We are settling into fall here at the cottage.  The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are finally dipping down providing for the most glorious time outside.  For those of us in mild climates, autumn is the perfect time to tackle garden projects that were just not possible in the heat of summer.



Here on Lemon Lane that means my long awaited potager kitchen garden is finally being hardscaped and I am totally smitten already.


After much debate we finally decided on a stone border with pea gravel pathways.  It's only in it's beginning stages but I think it's going to blend the best of both worlds.  The curving pathways give me the casual cottage feeling that I love and the pea gravel ties it in beautifully with my husbands more formal garden space.



I am itching to get my cool season vegetables planted and have been busy amending the soil in the future garden beds but just knowing that it's happening is enough, even for this impatient garden girl...for now.



In the meantime, I cleaned up the perennial bed, added fresh mulch and am squeezing the last few blooms out of the flower garden.  There is a quietness in the garden as summer winds down.  With the beds tidied up and the perennials trimmed back, it's time for the plants (and this gardener) to rest and recharge before the next season begins.

xo, Patty

If you'd like to see more of the making of the potager kitchen garden, here's the link to my YouTube video documenting the process.  If you are not a subscriber to my channel, take a peek around and hit the subscribe button if you like what you see.


Help support Life on Lemon Lane by shopping my favorite gardening supplies and all your Amazon needs  here.

There is no shame in how much I love color in our little cottage.  It just makes me smile and that's exactly what your home should do.  So when I set about refreshing our little coffee station I sought out ways to add a mix of color and pattern to make the whole area pop with sunshine.


I am big proponent of shopping your homes nooks and crannies for decor before bringing in more stuff.  Chances are if we bought or brought it home, at some point I loved it and if that's not true then their is no reason for me to use our limited storage and wall space to keep it.


I knew I had enough room for a small shelf on the wall and was set on having my husband cut a piece of scrap wood for me to paint, when I remembered I kept a small galley shelf  (similar) when I redid the bathroom.  And as luck would have it, it fit like it was meant to be there.


Both the glass canisters and the colorful fruit enamel ones have been around for quite awhile and the pretty floral Pioneer Woman dish was being used on my fireplace mantel plate wall, which is about to be changed out with fall decor this week.  (When you shop your house, you get used to holes in the decor of other rooms until you work your way back there.)


Once those major pieces were in place, the rest of it came together as a matter of necessity for a functioning coffee bar.  Coffee, filters, pods, teas, creamers, mugs...those things we reach for every single morning are now within easy reach.


Friends and family always have fun choosing from my large collection of cups hanging on my mug rack which get changed out seasonally.

So have I missed anything?  What coffee bar necessities do you have at your hot drink station?  I did a full video tour on my YouTube channel.  I will link it below.

xo, Patty

Here's the link to the coffee bar tour.  While your there, be sure you check out the cottage style videos I have of the rest of our little cottage and hit the subscribe button so you don't miss the change to fall.

I feel it in the air, that subtle change from summer to fall.  For those of us living in mild climates the signs are a lot less obvious, just the hint of cooler mornings and that breeze that comes in right after dinnertime, but the changes are there none the less.

I pulled out my totes full of fall decor and couldn't resist setting a few pumpkins out on display.  Nothing over the top just a couple of reminders that these days of 90+ weather won't last forever.

It seems the older I get the sooner that feeling of being behind with the holidays approaching sets in.  

I have never been one of those whose gifts are purchased in October and November and the wrapping is finished by the first of December, so that's not what I'm talking about.  It's more just that desire to prepare the cottage for gatherings, afternoons of tea drinking, snuggling under a new handmade blanket and weekend baking sessions.


I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic when it comes to the holidays.  I will always dream of getting things just right, creating special memories, preparing little handmade gifts for friends and starting new traditions with the grands.


So as I begin clearing out the happy colors of summer to make room for the warm tones of fall, it's more than just a change of decor, it's a whole new chance to bring family and friends together in a home cheerfully filled with love.  With August nearly over and September less than two weeks away, the holidays will be here before you know it.  Time is flying by...

Is it just me, or do the holidays seem to come faster and faster every year and with it, that sense of falling behind?

xo, Patty

For a quick peek at my pumpkins on display, here's the link to my YouTube video.  If you're not already a subscriber, I'd love to have you subscribe.