Backyard Beauty....

A good friend was away this past week so I was looking after her home, bringing in the mail, watering the windowboxes and planters, etc. I got to enjoy her beautiful pink poppies which bloomed all week, and now that she is back, they are almost finished. Too bad that she missed them at their best, but I sure am lucky that I got to appreciate their delicate beauty each day. I missed photographing my own poppies this year- the first few days they were in bloom  my camera was acting up, then several days of rain pretty much beat them to pieces... Ah well, there's always next year...

Aren't they beautiful?



Peace,
Linda

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ Anais Nin

Lest We Forget....

Let us never forget what our veterans have done for our country, and what our soldiers continue to do as peacekeepers around the world... Today is November 11 - Remembrance Day here in Canada, Veterans Day in the USA. Let us honour our veterans and pray for world peace....

I went to see the soldiers

I went to see the soldiers, row on row on row,
And wondered about each so still, their badges all on show.
What brought them here, what life before
Was like for each of them?
What made them angry, laugh, or cry,
These soldiers, boys and men.

Some so young, some older still, a bond more close than brothers
These men have earned and shared a love, that's not like any others
They trained as one, they fought as one
They shared their last together
That bond endures, that love is true
And will be, now and ever.

I could not know, how could I guess, what choices each had made,
Of how they came to soldiering, what part each one had played?
But here they are and here they'll stay,
Each one silent and in place,
Their headstones line up row on row
They guard this hallowed place.

~ Kenny Martin 

Peace,
Linda

“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.”  ~ John Lennon

Poppy Parade...

After writing last night about Debby's wonderful garden, I realized I haven't shared any photos of my own garden in weeks. (I'm sure that's been keeping you awake at night... lol) The weeks are flying by and things have come into bloom and now are past... So today I'll share with you a few shots of my poppies,  one of my favourite mid-June plants. You have seen these before, I know, but they are just so beautiful in my eyes... (doesn't a mother always think ALL her children are beautiful??)

The tissue-paper-thin petals amaze me.. they seem so delicate and fragile... I wish they lasted longer...
I bought a new poppy two years ago and had hoped to be sharing lovely photos of it with you... but last year it seemed to be struggling and this year- no sign of it at all so I guess I've lost it. So you'll have to indulge me and put up with the same ones again... same plants, different year!

We had lots of rain in June and there were many days that were overcast so the lighting on some of these shots varies, with the weather. Seems to me there weren't many sunny days when these were in bloom. The above shot was taken on a dark morning just as the sun broke through. It looks very dramatic to me... what do you think?

The raindrops almost make the bloom look "polka-dotted"...
(Is that a word?)

 

 
Peace,
Linda

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." ~ Buddha

Poppy Love... Again!

It's that time of year again.. yes it's poppy time in the garden.... If you've been reading me for a while, you know that every June I share my poppies with you.. so here we go again... As soon as I step out my garage side door, this clump of poppies is immediately upon my right - what a glorious sight to greet me in the morning. This is what they look like as the early sun hits them while much of the side yard is still in shade.
This year there are well over a dozen blooms on this one plant. I wish they would last longer- all opened within a day or two of each other. Sadly, within a week, it's all over. Last year I planted a new poppy -a double frilly one called Fancy Feathers. I was hoping it would bloom this year but I guess it is going to make me wait another year. It survived the winter but is not growing fast enough to suit me.. I gave it a lovely top-dressing of compost and I've been giving it some "love talk"  along with water and fertilizer but it's taking it's good ole time... So I guess I'll have to content myself for one more year with these and the orange ones...  Sigh...

 If you like something a little more "colourful", take a look at my bright orange poppies. Yes I know - you almost need sunglasses!! I have several clumps of these - orange is NOT my colour, but I cannot bear to get rid of them. They sure do add some "pop" to the garden for a few days...

 I'm hoping that by this time next year I'll have a new poppy to show you.. if my memory is correct, Fancy Feathers is red....
Up next.. Wildflower Wednesday. Y'all come back now.....
I am linking to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House . Check out all the wonderful collages there...

Peace,
Linda

"The course of Nature is the art of God." ~ Edward Young

Poppy Love....

Each June I have shown you my beautiful Princess Victoria Louise poppy when it blooms. No doubt you are tired of seeing it, but guess what - here it is one more time. I've taken a little different approach this time - I'm playing around with learning how to do a photo collage.. this is my first attempt - hope you like it!
I bought a new poppy last week; it likely will not bloom this year, but hopefully I'll have some gorgeous new poppy blooms to show you next June... It's a double fringed poppy called "Fancy Feathers". Can't wait...

Peace
Linda

Gardening is a way of showing you believe in tomorrow.

Pop Pop Poppies!

I know one is not supposed to show favouritism, but I can't help it- these Oriental Poppies are among my most favourites in the garden... I love these huge blooms of soft shrimpy pink.. their silky tissue-papery petals.. their whorled seedpods! This variety is called Princess Victoria Louise. I wish they lasted longer- they are only at their best for a few days. And this year it may be less than that as they are getting battered and beaten with the heavy rains we've had the last 2 days... But they are so beautiful, I had to share them with you. Their blooming this week proves we are about two and a half weeks ahead of last year as I can remember taking photos of Laura on Prom night last June, standing beside the blooming poppies...

I want to thank those of you who have been enquiring about my brother Wayne. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and well-wishes. He is doing OK. He has been home from hospital for a week now, and today was his first trip back to Saint John to see the surgeon. The Doc was pleased with how things are healing, except for his big toe. He said he may have to take a bit more of it off. We'll have to wait and see. But everything else seems to be doing well. He took all the sutures out today, the pins still remain for awhile yet. He is managing the pain fairly well now and his appetite is improving. He is so very lucky- it could have been so much worse. Had there not been someone closeby or within shouting distance, it could have ended tragically as he would surely have bled to death quite quickly... Thanks for keeping him in your prayers!

Love ya Wayne!

Peace,

Linda

In times of test, family is best.

~ Burmese Proverb

Ahhhh summer!!

Well it seems that summer is finally here. It arrived officially several days ago, but today's humidity tells me it really IS here. We've had days and days of rain, and now when the sun comes out, you can almost see the waves of steamy moisture rising... Everything is green and lush, flowers are blooming, the mosquitoes are voracious, yes - it's summer!! Yeah! It's been a long time coming...

I am finally seeing an end to the "Gardening: to be done" jobs. After all this rain, I now have my bedding plants in the ground, my 50 Glad bulbs planted and the last few new perennials put in. It's amazing what a difference several days of rain makes; several plants have grown a good foot in the last week.

As you can see, my very orange poppies are blooming - I hate orange but these sure add a punch of bright color don't they! Also in bloom is the Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium), the Cranesbill (also known as perennial geranium), my Chives, and the Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla)is almost in full bloom. My hostas are growing like crazy, the largest one is past my waist height! People ask me every year what I fertilize them with, and I'm sure they don't believe me when I tell them "Nothing... I don't even water them, it's just what Mother Nature provides.." I guess they just like the spot they're in...

Another sign of summer for me is a stack of good books waiting to be read.. I just finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. What a great book- I highly recommend it if you like a "page-turner"... I could hardly put it down. It's set in the 30's in the USA - the story of a young man who joins a traveling circus. I won't tell you any more - other than to say it's a worthwhile read. I can't wait to get into my fifth Diana Gabaldon book, A Breath of Snow and Ashes. Also on my list are The Cellist of Sarajevo, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and possibly Pillars of the Earth. After so enjoying Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, I'd like to read another by him too- has anyone read Any Known Blood? I'm always open to suggestions for good summer reading - feel free to pass on the titles of any books you've really enjoyed...

What are your "sure signs of summer"? Going for ice cream? A day at the beach? Summer trips? A morning or evening walk in the sun? Going to bed with the windows wide open, and waking to the sound of the birds?

We all have our favorite things about each season.... I just really enjoy HAVING each season - after living on the north end of Vancouver Island for a year, where it rains daily from mid September till mid June - I sure do appreciate the change of the seasons, and what each one brings...

Piece,

Linda

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language". ~ Henry James

Poppies, poppies....

What a week! Prom, Graduation and now Father's Day.... and a week of rain ahead... Maybe I'll get some sewing done this week. Sure won't be doing much gardening! The weeds will still be waiting for me, once the rain is done... sadly..

The excitement is gradually dying down after Laura's big week. When all is said and done, I guess the tassel was worth the hassle, as they say... She started back to work at Kings Landing today, and Mark returns to work tomorrow after being off for a full 4 weeks. He is feeling better, but I'm not sure how he'll make out going right back to a full 8 hour day of work...we'll see if he has the stamina yet... I expect he'll find he has to gradually work up to a full day. I suspect he'll come home bushed tomorrow...

I have been working away on a red and white quilting project.. it is nearly done so you'll be seeing a pic soon. I hope to finish piecing the top tonight, just have borders left to go; then I'll have to make some decisions on how to quilt it... Stay tuned ...

My poppies have been blooming for over a week now; last night's rain beat off many petals, but there are still a few buds yet to open. My favorite one is this shrimp colored one called Princess Victoria Louise. I also have several which are a very bright orange -not my favorite color, but I tolerate them! I plant annual poppies each year too - Shirley poppies (the Flanders Fields type) plus several other varieties - some single, some are double and frilly - they don't bloom till later in the summer. Since I don't have much news after a rainy dreary few days, I thought you might just like to enjoy some beautiful blooms.

Piece,

Linda

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul". ~John Muir