Cottage Charm Giveaway Winner is........

Karen at Cider Antiques!!!! Congrats to Karen as she is a winner and also had her own giveaway! Click here to see what I'm sending her. This has been so much fun to participate in. Can't wait to see what's up next in Blogland.

Carolee's Herb Farm

The biggest Herb Farm in Indiana is just a few miles from my house. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!!!! In fact, Carolee is the one that inspired me to try herbs and in doing so I discovered one of my passions. Today I spent some time 'on the farm' and really enjoyed walking thru her lovely gardens and plant sales.

There are a zillion varieties of herbs to choose from.

The farm Cottage is so adorable.

Looking back towards The Barn Gift Shop from the Cottage

Carolee has just authored a book and I got a sneak peek. I can't wait for it to be released......which will be sometime mid-June she said. Check out her website for more info. Also on her website you can sign up for her very informative newsletter and get yummy recipes using herbs.

Here is her coldframe........overflowing with fragrance as you enter.

Very cute vintage succulent planters.

The THYME Garden

The Kitchen Garden

Cute culinary herb planters ready for a home.

Info about Calendula.......2008 Herb of the Year

Carolee busy tending to all her herbs and gardens. What a busy gal!!!!! If you get the chance you should check out her awesome gardens and farm. Her teapot is always on too!!!

Blog Bouquet Sunday

Every Sunday during gardening season I pick a bouquet for the kitchen table. I head out the back door with scissors in hand and never know what I will end up cutting. I have decided that I will share blog bouquets with you every Sunday so stay tuned to see what is in bloom in Calendula Court Gardens.

This week (and yes, I know it's Monday!) the Annabelle Hydrangeas are blooming and I love the puffy white mopheads. As a matter of fact, this is the third week in a row that they have filled the silver pitcher on the table.

Cottage Charm GiveAway

Please join me in the 2008 COTTAGE CHARM giveaway. All you have to do is leave me a comment and you're entered. How easy is that? You can also click here to see the other blogs that are participating. Leave them a comment also and you 'll be entered for their giveaway. What fun here in blogland!!!! The winner will be randomly drawn May 31.

Here is what I am giving away....................

1. Martha Stewart Quick Cook Cookbook......this is vintage

2. Decorated vintage bottle

3. A couple of vintage hankies

4. Vintage sheet music

5. Lace from a wedding gown

6. Wallpaper border that says 'English Herbal Garden' and has different herbs on it

GOOD LUCK TO BOTH YOU AND ME AS I AM OFF TO ENTER THEM ALL!!!!!

Zionsville Country Market Vintage Buys

Here is what I came home with from the Country Market........................

...............Garden plant markers for Fennel and Catnip, a very heavy 'frog', and a vintage rhinestone BEE pin. Also I bought non-vintage earrings and some very comfy furry floral boots. My favorite find of the day is this oh-so-cute vintage pink Spring coat. LOOOOVVVVEEEE IT and it fits me perfectly (although I thought the sleeves were a wee bit short my friends said it was 'so me'!!)Isn't it adorable? I love the pink braided trim on the pockets and rounded collar and the buttons and the tag inside that says it was UNION MADE!!!!!!

Here is a close-up of the BEE pin. I adore the emerald cut stone that makes up the body. It will probably end up on my new favorite pink coat.

We walked to a yard sale and saw a pile of stuff at the end of the driveway so we started looking through it and the yard sale lady came over and said that that was the trash and anything in it was FREE. There is my favorite word again..........................so we started digging. Yes, you do see a headboard............too bad it would not fit in my trunk. My friend Liz grabbed an old broken-seat wooden chair that will look so cute with flowers in it on her porch. I found some old cookbooks and a vintage dictionary..............The one cookbook is a 'wartime edition'...........................

This picture on the inside cover made me think..."Did the wives of our soldiers really make this stuff while their hubbies were off at war?"

Zionsville Country Market

Zionsville, Indiana is the cutest little town. It is north west of Indianapolis and has some awesome shops. The Saturday after Mother's Day the Zionsville Country Market takes place and it is now on my favorite festivals list.

One can definitely feel the pride the town has for their shops and also the pride of the homeowners as every single property is well cared for.............that is something lacking in my small Indiana town unfortunately.

From the splendid flowers.....................to the many restored shops and homes.....................................

the whole town just oozes with charm.

Also most of the homes have beauteous gardens. We walked by this garden on the way to a rummage sale. It is just full of vintage treasures.

Even the old church in the middle of town has been lovingly restored and is now a cafe and art gallery for artist N.A. Noel.

Stay tuned as I bought some really cool stuff.......mostly vintage of course. You'll get to hear about that in the next post.

Garden Thyme.................Finally

Garden thyme is finally here at Calendula Court. Actually, I've been using fresh chives and salad burnet for a few weeks and OMG..............what a difference fresh herbs make. I've planted basil seeds and am waiting for the temps to increase a little bit before I leave them uncovered by the cloche. Basil is very tender so I don't want them to get chilled. I've planted 'lettuce leaf Basil' and also 'Red Reuben Basil.' I love the big leaved Basil on sandwiches and the Red variety makes the prettiest herb vinegar you've ever seen.

I love it when the thyme blooms that I've planted between the bricks in the herb garden path. Where the paths cross there is this cherub surrounded by the pretty and fragrant Spring blooms.I've trained my lilac to be a tree instead of a bush. I can't get enough of the fragrance of lilac. I don't want to cut all the flowers off of my tree to enjoy inside so I've been sneaking over to a neighbor's humongous bush and helping myself. SSSSHHHHHH.....it's our little secret, OK?

The little bench and bee have found their spot for the Spring and Summer.

I LOVE GARDEN THYME!!!!!!!!!!!

Orchard In Bloom

What a wonderful weekend I've had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Saturday was girl's day out so I went with 2 friends to Indianapolis to the Orchard In Bloom Garden show. It is one of my absolute favs as far as garden festivals go. It is held in Holliday Park, which has some beauteous ruins.

The festival is a fund raiser for The Orchard School and I'm sure they rake in the dough each year. I could have filled up about 10 houses with the stuff I saw and loved. Even though it is a 'garden' show the home decor found there is so awesome.

I loved these paper mache shoes...................

In the same booth was this darling piece......................

And also this chair...........................LOVE IT...........................................

In another booth was this repurposed vintage light fixture..............

and this old windowpane framing a hand-painted wreath.........................

This little gnome garden was really cute too..................................

I would give just about anything to have an outdoor living space and thought this set-up was cute.........Love the old and new mixed together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or maybe I would prefer to have an outside shower.................................

I even found an cabinet with chicken wire in the door panels so I had to snap it to show hubby who thinks I'm crazy when I see a cabinet at an auction and say I would love to do that to it.

I love that aprons are coming back too!!!!!!!!

I was a good girl as all I bought was a parsley plant, some cat grass, Mom's Mother's Day gift, and this pillow for the bedroom...............

Found the pillow at this cute little booth........................

Can't wait till next year's event!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!