Snug Harbor Farm in Kennebunk, ME is worth the trip. I adore this place. If you love flowers, plants and design you too will love Snug Harbor.
Here are a few shots from my day trip!
They have wonderful green houses full of lovely trained and manicured plants. I have so much fun meandering through the green houses and breathing in the warm fragrant air.
The Store is fantastic too, loads of little treasures. I wanted to take pictures of the Christmas set up but I forgot! It is so pretty right now. (photo from website)
Pintrest is full of photos from Sug Harbor Farm…guess I am not the only one who obsessed with this place. Found on http://www.pinterest.com
Snug harbor is not only a wonderful place to shop for plants and gifts they have fantastic workshops. I went to the wreath making workshop on Saturday and loved every moment!
Check out http://www.snugharborfarm.com for plant inspiration or better yet go and see them and their many lovely green houses at 87 Western Avenue Kennebunk, ME 04043 (207.967.2414). It is well worth the trip.
I hope you liked seeing a little of what Snug Harbor Farm has to offer, let me know by liking or commenting on this post.
Enjoy the last days of November, Christmas is right around the corner.
Decorate for fall…before it is too late. I wish we could slow down this season. When did we start Christmas in October? Most of us enjoy celebrating the holidays. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, as I love to cook and entertain. I thought I better do my fall post quickly before it is too late!
Keep your front door simple like this one from Pinterest.com
I love this fall planter photo by Liz Donnelly
2. Feathers are great accents in fall decorating. These arrangements came from HouseBeautiful.com and CelebrateandDecotate.com
3. Don’t be afraid to add vegetables to your tablescapes. Artichokes are a wonderfully architectural vegetable they add a lot of depth to this centerpiece from serendipitysocial.com
4. Succulents are still is vogue, and I love this wreath from the Etsy site The Little Succulent Shoppe.
5. I like to add new house plants to my home when I move inside for fall. I will be cursing my need for this plants in a month when I am trying to find a spot for them when I decorate for Christmas. These topiary’s from Snug Harbor Farm.
Here are some of Snug Harbor Farms beautiful plants on my dining table.
Photo: Liz Donnelly
So today I am getting down to business and decorating for fall!
Spring is finally here, although we had a mild winter it was still long! Today it is beautiful, and I am beginning to focus on the exterior of my home.
We are having our home painted this spring, the power washing has been done! My house looks very dilapidated at the moment. The peeling paint look, has been replaced with the exposed wood look. I love distressed and rustic design, but not on the exterior of my home. I hope that my painter will start with the priming soon!
Here is my mudroom entrance, you can not see the peeling in this picture, but you can see the current colors (barn red, tan and black). I am so ready for a change.
The new house colors are going to be…
Benjamin Moore-Revere Pewter for the body of the house (see below)
The lighting is from Restoration Hardware-they have a new great deal, if you get their credit card (for $100 a year), you get 25% off every purchase.
This style is for the Garage & Mudroom
These will flank the front door.
Once the house is finished, I can concentrate on my garden! I hope to make make it shine this year!
I love these gardens they are my inspiration! I might have to go hunting for some architectural pieces to add interest to my garden. Both of these images were found on http://www.thegardenglove.com.
What are plans for spring? I hope you are doing wonderful things that include getting time outside!
It is a new year! Happy 2016. I love January, time to put away the holiday decorations and refresh your home.
I not only want to clean and organize in 2016, I want to brighten up my home and bring life into it..to keep the winter blues at bay.
Here are some of my favorite organizational ideas for 2016.
Clean pantry love it! Ideas from http://www.ASavoryFeast.comOh how I would love my office to look like this, maybe if I work until 2017 on cleaning it up and implementing systems it will happen! http://www.bhg.comShoes in order, something my mudroom desperately needs. http://www.hgtv.comWe all need this right? I would love to have my charging station in a drawer and not all over my kitchen counters. http://www.bhg.comThis is so cleaver! I am going to do this for my daughter, you add magnets to your make-up and then it can be stored on a magnetic board or you can even paint your bathroom walls with magnetic paint! http://www.goodhousekeeping.comI love this idea for spices if you have a rustic kitchen, if not you can hide your spice in a drawer! http://www.theidearoom.net
I feel like house plants give me so much pleasure in the winter. In a sunny window you can grow herbs, scented geraniums or bulbs. I like the lavender because it it pretty low maintenance. It is is happy with lots of sun, and water when it really drys out…easy right?
Photos by Liz Donnelly
Here I mixed lavender, orchids and ferns with moss and branches. WWW.CELIABEDILIA.COMHere I am reusing my Christmas mini cedar trees, I cannot bear to throw them out, so I add them into woodsy scenes in my home. http://www.celiabedilia.comI also love topiary herbs, Rosemary and lavender lend themselves well to being trained into lovely smelling shapes. http://www.celiabedilia.comOK you all know I love orchids! http://www.celiabedilia.comThis is one of my favorite arrangements. I use this terracotta compote bowl all the time! http://www.celiabedilia.com
I love white in the new year there is something so appealing about it.
Bright and clean bedroom, I love white bedding. http://www.coastalliving.comLove this bathroom from countryliving.com it is so clean and bright…that makes me happy!Oh how I want a true laundry room…this is interesting as it appears to be a pantry/laundry room. http://www.hgtv.comAlthough this bathroom is not all white it has a lot of white and even on the most dreary Maine day it looks bright! Photo Liz Donnelly http://www.celiabdeilia.com
What are you doing this January to spruce up your home? Are you brightening things up, or do you like to add warm colors to your home in winter?
Let me know your thoughts, comments and questions. Feel free to comment on this post or like it! Thank you for stopping by! Happy New Year!
Best,
Celia
I just did a photo shoot so stay tuned I have lots of great ideas coming!
Decorating with plants is an inexpensive way to add style and art to your home. We often overlook the importance of plants in a beautifully designed house. They not only add color and texture, they actually make our homes healthier. Taking care of house plants can also be very rewarding, I always love it when my orchids re-bloom.
As many of you know, I adore orchids. They are so versatile, and can work in any style home. The shape of an orchid is so sculptural, when you use an unusual container, moss and willow, you can create a very artistic and long lasting arrangement.
Photo: Liz Donnelly Celia Bedilia Designs
I also use a lot of herbs in my interior design, they smell good, look better and can be used in cooking! Lavender, thyme, rosemary and oregano are my favorites, they are the most durable. I can be rough when I am rushing…which is most of the time. I like pairing them with other natural elements like slabs of wood, birds nests, moss and branches.
tablescape with ferns and lavender.
Bulbs can be fun to use in your home too. They are easy to work with and add color, texture and scent to a tablescape or mantel. These arrangements only cost me about $5-7 to make.
Photo: Liz Donnelly
Clustering plants in one container or clustering containers of plants can also be effective in interior design. Succulents are great in clusters and do not need much dirt to survive. I used a tree stump in one of these photos, I just added dirt and mini succulents into the holes. Succulents are interesting because they can look very modern in clean lined vessels and equally wonderful in rustic containers.
So if you are looking for an inexpensive way to spruce up your home…consider plants. They add a great deal of interest to a room.
I hope you enjoyed this post and that you are surrounded by friends and family during this holiday season.
Let me know your thoughts, questions and design dilemmas, by liking or commenting on this post.
Thank you for stopping by.
Best,
Celia
ALL PHOTOS BY THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED LIZ DONNELLY
10. Great trim and interesting doors and windows and beams are very popular. I am so glad this is a trend, as it makes my job so much more interesting. Photo Liz Donnelly
I just had to share these beautiful flowers from the farmers’ market. I am so happy it is summer. I love fresh vegetables and flowers, and I am taking full advantage.
When I do this project, I go to Skillins Greenhouse (my local greenhouse) www.skillins.com and buy bulbs that are in bloom. If you are a true gardener you might want to plant and force your own bulbs.
Below I have the Step by Step directions from Better Homes & Gardens if you want to give it a try.
1. Plan ahead. In autumn, purchase bulbs from a garden center, nursery, or mail-order source. Plant bulbs of your choice in any type of pot with a drainage hole. Choose a pot that’s at least twice as deep as the bulbs to allow for proper root growth. Fill the pot half full of soilless potting mix.
Most bulbs will do well if grown in potting mix. Always start with clean pots and fresh mix.
2. Place as many bulbs as possible in the pot, without letting them touch. A 6-inch-wide pot holds up to six tulips, three narcissus (daffodils), or 15 minor bulbs, such as crocuses or grape hyacinths.
For a thick show, layer more than one kind of bulb in the same pot; place larger bulbs on the bottom and they’ll grow around the smaller ones. If the two bulbs you want to combine have different chilling and blooming schedules, plant them first in small plastic containers and combine them once they’re in bloom.
3. Cover the bulbs with potting mix, leaving their tips showing. Water the bulbs thoroughly. Label with name and date; loosely cover pot with a paper bag. Place in cool (35 to 45 degrees F), dark storage for chilling. See our bulb-forcing timetable for chilling time.
An unheated attic, basement, or attached garage makes a good chilling area, but monitor the temperature if the weather turns extremely cold. Another option is to set the pots outside in a 12-inch-deep trench, lined with pebbles to prevent the pots from freezing to the bottom. Cover the pots with 10 to 12 inches of soil, then 12 inches of dry leaves held in place with a plastic tarp.
4. Check moisture in pot periodically. Keep soil damp but not wet. When chilling is complete, you’ll see roots poking out of the bottom of the pot and green sprouts emerging at the bulb tips. It’s time to move the potted bulbs into a warm room.
5. When flower buds form, move potted bulbs into a sunny spot. Keep the soil damp. When flowers appear, move the pot out of direct sun to make the blooms last longer. After the blooms fade and wither, toss them (bulbs and all) into the compost. Most forced bulbs have used up their energy and won’t bloom again.
Growing in Water
Paperwhites and Soleil d’Or can be grown without soil. Plant them in pebble-filled containers with the base of the bulbs in contact with water at the bottom of the container. These bulbs don’t need chilling, but will benefit from a cool temperature (50 degrees F.) until the top shoot is a couple of inches long. At that point, you can move the plant into a warm, brightly lit area.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and it inspires you to bring spring into your home.
As always thank you for reading my blog.
If you have any questions ask away, I will get back to you as soon as possible!
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I love to travel and see family but, I have to say the best part of traveling is coming home! I have house guests arriving tomorrow and so today is a cleaning, organizing and decorating day! It is humid here, and it is hard to make your house feel clean, so bringing fresh scents into your home will make it smell clean and add flowers to distract. Lilies as you know are very fragrant a little bit goes along way, so one or two will do it! I will also add herbs to my arrangements.
I am also making my go to floral arrangement, an orchid display. I love these because they require very little maintenance and they last for a couple of months. So the cost is relatively low when amortized over 2 months!
To make the orchid display you will need
A vessel for your display, a bowl, urn, or a soup tureen…here I have used a footed terracotta planter.
An orchid, they come in amazing colors and shapes. These days you can get orchids anywhere. Trader Joes and even Walmart carry them for $10-$15, if I am splurging I will go to Skillins Greenhouse (207)781-3861 and get one of their $35 orchids. Skillins has really beautiful orchids that are much healthier, larger and they also re-bloom giving your flowers 2-3 times a year!
Curly Willow (1-2 pieces) available at your local florist and even grocery stores.
Step Two: Secure the orchid in your vessel with floral foam. This will keep your orchid from tipping over they are top heavy!
Step Three: Remove the bamboo stick or metal post that comes with your orchid and replace it with a piece of Curly Willow. Secure it with twist ties in a few key spots!
Step Four: Finish with Moss, cover the base of the plant and the floral foam with moss, I also cover the twist ties with moss!
TIP: Water your orchid with 1-2 ice cubes a week.
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Now is the time to think about sprucing up your outdoor space. The retail world is winding down on summer and you can get some great deals on outdoor furniture, umbrellas, outdoor pillows, table clothes, lanterns, fun planters and everything you need for summer entertaining.
This is a great outdoor decor/lighting item $119 Pottery BarnBallard Designs has great pillows and cushions for outdoors these are $25-$45Restoration Hardware outdoor furniture now 30% offThese great dinner plates are from Frontgate $49/set of 4Magic in the trees $49-$199 from Restoration HardwareBallard Designs rectangular umbrella dimensions: 7’11″H X 8’W X 11’D $369Planters from Restoration Hardware $495-$695, I wish I could afford these!Pottery Barn table-cloth 70×108 -$69Nice lines on this Crate and Barrel Chair sale price $649Marimekko blue melamine plate Crate & Barrel $4.95
Home Goods is another great place to get summer items for less! Be sure to shop the sales to upgrade your outdoor space for less.
If you like this blog please follow us! We are so thankful for all of you! Enjoy the beginning of summer!
Hello loyal Celia Bedilia fans…Happy Memorial Day weekend. I am such a fan of summer and I cannot wait to get started enjoying this wonderful season. So this weekend I am planning to fill the pots and planters on my deck and front patio add lighting to my backyard and maybe host a BBQ!
Wonderful Colorful Container from Better Homes and Gardens
Container Planting Tips
Fill 1st ¼ of your Containers with Better Than Rocks, this is a mesh product
Be creative when choosing planters this is a great place to reuse/repurpose items, Wheel Barrows are great for vegetable gardens and you can move it to follow the sun! Choose different size pots and 1 color or mix and match.
Choose the right potting soil for what you are planting
Start with your favorite plant as the center of your planter, add filler around it. I like potato vine, and herbs as my filler.
Make a color plan before you go shopping; take the color of your house into account. For example I have a red house, purple, white and yellow look great against red.
I use different height plants as well, I like to have some height to each pot, I think just having pansies in a pot looks dinky!
Fertilize your containers!
Have fun with it your pots, if you have young kids get them to help…they love to get dirty.
Mossy Mason Jar Lights
Mason Jar Lights and Lanterns
Collect assorted sizes of Mason jars, add a 2” pillar candle, moss (wet it first) and then use twine on the lip to complete the look! These look great on outdoor tables because they are rustic and natural looking.
For the hanging Mason Jars (use large jars) you will need wire, I make the U shaped hanger first with four 14” lengths of wire create loops at the bottom and then twist the 4 wires into one, then side wire through the loops and around the lip of the jar I go around the lip 4 times and then cut the wire and twist it onto one of the loops of the U. Add a small pillar candle and a touch of water. Hang from branches in the trees or from shepherds’ hooks! They are really cool.
Hang from the trees
Easy BBQ Menu
Baby Grilled Potatoes
Toss mini potatoes with oil and salt and pepper grill over medium heat for 30-35mins.
Yum Mum Salad
1 bag Boston lettuce
1 bag baby spinach
10 strawberries sliced length wise
¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
3 Tbsp goat, feta or blue cheese
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar, 5 Tbsp Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp OJ, Pinch of Salt, Sugar, and Pepper, ¼ Tsp Mustard-mix in small bowl- toss with other ingredients just before serving.
Lemon Grass Flank Steak
1/3 cup Peanut or Canola Oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Ginger, minced
3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/4 cup honey
Other ingredients
2 pounds flank steak
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
Put all ingredients in a large zip lock 6-8 hours before grilling
