Lately I seem to have been posting pictures of birds or whinging. So I decided a change was in order.
This spring and early summer have been wetter than usual. It is also warming up. Both my garden and my MS thrive in warm and humid conditions. I do not. I do however love my garden and the beauty in it. So a trade-off.
We have planted many, many liliums - mostly the heavily scented ones which cause River and others a lot of grief. There are more coming into bloom each day. And some of their stems are over six feet tall, with up to fifteen blooms to a stem. I have never seen them grow to that size before.
So is the increased pain and fatigue and decreased mobility/flexibility worth it? Hell yes.
This spring and early summer have been wetter than usual. It is also warming up. Both my garden and my MS thrive in warm and humid conditions. I do not. I do however love my garden and the beauty in it. So a trade-off.
We have planted many, many liliums - mostly the heavily scented ones which cause River and others a lot of grief. There are more coming into bloom each day. And some of their stems are over six feet tall, with up to fifteen blooms to a stem. I have never seen them grow to that size before.
So is the increased pain and fatigue and decreased mobility/flexibility worth it? Hell yes.
Anything we really love is worth more than we think we can manage.:=)
ReplyDeleteYou have some beauties there.
dinahmow: You are so right. And yes, I do love the garden. And the cats. And the birds. And my books. So sometimes I spread myself thin.
ReplyDeletegosh! you've created a wonderland
ReplyDeleteAloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
> < } } ( ° >
><}}(°>
Love the tree with the ferny type foliage. What is it?
ReplyDeleteAll the photos are gorgeous, and aren't we better for gardens.
Cloudia: There are many, many weeds in this wonderland - but it delights me nonetheless. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteCat Drawings: It is a Chinese Silk Tree. It had some sort of borer infestation and was looking very sad, with branches breaking at any gust of wind. We called in a tree doctor who cut it back to a very ugly stump and promised us it would sprout again. He was so right. Later in the year it has wonderful blooms too.
What a magical place you live in with the beautiful birds and the glorious flowers.
ReplyDeleteBirds are beautiful, but flowers... Sometimes I think the only reason the existence of flowers is their beauty :)))
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your garden!
ReplyDeleteFrom a distance of course, because of the hayfever.
Now I'm going to have to google Chinese Silk Tree.
It's so wonderful for me to see these flowers when we are in the midst of winter here. I keep forgetting that there are beautiful blooms going on right now in the Southern Hemisphere. Thanks for reminding me, and your flowers are just lovely. You will get to enjoy mine in six months.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have also enjoyed each and every bird post! :-)
I am looking outside and it is very windy and there is a foot of snow outside. Then I look at your lovely pictures and yes... I am envious. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI am ready for spring and summer.
Wow - fabulous blooms in your garden!
ReplyDeleteBlooming good photos. There's nothing like it when i'm out on my morning walk smelling the scents of all the flowers in full bloom, its very uplifting indeed :-).
ReplyDeletemybabyjohn/Delores: Thank you.
ReplyDeleteKen.G: The flowers (or some of them at least) also feed the birds who bring beauty to us. Beauty twice over.
River: Thank you. The Asiatic Lilies should be OK for your poor nose and eyes being unscented. And often beautiful.
DJan: There will be more birds to come, and more garden shots too. I am really, really enjoying winter over your way. So we both win.
Have Myelin? And I am longing for the cooler months. A foot of snow is almost incomrehensible to me.
ladyfi: Thank you. We try and ensure that there is something blooming all year round. Preferably a scented something.
Windsmoke: It does add to those early morning walks (or in my cases ambles).
Such a beautiful garden, but you can keep the heat and humidity!
ReplyDeleteKaren: I am longing for the cooler months. So much.
ReplyDeleteMind you, summer hasn't really hit her stride yet, I'm loving the cool breezes!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful things, I can't believe the height of those liliums! I have some market-bought ones on my table, utter floozies, they are, I can smell them across the room. Wild ones would be amazing.
Happy after-Christmas! How about the serenity! I'm soaking it in before the Summernuts start next week.
Ampersand Duck: I know that true summer is yet to show her face - and I am dreading it. You are right, the oriental liliums are pushy tarts, spreading their scent from christmas to breakfast. If you can cope with it though it is amazing. I am really, really looking forward to some of the six footers bursting into bloom.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten about the Summernuts. It will affect you so much more. If you need an escape you know where to find me.
I have come back to your blog twice. Once I didn't have time to leave a comment, but I wanted to come back and look at the flowers again...and of course pester you how you're hogging all the sunshine, and we who live in the dark-tilted-side of the world appreciate the color and fresh breath of beauty you're sharing. Thanks for the flowers without the work or bugs.
ReplyDeletebarbfroman: We are having a grey and wetter summer than usual. I am craving your temperatures, and you mine. And I am really pleased that you came by twice. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOh The triumph Of The Liliums! fabulous thank you.
ReplyDeleteAnn O'Dyne: Thank you - more photos to come as the buds open.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful garden!
ReplyDeleteAs you say, you may have previously posted about 'birds' and 'whingeing' but never together. Is there such a thing as a whingeing wildlife bird?
ReplyDeleteYour garden is just beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with us, too (says the owner of a now dead pot plant of basil!)
Lynn: Thank you. It is a bit of a jungle at the moment because the weeds are also thriving with additional water. Sooo much better than its drought striken self.
ReplyDeleteKath: There is indeed a whinging wild life bird. Fledgling galahs. They go on and on and on and on. I once saw an adult (parent perhaps) rap a winging fledgling smartly on the top of the head. Blessed silence ensued.
These were great. I actually prefer plant pictures to bird pictures, especially now that it's spring where you are and winter where I am.
ReplyDeleteIt is so nice to see more of your gardens!
ReplyDeleteI do love the flowers, and am slightly envious that, now, as I am going into the cold darkness of unforgiving winter, your garden and flowers and birds are sprouting all over the Place!
That said, and on a more personal note, I did indeed set up a new site...a site for women "of a certain age" to mutually contribute. I would like to hereby officially invite you to be a contributing author. More details later. You can answer me at sixlegdeer@yahoo.com (my email)
I will keep you posted (you may even want to create a new identity email and username to participate)
Love, Spectra
Snowbrush: Thanks - there will be more of both. With both extra water (rain) and increasing warmth (dammit) the garden will be going gangbusters for a while. And it is also an obsession. Like birds. And books.
ReplyDeleteSpectra: It is a bit Day of the Triffids here at the moment. Each time I turn around something else has bloomed or popped up. Exciting. As is the prospect of your new site. I have responded already.
I love your flowers, a very pretty bit of Paradise in your garden. Wanted to stop in and wish you A Very Happy New Year and to thank you for all your lovely visits to my blog.
ReplyDeleteDenise: Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWell, you brought some warmness into New York! Your photos are so beautiful! I miss summer now.
ReplyDelete:)
Yes it is worth it...I am in awe of the beauty on this blog.
ReplyDeleteDeb: Welcome and thankyou. I really, really don't like summer though. Bring back winter.
ReplyDeleteKim @ Stuff: Thankyou. I am so touched that you are liking my garden (and my birdy visitors).
I like the birds better, but I do love those flowers! Such color.
ReplyDeleteStrayer: Thank you. As I said to Snow (who prefers the flowers), both are obsessions of mine so you will see more of both.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. So long as you don't do what I did, try to turn the compost heap and end up in hospital at the end of the same day with a rocky heart.
ReplyDeleteBut otherwise? I look around my winter garden and my fingers itch. damn and blast this feeble body.
it's just started to get very cold here in my corner of earth... these pictures were a nice reminder that spring will come again. only 5 months until my swimming pool is open!
ReplyDeleteFriko: Sometimes it is so frustrating being limited by our health isn't it? Damn and blast this body too. I do try and only do a little bit at a time, but sometimes I get carried away as you did. I hope you are continuing to improve.
ReplyDeletedaisyfae: And winter is only five months away here! Yay,
New avatar through
ReplyDeleteActorAjithandMe(Vijay)
http://actorajithandvijay.blogspot.com/
from the source
of
Cool Blogs
(http://vinothcraig.blogspot.com)
Vijay: I quite like my existing avatar thank you.
ReplyDeleteY'all ain't from around here, are you? Love the yellow Abutilon. Mine is in a pot where it's supposed to die in the winter, but I saw hummingbirds at it the other day. Of course, we might have dunderheaded hummers.
ReplyDeleteMurr Brewster: It is amazing the things that live that are not supposed to and, unfortunately more common, the things that are supposed to thrive which turn up their toes. I would love to see hummingbirds outside of nature programs.
ReplyDeleteThis is paradise-in-a-garden! Absolutely refreshing to see. Stir in some birds with glorious plumage and you do have paradise. Susan
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane: Thank you so much. When I look at the garden I see what needs to be done (a marathon weed to begin with). It is lovely that people like you do not have such jaundiced eyes. It cannot be paradise though - no snakes. There had better not be snakes. I don't do snakes at all well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a garden - how lucky you have the space time and mobility to tend it. Fabulous.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a wonderful new year, EC.
Pandora Behr: Welcome and thank you.
ReplyDeleteI hope this New Year fills your life with happiness and perfect health always, much more success :)))
ReplyDeleteKen.G: Thank you so much. I hope it is a wonderful year for you and yours as well.
ReplyDeleteYou live in Eden, but with the option of fun too. Happy New Year hon, wishing you as pain-free a 2012 as is feasible, your package went off in the mail yesterday afternoon. xx
ReplyDeleteAll Consuming: Thank you - the same wishes for a 2012 free of health dramas for you. And the package? I am v excited.
ReplyDeletei find that to whinge in blog now and then does help, it may be the writing itself, it may be the sharing, it may be the comfort and support from others. life is tough, for some more than others and in different ways. we can't be brave and stoic always. feel free to whinge whenever:)
ReplyDeleteyour garden is gorgeous and it must be so so soothing for the soul. i wish you all the best in 2012, kindness and painfree and a garden that continous to blossom!
Pia K: Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteThat expresses it beautifully - so all i can say is, "Ditto!" nicos
ReplyDeleteNico S: Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThose are lovely plants. From here, and to an ignoramus like me, they are quite exotic! I have pine and birch, and a lot of crab grass! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year.
SarcasticTestGuy: Welcome. We have quite a lot of exotic? weeds as well. And I am not certain whether your crab grass is the same as our couch grass but couch is an invasive so and so.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful. Nature is ever, ever, ever a beautiful study.
ReplyDeletewordsfallfrommyeyes: Thank you - for trawling through old posts and for the compliment. And yes, the natural world has saved me more times than I can remember.
Deletevery nice
ReplyDelete