Comments on: A Rocking Chair on the Porch

By: jennifer

jennifer — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 22:47:45 +0000

Thanks for the nice offer, Jeanne. A funny thing has happened, though – with two of the boys having actual jobs, we cannot just go running off on vacation anymore. Looks like we’re mostly home until August, anyway, at which point the hollyhocks will be over.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:59:55 +0000

Wonderful hollyhocks, a flower I have much experience but little success with. Be sure to let me know if you need them watered any time this summer.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:01:44 +0000

Ah yes, sand before painting. Good advice! Thank yew also for the aesthetic points.

By: Single Green Thumb

Single Green Thumb — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:47:35 +0000

The difference between yews and a garden of lovely flowers that you selected is the difference between a garden that provoked one thought by its owner and a garden of an aesthete who regularly thinks about beautiful things. The later better describes you both. It also warm and inviting versus cool and distancing.
You have just psychically enriched your lives enormously.
Three words: Higher Resale Value.
Sand the wood porch before painting.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:46:54 +0000

Yessir, the old Reynolds place had a chilly paint tone and a sleeping porch where nobody would ever get a good nights sleep again, owing to cracked window panes and crumbling walls. Nothing to be done but to transform it into a master bathroom. Mwwwaaahaha.
Elizabeth, based on your tip, I reserved the book at our local library – didn’t know about the blog. Great. Now I have another one to read each morning.
Katherine, this used to be the front yard, back when the house was new – now it’s sort of the back yard. And what is the hock of a holly? I don’t know either. But will take a gander at your garden soon.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:28:54 +0000

Terrific tale! I wish we had a silent auction to fix our yard.

Best of all: I LOVE those two before and after pictures! The Before picture, with its blue tones and hatched light and shadow looks like the beginning of a horror film where the lightning flashes and the crochety old caretaker tells his tale about ‘the ol’ Reynolds’ place’ in between puffs on his pipe and claps of thunder. The After picture shows a sweet older couple walking by while one says, ‘oh yes, that’s the Reynolds’ place. Lovely people’

By: becky up a hill

becky up a hill — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:12:15 +0000

Lovely~

By: lknight

lknight — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:08:47 +0000

Splendid work you guys! Kick back and enjoy it all.

By: Elizabeth@Life in Pencil

Elizabeth@Life in Pencil — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:07:52 +0000

Your house is beautiful, Jennifer. We have a lawn that is dying — lawns really shouldn’t even be a part of New Mexican landscaping plans — and I am itching to do something about it. Alas, it won’t happen this summer. I think you’d really enjoy the blog http://www.slowlovelife.com, as well as the accompanying book, Slow Love, by Dominique Browning. I think you two might be kindred spirits.

By: katherine miller

katherine miller — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:37:43 +0000

The garden looks terrific and you even have the lovely old fashioned single hollyhocks. I support the use of a vegetable garden in the front yard–stop by and look at mine. I use the township leafmold and have had the best yield ever.
I knew about the yews, but what are the hocks of a holly?