This summer has been filled with so many new and exciting experiences.  Our little flower garden has been a huge success.  I am thrilled beyond belief and have already starting planning the flower gardens for next year.

We have received so many wonderful comments and compliments on the flowers and just as many on the flower cart.  It is the cutest thing I have ever seen, if I do say so myself!  The flower cart was designed and built by my talented husband Murray with the help of our son Ryan.

We started out with two antique wagon wheels that for many years were on either side of our centennial farm sign.  Murray pulled them up and amazingly they were in great shape.  We used a steel pipe to connect the wheels and create an axle.

Murray spent a lot of time coming up with the perfect design and size for the flower cart.  We decided to paint the wheels, handle, and base black and the cart white.

We built the cart in the garage, but when it came time to add the roof, it was time to move it to the shed.

I wanted to use old tin for the roof and was hoping to find some in our shed or in the barn at our son Corey’s house.  No such luck, so Ryan suggested we check with a fairly new store in town, Whiskey City Architectural Salvage.  What an amazing store with tons of wonderful vintage items such as old doors, windows, barn wood, knobs, trim, lots of old tin and much, much more.  We actually made two trips to get tin because I decided I also wanted to use tin on the front and back peaks of the roof.  I absolutely love the tin roof.  And if you are anywhere close to Peoria, IL, you must visit Whiskey City Architectural Salvage but for sure visit their blog.

An old window frame that I found in the shed – painted white, added a piece of plywood to the back, and painted the plywood with chalkboard paint.  Perfect!

I found this sign at the Hobnob Spring Market in Danville, IL this past May.  It is a new tin sign that looks like an old weathered sign.

And the flowers are amazing.  I have always favored zinnias and even more so now.  They are such hardy, beautiful, and easy to grow flowers.  I am looking at several different varieties of zinnias next year.

There is a crispness in the evening and early morning air that means that fall is just around the corner.  Although fall is my favorite time of the year, it means that the growing season for the zinnias is winding down, which makes me a bit sad.  But I am so happy and proud for what I have accomplished and learned this year and even more excited with my plans for the flower gardens and my flower cart next year.

Thanks so much for stopping by and if you are traveling down Grange Hall Road, look for the flower cart.

Until next time,

Pat