Before we take a June cottage garden tour, let's remember where we began. A plastic deck with a broken hot tub, aluminum railing, and a field of crabgrass were all that surrounded our little home seven years ago. Oh – and one red rose bush that was planted by the front door. It was quite ugly, to be honest.
We came here with young knees, wild hearts, and ambition to make it something special. My husband – a faithful Lord of the Rings fan – always dreamed of The Shire and the feeling of peace and comfort that it evokes for the hobbits.
(I’ve never managed to read the Lord of the Rings but Stuart’s description has been enough to give me inspiration.)
The gardens force me to work hard and move slow. This is of great benefit to a naturally anxious human soul that needs time to process and pray. Those knees, hearts, and unbridled ambition have taken the last seven years and devoted them towards creating something beautiful. Somewhere we want to be. A place where you can always discover something new – self-seeded foxglove, pond snails, bird nests.
I take a lap each evening with a glass of wine in hand, aching elbows and a heart bursting with gratitude for what we’re able to care for.
Today, I wanted to share with you where we are this beautiful first week of June. The garden barely stays the same for a few hours, let alone a few days. Even though this is a fresh video, the lupines have since faded and the entire patch of strawberries have ripened!
I hope you enjoy our little garden tour together. And for those of you who like to move slow as well, I’ve added still photographs in here just for you.
I hope you enjoyed our June cottage garden tour. No month is the same and that's part of what makes it all so beautiful.
Cheers,
Shaye
Thank you for sharing your little oasis with the world. It’s so lovely. And I appreciate the reminder of where you started when you first moved in. With faith and hard work, so much is possible! Last summer we were blessed with a miracle baby we never thought would happen. The garden we’ve spent eight years building is full of weeds and the grass is creeping in but we’ve got our hands and hearts full with our little man. In a year… or five, we’ll be back out there, recreating our outdoor refuge. I’m hoping we can keep enough of the perennials from getting consumed by grass that we don’t have to totally start from scratch.
The videos of every facet of your home life are so very refreshing! I love it all! Your home decor, the beautiful outdoor areas, the wonderful way you prepare & cook for your family! The Homeschool, your love of old used old things! Interaction between you and your husband.. God is surely in the details!