Violet Love

I have grown violets most 

of my adult life.

My first violets

were from my Grandmother

many years ago.

I like to think that

perhaps some of the ones

I have today are

offspring's of those first ones from her.

Through the years

I have had good luck with violets

and they always bloomed beautifully

for me.

Then, I moved into my current house

a couple of years ago.

Evidently they were not happy with

the move.

Violets that had been outstanding

at my previous house,

suddenly decided they

were merely green houseplants.

For almost a year I did not have

a single blooming violet.

So I started giving them regular doses of 

a bloom booster

and I gave them more light.

Although my house is quite bright

they wanted a more direct light.

The window in my kitchen is western exposure

and in the dining room I have the morning light.

Between these two windows

I started to rotate all my violets regularly.

And guess what?

Last spring they started blooming

once again

and have not stopped since.

I do have the occasional pot 

with no blooms.

But after a few days in one of the

"violet" windows

they reward me beautifully.

Here are some other tips that work for me

to keep violets happy and healthy -

-good drainage is essential

-water from below

-let them dry out between watering

-they like to be root bound,

so keep their pots small.

Baby them a bit 

and they will reward you

with blooms

year around!

Putting Summer Away...

As I sit here today 

contemplating bringing in my

plants from the porch

because we might, possibly

have a frost later this week,

I realize summer is over.

Of course it is!!!

It's mid October after all!

It's just that it has sped by SO quickly,

even though the warm weather has

lasted way longer this year

than we have any right to expect.

One summer event I should have ended weeks ago

is my family's 

2018 Summer Bake Off.

I've shared everyone's cake except my own.

So here it is.

I used the Updated Hummingbird Cake

recipe from DELISH.

The main difference between my cake

and those of everyone else

 is that the recipe 

called for the addition of 

unsweetened applesauce and less oil.

A healthier cake....

 ...probably not because of the 

Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting,

which was the BEST thing about the cake.

The cake was a bit too dense.

Probably because my recipe did not specify

what size can or how much 

crushed pineapple to use.

I used a large can and did not drain it.

So, although the frosting was first rate,

I wasn't too impressed with my cake.

After living here for almost fifteen months,

my violets finallllllly

began to bloom this summer.

I had wonderful luck with them

at my previous house.

But for some reason, no blooms here.

Don't they like this house???

Are they mad I moved them???

After feeding them a bloom boost for several months

and moving them to some direct sunlight,

I am seeing flowers again.

(Thank you for your advise M.)

I have "read"

or listened to some outstanding

audible books this summer.

These were two of my favorites.

And finally,

as I say goodbye to summer,

here's a little round up of

the gorgeous flowers M has kept

me supplied with over the past few months.

Come on Fall.

I'm ready for you.

Books are for Stacking!

 I have a metal and wicker tea cart that has been

waiting for me to create some sort of

interesting display since I moved the large plant

that usually sits there,

outside for the summer.

I have several pretty pots of violets

to put on it,

but kept thinking I needed to find

some sort of risers to get some different heights.

Before Buttermilk Cottage I had lots of

bookcases, overflowing with books.

Sadly, that's not the case here.

My library has been edited to only

those books I cannot bear to part with,

even though they have been read, 

often several times.

Those books are stashed in a basket

on top of a wardrobe.

I have decided to put them to work!

Since space is a factor,

I have started using as much white as possible

for decor accessories.
It seems to add less "chatter."

Why not make some white paper covers for my books?



In just a couple of minutes

I had a whole stack of

white books.

Perfect for displaying the violets

on my tea cart!

This creates a much more interesting display

than just placing the violets all on one level!

And, I love the idea of using what I already have.

Linking this week with

The Dedicated House

Rain on a Tin Roof

Cozy Little House

Savvy Southern Style

No Minimalist Here

Between Naps on the Porch

The Violets are Blooming!

It may still be snow covered OUTSIDE my window today,

but look what I have on the INSIDE!

This morning our local weatherman said,
"The snow is over."
(From his mouth to God's ears.)
Although it's still quite cold,
the sun is shining and we're
supposed to reach the 40s tomorrow.



I have always had violets in my house
and they reward me well.
My grandmother grew violets and I like
to think, my ability to grow them
comes from her.


This is one I started from a single leaf.
It's coming along nicely, but hasn't yet
shown it's true colors.
Violets need to be "pot-bound"
to bloom.
They also like to be watered
from the bottom.





Here's my newest violet,
still in it's early stages.


I've got to run.
I've got a big pot of chili simmering
and bread baking.
Some very nice neighbors have kept my front
sidewalk shoveled and cleared of snow
this week, and I'm delivering
dinner to them as a surprise!

Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.

This week you can find me linking at
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Spotlight Sunday at Not So Homemade
All Things Inspired at All Things Heart and Home
Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts