EDITOR’S LETTER

Now that the weather has taken a turn for the better, I am feeling more motivated to take stock of the “junk” in my spare bedroom and get to decluttering. A year ago at this time, most of the charitable organizations that accepted donations were temporarily closed, but now that they are taking household goods again, I have no reason not to resume my cleaning duties. On tap for paring down are an assortment of baskets I bought on sale that look more dusty than decorative and myriad odds and ends I have collected with the intention of using them for something.

Once I get my spare bedroom back into shape and the weather is more conducive to outdoor activities, I plan to tackle a chore that’s much more to my liking—tending to the flower beds. I didn’t finish cleaning the leaves out of my front garden last fall because the weather went from balmy to bitter quickly, so that’s first on my to-do list before the daffodils and tulips start to sprout.

I am especially eager to get to work thanks to the picturesque open-air garden shed featured in this issue as well as the lavender-scented projects that are a precursor to the sweet blooms that will soon fill my yard. Although I already have a storage shed on my property, there are lots of great takeaway ideas from “Garden of the Goods” (pages 20–29) and “Home for the Gnome” (pages 30–32) that I want to try around my home.

Come to think of it, I might want to hold on to a few of my small baskets to use as containers for the lavender sachets and soaps I would like to make, both as gifts and as fragrant displays throughout my rooms (“Lovely in Lavender,” pages 8–14, and “Busy Bee Remedy,” pages 16–18).

I hope you’ll be inspired by these articles and the beautiful homes within these pages to refresh and renew your own home this spring, indoors and out!