Vintage Thingie Thursday - Grandpa's Garden

So last Thursday, when I didn't post a story, I was headed to the Quad Cities.  We made a stop at Flick's by the airport.  Flick's is a home improvement store for kitchens, baths, and lighting.  We had purchased a bathroom sink  and our dining room light there previously.  We are trying to do our homework so when the contractor gets back to us with a floor plan, we know what items and style we want.  It was a productive morning looking at cabinetry, counter tops, bathroom vanities and flooring.  There are so many choices on the market.  What I liked best was the time to look.  We arrived early and were allowed to browse without be hounded by a sales person. 

We also stopped at Johnson's Carpet Shoppe on the way into town to further research the vinyl flooring the contractor recommended.  We looked at some flooring at Flick's but what we saw at Johnson's Carpet was stunning.  We brought home samples to see how things match our current woodwork and décor.  TaDah! We have flooring picked out.  The new vinyl flooring looking like hardwood but is more durable for a four dog family!  Doing the happy dance!

Next to Flick's is a landscaping yard with loads of mulch.  Bingo!  We now have picked out the color of mulch and can buy a truck load.   Another accomplishment!  We have picked out golden mulch due the possibility of arsenic being in the red mulch.

I haven't posted a Vintage Thingie and linked up with the Colorado Lady for a while.  While tending to my flowers yesterday it dawned on me that many of my perennials are vintage family heirlooms.

We have been in our home 25 years this September.

These are irises that my grandfather gave to me and we transplanted them from his home when I moved here

I have lost a few, but I think keeping them going for 25 years is an accomplishment.

Later I will have pale lavender iris with purple highlights.

It is hard keeping the four dogs out of the flowerbed by the deck.  They are pretty good at sneaking through almost any fencing.

 

I also moved several style of hostas from Grandpa's garden.

This solid green hostas will be waist high and about four feet wide by the middle of summer.

These small hosta with the white margins travel in a border along the flower bed to the side of the house.

Last but not least, Coral Bells.  These are about 23 years old.  I transplanted these from my parents' home.  The Coral Bells wrap our back deck and line our north lot line.  The humming birds love them.  Its fun to sit on the deck quietly as the sun goes down and watch the humming birds feed.

 

The benefits to having vintage perennials are the low maintenance.  Every 4 or 5 years I split a few of the plants that get crowded in the Spring.  Otherwise, I weed and mulch each Spring and then enjoy the low maintenance the rest of the year.  I do plant a few annuals for color but not the amount that I did when we first purchased our home.  I will post pictures of the annuals on my Friday Finishes tomorrow.

 

Today I am linking up with the Colorado Lady.

 

Yours in quilting,

Terry