For 10 years my husband and I lived in a high rise, near loud freeways and next door to a football stadium in Southern California. There wasn't much lushness surrounding our home and most of the flowers we had potted on our veranda died from the intense sun reflecting against the saltillo tiled floor. Succulents were the only plant/flower that survived and I grew to really love them, especially the ones that trailed down.

So when we moved to Washington and most especially when we could finally call the seaside cottage we lived in our hOMe, I was surrounded by plants, flowers, trees that I knew nothing about!

Our home was once owned by master gardeners and during the Spring and Summer it is draped in blooms everywhere you look. There are some spaces where we need to cut a path so we can get from one place to the next.

The first year living here, I felt so overwhelmed that I did very little. I was so afraid to hurt any tree or flower and also, we did not yet own the house and I was very conscious of our landlord's master opinion. Its just now slowly sinking in that this land belongs to us.

As the sun is beginning to peek through our gray and rainy skies and we have a few dry days in a row here and there, the blossoms are surfacing one by one.

We told each other this year we will pay attention and keep note of what it is we are growing and how to care for it...and what it is we need to let go of to begin our design. We have such whimsical plans for our land and it will be so fun to share it here step by step as we go.

For now I will focus on potting some lovelies to scatter around our front yard. Last Summer a dear woman that owns a nursery took me under her wing and graciously offered me wisdom about how to arrange various flowers in pots. I am excited to try and do this on my own this year.

I can feel that after being so ill for a few months, that I am truly noticing so much more around me than I used to. Just yesterday, I began to hear little sounds coming from one of our hanging gourds and saw that a chickadee was making a wee home in there. I've never been so delighted about a bird in my life. I waited patiently for it to appear so I could capture it. Cedar was so thrilled about the whole thing and now talks to it when its in there.

My neighbor had a wonderful idea to hang tiny scraps of yarn in her tree so the birdies could make bohemian styled nests. She inspired me to do it as well and I hope to spot one soon to share with all of you!