Spring in the Texas Hill Country

Little Blanco River

Welcome to the

The Texas Hill Country 

I was fortunate to be a guest 

recently at this lovely hill country home.

A beautiful garden of agava, cactus, sage, 

bluebonnets, and other Texas 

wildflowers greeted us on arrival.

Two stone barns circa1930 anchor 

a lovely courtyard garden where we enjoyed lunch.

The courtyard features a central fountain 

and raised beds of blooming plants.

Rustic furniture made from cedar trees 

on the property offers comfortable seating and dining.

The tables were set with colorful textiles 

and pitchers filled with bouquets of spring flowers.

The serving table featured a vibrant cloth 

from Mexico, appliquéd in big bright sunflowers.

The bouquets looked as if they had 

just been picked from the cutting garden.

Bright multicolored glasses, 

reminiscent of a box of Crayons,

 were the perfect compliment to yet another 

of the hostess' hand embroidered Mexican textiles.

Stacks of assorted pottery plates .  .   .

Offered both color 

and a touch of whimsy.

Lunch was a selection of salads.

 ~ Black Bean and Corn Salad ~ 

Served with Pita Chips

Recipe here

~ Mandarin Orange and Chicken Salad ~ 

Recipe here

~ Plump Seedless Grapes ~

~ Chewy Chocolate Brownies ~

After lunch our hostess took us 

on a tour of her prismatic gardens.

Peggy Martin Climbing Rose 

and Yellow Columbine

The juxtaposition of the various plants 

with the shapes and textures of the stone 

provides a tranquil setting within the courtyard garden.

A group of wheelbarrows 

serve as planters.

More Peggy Martin Climbing Roses 

cover the entrance to the second barn.

Peggy Martin Rose

Click here to read the 

story of this amazing climber.

A pair of large iron cockerels guard 

the gates at either end of the Arbor Garden.

Raised beds made from stone quarried 

on the farm are home to various deer resistant plants.

The garden design is perfect 

for its hill country setting.

Mexican Sage

Plants in this garden 

are native to the area.

Red Poppies

They can withstand the 

Texas heat with minimal water.

Damianita Daisy

All the while providing 

vibrant color and beauty.

Hope you enjoyed spring in 

the Texas hill country.

Joining

Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm

Oh, the Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Be Inspired @ Common Ground

Festive Friday Fiesta @ Home Girl

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound
Sunny Simple Sunday @ Sunny Simple Life
Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings
Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally
Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
On the Menu Monday @ Stone Gable
Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage
Pretty Things @ TwelveOeight
Tuesday Treasure @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Your Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With An E
The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Ranch
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen
Cottage Garden Party @ Fishtail Cottage

Welcome to Hyacinths for the Soul and my very first post!

Welcome to Metamorphosis Monday with our hostess, Susan @ Between Naps On The Porch, and a big "Thank you, Susan!" for all your help and encouragement. Today is my first post, so this in itself is a metamorphosis of sorts. I've been a follower of several blogs, and today I'm making the leap to write a post on my very own blog page, Hyacinths For The Soul. As a 30+ year veteran teacher of young children, I've witnessed many wonderful "metamorphosis moments" of first learning. I like the idea of sharing the transformations that weave in and out of one's life.

One person's trash is another's treasure... not many men would rescue boxes of fabric that were on their way to a dumpster, but fortunately for me I have a friend who knows of my appreciation of textiles and delivered these to my doorstep.

Swatches of the very finest Italian wool! My friend brought me boxes and boxes of sample books that a local men's custom clothing shop was discarding because they were the previous year's fabric collection. What a treasure trove!

Just look at these luscious textiles! They are as soft and smooth as butter on a warm day.

Wouldn't you adore a new outfit made of any of these? The choices are endless.

I need new winter slacks. I'll take three in these colors. What would be your choice?

I admit the boxes lingered among my fabric stash for some time before inspiration struck. I didn't have yards and yards of these luscious fabrics, and after all, patchwork garments hadn't been in vogue since the 1970s. You do remember the patchwork craze of the Hippie Era? And yes, I really did wear this skirt!

Eventually the swatches became the basis for a new collaborative project with my friend, Kay, who I met in the early 1980s when we were professional colleagues. We connected instantly and soon discovered that we shared an abundance of interests. We became soul mates! Today we live 2000 miles apart, but meet yearly either at her home, my home, or a vacation spot. Our yearly visits have spawned collaborations of numerous creative endeavors.

We'd earlier completed a pair of full size crazy quilts (topic for a future blog post), and wanted our next project to be a quilt for each of our husbands. The Italian wools would lend a masculine feel. To pay tribute to the original intent of the fabrics, we decided on the bow tie, a quilt block pattern from the late 1800s.

The metamorphosis didn't evolve quickly. The task to measure, cut, and piece a hundred of these 4" squares proved a daunting task. Then reality set in. Two hundred squares would only produce one lap quilt. We needed a pair! Ingenuity persevered. We would simply alternate solid squares with the bow ties.

After several cross country flights and hours of stitches made by two hearts and two pairs of loving hands . . .

A pair of "Friendship Bow Tie" quilts appeared! Friendship quilts because most of the work on the pair was completed by two friends working side by side during our annual visits.

Today, Kay (at right) and I each have one of these quilts in our homes. They keep our napping husbands warm and cozy on winter afternoons and reflect the creative spirit of two friends across the miles. This summer we will vacation together at the seashore, eager to plot our next shared endeavor.

Each "Friendship Bow Tie" is also a charm quilt, as no two identical fabrics are repeated within either quilt. . . and this one was made for my Prince Charming!

Thank you for stopping by. Please comment below, and please come back!