juneSCENE IN OUR GARDEN

Not in our Garden

Natural beauty not so far from home for us...

A leisurely walk

before the day got warmer and more humid

found us navigating new territory on a well-marked trail.

This trail wandered along the Maumee River

where a well-managed trust respects and preserves

the natural beauty of its lands.

At the end of the trail, along the path between forest and field,

I was fascinated to find four berry-bearing bushes--

none of them the same and side by side.

I found the blue ones particularly beautiful...

We'll certainly return to this spot throughout the seasons!

Welcome, October

Another morning of fog greeted me this morning.

\No need to water the mum I dug up a few weeks ago

and planted in this pot...

The dead heads of the black-eyed Susans call for attention.

I decide to enjoy their dark shades and

will probably let many of them winter "as is".

The shades of the sedum flowers have deepened to their autumn depths

and are matched by the berries (or what do you call them?)

on the flowering cherry tree

and the mum flowers blooming wildly!

Welcome, October.

Friday Night

...a little bit of edging...

a littler bit of harvesting...

(Yes! For all the vine, only these two squash!)

and a LOT of beauty...

some of the "last roses of summer"

in a parking lot across the street from our house.

one of these days

It seems like months ago that we took apart an old baby crib

and got creative in one of our flower beds.

A family emergency has interrupted the efforts to apply final touches

to this area,

but we'll get to it

one of these days...

Till then, our only outside activity might be relaxing
by our fire pit as we did a few evenings ago...

West Central Neighborhood "Walk"

Today's House and Garden Walk included many interiors...

Several were quite remarkable...

but it was the gardens that REALLY caught our fancy!

Even the tree-lined streets we walked were special.

We came home eager to create some new scenes in our garden.

Maybe even paint our own Adirondack chairs????

After a fine meal at Casa D'Angelo's

and putting our feet up for a bit,

we DID tweak one of our flower beds a bit!

Stay tuned.

Changing of the Guard

I saw the idea for the square wooden pumpkins on a facebook page...

decided to try my hand at them.

I need to refine my rafia skills and could have bought some "real" orange paint

instead of mixing my own....but still, I think I'll find a place for them

on our front porch. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, grass withers, leaves fall, and flowers fade...

Already.

September

The shepherd hooks and piece of rust (above)

were garage sale purchases that will find their special place

in our flower beds - SOMEwhere...

A leisurely walk-around this afternoon

confirmed the fact that things are dry in northeast Indiana.

The aggressive ground cover seems undaunted by the dryness

but has failed to choke a young yucca (below).

Sun is setting, casting shadows on the picket fence

that is patiently bearing the rusty, barbed-wire wreath.

Trios of concrete mushroom and birdhouses

stand unaffected by the dryness.

I guess that's why I like the garden art that is scattered about our lawn and flowerbeds.

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony. William Henry Channing 1810-1884

Irises come in many forms, shapes, colors and sizes and the sword-like foliage is attractive when the plant is not in bloom. The genus Iris is a large genus of bulbous and rhizomatous perennials.

The Iris was named after the goddess of the rainbow because of its many colors.
A flower on the Sphinx is considered to be an Iris, and another appears on a bas-relief of the 18th Egyptian dynasty.
Pliny also knew the Iris and praised its medicinal virtues.
The Iris was also a favourite flower of the Moslems, who took it to Spain after their conquest in the 8th century.

Bought at a local plant sale, Spring of 2009 Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium; syn. Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Pers., Pyrethrum parthenium Sm.) is a traditional medicinal herb which is found in many old gardens, and is also occasionally grown for ornament. The plant grows into a small bush up to around 18 inches high, with citrus-scented leaves and is covered by flowers reminiscent of daisies. It spreads rapidly, and they will cover a wide area after a few years. It is also commonly seen in the literature by its synonyms, Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Bernh. and Pyrethrum parthenium (L.) Sm.

I'D PICK MORE DAISIES
If I could live my life again
I'd be a little lazy
I'd stop this rushing to and fro
And stop and pick more daisies
Through all the lovely summer months
Though days be clear or hazy
No more to fret over tasks undone,
I'd stop to pick a daisy
Not so important what I did
This fact time now discloses
While running through life's garden green
I'd stop to smell the roses
If I could hold my little ones
The children in my care
I'd scold them less and love them more
With so much love to share
If I could pass this way again
Though folks might think I'm crazy
I'd work and worry less, but I'd
Take time to pick a daisy
The rush of life has passed me by
Now I have leisure hours
But time has taken such a toll
It's too late to pick the flowers.

Mildred F. Rowe

MEASURE YOUR HEALTH...by your sympathy with morning and spring. If there is no response in you to the awakening of nature, if the prospect of an early morning walk does not banish sleep, if the warble of the first bluebird does not thrill you--know that the morning and the spring of your life are past. Thus may you feel your pulse. (Thoreau)

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on the trees and flowers and clouds and stars." (Martin Luther)

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

The soul of a child is the loveliest flower
That grows in the garden of God
It's climb is from weakness to knowledge and power,
To the sky from the clay to the clod.
To beauty and sweetness it grows under care
Neglected, 'tis ragged and wild.
'Tis a plant that is tender, but wondrously rare,
The sweet wistfull soul of a child.

Be tender, O Gardener, and give it it's share
Of moisture, of warmth and of light,
And let it not lack for th painstaking care
To protect it from frost and from blight.
A glad day will come when it's bloom shall unfold,
It will seem that an angel has smiled,
Reflecting a beauty and sweetness untold
In the sensitive soul of a child.

...Author Unknown

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord,
With flowers bright and fair;
And every one who seeks may pluck
A lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine,
And jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths
For every searcher there.

Thy Word is like a starry host:
A thousand rays of light
Are seen to guard the traveler,
And make his pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory,
Where soldiers may repair,
And find, for life's long battle-day,
All needful weapons there.

Oh, may I love Thy precious Word,
May I explore the mine,
May I its fragrant flowers glen,
May light upon me shine!
Oh, may I find my armor there!
Thy Word my trusty sword,
I'll learn to fight with every foe
The battle of the Lord.

(Edwin Hodder, Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord)