Cooler fall temperatures have finally decided to grace us. It has been a warm and humid summer and the central a.c. has been running constantly. It is so nice to be able to have all the windows open and a bit of a chill in the air. You have to look hard to see any leaves turning yet, but if you look closely they are there and fall is definitely on her way!
I wanted to show you the barn terrace this year. It also helps me to document what I did (planting wise) from year to year.
Last year we added the outdoor wicker club chairs. We loved them so much that this year we added matching ottomans which really kicked up the comfort level since we spend so much time here in the spring, summer and fall. The can see how the grey cabana stripe pillows are a carry-through from the pillows in the summer barn room HERE.
I used peach verbena in the stone wall iron discs, and mixed them in with other plantings throughout the terrace. I love the color and that they bloom all summer.
Antique zinc dovecote and iron fence piece outside the south barn room french door. Antique iron urns and white-pained concrete finials flank both french doors on either side of the fireplace chimney.
This year I placed ferns in the two corner jardinieres. I have loved them and will definitely do them again next year. They were marked Kimberly Queens, but I believe they are actually Macho ferns, which were a favorite of ours when we lived in Dallas.
My photog assistants for this shoot :) Magnolia (on the left) and Louise. Ella had grown bored with the project and wanted to go inside!
Door to the kitchen mudroom. Boxwoods are overwintered in the basement.
I was expecting the verbena to be more orangey, but love how the color ended up matching the antique oil pots.
View to the back meadow.
Rosemary was planted in the large white jardiniere. It's lovely to have the scent of the rosemary when sitting on the terrace. Francee hostas in Italian terracotta pots. I've had the black umbrella for a good 16/17 years now. Small votive candle holders hang off cup hooks under the umbrella canopy. Japanese fishing floats are scattered around the terrace pea gravel (small white ball is marble.)
All this picture needs is a cocktail and three puppies to truly tell the story of evenings on the terrace ;)
Hope you have had a wonderful summer and are ready for the arrival of fall. It is, of course, the most beautiful season here- along with winter, spring and summer!!! :)
Happy fall !
To view posts of the summer terrace over the years click HERE
The terrace is beautiful. Magnolia and Louise are starting to look more relaxed, like they feel like finally, this is where they belong. Loved the picture of the girls running on the beach.
ReplyDeleteLauren
they LOVED the beach! It was a dream of mine to get them there and it didn't disappoint!!
DeleteIt is all just lovely Joan...but I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Those are definately not Kimberly Queen's....they are the only fern I'm successful with and always have two flanking the front door and this year I added another one to the back patio.
ReplyDeleteIt will be a while before fall arrives here in the deep south....at least the humidity isn't as bad right now.
Have a wonderful week!
Thank you Judy! Have you tried Southern Shield Ferns? I loved them in Dallas. They take sun great. I also have a Kimberly Queen in the ground at the front door and love them for the sun too. Sadly non of them come back after our cold winters:(
DeleteHappy Fall! Your terrace is so pretty. I'm in love with the weather vane. Still enjoy the picture of your meadow that hangs in my bedroom. Best Regards, Wenda
ReplyDeleteThank you Wenda! Love knowing a little bit of NH is in Utah!!! :)
DeleteIt is all so lovely! I look forward to each and every post you write. I think of your doggies often and am so happy for you all :)
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you. That is so sweet!
DeleteBeautiful! Like works of art, each image. And what a view of that wonderful back meadow. Do you remember that scene in "Funny Farm" with the dog they adopt? They get home and the dog takes off running, and running....Every now and then, they'd look up and see it running through the field. After that they adopted an old yellow lab who just slept all day and night. Sending warm autumn embraces your way xo
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen FF :O That sounds funny though! Will look for the movie on demand!
DeleteI always love seeing your terrace. It looks so peaceful. And I loved seeing Magnolia (so easy to know who she is with that wonky ear) and Louise enjoying the outdoors. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeletethank you Julie. We find it peaceful, so I'm happy to hear that it comes across that way. Yes, everyone who sees Magnolia loves her little wonky ear!!
DeleteSo beautiful! Almost as lovely as your four-legged assistants, but not quite:) But tell me more, please!, about overwintering potted boxwood in the basement. I'd love to have boxwood in pots here in Toronto but, since they would never ever survive the winter that way, have never tried. But you've found a way around the winter-in-a-pot problem? Hurrah!
ReplyDeleteLuckily our basement is accessible through the garage through the "chunnel" steps. So, we simply wheel them in and since our basement doesn't freeze in the winter and has some small windows the boxwoods do very well all winter there. You will want to not water them much and allow them to go dormant. I water them well probably only once a month while they are in the basement.
DeleteBunny Williams has many potted boxwoods that stay outside and when we had lunch with her she told me how she prepares them for winters outdoors in CT. Here is a great article via Annie Selkie with Eric Ruquist, her head gardener-
http://www.freshamericanstyle.com/03tips/5-steps-preparing-boxwoods-winter
Thank you, Joan! So they're fine without much light? We have a basement "cantina" that stays around 38-40F all winter but it's pretty dark (2 windows but it's Toronto - not sunny in the winter to start with!) I'm going to try boxwoods in pots there! I love the look of potted box but have never wanted to do it for just one summer. I do have numerous Winter Gems outside and they do just fine, even in last years -30C weather. I spray them with Wilt-Pruf in November and then snuggle them in snow. The only winterburn I had last year was on one boxwood that got exposed to the harsh winter sun. Every other one did just fine!
DeleteBeautiful. Love the view and the sweet puppies:)
ReplyDeleteBetsy
thank you Betsy!
DeleteBeautiful terrace! It's just the perfect setting for two, plus three fur babies....and that view! ;)
ReplyDeleteWe might need another chair as the fur babies like to sit here too:)
DeleteOh!!! YOur terrace and that VIEW take my breath away! It is all so exceptionally beautiful. I love, LOVE all of your antique pieces. Those ferns are AMAZING!!! Can you share the diameter of the pots? I was going to ask the name of the ferns but you answered that:) I would never want to go inside. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeletethank you Pinky! The jardinieres measure 30" w x 23" ht.
DeleteLove it and the sisters are sooo adorable! Love the wonky ear!
ReplyDeletethey love you too!! xxo
DeleteSuch a lovely place to spend your days and what a gorgeous view!! Your attention to detail is always perfect and I love every touch. Especially those sweet fur babies!! They make the home!! :)
ReplyDeletethey do indeed make a house a home Gina!!
DeleteLove the pea gravel and your urns.. Very pretty setting.. Enjoy!
ReplyDeletethank you Maggie :)
DeleteSimply gorgeous! A person could be lazy with a resting spot like this! Happy Fall, we have cooled off, hoping for a long fall season to enjoy the outside more! Puppies look like they have always called New Hampshire home...can't wait to see them in the snow!
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head LC!! Now that you mention it maybe I should get rid of the ottomans so that we can get some projects done around here! We've literally done nothing all summer :O
DeleteGorgeous as usual. My ferns have done SO well this year in pots outside, I haven't touched them once (just enough rain and humidity?) I love the hostas-might try that next year.
ReplyDeleteI really like hostas in pots- and they come back next spring even after being outside all winter!
DeleteLooks lovely, as always!
ReplyDeletethanks Pam!
DeleteLooks like macho fern to me as well. I have borders of it around my property. It often grows better than I would like. The terrace looks lovely. Enjoy Fall. I vaguely remember it.
ReplyDeleteDo the come back every year Victoria? Even in Dallas they were annuals for me.
DeleteI'm so glad you included a photo of the pups - I've been wondering how they're doing. They look immensely happy!!
ReplyDeleteThey seem to be Cynthia!!!!
DeleteWhat a beautiful spot to sit and read, have a cocktail and enjoy each other's company! The plantings are all lovely. We have some beautiful Kimberly Queen ferns this year. They have thrived. I'd like to take one inside but it may be too large. So nice to see a photo of the girls. They all look very similar, and Louise and Magnolia especially! Sending hugs and kisses for the pups.
ReplyDeleteClaudia
and kisses to your pups too Claudia!
DeleteOh, by the way, your urns and planters are all so beautiful. I think I know the answer to this question, but do you have to take them indoors during the winter? If so, where in the world do you store all of them?
ReplyDeleteClaudia
We will take what we can move! The large jardieneres on the corners are much too heavy since they are filled with dirt (knock on wood, they have survived for the last three summers outdoors), but others pots we bring into the basement. Luckily our basement is accessible through the garage through the "chunnel" steps. So, we simply wheel them in and since our basement doesn't freeze in the winter and has some small windows the boxwoods do very well all winter there. You will want to not water them much and allow them to go dormant. I water them well probably only once a month while they are in the basement.
DeleteBunny Williams has many potted boxwoods that stay outside and when we had lunch with her she told me how she prepares them for winters outdoors in CT. Here is a great article via Annie Selkie with Eric Ruquist, her head gardener-
http://www.freshamericanstyle.com/03tips/5-steps-preparing-boxwoods-winter
I love it! You always manage to make everything feel like HOME
ReplyDeleteThat is such a beautiful thing to say, thank you so much!
DeleteHow beautiful!! You are so inspiring. I'm heading into spring and am sitting in bed looking out at my courtyard with my pear trees in full bloom.
ReplyDeleteThank you Vicki- that is so lovely to hear. We finally have pears this year from our two trees that we transplanted about the first year we were here. Trying to figure what to do with them all!!! Enjoy your beautiful spring!
DeleteI love it all! It's lovely and looks so clean!
ReplyDeletethank you Sammy:)
DeleteBeautiful as always! Your ferns are gigantic! I thought mine were big this year but they would be dwarfed compared to yours! Those fish floats are amazing and I know how pretty they look when the sun shines on them just right! You've had your umbrella for 16 year so?? Wow, I don't know how it hasn't faded because even my sunbrella one has faded! Such a lovely spot- thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLL, my first black umbrella was all cotton and it faded within a month in the Dallas sun;) I then got this one a poly one and no fade. I'm wondering now if it was maybe Sunbrella??
DeleteLooks so good, and yes, those are macho ferns.
ReplyDeleteI would hunt all over Dallas for them as they are Dan's favorite fern and I love me some ferns;) I have them on the back porch and the upstairs porch and I will try to bring those in and overwinter them in the basement since they are not common up here!
DeleteI so need to move in...it s truly a home and garden to love, and I am sure it loves you right back.
ReplyDeleteLove the terrace covered in pea gravel, and the zinc top table that rest between the two French doors, the green shutter adds every bit of what one would see I'm a Veranda magazine adding great yardscape appeal. I have to tell you as strange as this may sound I am most drawn to the DoveCote, and would snag one up if I came across such a piece of garden art like yours! Where did you find it, HELP! me find one :)
Thank you for sharing your beautiful yard with us, it's really inspiring, now I am going to hunt for a rusted Dovecote :)
See you soon dear, I have been sewing up Christmas in my post with vintage French butter golden Brocade fabric from France and getting ready for the holidays meeting the needs of shop dealers and left overs for my etsy.
See you soon, a beautiful fall my dear.
Xx
Dore
Thank you Dore! Gosh, I've had the dovecote for years and years and don't even remember where I found it. I googled it for you but only found images of mine;) I'll keep a lookout for you! Too soon for xmas, but French brocade fabric sounds wonderful!!
DeleteBeautiful pictures. A couple of questions. Do you take the wicker in at the end of season and do the cushions stay on or do you take them in and out. I cover my furniture right now when I don't use it, but am finding sometimes I don't use them because I don't want to take the time to cover them again. Thank you
ReplyDeleteYes Eileen, we take all the furniture in at the end of the season along with the upstairs and downstairs chairs and tables too. The front porch is the only one that stays as we like to don parkas and sit out there when it is snowing sometimes!! The cushions and pillows stay on throughout the season- they are all Sunbrella-like outdoor fabrics. Try not covering yours- I bet you're right- you'll use it a lot more!
DeleteLove your home...especially that it is beautiful and dog inhabited! It just takes a bit more vacuuming, right? And I have questions! Like the comment above, I'd like to know more about over-wintering the boxwoods and how on earth you got the umbrella to last so long without fading?
ReplyDeleteAny new antiquing adventures lately? Thanks for continuing to share your ideas, Kathy
+3+
Kathy,
DeleteLuckily our basement is accessible through the garage through the "chunnel" steps. So, we simply wheel them in and since our basement doesn't freeze in the winter and has some small windows the boxwoods do very well all winter there. You will want to not water them much and allow them to go dormant. I water them well probably only once a month while they are in the basement.
Bunny Williams has many potted boxwoods that stay outside and when we had lunch with her she told me how she prepares them for winters outdoors in CT. Here is a great article via Annie Selkie with Eric Ruquist, her head gardener-
http://www.freshamericanstyle.com/03tips/5-steps-preparing-boxwoods-winter
My first black umbrella was all cotton and it faded within a month in the Dallas sun;) I then got this one a poly one and no fade. I'm wondering now if it was maybe Sunbrella??
Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw your two new dogs and read about their adoption, up to a point. When you went into detail of their abuse, it upsets me so much to read and think about, that i can't. There is a special place in heaven for angels like YOU! Those dogs are so lucky to have you but I know you feel you are the lucky ones. I never heard of black dog syndrome before....wow. Many years of happiness to your new family!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Joni! Yes, we feel VERY lucky!!! Puppy kisses to your 3 too! xxo
DeleteMagnolia's "wonky ear" always makes me smile ;) Oh and seeing your huge pot of rosemary made me think of the ginger, rosemary tincture I've been meaning to make for my evening cocktails - Cheers to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteI'll be there for cocktails Donna!!! Cheers!
DeleteJoan,
ReplyDeleteThe terrace is as pretty as I've ever seen it. Do you have to get rid of all of the plants that aren't put in the basement to overwinter?
The pale apricot verbena is lovely on the stone wall.
I'm so ready for cooler temps. SoCal keeps warming up rather than cool down. By October we can expect some truly cooler weather.
xo,
Karen
Ohh, thank you Karen! Yes, unfortunately. The only things that will come back are the hostas in pots, but since these are so small we will take them in with the other pots this year. Hope you get some cooler weather soon!
Delete...beyond beautiful...blessings laney
ReplyDeletexxo laney!
DeleteI am enjoying your pictures! Your terrace is so pretty. I'm in love with the weather vane. Happy fall!
ReplyDeleteI actually have a collection of them :)
DeleteJoan, I really like the gravel surface of your terrace, but is it hard to maintain? And how do you remove leaves in the fall? Please share your tips! This is a "conversation" my husband and I have been having over the years. We both love the look of gravel, but his argument against it is that it's too hard to get leaves up from it -- and we have a LOT of leaves in the autumn and even into winter. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteClaudia
hi Claudia. We don't have any trees around the terrace, so really no leaves in the spring and summer. Of course in fall we get leaves, but they simply end up blowing away. I will clean a pile in a corner of the terrace of dried fall leaves in the spring, but that's really it. We use a large "screening rake" that Dan initially bought to spread sod for grass to keep the gravel smooth and pretty. I would suggest an "electric" leaf blower. I have one and it works great for the side porch gravel which does get some leaves. It doesn't have tons of power so doesn't blow the gravel, just the leaves off!
DeleteDo you know how much I want to flee Ohio and move to New Englnad? Seeing this gorgeousness doesn't help. Peach verbena! I love it! I didn't see that at all this year. It's all so lovely!
ReplyDeleteYour terrace honestly looks like a dream come true! Keep up the great work. You can definitely tell you love taking care of your home.
ReplyDelete