07.10.07
Posted in Gardening, Nature at 2:35 pm by Administrator
At my request, Jim slogged around the garden, taking more photos, between thunderstorms yesterday. The first flower is one of our favorites, and it was one of those unidentified perennials in our midst, until recently. Jim is waiting until such a time as the interesting white spider that frequents this plant appears.
The second flower, seen below, is a pink Hollyhock, that grew from seeds sent by a dear friend in Massachusetts.
The third plant that comes back every year is called Echinacea, the root of many herbal remedies.
These look more scraggly than usual….
The photo below tells the story of our summer: we have had too little time to weed. In spite of that, a patch of Gloriosa Daisies that are so ubiquitous in our yard, are blooming amid the grass and the Hosta foliage plants.
Our final picture of the day: a pink, old-fashioned, climbing rose bush.
All photo taken by Jim Cummings/ all photo edits by Pat Cummings.
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06.30.07
Posted in Gardening, Musings, Nature at 2:37 pm by Administrator
Rugosa Rose that was the root stock of Jackson and Perkins’ Simplicity Rose cultivar. photo by James Cummings
The other day, Jim walked around in our yard, taking a few photos. I have just edited five of those flower pictures to share with you. I have a simulated (paper) cross stitch Sampler in my collection that quotes these famous four lines:
Gather ye rose-buds while ye may
* Old Time is still a-flying *
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
The Sampler, popularly sold in the late 1930s, speaks of the end that will come to all life, and does so in a poignant manner.
photo by James Cummings
A song’s lyrics go like this: “The Bells of St. Mary’s, Oh, what will you give me?” I always think of that line, when I see Bell Flowers. We have them in Blue and in White, in the back yard. They grow wild and come back every year in areas that are not mowed.
photo by James Cummings - Notice the red “bug.”
A lovely and prolific plant that quickly spreads out of control is “Dyer’s Chamomile.” I love its bright yellow color, a small piece of radiant light and cheer on a gloomy day.
photo by James Cummings
Another wildly growing and spreading plant in our front yard is Blue Salvia. The spikey blooms are really more violet than blue and are a nice counterpoint to the yellow flowers, as seen above, that compete for space.
One last image for the day is a Gloriosa Daisy. These daisies come back every year and due to cross pollination, their colors are transformed each time they reappear. Years ago, Jim planted his first daisies of this type and they have not failed to come back annually.
Consider the lilies of the field, they neither toil nor spin, yet Solomon, in all his glory, are not arrayed as these.
Patricia Cummings
Anyone have a recipe for Rose Hip tea? If so, would you share it?
pat@quiltersmuse.com
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06.03.07
Posted in Gardening, Embroidery at 12:12 pm by Administrator
On our “summer porch,” a bouquet of Lilacs graces
a simulated antique washstand that Jim built.
In the background, a Redwork splasher with an
antique design is hung.
The intoxicating smell of Lilacs lingers in memory. Their blooms are always too short-lived and I feel a sense of sadness, a sense of passage into a new season when all that remains are the sad, brown remnants of flowers.
Yet, I know that other flowers shall have their turn, as now the Iris are blooming as are the Bleeding Heart, and the Tall Pink Phlox amid the Blackberry bushes that appear to be covered with snow because of their white blossoms.
We have had our first taste of Rhubarb Crisp, with its lovely topping that includes oatmeal and brown sugar, etc. Jim has cut up some stalks into chunks to put into the freezer. We will use that next winter when we need a boost of Vitamin C and minerals.
If the berries don’t get drowned out by rain, as often happens in June, we shall be able to pick a few strawberries this year in our garden, tiny as they may be. There is not enough to make a Strawberry shortcake dessert, but each berry is a burst of flavor, picked warm off the vine.
Today is an overcast day and pretty gloomy looking outside. It would be easy to just go back to bed, on a day like this, at least for a little while.
The camera is a wonderful invention. I can enjoy flowers from our garden, any time, if I wish, without budging from in front of this computer, although doing THAT would be a good idea, too. 
I hope you enjoyed seeing our Lilacs. We have them in three colors: white, lavender, and deep purple. The memory of their unique and intoxicating scent does linger on. “God doesn’t make ‘junk’.”
There is a new yahoo group for Outline Stitch Embroidery: Redwork, Bluework, Greenwork, and Multi-thread color work, and the History of this specific needlework technique with roots in the nineteenth century.
Won’t you join us?
Pat
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