This is the warmest winter we’ve ever experienced in our home. Last January we installed this woodstove which was a craigslist find. I can’t find out much about it since the company is out of business, but it’s old and I think it’s Yugoslavian. I could never go back to electric heat after this. Yes, it’s messy to bring in wood and deal with ash, and it’s one more chore; but it’s so comforting and warm and I love it.
These beauties have provided visual delight all summer long. For some reason they have been unstoppable. I think what might have happened is that the plant fell over mid-summer when they got too tall and then re-rooted and sent out a bunch of new shoots from there. I’ve been saving the seeds as they dry because these are a must have for next year.
I was thoroughly enjoying looking out the kitchen window as I make dinner each night watching these roses glow in the backlight of the sun. Then the rain came and they all nodded their heads…backlighting gone. So inside they come. I’m still not sure about which variety they are. I’m guessing iceberg. They have a moderate sweet honey scent to them and get this cute pink tint in the cool weather.
I bought 6 roses from heirloom gardens at their annual sale last month and have been anxiously waiting for a peek at their glory! Here is a bud I’ve been sneaking out every morning to see if it’s opened yet! These babies take their time! This is Crocus Rose from David Austin.
I’m also waiting on “The Fawn”. I let the foliage get badly burned on this one in the heat wave we had and it completely defoliated. It’s nicely recovered and put out several little buds for me. This is a ground cover rose and I’ve read that it’s always covered in blooms. It’s so hard to wait for next spring to see all these new beauties come to life.
And lastly this is a tree rose I bought at Costco years ago and have no idea what it is. I wish I had kept the tag. I need to get out and take some better photos before the blooms are gone!
A good friend from church has been passing on her climbing roses to me. They are huge rambling roses capable of growing into trees so I decided to use them to cover our ugly wood shed in the back yard. It only gets about 5 hours of direct sun per day, but I read online that the two varieties I have are OK with part shade. This is the second year I’ve had the white one on the left, “Darlow’s Enigma.” It’s already reached 10 feet in height but hasn’t put on that much of a bloom. I read that it blooms on old wood so hopefully next year I’ll get a good display. The other rose she’s about to send my way is “Cecille Brunner.” An old-fashioned Grandma’s garden rose lightly pink in color. I’m super excited to see these things grow! Here’s the trellis in progress. Yay for next summer!
I love my blue wall in the dining room. It was really frightening to purchase such a dark paint but it really makes the room feel cozy. The rest of the dining room and kitchen are a very light grey so it’s not too overwhelming. 
A few months ago we painted our kitchen. Painting cabinets is a hellish task. I don’t think I’ll ever attempt it again. Totally worth paying a professional in my opinion. I love the result though! Our kitchen was such a cave before with nasty oak cabinets. We painted the walls in Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter at 70%. Next up is concrete counter tops and probably white subway tile for the back-splash.
