Xeriscaping is beautiful

Yarrow and pentemon

I wish I could remember the name of this shrub.
It requires almost no water and the spring blooms look like tiny flames.

My Waterwise Garden
I am so excited about my plant choices in my new garden. Even though I have researched this type of gardening for years I thought that I would be giving up some of the color that I loved in my English garden but I was pleasantly surprised this spring. I couldn't believe how much growth came in just one year, especially the penstemon next to the three yarrow plants that have been there since we moved in 2 years ago. Even Mike's tiny rock rose doubled in size.
I was able to turn down the drip volume in late summer and really save a lot of water compared to my conventional sprinkler heads in Highland.

The lavender and pincushion flowers are next to bloom along with other Rocky Mountain wildflowers so I should have something all summer long.


I regretted not saving a place for tomatoes and peppers so I shoveled out bark and ripped out weed guard and Mike brought in some beautiful dirt full of organic matter so I now have a vegetable garden in the back flower bed. I wasn't very good at raising tomatoes in pots last year.

I do miss my 4th generation peonies but Mom had beautiful blooms for Memorial Day. I also bought some from Pam Ostermiller's florist shop Tri.Fec.Ta in Sugarhouse. The starts that I transplanted from Highland to Jessica's house finally bloomed this year...the pink ones survived!

Love is the air in the form of orbs

On Valentine's Day Denise's dad and friends from the Beehive Barbershop Quartet came in to The Black Goose Design. They sang Let Me Call You Sweetheart while I snapped this photo on my digital camera. We were all teary by the time they finished. Later I saw these glare spots and almost deleted them, but it was such a great moment I thought I had better print them anyway and gave them to Denise. A few days later our owner saw them sitting on her desk and commented on the orbs in the picture. We went on a website explaining orbs and saw that they looked exactly like the images on the website. You can google orbs to get alot of different explanations, but basically it is believed, by some, to be the energy of a spirit in the form of a sphere and they can be captured on film at random times. These men had such a positive energy about them I am sure many happy spirits followed them around the valley that day. For you skeptics out there, I took another picture in the entry of the store yesterday, alas, no orbs. I guess they only like four part harmony.

Denise's dad is 2nd from the right.

Magazine Therapy

I have an uncontrolled passion for magazines. I get about 6 or 7 a month thanks to designer discounts and I read them from cover to cover. I don't like to put them away on the off chance I need to find a photo shoot I am interested in plus I like the the way they look all stacked up. My current favorites are Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home and Architectural Digest for high end ideas. For fun and young do-it-yourself ideas I like Domino. I have about every issue of Country Living since the early 80's...I know, it's a sickness. I love the mini rods I found on rejuvenationhardware.com for $6.00
I always have a stack of magazines on my nightstand...if I read too much late at night my mind gets going and I can't sleep. I found this painted glass lamp at emiliejaynes one afternoon.

I am running out of places to put them, but I thought they filled a spot nicely on my newly painted dresser that I have had for 20 plus years. I love the turquoise and I did it all with 2 cans of spray paint and 1 can of laquer!

This has nothing to do with magazines but I thought my new Oscar dress deserved some face time. I love the exposed shoulders and hot pink and red print. I matted it with handmade ricepaper. Thanks to Kelly we all looked fabulous on the Red Carpet.