“In our backyard, we have climbing roses that are called Old English Eden Climbers. Every year, the first bloom has hundreds and hundreds of roses. In February, I take every leaf off the roses, so that I have fresh, no-disease leaves. I also fertilize and mulch. I always look forward to opening the gate and seeing the first bloom, because it’s amazing. I’m a big gardener. The clock is used by my husband. We have a Swim Jet
and my husband swims at lunch. He needs to keep track of the time, so that’s why
we have a clock.”
Photo credit: Courtesy Of Mary Beth Evans
“This room is an extended entryway. The plant in the vase is from my yard. It looks like popcorn. It blooms in the spring, and I’m trying to get it to reach the first story roof. I always like to put fresh flowers on that table. Sometimes I’ll have three or four vases full of flowers. The flowers are either from my yard, or Trader Joe’s. On the table, there is also a vase with a face. It’s my favorite possession. When I don’t have flowers on the table, I always have that vase on it. I don’t even know how many vases with little faces that I have. I love faces. It gives the room a little bit of personality. I get a lot of things from the flea market. But that particular vase was from a store. I saw it and fell in love with it.”
Photo credit: Courtesy Of Mary Beth Evans
“This is my back porch. The climbing roses frame the back porch. The blue circular object on the end table is a hurricane for candles. I like the idea of outdoor rooms. I do not have a very big yard, so I section it off. I like creating the spaces. I always have to be doing something, whether it’s decorating or mapping out the vegetable garden. I always have crafts and projects going. It’s another creative outlet.”
Photo credit: Courtesy Of Mary Beth Evans
“You can see that I enjoy a lot of little things, like the shell blocks on the coffee table. My girlfriend and I have gone to a million flea markets over the years, and so much of what is in my home was put together through flea markets. So everything has a story or personality. I bought the clock about 25 years ago. There was a guy that a few of my friends knew who carried antiques in a truck. I don’t wind the clock, because it’s so loud. I came from a bigger house where we raised our kids, so I like putting things in that are too big for the room. The grandfather clock really takes up a lot of space. On another wall [not visible], there is a painting that takes up an entire wall. There is nothing special about the coffee table. I got it at an Indonesian store. My daughter painted it black. I’ve always liked pillows. I like pillows that are neat and different.”
Photo credit: Courtesy Of Mary Beth Evans
“This is from a party my husband and I hosted. I call the dining area my al fresco space. I love outdoor meals. Sometimes I’ve even used the area when it’s dark, and used a table lamp in the center of the table. I have Christmas lights hung across the yard to lighten things up. I always tell people, ‘If you throw a dinner party, turn your lights low, put out lots of candles and fresh-cut flowers.’ It makes the space look great.
Photo credit: Courtesy Of Mary Beth Evans