ramblings from an arkansas farm girl
Happy Independence Day, America!
Did you know…?
Thirty-three-year-old Katherine Bates wrote America the Beautiful after hiking to Pike’s Peak. “It was then and there, as I was looking out over the sea-like expanse of fertile country spreading away so far under those ample skies, that the opening lines of the hymn floated into my mind.” (biography.com via Library of Congress)
Bates received $5 for the initial publication of her poem and released all future royalties.
We celebrated another 4th of July with good food, family and friends, and a mixture of pleasant, not-too-hot weather. Of course, I must post a few pics for posterity…
We made a trip to the Confederate Cemetery in Fayetteville which is only a few blocks from our house. I was in search of a particular tree (for an article I’m writing elsewhere). The cemetery is beautiful and peaceful and parklike and being there on the 4th of July seemed right—different battles yet integral American history no matter what you think about the Confederate flag.
Saturday in Fayetteville means the Farmer’s Market. Yes, we went. Yes, we conquered by buying local Arkansas peaches and blackberries.
And we bought Pedal Pops which are all natural, low-cal, made with simple ingredients, and sort of perfect for the 4th of July. I got banana-orange-strawberry. John got honeydew-peach. Delicious!
Our Sunday included a trip to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. Oh my, what a wonderful place. The botanical garden is only a few minutes from our house and SO EASY! (Parking, admissions, everything.)
Let me just say this about living in Fayetteville—everything is easy, every day’s the 4th of July.
This week I’ll be showing you what I made with those peaches and blackberries—yum! And, I’ll be talking more about my garden (specifically about butterflies), plus Lucy and Annabelle have a post coming up. I may even do my first periscope broadcast. We’ll see. In other words, for once I’m not blogging by the seat of my pants. Crazytown.
Here’s to a great week!
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
[tweetthis]Another fab #4thofJuly! @BGOzarks @PedalPopsIce #Fayetteville #buylocal[/tweetthis]
Musical Pairing:
Chicago – Saturday in the Park
Last week I shared a few easy ways to decorate your house and garden for the 4th of July. If you missed it, click HERE. Today, I’m focusing on the porch. A patriotic porch extends summer’s favorite celebration beyond the inside of your home.
We are lucky to have three porches—a front wraparound porch, a back screened porch, and a sleeping porch upstairs. First up, the front porch.
It sort of goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway), plant red flowers. The good news about summer gardening, often when the weather turns blistering, you can find plants on sale. I found red petunias and salvia for fifty cents at Lowes! Yes, you may have to trim/water/coddle/deadhead them, and yes, they are a little leggy, but $0.50!! They make great fillers for the bare spots in my containers along the front.
What’s easier than poking a dime store flag in a flower pot? Not much. Even though our chair cushions aren’t patriotic, the vintage star pillow pulls everything together like the cherry on top of a sundae.
Raid your house and temporarily relocate red, white, and blue decorations from inside to outside for a 4th of July porch party. Red striped and denim pillows on the swing plus a child’s little red wooden bench add patriotic touches.
Throw a vintage tablecloth on your outdoor table. The colander I ate strawberries from last week, now holds a fern.
Now on to the back porch.
By moving things around and rummaging through my garage, I was able to give my back porch a patriotic look. The bowling pins were a long ago yard sale find. Everything else was either already on the porch, in another room, or being unused in the garage. When we moved from Dallas, the red-stained bookcase didn’t fit in our new house, so we put it on the back porch to use as a potting bench / serving buffet. Works great! Since it’s in a protected area, the only problem with having it on the porch is dust and pollen.
Razorbacks are naturally patriotic:)) #WPS!
And last, our sleeping porch. Obviously, this ain’t no P. Allen Smith sleeping porch. His is to die for. Ours is dusty with an inch of pollen on the floor and no place to sleep. But since the sleeping porch is a part of early 20th century American architecture (and since I mentioned it), I thought I should show ours to you. I do love the vintage motel-style chairs which came from 410 Vintage. And my Easy Peasy Breezy Vintage Hanky Bunting is being showcased in the name of summer. What I really want out there is an antique bed of some sort…
P. Allen Smith, maybe you could come for a visit and makeover this space for me? Pretty please.
That’s it for my patriotic home, garden and porch. Happy Monday!
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
[tweetthis]The #Patriotic #Porch extends summer’s favorite celebration. @PAllenSmith #gardenchat #4thofJuly #America[/tweetthis]
Musical Pairing:
Dierks Bentley, Home
