
Do you view your outside space as another place for you to practice your homemaking? I need to remind myself of this. Dreaming, planning, beautifying, tidying, enjoying the sweet scents, listening to pleasant sounds, moving things around, making use of what you have…these are all things that can be done outside our walls as well as inside our homes.
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Do you know how sweet it is to tidy things up when you’re near lavender? What a delightful outdoor scent!
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After seeing garden phlox at an extension garden a number of years ago, I knew I would love to have some in my yard. They have such a pretty cottage garden look and the smell is so lovely. The taller purple one was moved to this spot from another garden area, and this pale pink one is new, found at the Farmer’s Market recently. There are some white ones just to the right of these which are just starting to bloom. That plant was found at a home that had had a plant sale and it was free!
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This whole garden area is one of my outdoor homemaking dreams! I had long wanted a cutting garden and three years ago we finally took down an old garden shed and this became my new “decorating space”!

This is what the beginnings looked like 3 years ago!

And here it is now, filling in with things added here and there. It is a joy to view it from my kitchen window!
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A single purple cone-flower adds a homey touch to our outdoor eating area. We have enjoyed so many meals outside this summer. This little spot makes me feel like we have our own “outdoor cafe”!
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Of course, laundry drying outside is homemaking too! I especially love that it helps with the electric budget!
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We had long talked about having a fire pit in the back yard, and this summer it has become a reality! It is simple ~ nothing fancy at all, but made by hand and that is very sweet! My husband was able to make use of bricks that have been here as long as we have lived here and it is a good thing to be able to put them to use.

I am especially amazed at what a fun outdoor gathering place it has become!
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The sights, smells and sounds of the outdoors are lovely this time of year! We have had a lot of bees buzzing around this year which is such a good thing! The flowers add their lovely scent as well as their beauty, and we even have a rooster in the area somewhere and that sound is definitely one of my favorites!
Happy Homemaking friends!