Flowers From A Stranger

Song - Where Have All The Flowers Gone by The Kingston Trio

A large FedEx delivery van pulled into our driveway this morning and Mr. B was there to greet him.  He walked back into the kitchen with this massive box of flowers and a puzzled look on his face.

Mr. B said "these flowers are for you......but..........I.......didn't......buy........them............"



I should of played along for awhile but the look on his face was melting my heart.

We are having a 90th birthday party for my mom in a few weeks and I had bought them online a few days ago to see what kind of quality they were for $1 per stem. YES - $1 - the business is called Dollar Hydrangea and they are flown in from South America.  As you can see from the photo above they come a little squished in the box but just give them a gentle shake after you remove the packaging and they fluff right up!

 The stems are all tightly rubber banded with water sacks so all you need do is re-cut the stems and place them in tepid water. 

Then E...N...J...O...Y!

 The minimum you need to purchase is 40 stems and free shipping. 

I now have four and a half large arrangements that are beautiful.

Some friends on Instagram turned me on to this company. The company offers two types of white flowers, two of blue flowers or two of lime green flowers.

I got them all cut and placed in vases around the house, then I looked out my back door.

Zipper the squirrel is a gymnast now.....don't even get me started with this guy!

"When I walk with you

I feel as if I had a

flower in my buttonhole."

--William Makepeace Thackeray

It's Coming!!!

Song - GhostBusters Theme by Ray Parker Jr.

Andy - - as in our son that just got married - and just when did he grow up???? - - 

and a witch at the Nut Tree in Vacaville just a few years ago!

The pumpkins are waiting to be carved and the only decoration I have out is a rat skeleton! Boo!!

This time of year makes me feel nostalgic.  The days are cooler and the nights are refreshing.  

The sun is rising from a more southerly place through my bedroom glass door.

It's dark so much earlier!!

My garden is looking a little tired.

In the Spring I planted the above Limelight Hydrangea's for Andy & Ashley's wedding.

 Yesterday I decided to cut some of them to see if I can dry them.

Today I was looking at soup recipes to eat and good books to read by the fire. 

Time to turn inward....

After I have a good laugh at my brother Tim's mustache from 1987!

"Laughter is an instant vacation" --Milton Berle

Confusion in My Garden

Song - Harvest Moon by Neil Young

Fall has arrived in Northern California.  The squirrels have busily gathered the acorns and the trees are just beginning to change color.....although some are undecided if it truly is Fall or still warm Summer days or maybe it's already Spring!

I have Azaleas and Iris and Narcissus blooming which usually bloom in the Winter & Spring.

And the wall of Limelight Hydrangea that I planted for the wedding are beautiful!

Some plants are slowing down and going inward for this time of season.

Within two days, I could see the change of color in a new Maple we planted last year.

However my Dahlias are still hopeful.........

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." 

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Winter's Day

Song - I am a Rock by Simon & Garfunkel


Painting and prepping for Christmas has kept me indoors for the last few weeks.  But today I needed to drain some water from the swimming pool due to the amount of rain we have had lately in California!  On my way out to the pool I passed a few beauties....

Even though it is Winter, there is still activity in the garden this time of year.

My Sweet Pea's have begun to climb......

And fragrant Alyssum is growing everywhere!

Camellia's are budding and flowering.  I had just picked three beautiful flowers from this bush which is one of the few remaining plants from the previous owners.  Thank you Nancy!

There is one last leaf left on our Callery Pear trees.

The Rosemary is blooming.......

Mother Ferns are still growing baby ferns......

Lemons are ready for picking.......

The roses are making one final attempt....

My large urns of Salvia are beautiful this time of year......

The Primroses return year after year.....

My Daphne bush is ready to scent the entire garden!

Sweet little Forget Me Not's are blooming everywhere! Little darlin' - I won't forget you!

A few lingering Hydrangea blossoms....

A hopeful Geranium bud......

Time for some tea and garden lemons.....


I know you will find some beauty in your winter day today!

"Every gardener knows under the cloak of winter lies a miracle...a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to light, a bud straining to unfurl.  And the anticipation nurtures our dreams."
 -- Barbara Winkler

Summer Wind

 Song - Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra

Our weather lately has been a little like the two figures who are on the window ledge in my office.

 OPPOSITES

Elmo is the 3 1/2 year old red furry puppet from Sesame Street, who talks in the first person and has a lot of innocent questions about the world around him.

And Quan Yin is the Chinese Buddhist goddess of compassion, mercy and understanding.

Huh?

I like them both.

But my point is the difference and the changes, just like our weather!

A "fried" rose

We had a heat wave last weekend during my art show and the weather was up to 105.


But over the last few days it has been overcast and blustery.

Chairs are being thrown

In fact, it has been so windy that several chairs blew over as well as several of my favorite topiaries came crashing to the ground.  The pool is full of debris and it has left me with an "unsettled" feeling. 

Chards of terracotta

Today began with cold-gray skies, just the kind of day you want to stay in bed, snuggle the dogs (Mr. B was out of town) and read but it has turned into a mild afternoon, so I thought I would take my camera out into the yard and see what's growing (or what has fried in the last week!)

I let the Sweet Pea's go to seed to see if I can save them for next year

The grapes on our pergola are very happy

Sweet Feverfew

Grandpa Art's favorite - Double Delight

My Heirloom tomatoes grew very fast during the heat wave

Tarragon is great with chicken!

Thai Basil - first time growing this

Lobelia is growing happily in the shade but got fried in the sun

Even my garden bunny is looking up for sunshine

Alpine Strawberries that the dogs like to eat - they are tiny but with an incredible intense sweet flavor

All three Apple trees are filled - time to thin them out

The lemon trees are also developing fruit

Tyler's Jeep has had the roof off for the last week - I guess he doesn't mind the wind.....or heat....or cold?

 But my one of my favorite flowers is beginning to bloom right now - The Hydrangea

I don't know what it is about Hydrangea's but they feel so "cool".  Probably because they grow in semi-shade around here and take so much water to keep alive (which is why Mr. B doesn't like them! - but I grow them anyway but don't tell him!!!)

Zinnea

Dahlia

Agapanthus - kinda looks like fireworks

Single petaled Dahlia

Echinacea or Cone Flower

Thanks for taking a walk with me through my garden.  Please come again.

"A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit. " - D. Elton Trueblood