All is a Miracle

"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle.
But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air,
but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle
which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds,
green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child--our own two eyes.
All is a miracle." Thich Nhat Hanh

Every day I observe new miracles as I wonder through the gardens. What I was truly amazed at today is how plants have grown so much bigger since the last time I took pictures or have matured and grown larger than I ever remember them before. After the winter many of us lost treasured roses. The Japanese maple that was in my yard when I moved here may have died. Some other plants are still questionable.

Then there are the miracle plants. With good soil , sunshine, and water these peas are really getting with it.

It seems like the rhubarb was just emerging from the ground a week ago.

This bridal wreath spirea is the queen of the garden now. Given more room when one of our towering pines was removed, she is taking up court and is giving us a show.

Can you believe this hosta? Again... I know I was watching myself so I didn't step on the baby leaves just a few weeks ago. I think we will be eating radishes soon.

Yes, all is a miracle.

The Color Purple

"Flowers always make people better,
happier and more helpful; they are sunshine,
food and medicine to the soul." Luther Burbank

Today I couldn't help but notice the color purple. Depending on the time of day and where the sun was shining, these flowers changed their hue from light lavender, to purple to a deep blue. I never remember all these flowers blooming at the same time. Now I will have a record of it! Enjoy my color purple collection. Above is a lilac bush bursting with an unforgettable scent. The dame's rockets also give off a sweet scent. I love this first iris.... do you see a face there? These salvia blooms were hiding in the wedding garden.

When I first captured photo images of this columbine this morning it looked purple. By the evening light it has changed to blue. I also noticed they began to close up as the weather cooled.

Visitors That Go Bump in the Night

We have had a busy week in the country. As the weather warms, it means we empty the greenhouse. It also usually means we have visitors at night from near and far. Wednesday night we heard the dogs barking like crazy and discovered a raccoon was visiting on the ladder by the cat door leading into the garage. After getting a midnight shower with the hose, he took off. He had already made himself welcome in the garage and had tipped over the cat feeder. Lily looks a little worried here as she ponders the possibility of sharing food with yet another animal.

This morning I don't know what had been in the greenhouse, but the dogs stood up tall, sniffed around, and panted like crazy. Annie even tried to leap up on the shelf to follow the scent of the mystery visitor. The two detectives here investigated, but just couldn't figure out the identity of the mystery visitor.
Tonight we are putting our trust in Sheriff McDuff to protect the property and solve the mystery of the visitors in the night. He has many deputies including William to assist him.

From a Different View: JEJ Behind the Lens of the Camera

JEJ continues to experiment with pictures and I love the subjects and angles he tries with his camera. Here is a recent photo album by JEJ:
a favorite geranium during the last days in the greenhouse
shadows in the sunroom
a candy stripe bloom contrasted with red
a blooming spider plant? .... here it almost seems believable

Cactus That Bloom in May: Mother's Day Cactus?

Many of us are learning that the stubborn Christmas cactus is no longer blooming at Christmas. Many bloggers have posted photos of the Thanksgiving cactus and even the Easter cactus. For me I guess I will just pick a May event. Mother's Day Cactus does sound nice... or what about The Memorial Day cactus. A cactus by any other name still looks as beautiful.

A Rite of Spring: The Greenhouse Move

Well.... with some sweat and heavy lifting today we were able to move the whole greenhouse collection of plants back out into the sunshine. Kit was excited when this new pot ended up next to him on the ladder/shelf. The ivy geranium plants were waiting for a time when they could spread their wings and burst out in bloom again. Lily couldn't wait until the shelves were bare again so she could plant herself on her favorite summer haunt. I even brought her favorite blanket in the greenhouse because I have a feeling she'll be doing some sleeping in the cool evening air and warm morning sunshine. Kit was pretty worn out from following us around and posing for pictures that he also found his own spot to take an afternoon nap.It is hard to believe that yesterday this place was full to the brim with plants. The poinsettia is still doing well, but would probably not do as well outside. The begonias are going in another planter outside.After many of the big plants were moved out I discovered a beautiful pink geranium that had grown out of the gravel on the floor. We don't know if it fell off another plant or actually started from seed.