Hi! It's a lovely cool grey day here today---even a speck or two of rain maybe?--unheard of for August at the beach. I'm looking forward to a day or two in the little sewing room, prepping a few Noah's Ark blocks, a Sara S. hearts block, and cutting the binding for Winter Marsh. We may get some dregs of H Debbie so maybe more than one indoor day?
This morning Mo and I were out early and sidewalk scavenged some windblown hydrangeas. A bit muddy, but so pretty, even tho their brilliant blue has faded.
Most mornings now are hot and breezy. I love going out to greet the day on my deck, the air is so sparkly and sweet like summer honey. I adore my tiny fountain, tinkling away. It attracts bees, butterflies and Mr and Mrs Sparrow. I fill it each night so it's ready to go when the sun is high enough to start its solar battery mechanism.
Isn't it peaceful?
My flowers have been a disappointment. Only my first year here when my geraniums, too ambitiously potted out in May, all rotted and died, have I had such a poor showing. Not only are the blooms few and far between but the flowers are tiny. Why?
Last year:
This year:
The Zinnias were called something like Baby Buttons, I should have gotten a hint with that. Size of a dime!
Another set are single petalled, not much to look at tho the true red is fun.
And who knew Seashell cosmos would also be tiny, again the flowers are mini, smaller than a nickel .[have not seen a nickel in years, do they still exist?]
One wildflower pot has basically nothing, just mud and the painted coreopsis. And the new pretty tangerine cosmos / coreopsis.
The other two have finally filled with green somethings but there's a LOT of crabgrass and only a few tiny wildflowers peeping out. Maybe I'll get a late show of who knows what?
Tiny marigolds:
My friend has had poor results too. He has just a bare plot of mud where his wildly prolific tomato garden has flourished for the past three summers. But his flower beds are gorgeous. This is his hibiscus, size of a dinner plate. We think grown from seeds from blog friend Mel. It's hardy and had grown from a little sprout over the past four years.
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Off topic: I am surprised at so many people watching and taking an interest in the Olympics this summer. My mom loved the Olympics and I always thought it was so odd. Much as I admire the athletes their competitions bore me---maybe if there was Olympic thrifting? Flea-ing? Imagine the Olympic thrifters set loose in the fabulous markets of France, on a marathon hunt for the most fabulous finds....
Have a wonderful August, savor every summery day! Even if it rains.
love
lizzy
gone to the beach......
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Perpetual Nature Journal recent drawings. The purple coneflower came out awful [ a do-over, if I have energy. Even the best IG journalers paste over corrections now and then.]
And look at this. I am so proud of Mo, who has overcome his year long inexplicable fear of the sewing room! He is back in his bin. Okay he is laying on un-ironed Silent Night quilt top, but it still makes me so happy to have him by my side again.
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The only flowers were my daylilies that were out one day and the deer ate them all --buds and all --overnight!! My hydrangea is really coming along beautifully though--
ReplyDeleteI hope to dry the blooms this Fall--a few yrs ago I hung some in our garage and they dried upside down beautifully...turning a lovely pinkish mauve...
I like your shell watercolors...nicely
rendered..;)))
Maybe we will have a nice weekend to sit out...hugs, Julierose
Silly Mo, pretending he's a kitty sitting in your bin of quilting fabrics! Your Noah's Ark camel looks great, looks like that will be a fun quilt to make. Our flowers aren't very showy this summer either. Zinnias are finally blooming but the flowers are small and the plants didn't grow vigorously and branch out as in years past. The Russian sage bloomed but has been beaten down by the torrential thunderstorms. Even with your tiny flowers your deck is so serene and lovely with your fountain in the midst of the greenery. We're awaiting H Debbie's arrival tomorrow, more rain!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry your flowers are disappointing you this year. I guess we have to have the small nickel flowers one in a while to appreciate the big showy ones when they come. I think my favorite picture from this post is the first one. It is so serene. The camel looks great. And poor Mo waiting for the cool air to come on.
ReplyDeleteA Thrifting Olympic! Only you could think of that. Hilarious. It would definitely be international.
ReplyDeleteI'm very taken by your blue camel and the lovely hydrangeas which are solovely in that blue jar.
it's such a coincidence - your huge blue enamel spatterware bowl is identical to one I use for making huge batches of buttermilk cranberry seed rusks. Mine's a darker blue spatter and perfect for getting both hands in for mixing all the ingredients together. I bought it from a country trading store many years ago.
I can just imagine your peaceful deck oasis with its water sounds (and the sea background?)
Great to see Mo back in 'his' container.
I love your first photo. The background looks like blue and white stripes, though maybe the blue is a shadow?
ReplyDeleteYour Noah's Ark animals are charming.
Hydrangeas have become more popular in our area of late. I was surprised to see some in deep pink-to-purple shades with the older ones fading to light pink. I had no idea how their colors changed when they were still on the plant.
You may be disappointed in your flowers but I think your container garden flowers look great. Your fountain looks so refreshing.
I'm chuckling at the idea of Olympic thrifting or fleaing.
Good for Mo to get back to the sewing room with you.