In the garden now . . .

 

(I wish!)

The roses in the garden have begun to unfold their tender velvet hearted blooms, a sweet gift to us, the fairest and the best . . . crimson and apricot, ivory and gold. They lift their pretty heads in Todd's rose bed, and of course they climb the metal arbor which surrounds the gate which separates out patio from the grassed area in the back. By next year it will be totally covered . . . but for this year there remains a space still free, the very arch at the top of it. Oh how wonderful it will be when they cover the whole thing and we can walk through a golden tunnel, so pretty and fragrant . . .

"Round the arbours of remembrance 

Youths unfading roses climb, 

And the hidden seeds of friendship 

Grow between the stones of Time."

Thinking of roses reminds me of this little verse by Patience Strong . . . I do so love poetry as you know . . .

 

I have never met a flower that I didn't like . . .  even the dandelion has its charms, but I think my favourite of all the flowers has to be Sweet Peas. Delicate and dainty . . . beautiful and vivid as sunset skies . . . a mass of sweetness . . . like clouds of pink and crimson and purple butterflies.

"Sweet Peas, on tiptoe for a flight, 
With wings of gentle flush, o'er delicate white." 
~ Keats

Are they flowers, these moth-like things with brightly tinted wings of flame and cream??When we lived down South we had lots of sweet peas in the garden. Our soil was much better there.  Nothing much seems to grow very well here.  Our soil is very much like clay and we cannot afford to bring more soil in, and so now we mostly grown in pots.

Our Oriental Poppies always put on a magnificent show.  They are almost finished now, but when they are in bloom, they are gorgeous. Large and blousy with chocolate box centres . . . their petals look a little bit like ruffled up-turned ball gowns, or ballerina tutus . . . waiting to go on stage and dance.   When we have a bit of a breeze, they do dance, and bob their pretty heads in time to the rhythm of the wind . . .

"Through the dancing poppies stole 

A breeze most softly lulling to my soul."

 ~Keats

Dicentra Spectabilis, or Bleeding Hearts. I love their dainty blooms. I do not like to think of hearts that bleed . . . but I do think these blooms are very pretty. They arch across the garden like a bridge weeping with delicate heart shaped blossoms that drip down along it's arch . . . to me, they look a bit like the back of a little girl's pig-tailed head . . . but then my mind is often filled with visions of little girls . . .

No other plant bears perfect heart-shaped flowers like those of the Bleeding Heart. If you press the flowers between the pages of a heavy book, you'll have papery-thin little hearts to adorn letters or valentines. If you turn a flower upside down and pull the two halves apart, you'll see a lady in a pink bathtub, or perhaps you'll see a white lyre with strings of silk . . .

 

I just love the garden this time of year when each day brings something new to delight.  We have Love in the Mist blooming at the moment also . . .  but our Foxgloves and Lupins, Hollyhocks and Delphiniums have never come back.  Our Hydrangea are also doing very poorly this year, and neither one of us has the energy to really see to any of it.  Perhaps next year will be a better year.  I think this autumn we will cut the hydrangea right back and see what happens.  The Lavendar is starting to bloom now however and the heather so all is not lost  . . .

Oh my knee was just terrible yesterday.  The worst yet.  It does not bode well for our Scotland trip.  We will still go, but I think Todd will be doing most of the walks/sight-seeing on his own.  I will have to bring my crochet and he can just park me on a bench some where while he goes off.  It's a real nuisance!  I was in so much pain yesterday with it, I could barely walk at all. Hobbling about like an old lady I was.  I hate to say it, but its a bit depressing.  There is so much I want to see and to do . . .

A thought to carry with you through the day  . . .

.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.° ˛°. . 
˛Be selective with your battles,
Sometimes peace is better than being right.
~Unknown  .° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

Spiritual Enlightenment

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Orange Muffins.  These are really good.  I chose to add some dried currants to mine, but you could add raisins, nuts, or even poppy seeds.  Delicious!

Have a great Saturday.  It is bucketing down here and windy, so we won't be going very far.  Whatever you get up to don't forget!

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And I do too!