Sunday, April 3, 2011

my cousin's cottage...the outside

Here is the last post on my cousin's cottage.  
If you missed the first two posts, click here and here to see the inside.

This post is all about the huge back and side yard.  My cousin, Gale, definitely has a green thumb
and an eye for all things vintage, white, chippy or rusted with a bit of blue thrown in.  
She knows how to use a good piece of junk too.  
Keep in mind that she does not have internet or cable 
so she has not seen any of your blogs or watched design shows.  

First up is this chair from one of a few sitting areas.  Since red's my color, I love how the white is chipping to reveal some red underneath.

I love the contrast between the chippy rusted table and chairs 
and the fresh white pitcher and plate on top.

You will see several of these gallon jugs around her garden.  She says when she
plants new young plants or seeds, they need a lot of water or consistently moist soil 
until the plants get going.   So, she pokes a tiny hole in the bottom of the jug and places it next to the new plant.  The water filled jug will drip keeping the soil moist.  She says the jug of water lasts a long time so she doesn't have to keep going out there to water the plants.  Once the jug is empty, just refill it to keep the soil most for a few more days.  

She's made her own trellis so plants will grow on the fence. 
Just a stake and wire to create the rustic trellis.

Here's another sitting area with a swing.


This is her side entry.  She loves to garden in containers 
and buckets, pails and tubs are her favorite containers.

How's this for a cute planter?  She used the bottom of an old rusted heater to hold a pot for a plant.

Here's a garden gate she uses as a divder/sort of a wall to define a space.

This is her makeshift bird feeder.  She found a metal stand and put a white platter inside.
I love this.


Cute little blue chair sits across from another seating area on the other side of a walkway.
Oh and see the line of water jugs helping some new plants get started?

Cute little seating area.

...more container gardens.

Don't tell her but I would love to have that enamel table with the red trim 
she has the two buckets sitting on.

Here's a dining area.

She has the galvanized tubs lining the back of her house. Each has different plants growing in them
along with plants growing between them.  I love this.


more container gardens.  No wonder I can't find some great enamel tubs and galvanized buckets.
She has them all!

I can't remember the name of this bush and I can't begin to tell you how big it is.  
It lines the entire side of her yard and is as tall as me, taller is some areas.




Here is one of her outbuildings.  She painted it green.  Love the metal roof.

Here's a close up of the dining area. She has no idea how expensive these chairs are.
She finds them all out junkin.

Here's a rusted candelabra she uses for a centerpiece on the table...
and yes, she puts candles in it in the evening.

Her version of trellises and garden art.  


I have no idea what this is but it's cool.

Another little seating area...she wants the baker's rack inside the house but she doesn't have room
so she put it out here with a couple of chairs.  


Even the hardware on the garage is cute.

I love the rusted corrugated roof on top of the white garage.

More container gardens on top of an industrial metal table.

Here's her pretty little pathway around to the front yard.

She has gravel in places around her yard.  In the gravel she has added little round colorful pieces of glass.  You have to look closely to see the pretty little splashes of color.  

I may steal that idea.  It's really pretty when the sun hits those little glass pieces.

So, there you have it.  That's the full tour of the my cousin's little cottage.
What do you think?  Any ideas you want to steal?

I'm about finished working on my giveaway to celebrate 400+ followers. 
That's coming up later in the week so stay tuned!

I'm going to link up this thrifty cottage transformation to some of my favorite blog parties 
in the list at top or down below on the right.

18 comments:

  1. now that is texas fabulous
    love your blog and you amazing pics
    xo
    Pam

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  2. Wow. I just adore what she's done with, well, everything! It's a little slice of heaven.

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  3. Lucky girls, your cousin and you getting to be related to her. Thanks for the pictures.

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  4. How fun! You can tell she enjoys her space. Don't think I've ever seen that many buckets and tubs on 1 property. Love that tub lined fence garden!

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  5. Love the white flowered bush! Thanks for sharing your cousins home with us, so very pretty! Love the glass in the gravel too!

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  6. I am going to use her gallon jug technique for new plantings! I tend to forget to water them. That is a great visual reminder!

    I use to container garden. I am dreading tilling the ground. Maybe I should revert back to my old ways! There are a lot less weeds.....hmm....

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  7. Your cousin's place is just gorgeous. I wish I could follow her junkin. Hope you had a great time in Round Top and it was nice meeting you!

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  8. Oh, my goodness! I just read all three posts on your cousin's cottage, and I LOVE IT! I think it's great that she knows when to leave well enough alone. How many people would have painted the blue ceilings white, thinking they had to look new? But she left them alone and they're so cool. And I'm totally jealous of all her wash tubs! She does have them all!

    This is my dream house. I think everyone has one in their head. The "if I lived alone and could live wherever I wanted" house.

    Thanks for posting this, Gina! Such a great little cottage.

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  9. The flowering bush looks like a Lady Banks rose. Beautiful!

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  10. I love all the chippy worn furniture and love the plants in the old aluminum tubs.

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  11. Perfection!!! I love her garden and that you took pictures of it, these are such asentimental treasure. Thanks for sharing.

    Cha Cha

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  12. I was thinking Lady Banks rose too :-) What a fabulous eye your cousin has - I LOVE it! Any chance she'd hire herself out, I live west of Austin, lol.

    Thanks so much for sharing!
    Patty

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  13. what a feast for the eyes...inside and out. again, thanks so much for sharing!

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  14. What a beautiful, peaceful place to be , she must enjoy it so. I love the washtub planters.........Bonnie

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  15. As a child I spent every summer w/grandparents,aunts,cousins in very old authentic vintage houses(1900-1920).I am truly blessed to have these memories.My love for bead board,tin roofs,screen doors etc. has remained.I try to duplicate but its hard to capture that intangible aura of an OLD HOUSE.Your cousin has done that-she is a kindred spirit!!!!

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  16. I'll take that garage with that rusty roof. And the garden art trellis. She's got some great features so I can see why you went crazy!

    And I agree. I think she has all the metal tubs. I can't find any either. :)

    Donna

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  17. I loved the tour of your Aunt's house. I had to laugh when you said that you could never find any good galvanized tubs because your Aunt had them all, as I was thinking exactly the same thing. What an amazing garden with all those pots of plants. Lovely!

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  18. gina,
    this has to be the cutest cottage ever! i love all your photos, so much to look at...so many ideas. your cousin is a real down-home junker and an amazing thrifter...the house is a treasure.
    thanks for sharing her with us.

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