots that could become fabulous here!   Mrs. P has chosen just a few of these special areas to be spruced up…just a little.  This tree line is one of those spaces. 

During my tour of the yard, Mrs. P showed me her stash of special “junk” that she had saved over the years.  There were old windows, antique cream cans, little nick- naks and best of all…her pride and joy…a lovely old bicycle.   I was instantly inspired to get busy!

The next morning bright and early I got myself out of town and onto the hi-way to begin my new project.   I had lots of time to collect my thoughts on the way there because it is approximately 40 minutes from home.   This was perfect…I could make a bit more of a plan on the way there.   There is just one little thing I am very nervous about…HOW on earth will I make this work with NO FLOWERS????

I arrived…and was instantly greeted by a very excited Mrs.P.   She could hardly wait to add a little bit of new interest to her yard spaces!   She chatted a little bit and then I went off to do my “thing”

This yard is rather large…and I needed to make some pretty happen along the drive way up to the house…as she was concerned that it was too “boring”.  

I got into the shed where the “good stuff” was stored…and pulled that wonderful old bike out.   Mrs. P adores her old bike.  She really wanted it to stand out and have a special place in the garden.   Fortunately, I have a big imagination, and a plan already formulated.   I dragged the old bike down from the back of the yard all the way to the beginning of the drive way, stood back and looked at where I originally wanted to put it…and HATED IT!


I wanted to place it here!   Under a tree!   I looked horrible there!   Think Tootsie …THINK!   As I stood there looking at the bike, trying to realize a new plan, I looked to my right…and saw the most beautiful spot.


What a beautiful old tree!!!   The dappled shade and all the surrounding shrubs and trees make this space PERFECT for the wonderful old bicycle!   I literally was giddy with excitement!  It is a darned good thing Mrs. P was busy doing other things, she would have thought me insane with the way I was talking to myself!

I grabbed the bike…placed it up against the tree…and zipped myself up to the back of the yard for some more “junk” and a piece of firewood I spotted in the wood shed during my tour.

Ta-Da!!!!   This is what I ended up with!   I added the cream can, old wooden pot, and that tree stump.   I also raided another area of the  yard for a few maiden hair ferns.   I LOVE IT!!!!  The ambiance of this area is perfect to just BE.   So…


I added a chair!

Now that’s more like it!

I just needed to talk Mrs. P into a few flowers…just a couple…and I will be finished here.

Even if she says no to the flowers, This space will still be wonderful…but…I am Tootsie…and Tootsie NEEDS flowers, like she needs air…so…I offered a few small flowers…and…


She graciously accepted.

WHEW!

That was close..ha ha…  Not as many flowers as I usually add to things, but hey…it’s a start.   I will eventually turn this sweet lady into a flower fiend like me!  



Mrs. P LOVES the little vignette!

If you are wondering what the bright green rectangle off to the upper right of the photo is, it is a little touch of humor that we added from her stash of things she wanted to use in the garden.


Isn’t it cute?   It just added a little fun to this space.


I love the feeling this space gives as one looks at it. 


Peaceful, Graceful, Calm…just what Mrs. P wanted!

So far so good…I managed to Tootsie with almost no flowers…

Off to the next space in the yard!


What ever did I do here?  

Stay tuned…I will reveal the Tootsi-fied look tomorrow!

What?   You didn’t think I was going to share it all today did you???   What fun would that be?  :) 

Thanks for popping in today…I can’t hardly wait to share what this little space looks like after I played with it!   See you here tomorrow…!

Until Next Time…Happy Gardening!

*)*)*)   The common 'eye' only sees what's visible on the outside, and judges by that. The loving eye pierces through the visible and reads the heart and the soul.

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.www.tootsietime.com