Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent. Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
Like River I usually run with a theme. And this week I will be (mostly) focusing on splashes of colour. When we were at Tulip Tops last week I was admiring the pansy and viola faces that were the underplantings for most of the tulip beds. And as I took a photo or six I remembered that Delores likes pansy faces too...
And a clump of Spring Star Flowers (Tritelea) which are thriving in our garden.
And for something completely different, Jewel. She loves boxes and bags, and is very skilled at getting our shopping bags out in the small hours and having a wonderful time playing...
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent. Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
Like River I usually run with a theme. And this week I will be (mostly) focusing on splashes of colour. When we were at Tulip Tops last week I was admiring the pansy and viola faces that were the underplantings for most of the tulip beds. And as I took a photo or six I remembered that Delores likes pansy faces too...
And a clump of Spring Star Flowers (Tritelea) which are thriving in our garden.
And for something completely different, Jewel. She loves boxes and bags, and is very skilled at getting our shopping bags out in the small hours and having a wonderful time playing...
Some beautiful colours there! I am really only familiar with the purple and yellow ones. Looks like you should cat out of the bag ;) She's sweet!
ReplyDeleteKaren: Pansies and violas seem to come in every colour now. There were rows of black ones at Floriade.
DeleteJewel loves her bag time - and gets out of it pretty well without my assistance.
Sometimes it takes to learn get out from a cat 'v' bag, Jewel did it well, hee hee. I loved the flowers.
ReplyDeleteBob Bushell: Jewel has learnt that lesson. And she loves the flowers too. Rolls in them. On them...
Deleteglorious flower pictures! You have a good eye. And you sweet Jewel truly is one - take after Mum
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^= . <3 . >< } } (°>
Cloudia: Jewel (like Jazz) is a rescue cat and came to us with her name. But she is a jewel. With teeth. And a purr.
DeleteI also love those pretty pansy faces. And then there's that Jewel of a cat... great pictures, EC. :-)
ReplyDeleteDJan: Pansy faces are such a nostalgic thing aren't they? And I love them too. And Jewel. And Jazz (vicious psycho cat that he is).
DeleteMy cat loves shopping bags too ~ and boxes. Love 'blue' flowers.
ReplyDeleteCarol in Cairns: Shopping bags and boxes are pretty much Jewel heaven. Jazz just pounces on Jewel after she has got into the bag...
DeleteAnd yes, to blue flowers.
Hello, Ms Jewel. I'm Sporran and I LOVE shopping bags.I can even squeezel into one of those hessian wine carriers!
ReplyDeletedinahmow: Jewel tells me that she could get into the hessian wine carriers too. And she will take Sporran's love of shopping bags and raise it.
DeleteShe is a cat - and modesty is not in her nature.
What a a wonderful splash of colour the Panies and Viola's make and Kitty in the bag is fun
ReplyDeleteMargaret Adamson: Pansies and violas have a heap of charm don't they? Nearly as much as Jewel.
DeleteStunning colours!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a little cutie, Jewel is :)
Wendy: And there are more colours and combinations as well. And yes, Jewel is a cutie. And nice natured as well.
DeleteI heard a bit of scraping and skidding around the floors here this morning, too. My two rascals were having an early morning game of some sort...and then Remy decided it was time to come and yell in my face.
ReplyDeleteThe blossoms are a beautiful start to the morning. I hope you all down that way have a wonderful week, EC. :)
Lee: Jewel is definitely the nocturnal player here. And from time to time will wake me up so I can come and applaud. Particularly if she has an acorn... And the yelling in my face is Jazz. If he wants the skinny one to get up he pats him with paddy paws. Me? Shriek and slash. There is no justice.
DeleteAbsolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for these.
ReplyDeletemohave rat: My pleasure.
DeleteYour cat is just silly.
ReplyDeleteQuite the color there in the flowers. I didn't know there was such a variety in just one type.
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Jewel? Silly? If you keep saying those things she will send Jazz round to talk to you.
DeleteIt is funny how cats like to burrow into things, or sit in boxes. I don't know Tritelea but they are sweet.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: Not all cats - but many. Including the big cats. There are some wonderful u-tube videos of lions and tigers playing in boxes.
DeleteWe planted about a dozen Spring Star Flowers years ago - and now have a lovely thick border of them.
Jewel is a gem!
ReplyDeleteI also love pansy faces. They seem to say, "Enjoy, Enjoy." Happy Spring to you, EC.
I just bought my fall pansies. With a little luck they will last till December.
Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: Pansies are something many of us love. And the rich velvety colours on their faces an enchantment.
DeleteJewel is usually camera shy - so I am really pleased to hear other people appreciating her charm.
Lovely faces on the flowers.
ReplyDeleteI have a bag lady who holds all my plastic and paper bags and I usually put all my shopping bags away as my cats were alway sleeping and sometimes leaving messages of the smelly kind in them.
Merle..............
Merlesworld: Most of our shopping bags are put away - but Jewel loves them so much we often leave one or two where she can find them. And wash them often - to remove fur rather than less desirable secretions.
DeleteVery pretty pansy faces! I have a small garden near my front door which is planted with azaleas and cyclamens - there are pansies in amongst them at the moment, looking gorgeous :)
ReplyDeleteJewel's name is appropriate! What would we do without our crazy cats to make us laugh out loud?
Alexia: I cannot image a life without cats - or a garden. Both are essentials in my world - though the cats are frequently not kind to the garden.
DeleteAzaleas? Sigh. I don't do well with them. We have one out, and plenty of cyclamens.
Love all those pansies and Johnny-jump-ups you have featured.My pansies are getting hard to keep alive with these searing N.winds but the violas?Johnny-jump-ups are still doing well and reseed themselves like troupers.
ReplyDeleteMy wisteria and apple blossom as well as perfumed orchids are filling the ambient air with their heady scent. Spring is such an exciting season.
Arija: It is. A vibrant, exciting, changeable season.
DeleteLove that first pic; those are some gorgeous pansies! The cat's pretty cute, too :)
ReplyDeletemshatch: Jewel says she is very cute. And the pansies were a joy.
DeleteThere never was a bag a cat could not conquer.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Noragon: Jazz is defeated by bags. He gets stuck in them and panicks. Jewel? The bag (and box) queen.
DeleteFunny Jewel! Miss Daisy loves cardboard boxes!
ReplyDeleteStrayer: Jewel loves boxes too. Big and small boxes.
DeleteBeautiful pansies and Jewel lives up to her name! I had a cat once who got caught in the shopping bag handle and almost used up her nine lives when she thought the bag was chasing her. She peed all over the house as she fought to get away from it. Traumatized her for life. :)
ReplyDeleteRiver Fairchild: That sounds like Jazz. He has had some difficulties with bags and treats them with deep suspicion. He does however jump on Jewel when she is in a bag.
DeleteMy oh my, how beautiful the flowers are! I've read that black cats are the friendliest, so if I didn't have a tabby, I would probably be looking for a black.
ReplyDeleteSnowbrush: Both of these black cats are only friendly on their own terms. Jazz growls at strangers and scuttles away with his belly to the ground. He has taught Jewel the same trick - though they are not consistent about who they consider strangers.
DeleteI can't imagine not having a black cat (or two) in my life though...
Hello Jewel! It's so nice to see you!
ReplyDeleteI love pansies and I really like that blue and orange border under the forsythia.
Reminds me a lot of garden beds I planted in the past, with tall orange marigolds at the back, deep blue lobelias in the middle and white alyssum at the front.
Thanks for these photos.
River: The forsythia border is stunning isn't it? Last year they underplanted it with gold pansies which I loved - but this year's display is very special too.
DeleteAnd I love lobelias. My deep blue delphinium is nearly out at the moment. Bliss.
Aren't you glad we were given the ability to see in colour? Our world holds so much beauty!
ReplyDeleteditchingtheblackdog: Yes on both counts.
DeleteThanks for sharing your glorious photo, I too love pansy and violas little faces, in fact I have some multi planted tubs in my back yard, the two with the violas are still going strong and the two with the pansies are just starting to flower.
ReplyDeletePrecious Jewel, I love how cats love bags and boxes and cupboards and the like, they all have so much personality if we just let them.
Kakka: Personality or poisonality. I do love the cats who share my world. And the garden.
DeleteI love the sound of your viola and pansy tubs.
I took some photos of my viola tubs to upload for you to see, but for some reason I can't do that. Oh well, I'll have to pop them on the blog sometime soon. xxx
DeleteKakka: I have seen the post and love them. And your cats. Thank you so much.
DeleteStunning photos, as usual. The colours in those pansies! Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYour cat is gorgeous too. I love watching cats play in bags. :)
Jackie K: Such a common plant - and so beautiful.
DeleteBeautiful shots of the pansies - and Jewel is looking gorgeous too!
ReplyDeleteladyfi: She is not nearly as photogenic as Oscar - but beautiful just the same.
DeleteThese are lovely! Pansies are such sweet flowers - freely giving and very forgiving. Honest, humble little plants.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blue Tritelea.
A king may have a bag of jewels, but your Jewel shines brighter than those in any kingdom. She is gorgeous.
Vicki: It would be hard not to love pansies. And I do. And the Tritelea have taken off - which I love. The border of them is quite thick - and growing each year.
DeleteAnd Jewel is a much loved cat - and knows it. As is Jazz. Who also knows.
I loved all the photos toda, the flowers yes but also the very cute and playful Jewel. Such a sweetie.
ReplyDeleteDeniseinVA: Thank you. Jewel is cute. And playful. And the skinny one is wrong when he tells me she looks like a piglet.
DeleteThose are beautiful flowers!
ReplyDeleteLinda: Aren't they?
DeleteFunny Jewel! Lol.
ReplyDeletelynners: She does love her bags. And being carried around in them too...
Deletenever saw a red and yellow pansy before, my cats love bags and boxes too. ha
ReplyDeleteLinda Starr: Every year there are new colours out. Rich and vibrant colours. Bliss.
DeleteI wonder what it is about cats and bags. All of our four cats love them =)
ReplyDeleteCrimson Anna: Both of ours love boxes - Jazz isn't big on bags. At all.
DeleteYour pansy pics are wonderful, EC, such a gorgeous range of colours. Jewel is so funny, she looks very devoted to her bag. What would we do without our gardens and our animals?
ReplyDeleteCarol: Without gardens, animals, books (and beauty) my life would be plunged into despair. And Jewel does love her bags. With a passion. I will try and get a photo of her riding in one next...
DeleteI think Jewel got itselt into a tangle there! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Greetings from London.
A Cuban in London: Jewel was able to extricate herself with ease. And then climbed back in again. And repeat....
DeleteThe beautiful flowers are amazing. We're going into fall here and I miss all the bright colors of spring already, not that fall is pretty too. I especially like the photos of Jewel, so adorable.
ReplyDeleteMason Canyon: I am loving the rich autumnal colours I am seeing from your side of the world. And having the joy of two seasons at once.
DeleteI like pansies too. My mom and I used to take walks when I was a kid and we'd go down a few stairs into a garden when we got to downtown. They always had so many pansies growing and I loved them!
ReplyDeletemail4rosey: It seems that pansies are a much loved childhood memory for lots of us. World wide. Which is lovely.
DeleteHow lovely! They are so beautiful and colorful, I have always wanted to grow some pansies, but alas, I don't have a garden anymore.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend!
totallycaroline: Pansies grow happily in pots too. Have you got room for that? A patch of colour for the grey days.
DeleteLOVE the splashes of color, and isn't Jewel adorable???
ReplyDeleteStephanie Faris: Jewel is a charmer. Sometimes a noisy charmer, but delightful anyway.
DeleteI love pansies. I think they are my favourite flower. So thank you for these beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteOur black cat loves bags, too - but we had to cut the handles off a bag for his use only, because he gets caught in them and they twist around his neck - not a good scenario. I like the handles on your shopping bags; they look like they would not tangle in the same way as floppy handles do. They also look like they would be kind to sensitive hands. Great idea.
P. S. How could I forget to comment on Jewel's sweet face?! Black cats are notoriously hard to photograph, aren't they? But you managed to do it. Love the second one :)
Deletejenny_o: These are good shopping bags - for me and for Jewel. They are strong, washable and yes, those handles are kind to hands. Jazz gets tangled in bags badly too - which is why he treats them with grave suspicion. Jewel is more agile. And determined.
DeleteWould you like me to send you a couple of those bags? It wouldn't be a problem.
Thank you for the kind offer, but what I really wanted was to take the idea and use it to transform the handles on some of the many, many bags we have already! I don't think it would be difficult, and I like doing things like that. I'm always amazed by other peoples' good ideas.
Deletejenny_o: I am always amazed at the talent that people have. I can see and admire other people's wonderful ideas - but find it very, very hard to translate them into reality.
DeleteA couple of those photos would make beautiful greeting cards, did you realize that? If I can, I'm gonna steal one and make some pretty card paper with them.
ReplyDeleteBy "if I can", I meant if you'll let me. Is it okay with you?
ReplyDeletelotta joy: If you can create your beautiful art from these photos go right ahead. Would it help to have the photos sent to you? Let me know.
DeleteI'm always shocked by the beauty and variety of colors nature supplies so we can feast. Thanks always for sharing these gems with us. Speaking of gems you really have a stupendous one in Jewel. I love those eyes. I love too the fact that she's naughty.
ReplyDeleteMyrna R.: On the naughtyness front Jewel is put into the shade by Jazz. Who is also more destructive. They are both determined, and both much loved.
DeleteAnd yes, on the colour front. A daily delight.
I love those yellow pansies with the pink edges! The cat is being adorable.
ReplyDeleteKathleen Cassen Mickelson: Isn't it an amazing combination. It looks so right on plants and I suspect I would loathe it if I saw someone wearing those colours together. Which is inconsistent. And wrong.
DeletePretty
ReplyDeleteWe went to a pet expo to get a kitty...came home with a 90lb Rottweiler.
R. Mac Wheeler: And what a lucky Rottie she was.
Deletepansies.....such seriously friendly faces.
ReplyDeletemy favorites. something brave about a blossom that smiles all winter.
thanks for sharing these and those black beauties, too:)
-Jennifer
Jennifer Richardson: So many plants smile and give beauty on the very darkest days. Balm for my heart.
DeleteThat second array of faces is so sharp! The purple and yellow contrast so well.
ReplyDeleteThe cat blossom at the end also seems almost in season.
John Wiswell: Jewel tells me that she doesn't have a season. Every day is hers.
DeleteAnd yes, I love the purple and yellow pansies too.
Those pansies are glorious! And I love that Jewel loves bags like that. It's like a little festival for her. :)
ReplyDeleteLynn: An everyday festival if she gets her druthers. Twice some days.
DeleteThe colors are spellbinding! They are so lush and fresh. We have just been in high desert which has its own beauty,, but not with this kind of color.
ReplyDeleteBookie: The desert does indeed have a pared back beauty. And I am always amazed at how quickly (and richly) it bursts into colour after rain.
DeleteI cannot see pansies without thinking of Walt Disney's Fantasia movie. Yours look as though they are about to burst into song. Wonderful photographs! The cat made me laugh.
ReplyDeleterhymeswithplague: Yet another movie I haven't seen. And the pansies make me sing - so I hope they are happy too.
DeleteAlways a treat to view your garden photos. Those pansies are glorious... We tend to see them here a lot in early Spring, though they bloom all Winter in the south... for this reason, they'll always remind me of New Orleans during the holidays. Love the photos of Jewel, too... love watching cats play. I gave our Oliver catnip for the first time a couple weeks ago... he turned into a kitten, energetic and then pure affection. Love cats!!
ReplyDeleteRaquel Somatra: Our cats show not the remotest interest in cat nip. They get their kicks in other ways. Jewel from snorting fertiliser - crack cocaine for cats.
Deletehow interesting!! Well, I ready that 70% have the "cat nip" gene, yours must not... or else they are "spoiled" with fertilizer! Too funny!! Actually, I noticed Oliver gets into cat nip "moods"... Seems like it can be too overwhelming for him so he'll avoid the toy. :) Hope you're having a great week.
DeleteRaquel Somatra: It is also possible that the cat nip I have offered them isn't fresh. And they are both very, very fussy cats. They say discerning, I say fussy.
DeleteOh what a delight to see forsythia blooming and my all time favorites violas and pansies
ReplyDeleteDonna@LivingFromHappiness: Forsythia in bloom signalls that Spring has stopped flirting and is really here to me. Such a vibrant colour.
DeleteOh! Those flowers are called Pensamientos here in Mexico and Mother Dragon has a lot of them in the garden. I love those.
ReplyDeleteI usually don't like cats but last week I made friends with one. So peculiar. :)
Al Diaz: Pensamientos? That sounds lovely. As soft and welcoming as the flower.
DeleteCats and dragons have a lot in common. Both are beautiful. Both are wise. Both are powerful - and unpredictable. And I love them both.
Jewel's so cute! I love the yellow flower with the red edges :)
ReplyDeleteCarol Kilgore: I have a very big soft spot for the cat and the flower.
DeleteSaucy cat faces and smiley pansies....great selection. I'm a tad behind in visiting.
ReplyDeleteDelores: You are always welcome. And never too late.
Deletethe nursery said/promised the pansies would arrive soon. "Smiley" is a perfect word for them.
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane: I hope the nursery is full of truth tellers. And you are right, smiley is the perfect description of pansy faces.
DeleteI scrolled down to the third photo of flowers and unleashed a "Woowww." It's beautiful how different shades outline the petals.
ReplyDeleteYour cat photos are priceless too.
Hugs, EC. Thanks for your kindness.
Rawknrobyn: Do you wonder that they made my heart sing when I saw them?
DeleteCongratulations of your walk, your speech and your fund raising. You rock.
The flowers are heavenly,
ReplyDeletebut seriously, Jewel, is the STAR)) xxxxxxxxxxxx
My Inner Chick: Only Jazz would dispute that. And he would.
DeleteI love the color combinations! Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJewel… too cute! Steve has a new thing now. He's grown tired of hunting my toes in the night (OWW!). Now he just likes to find the most crinkly plastic wrappers he can to loudly eat (usually those wrapped around my expensive photographic papers or postage stamps) and works his way around the bedroom. He's discovered it gets me out of bed without fail. Little @#$%.
I'm hoping Jewel sticks to cloth bags.
Paper Chipmunk: How lovely to see you here. Of course Steve has a new trick. It sounds a little like the Jazz alarm - though that one usually involves me bleeding. Or he shovels books out of the bookcase beside the bed. Sigh.
DeleteJust gorgeous! I've always loved pansies, violas, etc. and don't see them here in the desert. The pictures of Jewel are wonderful. She looks like a fun cat to belong to.
ReplyDeleteJesusan: The desert has a different beauty. A clean and pared back beauty. But beauty it is.
DeleteAnd yes, both Jazz n Jewel are (mostly) fun to belong to. And very, very rewarding. Except when they are the opposite.
I have missed your BEAUTIFUL pictures! And Jewel in the bag cracked me up. Why the *(&$ can't cats ever play in/on/with anything we actually BUY for them??
ReplyDeleteMs. CrankyPants: Welcome back. And play with toys that you bought? Briefly. Very, very briefly...
DeleteThose are so gorgeous. You really capture the color! My kitties love going in bags and boxes...somehow they think we can't see them.
ReplyDeleteRiot Kitty: The ostrich theory at work. If I can't see you, you can't see me...
DeleteAnd sometimes it works.
Pansies are such whimsical-looking flowers, aren't they? Here, they bloom all winter long, and add a nice splash of happy color to the landscape.
ReplyDeleteI guess all cats must love bags and boxes, huh? I'm not sure who gets better entertained with the encounter, though... them, or us.
Susan: It is neck and neck, but I think Jewel gets more fun out of her bag play than we do. Particularly when she is thundering around well before sparrow fart.
DeleteI've never been a fan of pansies, it's their faces you see, as a child they looked like pissed off lions to me, amd I've never been able to move on, but these beautiful photos make a good case in that direction. Love the pictures of Jazz in a bag, we don't see enough of her say I. She's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAll Consuming. A very different perspective on Pansies. I may never look at them as being completely innocent again.
DeleteJazz is bigger and meaner - and doesn't do bags. Jewel forgives you - but won't if you mistake them again. And yes, she is beautiful.
I was thinking Jewel, honest guv, because Jazz is usually centre stage heh.
DeleteAll Consuming: Jewel and I understand. Jazz does claim centre stage often. We say too often...
DeleteCan I be honest?
ReplyDelete"No Deb, lie to me."
These photos look DELICIOUS. (No I'm not pregnant.) I went to a restaurant the other night and they put on top of my Chilean sea bass a beautiful orchid flower. They said it was edible. It was……delishhhhh! So I'm wondering if these flowers are edible.
Anyway, I was seriously admiring all the beauty you have right in your backyard. I hope you're doing well.
{{HUGS}}
Deb: You had me wondering. So I checked. Yes, pansies ARE edible. Nasturiums I knew about - pansies I didn't. Thank you.
DeleteAnd hugs right back.
Dear Sue, I can't tell you how many times--zillions I bet--that I've watched the cats with whom I've lived and wondered just exactly what they are thinking. I can personify them and give them my thoughts, but what are theirs as they find new hidey-holes and paw movement and wait with hind ends wagging? Oh to be a pet psychic! Peace.
ReplyDeleteDee: I am sometimes glad that I don't know exactly what Jazz is thinking - or saying. Just the same I would love to know better what is going on in their furry black heads (and hearts).
DeleteJewel is so cute in the bag - I can see that she is having fun. Did I tell you that I love black cats?
ReplyDeleteCarola Bartz: I didn't know that you are also a lover of black cats - and yes, Jewel LOVES her bag time. And always has. She is perfectly happy to be picked up and carried in a bag as well.
Deletepansies are always such a cute little flower :D
ReplyDeleteTammy Theriault: They are. And edible I now learn - thanks to Deb's comment above.
DeleteYour flowers are beautiful and so is Jewel - she is so like my Bronte a tuxedo rescue cat (mostly black with a smidge of white).
ReplyDelete♥.Trish.♥ Drumboys: Welcome and thank you. Both of our cats are rescue cats, and both black. And much loved.
DeleteJust living is not enough....One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.
ReplyDeleteVest: And this one revels in a lot of flowers.
DeleteG T has joined Veterinary Affairs; He ? is feeling very dizzy after losing his testimonials..
ReplyDeleteHe will soon be taking up his neut job as a soprano in the Cat Chorus..
Vest: I am so pleased to hear it. And G T will be much better off as well.
DeleteWhat great kitty photos! My cat loves bags and boxes of all kinds as well! Right now he is lying on top of my keyboard and making it a challenge to type!
ReplyDeleteSusan F: Our cats don't lie on the keyboard, though the amount of fur I find in it makes me wonder what they do when I am away. They do limp falls on the desk making it hard to get to the keyboard though. It is, always, all about their comfort and convenience.
DeleteI'm a lover of pansies, I've always thought they look cheerful. Your cat is striking. Have you heard of the children's story book "My cat likes to hide in boxes"?
ReplyDeleteKim: I don't know that book - but suspect it isn't a story. Almost all cats (including the big ones) do like boxes. A lot.
DeletePansies have such lovely colors. My mother used to place some in window planters at our house and it made the house look so much better. Your little Jewel is certainly a cat – they all love to go inside bags and boxes, don’t they!
ReplyDeleteVagabonde: For such a small and 'common' plant their colours glow like jewels. And our Jewel is a true cat. Boxes, bags and boundless curiousity.
DeleteI love your Spring Star Flowers!! They are so delicate and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThings Are Looking U.P.: And they naturalise really, really well too. We only planted twenty or so - and now have hundreds.
Delete