Misterarthur and I are hosting a business shindig in a couple of weeks. There’s nothing like the thought of semi-strangers wandering through your house to light a fire under one’s fixer-upper. Which is why I think this will be a garden party. And that got me thinking about our garden - specifically the gravel pit that runs along the side of our house (sorry no pix - too embarrassing).

The pit was supposed to be an elegant alleé of potted trees. But somehow we took a wrong turn down Lazy Street and it remains a barren pit de gravél (French makes it sound a little nicer don’t you think?). Anyway, the invites are out and time’s a wastin’, which is why I’m implementing Operation Garden Storm.

 I’ll send Misterarthur down to the Eastern Market for some pots and trees. Easily done. But to give the gravel pit that extra zip that Martha (gag) would approve of, I was thinking of adding some benches. This antique bench probably isn’t meant for the rain and snow of Michigan. But I came across it in my bench shopping journey today and thought I’d feature it anyway. It’s pretty cool - an antique reproduction of an English railroad station bench. I dig it. Do you?

I promise to publish photos once the gravel pit becomes splendiferous. Give me a week.