Who is Orange Sink?

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Rice Lake, WI, United States
My home town is Rice Lake, a small town in northern Wisconsin. I own Red House Wool Studio~ an in-home wool and rug hooking business. I enjoy collecting and decorating with antiques and primitives. Orange Sink Blog is a journal of my interests and ramblings about life. Cathy Greschner

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Friday, August 24, 2012

The Colors of August


The flowers in my window box on the front deck are doing pretty well considering the hot dry summer and they get the hot afternoon sun everyday. I planted a yellow mum plant the other day to add a little hint of fall color.  
We've had some beautiful rains the past couple of nights.  The landscape is green here but it's an "August green"  if you know what I mean.

I always plant marigolds in every garden because they add color when everything else has finished blooming.  The soft purple of the ageratum and the lavender buds compliment the pumpkin colored blossoms of the marigold.
The sedum will be turning to a soft rosy mauve in another week or so. The pink zinnia's have started to bloom again after the recent rains. 
You wouldn't think it's the time of year to plant strawberries.... but my Mom ordered some new plants last week and had too many for her little garden..... so guess who ended up with the surplus!  The bigger plants you see are the ones I planted this Spring.  I cut them back and replanted. I'm hoping for a bigger crop next year.  The few that I picked this spring were so sweet and flavorful!  I am going to be sure and tuck these new little babies in for the winter with lots of mulch. ( the holes next to the new little plants were made by the chipmunks investigating..... so far they haven't dug them up..... we don't have a swimming pool for which they can find entertainment so they stay busy digging in the gardens!!... :)) (for Robin at the "Cranky Crow"- click here if you missed her garden tour post...it was wonderful!)
Well I have to show you my new compost bin!  Mr. Orange sink built me this a couple of weeks ago from the old boards that used to be the front deck before he built the new one.  I've been wanting a compost bin for a long time but Mr. O thought the bears might find the kitchen scraps too tempting. This summer he caved and built me one.  Our yard is surrounded by chain link fence but bears would have no problem climbing over that.  So far no bears..... so maybe they don't really care for cucumber peelings, pepper seeds and lettuce. 
The naked cherubs on the new fountain I bought this Spring are still pouring their little hearts out! The never ending stream of trickling water makes soothing music while I'm hooking in the studio a few steps away. 
A rocky path will lead you to the back door of my studio should you come to visit and you  might be greeted by a friendly canine!
Mr. O likes to keep his wood pile covered when there's a chance of rain. Needless to say it sat uncovered for most of the summer.  He's been cutting  and splitting and stacking firewood on the hottest of weekends.  For him the saying is really true that the firewood " warms you twice"!  
The shadows are long. The days are getting shorter.  The colors of August are here but for a moment. 

Cathy G








18 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tour! It looks great. I like your compost bin. It all looks so nice with all of that dappled sunshine.
    Have a great weekend. I got the sunflower pattern on backing but have yet to pull a loop this week. :) I even got the wool cut. Just no loops.

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  2. Cathy your yard looks so welcoming and cozy. Your compost bin looks great. As long as you don't add any meat, fish or eggs you should have trouble with bears.

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  3. Everything looks so green! It's so dry this time of year in southern california. Such a pretty garden,HUgs Cheri

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  4. Oh what a wonderful walk!...everything looks great, truly an enjoyable post today! Have a great day!
    blessings,
    ~Ronda

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  5. What a wonderful outing, thank you for the tour. Your flower box is just gorgeous. I too plant marigolds, they add a nice punch of color to the flower beds and aid in repelling unwanted insects. I purchased my first mum plants today, I am ready for Autumn. It's funny the older I become the more I don't mind winter with it's snow and cold weather. I'm just a homebody, but an thankful my little ray of sunshine (Travis) lives next door. Sending greetings from Maine, Julie.

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  6. Thanks for the August garden tour Cathy. It all looks so inviting. Mine is a bit in disarray this year as I neglected it. I wasn't good at working in the heat and mornings were taken up with barn chores, sigh. Hopefully, I'll have my gardens tidied up later on. I have a lot of overgrown beds that are too crowed.

    I always planted Marigold except for this year as I didn't started anything from seed. Marigold really do add a nice splash of color till frost.

    I do love how neat your wood pile and compost looks. Hugs, JB

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  7. Cathy, your garden is absolutely gorgeous! I am amazed how green everything is after the wicked heat and little rain. What a lovely walk out to your studio!
    Have a great weekend,
    Robyn

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  8. Cathy ~
    Your gardens look simply amazing. I can't imagine what they must look like in a normal summer. You do have a green thumb, dear friend.
    Hugs :)
    Lauren

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  9. Hello Cathy, thanks so much for the wonderful garden tour, loved it. That window box is really pretty, nice colors.Enjoy the weekend, Francine.

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  10. Lovely Post!!!
    This year August has almost been a relief. After the awful hot and dry weather earlier in the summer, this month it's been much cooler and we've gotten some nice rain.
    Your garden is delightful! I love the cherub fountain.
    Thanks for the tour.

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  11. Your gardens look beautiful, Cathy! Thanks for sharing.

    Hugs,
    Linda

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  12. hi, Cathy~enjoyed the walk around you gardens~ pretty & peaceful~
    smiles
    Teresa

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  13. Thanks for the pleasant trek through your lovely landscape. Just want to make sure your deck that was transformed into a compost bin was not made of pressure-treated lumber. There can be dangerous chemicals in the pressure-treated lumber; until recently, arsenic was in the mix.

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  14. Thanks Cathy for taking us for a stroll through your Beautiful flower gardens. I love the contrast of the marigolds too!!!
    Prim Blessings
    Robin

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  15. I love marigolds. They stand up to the summer heat, and look gorgeous in the fall. I am quite partial to them, as every year my father planted them in the garden, when I was a child. Your flower box is beautiful, that crow sure does the trick!

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  16. Hi there, I was just reading your post when your comment came. Thanks so much. It is a fun rug. Your photography on this post is outstanding, and I was wondering if I can use a couple of your pictures for a presentation to a colour class I have coming up. You and mother nature have done an awesome job of colour combos. Your September plants are much happier than mine, that's for sure. Looks like we may get rain today - I sure hope so. BTW, good luck with the compost bin - hope the bears stay away.

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  17. Wonderful pictures, Cathy. What a wonderful garden - I'm jealous!

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  18. Your gardens are beautiful Cathy!!!

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