I find I rarely leave the house for a walk without my camera. And today, although suddenly the weather has turned colder, I was determined to get some photos of the trees. This is, after all one of the reasons I moved here… trees in bloom in February and March.
My artist eyes like to see abstract compositions and this juxtaposition of the red new leaves in the hedge against the fine pink blossoms just caught me.
Only a few houses away I couldn’t resist the twisting black branches of this tree full of blossoms.
The one thing about Victoria is that we are a garden city and even the traffic circles have landscaping! Don’t you just love it?
I know that when I decide to turn to the right on my walk, I’m going to end up visiting the chickens. There is just no way I’ll miss them. The people here have such a collection of pretty chickens and I’m sure they have pretty eggs too.
The park next door on the way home presented a chance to get a close up of the blossoms, which I couldn’t resist.
And finally, home again, to be reminded of my flea market find of last weekend. OK consider this the “before” photo. Eric thinks it’s ugly, but Bill and I sat on it in the church parking lot, where the sale was held. The swing has a great swinging movement and hey, it didn’t break. I’ve always wanted a garden swing. Plus the price was right…$8! Now I just have to decide what color to paint it. Oh decisions, decisions.
Tags: flea market find, landscaped traffic circle, pretty chickens, Spring blossoms, trees in bloom
Yesterday I celebrated another year on this beautiful world with just a very few of my most special people. Yesterday was a perfect spring day and somehow my presents confirmed it. Well, at least here it’s Spring already, and looking around, I’m pretty sure about this.
First a gift of Orchids called Cymbidium, pale mauve pink and spotted peaking out from an abundant set of leaves. Love the name, the way it sounds. Sometimes I just love saying the names of flowers and plants, just for the way they sound, like cymbidium, alstromeria, phalaenopsis or pachysandra.
And it just so happened that I had the perfect pot for them, made years ago by mosaicing an old crock pot of all things.
Then, a beautiful arrangement of spring flowers which, after spending time being admired as my table centerpiece, will be planted out in the garden. Almost like a double present. The wire hearts will I think become part of some chime arrangement later.
And then last but not least, a Hart’s Tongue Fern. This is for some reason my most favourite fern. I’ve been wanting one for years. There is something about the curl of the leaves that I love. I may have to draw it first, before it takes its place in the garden.
So yesterday was a perfect day. And my birthday celebrations are not over yet! Friday, I’ll have more of my very special people over to make all kinds of pizzas and drink lots of wine. Ah, can’t wait!
Tags: cymbidium orchid, Hart's Tongue Fern, mosaic flower pot, perfect spring day
Yes, I realize it’s now March 1st. But I didn’t get this post done until today. In fact this morning I spent some time cutting back the lavender, and generally tidying the front garden. I was determined to do that first! But as usual I spent too long. I meant to only work for an hour. I’m tempted to put a timer out on the step and when it goes off after an hour, that’s it. At least until I get back into shape, gardening shape, that is.
And the other reason, of course, is that there are other things to get done as well. Like work, like studio time, like the rest of my life. So I need to compartmentalize my time. Right now, aside from trying to get over a nasty case of sinusitis, I’ve been spending way too much time on the internet. But, oh, I’m having such fun, checking out gardening blogs and art blogs and, oh never mind, too many, too much time gone.
So here are the rest of my February flowers. Some photos better than others, some plants not properly named, but that’s my life. First is my fave photo, the Bergenia. I love the way it turned out.
Then the heather, fully in bloom, a success for me. I’ve not had a lot of luck with heather, though I do love them.
My polyanthus, has made it through another winter to reward me with intense color. I’ve had these for a few years now, but I think this year I’ll transplant them to a shadier spot.
Now this plant I think of as Japanese spurge, but again, I may be wrong. I was pleasantly surprised by the blooms this year. Either they don’t usually bloom or somehow this year I actually noticed.
And under the grape arbour, badly planted, is our Forsythia, with its glowing yellow blooms. For years, until just this moment, as I checked the spelling, I have been incorrectly calling it Forsynthia. Ah well, learn something new every day.
The Daphne, is lovely in bloom, sweet smelling and quite happy finally where it is. Poor thing, it took three tries before we finally found a spot that made it happy. Odd that something so pretty is so poisonous.
So there it is, a few more February flowers, posted a day late, but still pretty.
Tags: Bergenia, Daphne, February blooms, Forsythia, Heather, Polyanthus, Wet Coast Garden
Sometimes, here on the wet coast, we get what we call “liquid sunshine” which is when it rains while the sun is shining. I’ve been meaning to take some more spring flower photos for the blog and this was a perfect time, just after the shower. The little red bird garden ornament is just a bit faded and starting to rust, maybe I should have taken it in over the winter. Ah well, it’s weathering!
OK, I’m not a professional photographer and I barely know my way around my little second hand Kodak easyshare C643 digital which has limited zoom, no special lenses. But you know, I’m quite proud of some of the photos I’ve managed to get. But one day I really do want a telephoto lens. It’s on the list.
And this Hellebore photo, although almost accidental, (I shot it without really seeing what I was shooting, since I was already crouched down as much as could in the wet grass) is one I really love.
Another that I didn’t see as I shot it was this little Johnny Jump up, nestled as it was in the walkway rockery. I just put the camera on the walkway and hit the button. Cute though aren’t they?
The other thing I’ll confess to is that I’m not always sure of what I’m growing. Don’t always know the correct names for plants but I’m hoping that some of my gardening friends will help me out. This is what I think of as a Mock Orange but I’m not sure anymore. It’s native here on the coast though and loves anywhere shady.
Of course, I’ve got crocuses, crocusii? and they are surrounded by the greenery of what will be what we call Fried Egg Plants. You’ll see later, I’ll be sure to photograph them as soon as they bloom.
And to end today’s post, a little bit of cheating….some flowers on my stepping stones, always in bloom, no matter what the season. By the way there is a post from last summer on how to make pique assiette stepping stones Helen’s way in case you’re interested.
More flowers in the garden to come in the next post!
Tags: crocus, February flowers, hellebore, Johnny Jump Ups, Pique Assiette Mosaic Stepping Stones, Wet Coast Garden
Eric has always had a real fascination for gargoyles and grotesques often found on old buildings. The faces peering down from above, sometimes contorted with fear, joy or even lechery, catch and hold his attention. He deeply admires the work of the old craftsmen who chiseled these sculptures from stone. Eric’s fascination and inspiration is expressed again, in this, his latest cast stone sculpture.
The face peering out from the leaves could be another Green Man, the pagan spirit of nature symbolizing creativity and rebirth, just a couple of the meanings attached to the Green Man. But to me, it is the face of the moon, as it beams down on us, always looking a bit worried and as though it is perpetually saying, “Oh no”. This moon-like face is caught in the leaves of a tree, snagged in it’s journey across the sky.
Ah maybe that ‘s too fanciful, but I love the idea of catching the moon in the leaves of a garden vine. And I love the idea of a someone having this little tile peeking out from their garden greenery in their courtyard or on their balcony wall, catching visitors unawares and delighting them.
This piece, made of cast stone, is one of the first of a series of small tiles we are designing. Only 5.75 inches x 5.75 inches square or (15 cm x 15 cm) it’s meant to be used either as a single note or as an accessory in a tiled wall. If this little sculpture has caught your attention and you would like to see more of our sculptures and perhaps read some FAQ’s, I invite you to check out the Cast Stone Sculpture category on the blog or go to the sculpture page of our web site.
Tags: Cast Stone Sculpture, garden sculpture, moon caught in leaves sculpture
Today in Victoria, it’s sunny and beautiful and that’s good. It feels like spring and later I’ll be out there taking photos of all my flowers in the garden. Today, at the Olympics, just across the strait from me, the snow is melting and that is not good.
But today I’m thinking of other people who are still waiting for spring to come. Friends who are stuck in snow, cold and sometimes depending on where they live, rain and fog. I remember when we lived in Calgary and the wait for spring could sometimes last till June! Now I’m in Victoria where spring comes in February. I know when I’m lucky.
So it’s that time of year, not quite spring, not quite enough light out, and depending on where you live, maybe gray skies, maybe cold weather. It’s enough to get anyone down. Of course, a person can get the blues anytime, no reason. And then there are those days when you want to create something but nada, zip, can’t get in the mood, no inspiration.
What to do? Well, over the years I’ve made up a few tricks to get me going. Some have to do with beating the blues and some have to do with getting creative, which for me is sort of the same thing.
So I’ve decided to make a list of 10 Things I’ve been known to do to conquer the “Winter Blues”. Some of these are good for the “Anytime Blues”. I’ve got more, but hey, 10 is a good number to start with. So here we go, 10 things in no particular order, to get over the “Winter, not yet Spring Blues” according to yours truly.
1. I put on some good dancing music! I personally like ABBA, since even their sad songs sound happy and you can dance to them. I dance all over the house, no one to see me and I get pretty wild. When I’m all out of breath, and feeling pretty hot (literally), I notice that somehow I just feel happier.
2. I turn on the lights! OK this may sound odd, in these days of conserving energy and all, but if it’s the long days of darkness getting me down, a bit of light helps. Especially on those long gray days when it’s dark enough to need light to read by and it’s still daytime!
3. I go for a walk and take my camera. I give myself an assignment to find one beautiful thing and photograph it. Oddly enough I usually find lots of things once I really start looking.
4. I check my biorhythm. If it turns out that the reason I’m so blue is because of a crisis day, well, I decide to slide through it. Get out a book, make a pot of tea and if I can, read the day away. No guilt. Did I mention, have some chocolate?
5. I go shopping. OK, I know, I know. But then I shop in thrift stores and I just never know what I might find. Maybe I’ll find some new beads for a bracelet, some great dishes to break for mosaic, or an odd ornament that catches my eye. It’s all cheap so no guilt and bonus, I got out of the house too.
6. I go to the library. Now this is free and a great place to find inspiration. I might even find a book on how to be less depressed! Or about gardening, or art or color or well, the list goes on. I’m a great reader of Self-help. There are always a few pearls worth finding. And if all else fails, a good murder mystery will always cheer me up. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but I like mysteries.
7. I organize something, even a kitchen drawer will do. If I can’t get inspired to create, sometimes I just use the time to clean out the studio and organize it for my next project. Sometimes just finding things I’d forgotten about in the mess is enough to get me started on a new idea.
8. I clean something. One way for me to work off negative energy is to clean. There is something about having a clean stove, tidy cupboards, newly lined shelves or kitchen drawers that just is cheering. Maybe it’s some sort of Dutch gene or something. So here’s the up side to being down - if I didn’t get down now and then, the house would never get cleaned.
9. I go out in the garden and weed. Is it making order out of chaos? Is it just the exercise? Or is it that feeling of accomplishment after I’ve filled up a wheelbarrow with weeds for the compost that makes me feel good? Or is it the look of a freshly weeded flower bed? Could be all or any of the above. And if it’s covered in snow where you live, or raining sideways, well, sorting through last years photos of the garden is always a good pick me up in my book.
9.5 - Better yet, I go out and treat myself to some flowers.
10. I make soup or bake something. There is something meditative and relaxing about cooking and baking. All that chopping and mixing and checking the recipes. And the smell of soup or baking, well, can’t beat that. And then, while the soup is simmering or the cake is baking…..
11. I call a friend. And if my friend is feeling blue, hey, even better because there is nothing more apt to get you out of a blue mood than talking about it and getting happier with a friend. Oh I suppose technically that’s 11 Ways to get out of a blue mood. Well, there you go, a bonus.
What’s your favourite way to beat the winter blues? Please leave a comment and share.
Tags: 10 things to get over the blues, Beating the Blues, Getting creative, springtime
Anytime that I’ve grouted a mosiac and had a bit of grout left over, I’d just shape it up into a heart and let it set. Somehow I’ve gotten quite a little collection of cement hearts to put in the garden. In summer they’re often lost in the strawberries and the flowers.
Then of course, being Valentines day, we need a few flowers too. These lovely Bergenias blooming this week in our front garden fill the bill.
Quite a while ago, I took one of those little cement hearts and pasted it down to a little board. Then I had some fun creating a Rosie Valentine with a few broken dishes.
Now if you’d like even more hearts and valentines today, have a look at an old post of mine about my collection of heart boxes, “A clutter of hearts”, that I posted last July.
Happy Valentines Day!
Tags: Bergenia, cement hearts, Rosie Pique Assiette Mosaic Valentine, Valentines Day
While I was out and about in the garden looking for spring in yesterday’s post, I was noticing more than just plants coming up.
Like the colors of the wheelbarrows, leaning against each other as they wait to be used again.
The stacks of pots I’d been collecting last fall and forgot about in the path, now acting as little reflecting pools.
My sculpture, a class project from years ago in art college, now happily growing moss surrounded by carnations. I think some mud wasps have been filling her ear and her mouth. I never did like that model.
And the gate, also growing moss caught my eye. That little wood-stove grate is to remind Bill that someday, hopefully, this summer, I’d like a new gate with that grate acting as a window into the garden.
We never seem to rush into these things though. Bill claims it’s weathering in.
Tags: Colorful wheelbarrows, garden gate, sculpture in the garden
Early last Saturday, a lovely sunny day, Bill suddenly had the urge to prune. This urge had been thwarted by wet weather and the grapes, the kiwi and the roses were nagging at him. But Saturday had come up sunny and perfect for pruning. I’m sure he also wanted a break from the computer, where he has been almost chained, recreating our web site. Yes, soon our web site will be totally refreshed and gorgeous. And Bill has had to learn all sorts of new software in order to do it. Hire someone to do our web site? Not us. Totally self-sufficient, us. But that’s another story.
And I, having been attacked by sinusitis and all the attendant coughing causing far too many muscle spasms, did not help him with this pruning. Instead I poked around in the garden, armed with my digital camera, looking for signs of spring. Did I already say how much I love digital cameras? Well, I’m saying it again.
We don’t clean up the garden in the fall. We just walk away and leave it all to the birds. And all winter I see them busy eating seeds and berries in the garden. Case in point was the cardoon. Last fall we just left it and I saw birds on the seed heads often. And look, a sign of spring, new cardoon already coming up.
We rake up some leaves for the compost in the fall but we also leave a lot on the flower beds to compost naturally. Apparently this is good because it allows a lot of beneficial insects to over winter in the garden. I don’t worry about slugs, we have so many birds that I hardly ever find slugs. And did I find more signs of spring in the garden? Oh yes.
Our oriental poppies are spreading, always a welcome sight.
The day lilies have made a start.
The rhubarb, with crinkly leaves already unfurling is pushing it’s red stalks up already.
When Bill pruned the peonies, we found they had already sprouted.
And my palm tree, my claim to the tropics in my garden, has come through this mild winter so well.
Last winter, so cold and snowy had it losing quite a few leaves. So, Ok, I admit, the palm tree is not a sign of spring as much as a sign of the end of a very welcome kind winter. And that’s the best kind of spring.
Tags: cardoon seeds, cardoon sprouting, oriental poppies sprouting, Pruning grapes, pruning peonies, rhubarb sprouting, signs of spring
Last year I treated myself to a few Amaryllis bulbs, little prezzies for Christmas. You can’t beat an Amaryllis bloom for making you feel like the world is a beautiful place and cheering you up on a gray winter day. The flowers are like beacons, facing out in sometimes four directions, like trumpets shouting “Look at me, Look at me, am I not the most gorgeous flower you’ve ever seen??” And of course, you have to agree with the “girls” (they’re always girls to me). They are the Most Beautiful of flowers. The “girls” have treated to me to a bonus this year. Both of these bulbs came back with flowers. This deep pink bloom is just at the papery stage, almost done, but still beautiful. I do love that backlit look, which shows off the veins in petals.
And this deep bright red amaryllis is just bursting with vigor, four blooms and another stem coming up. It’s a bulb originally from South Africa.
Of three bulbs that I restarted, only one produced only leaves and I must admit that bulb was a bit shriveled when I repotted it.
I remember the first time I got an amaryllis to re-bloom many many years ago. All really quite by accident, not knowing what I was doing at all. In fact, why it worked with all the neglect and just plain lack of knowledge was a miracle of sorts. I’d gotten a bulb before Christmas and it had bloomed and I’d lopped off the stem when the flower was done and let the leaves grow. I must have know that much at least.
One day, in the late spring I just put it out on the deck and more or less forgot about it except for watering until fall. Then it died back and I brought it in for winter. I noticed a bud starting out from the bulb and started to water it again and it rewarded me with another set of wonderful blooms. Dumb luck that time.
Now I’m a little better at it. I try to remember to let them dry up in early fall. This year I set empty flower pots over the bulbs to make them think it was dark. Then in late November I brought them out and repotted them with fresh dirt, put them in a warm place and watered and waited. The “girls” came up very well. Now, I wonder, can I do this for another year? It’s always a surprise and well appreciated when it works.
