Open Face Terrariums West Elm

My thought is that you just learn and experiment as you go. And if you work with small gardens, you don’t have quite as much to lose as if you were planting a big tree or hedge! Take it from me, small gardens and containers are MUCH easier to experiment with.

About two weeks ago, I was invited to the new Seattle West Elm store for an urban gardening event. I was so excited to attend because like I said, I’m a wee bit obsessed with tiny gardens.

West Elm Glass Jar Terrariums

I was especially excited about the West Elm event because they were doing a demonstration on how to create terrariums! I loved learning about how easy these little terrarium gardens are to put together. They have been on my must do list forever.

How to make a tabletop terrarium

West Elm Glass Terrariums

West Elm even gave us a glass jar as a gift, so I’m for sure making one soon, I’ll show you when I do!

I also thought these little hanging glass planters from West Elm were pretty sweet. Have you ever heard of air plants? They are awesome plants that grow without soil! YES! Loved them.

You can hang little glass planters with air plants from your patio umbrella or porch, too, and they look fantastic! via West Elm

I just about bought that amazing bee hive shaped glass dome while I was at the West Elm event, I loved how it created a little terrarium on a cake plate. Perfect for a centerpiece! Just goes to show you can have a garden pretty much anywhere!

I love that these types of table top planters are the perfect little gardens for apartment dwellers, too! No deck or patio necessary! So many fun ideas for those of us who want to get into gardening on a smaller scale.

For years I’ve been thinking of ways to enjoy gardening in small space. It all started two houses ago when we had a huge yard full of overgrown plants and lots of grass and hedges to trim … and we couldn’t keep up with it. It stressed me out. WAY TOO MUCH for us. I needed a gardener every month. THAT was crazy. I vowed after we sold that house that forever more I was going to be a small garden lover.

I dreamed of a small yard I could putter around in and make lovely, but still manage to keep up with. Once we moved and had our beloved tiny house and tiny yard in the Eastmoreland neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, I designed a curvy paver-patio to use in place of grass, planted lots of creeping plants and created my own little garden oasis in our backyard (you can see it above).

We loved that yard, and even though it was super tiny (our entire lot was under 5,000 square feet (about the size of the next house we lived in! HA!), we packed a lot of plants into that small space. I loved puttering around in that yard because it was manageable and just the right size for our needs.

Last year in our current backyard, I set up a small potting table and herb garden and it was one of my most favorite projects all summer! I didn’t worry too much about my lack of green thumb. If something died, I could just pull it out of its pot and put in something something new.

Surprisingly though, most of my plants survived. I got many of my plants last year at Lowe’s and they would exchange any plant I couldn’t keep alive. The only one I had to take back was a blueberry bush. The new blueberry bush I got is thriving on my back deck and is already producing lots of leaves!! I love being able to pick blueberries right on my deck, container gardening is much more fun to me than digging in the hard ground.

I also created this sweet Fairy Garden last summer. I’m very much obsessed now with gardens in boxes and glass jars. My kids laughed at me when I texted them last year to let them know I was making a fairy garden, but I don’t care if I sounded like a funny old lady. That little Fairy Garden was featured in publications all over the world so maybe I’m not so crazy after all. My kids ended up being in love with it and I bet they are going to make their own too this year.

And then of course, there was my pallet garden! Another perfect idea for gardening in a small space. It is still sitting on my back deck and I cannot wait to freshen it up with new plants in the next few weeks.

About two years ago while out and about I saw this delightful little stacked planter filled with flowers and a tree! Easy too, all you would need are two planters (one smaller than another) stacked on top of each other. I thought it was another great way to pack in some gardening to a small space. I love container gardening too!

So many fun ways to garden, even in a small space!

Do you enjoy small space gardening? Have you ever made a terrarium garden?

Wanna come with me on a drive by on San Juan Island?

Or more like a walk by, that is the leisurely pace of a getaway like this.

I feel like I’ve been away from my blog and blog friends FOREVER! I snuck away last week on a getaway to a B&B on San Juan Island with my husband. Sorry I couldn’t tell you where I was going at the time, but you know, killers and all might take advantage.

When you are as busy as we are with a business, church, and life, getting away together (and without the family or the puppy or the dog!) is a pretty rare thing! Honestly I am pretty sure this was the longest we had been away together just the two of us without our kids in 18 years. Crazy? Yeah, week long getaways just aren’t something we get to do very often. Clearly. Gah.

Last weekend when we had the unexpected opportunity to get away I shut down my blog and we took off for the few hour drive and one hour ferry ride to San Juan Island! Woo hoo! My daughter was well enough to be alright without me (after her appendectomy) and my parents came up to be tortured by I mean enjoy taking care of the Jack the puppy. We had a leadership conference at the end of the week, but the first few days of the week were all days off for resting and exploring San Juan Island!

Loved this house and all the pretty colors and details.

The landscaping around these homes in Roche Harbor was so amazing, the textures and shapes and colors completely captivated me.

When I get really close up to houses I am worried they are going to pop out of their door and hit me on the head with a frying pan. But I fell in love with this porch and the teal green porch roof. Ah. Had to get close to see it.

This blue house pretty much swept me off my feet and it wasn’t even done yet.

FABULOUS, isn’t it? Wonder who the new owners will be? Lucky ducks. Maybe they will let me tour it on the inside when they move in.

Whoa! That was an abrupt transition. Sorry to scare you, should’ve warned ya I was changing subjects like that. But in addition to gazing at lovely houses, we went to an Alpaca Farm on the Island and jeez, those animals are CRAZY! They play just like siblings. And they look just as crazy.

OK, back to charming things. I had a deja vu of this restaurant from when I was a kid. Such a memorable place!

And this hotel was so charming. Probably for rich people who wear golf shirts and own yachts. No offense if you wear golf shirts or own a yacht. I would like a yacht myself. I saw a 7 million dollar one in the harbor.

The garden in front of the hotel was a really old lovely garden. I could have spent hours just looking at all the plants. So gorgeous!

This flower smelled like chocolate. I’m not kidding, I’ve never smelled a flower that smelled like chocolate!! What is it?

This was a lovely lavender farm on San Juan Island. It smelled like ….lavender. Heh heh.

There is nothing as wonderful as being able to explore charming streets, shops and linger over coffee!

And, as a life long lover of the sea, walking around by the boats in the harbor is always my favorite thing.

Good memories, lovely place.

Where have you escaped to this summer? I’d love to hear about your summer adventures!

Time for another Autumn Sunday drive by!

Because I love “fairy tale houses,” I so enjoy finding houses that are not the cookie cutter variety.

This house is up on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle and has the most glorious view of the city.

This house was so unique, right down to the chess pieces in the yard!

I love getting close up and seeing the details. Notice the lanterns by the door, the iron work above the door, the details above the windows and below the window sills!

I wonder if they saw me lurking outside and shut their shutters. I promise I was out on the sidewalk and not in their yard.

As you look up to this window, you can see a stain glass skylight! I love that the windows are arched.

It is just a really unique looking house! I would love to see the inside of it!

I feel like someone might throw their hair down from that balcony at any moment.

Even the street in front of this house is a little fairy-tale-ish.

Do you have any fairy tale houses where you live?

Thanks for joining me on my little drive by!
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