Pattern Spotlight: Golden Summer

The story of this pattern is so special to me, and that's because it starts with my own backyard pollinator garden. 

The Location: 

When a 100+ year old oak tree fell in my backyard during hurricane Michael, it took our very shady backyard and opened up a very sunny spot almost overnight. This was a very scary experience (the tree hit the house in multiple places, and the kids and I were at home when it hit.) However, this spot it turned into a really special place for our family because we decided to dedicate this large bed as a pollinator garden. 

The Species: 

I am lucky to have two separate neighbors that are certified "master gardeners" and they generously provided plants for our purposes. The species featured in this pattern include: Purple Coneflower, Bee Balm, Black-Eyed Susan, Goldfinch, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Bluebird, Yellow Passionflower, Dill, Cleome, Black and Blue Salvia, and Zinnia. Since this pattern was created, I have since added many other native plants to this space including Joe Pye Weed, and three varieties of native milkweed, but I love that this pattern is a time capsule of that very first year. 

The Colors: 

Hands-down my favorite thing about this pattern is the color palette.  At the end of the summer, this garden really shines. The colors are so deep and saturated, and I can't stay away from it. The way I built this palette was to step into my garden in the deep summer, photograph all the flowers, and sample them digitally. So, the colors look REALLY bright and vibrant, but they are literally the colors of actual nature. 

RESOURCES:

• This link will take you to a collection of all the products I sell with this pattern on it. This includes notecards, journals, etc... 
• I actually did a cute wallpaper glow up with this pattern for some of my studio cabinets. Here's the final result. 
• If you'd like shop for wallpaper or textiles with this pattern on it, you can order those through my spoonflower shop. Here's the link to view this pattern on spoonflower and order products through their site. 
• Here is more information about the "Master Gardener" program here in NC. Though I am not one by any means, I can atest that they make for great neighbors :)