This post contains affiliate links.

Most of the things I share here on Cozy Country Living are the finished product or the end result.  Recipes, and room makeovers always look so nice when when they are all finished and styled nicely. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I have been busy in my garden lately.  I have a lot of work to do, but I thought it would be fun to share my starting point this year with you all.  I’m giving you a peek into my garden today, without all of the work done, but in progress and a look at some potential outdoor projects I have in mind for the season as well.  Welcome!

When we first moved here almost 3 years ago, we knew things indoors and outdoors weren’t going to stay as they were. We had plans. Big ones! Calling this move and addition to our home a “Project” seems to be an understatement at this point, but it’s our home.  Our dream home, inside and out and it’s getting there. Slowly but surely. Our back acreage was all woods that first summer living here, but I convinced my husband to build me a garden.  I figured it would be something that wouldn’t change (unlike the landscape, the yard and house) and during the day, especially in the summer, our 4 children could also play and help me work in it.

My husband built me raised beds out of old boards we had and we surrounded my garden with mismatched fencing- again, whatever we had around from previous projects, to keep those darn deer out!

Last fall we had a friend come over and bulldoze a good portion of our back woods so we would have a very large backyard for our children to run around and for their playset and trampoline. We also had to take down this rustic old shed that was by the entrance of my garden too.  The roof was shot, and so was the floor.  It wasn’t safe, and after my husband fell through the floor of it and made a trip to the emergency room for several layers of stitches, we thought it was best to just start over fresh.  It was pretty though, wasn’t it?

As far as our new yard went, the snow came before my husband could rake out stones and plant grass with his tractor though.  As soon as it was dry enough this Spring, he spent evenings and weekends raking by hand the remaining stones and sticks from the new yard and seeding it.  He’s had to work in sections, but every week the grass comes in deeper into the yard.  It’s going to look so nice when it’s all green!

We took out our old fencing, extended my garden to include a few more raised beds and some tilled areas around the perimeter for corn, sunflowers, a variety of pumpkins and of course watermelon! This weekend we are planning to get new, taller posts put in, along with tall rolled metal fencing that will keep any animals out of my garden. I’m excited about this fence because it will give my garden an open feel.  I hate to feel enclosed when we are out here in the country, you know? This way I can be working in my garden while also looking out and watching my kiddos playing in the back yard too.

What I have been working on lately is preparing the beds.  All of my herbs are planted, so that bed is complete. Yay!  I planted my oregano, basil, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (<— like the song Scarborough Fair! ) among perennials like Shasta Daisies and Salvia Sylvestris to attract bees and butterflies, and to add a nice pop of color to mostly green vegetation.

I have one bed lined with fragrant lavender that I decided to plant strawberries in this year. The strawberries are wild and I transplanted them from our woods. You’ll have to excuse my dry looking beds here- I’ve held off watering because we are in store for a few days of thunderstorms. I can’t wait to see how green and lush everything will be here in another month!

This year will be a “growing a strong plant” year and I will pinch off the little white flowers and any runners on the strawberry plants to help the plant develop and grow stronger.  Sacrifice in the first year will yield great fruit the second year !

I noticed young broccoli plants in the bed that I grew broccoli in last year even though I had already tilled the soil.  I dug the plants out and moved them into their own bed and they seem to be doing okay. Only time will tell!

Most of my other garden vegetables, I sow directly in the soil from seed like zucchini, yellow summer squash, spinach, lettuce and beans.

I have a variety of peppers and tomatoes, including my favorite- San Marzano tomatoes, and eggplant growing well on my kitchen window sill which I started from seed.  I am going to wait until the garden fence is up to plant those in any beds because I doubt the deer can resist those wonderfully tender and delicate leaves!

*Psss… if you have a deer problem in your garden and fencing is not an option, give Liquid Fence a try! I use it around my fruit trees and never have a problem.  It’s a little stinky when you spray it, but it’s all natural and it will save your harvest!

Next to my garden is an older, kind of beat up garage.  The side of it has this lovely, chippy, white painted old door that I just love! I hope to get in there and clean it out and really make this a nice potting area and garden shed with storage for my tools.

Even though there is so much work to do, I know it’s worth it.  Growing our own food is so rewarding and it really gives me a sense of accomplishment when we use those fruits and vegetables in our kitchen throughout the year. How’s your garden going this year?

I’ll be sharing my garden as it grows every month throughout the Summer so stay tuned! Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Gardening!

You can find more great gardening ideas and tips on my Pinterest Gardening Board!

You May Also Enjoy:

*Linking up at Living Well Spending Less, Cherishing A Sweet Life

The post A Peek Into My Garden & Potential Projects appeared first on Cozy Country Living.

With garage and estate sale season upon us, it is a good idea to make a list of things that you might be interested in purchasing for upcoming crafts or projects at home.  Having a list prepared can save you time and money when you go to a sale and you know exactly what you are looking for.  I love vintage things, and estate sales are a great place to look for these wonderful treasures, but I like to have a plan for these items or else they will be just sitting around my house.  I picked up these pretty cups at an estate sale last year and didn’t really have a plan for them:(  They had been sitting on a shelf  in my garage and I noticed them again last week when I was planting flowers.  It was like a light bulb went off in my head!  These would make the prettiest little planters for a gift or even a favor for a baby or a bridal shower.  They were inexpensive and you can decorate them easily and plant what ever you like in them to fit your theme.  These cups were all the same, but I think small flowers would be beautiful in different vintage tea cups!  So onto my list for estate sales this year are vintage tea cups.  I think flowers planted in small vintage tea cups would add character to my kitchen window sill.  These pretty cups were given to the amazing mother’s who attended my Mother’s Day Brunch.  It added color to the table setting and was a nice simple gift for them to take home.  What are you looking for at estate sales this year?

*Linking up at  Home Stories A to Z, Nap Time Creations, Savvy Southern Style, Joyful Homemaking, I Gotta Create, Serenity Now, Skip To My Lou, Elizabeth & Co.

The post Re Purposed Tea Cup Flower Favors appeared first on Cozy Country Living.