We had my mother in town last weekend which was so lovely and fun.   We spent much of our time upgrading the house — mom is a genius in that department!   The upstairs room (which is quite large) sat empty after we moved our office furniture downtown, and we managed to pull together a cozy family/playroom which has been a real highlight.   We painted frames and hung art; all my mother’s simple little touches are my favorite and I always learn so much from her, even now.   We had our backsplash in the kitchen tiled yesterday (so SO exciting, something I have wanted to do for ages) and so it felt like the perfect time to touch up our garden steps as well.  Will loves to garden and I consider myself an expert in selecting the flowers 😉 (I’m joking, I just go with whatever I love but I am eager to select them myself!!).

Turns out it was the perfect time to go because the bougainvillea had just arrived and I remember that we missed this vibrant hue last year and that I was upset we didn’t grab it in time.    The bougainvillea that we did pick up around this time last year kept on blooming right through until late in the fall, providing such a welcome source of color and happiness on our porch — it’s such a great investment!   I often move plants in to the dining table (in clean pots) or onto the outdoor table for dinner parties if I haven’t had a chance to pick up fresh cut flowers.   I also trim bits of bougainvillea for each individual place setting, it’s such a treat.

Will loves to garden and we spent a lot of time on ours last spring.   Here is a tutorial on quick fix hanging baskets and a post about plant care.

This color below is my absolute favorite, I feel so lucky to have grabbed it in time!! So tropical! xx