Sunshine & Rain, May 19, 2015
(Click on to the photos to enlarge them.)
The artistry of a vine. This beauty cropped up as a volunteer. I believe it’s a Sugar Pumpkin whose seeds did not fully compost.
Variegated Hydrangea that continues to amaze me. From the bottom of the clustered lavender flower comes a delicate arrangement of larger blooms that encircle the flower head .
A Swallowtail flitted between the dill plants this afternoon. One of my three Dill plants is a nursery! I look at these flowers and plants in awe, especially in light of the fact that so many have suffered dearly through this rainy, snowy start to the season. And then my thoughts turn to those in the midst of continued historical droughts. This year my blessings have been abundant; the garden that saves my sanity, offers me a place of solitude, and a wondrous place of joy for myself and my best friend, Hannah, is a gift beyond measure.
The dog that rescued me. Say, “Hello” to Hannah. ❤️
A lovely white Penta awaits the buzz and the flit of her busily winged friends. Her nectar is prize worthy.
Canna leaf wrapped by nature; during the next day she will unfurl her new leaf.
Purple Pin Cushion Flower
One of two Cucumber vines. (Last week I harvested two cucumbers!)
(Georgia O’Keefe, I dedicate this to you.). A Daylily, kissing the sunlight.
The Cilantro has already bolted! ‘Tis okay, she provides nectar to the bees and butterflies.
Lime colored Marigold. She unfolds in a wave of descending color. (A hurried shot as storms move in again.)
Look closely, what is it that awaits us? (You may need to click the photo.)
The herb, Borage, added to the organic garden to ward off unwanted pests.
Chores, there are always chores, it is no wonder that I escape to the garden! I run away from the tedious, the boring, the ever amassing, accumulation of duties within this house. Out to the garden I go, followed by Hannah. We have no time for nonsense, redundancy, the loathing of the necessary, everyday drudgery of chores. Should you come to visit, make entry through the side gate. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish, but when we head in for ice tea and a sandwich we must do so quietly. We must not wake the dust bunnies.
CoffeeGrounded's Blog 
Sorry for typos: rescues–and decaf!
Nice to hear your niece lives here–hope she loves it, too! The phantasmagoric beauties of the outdoors, by the way, rescue me, too.
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Oh, Sweets, never apologize for typos! I make them, along with grammatical errors, all the time. What’s important is that we enjoy reading and responding as bloggers. :)
Yes! My niece loves Oregon, so does my sister, her mother, who visits there each summer. I can only imagine being able to daily feast ones eyes upon the majesty of Mount Hood! That spectacular view is breathtaking and awe-inspiring. It is no wonder that mountain climbers are drawn to it. I often think of it as America’s answer to Japan’s Mount Fuji.
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Lovely to see what recues you, and glad I get to peek into that garden of yours. I have my decafe, herbal iced tea here in Oregon, and all summer long.
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Oregon! My niece lives outside of Portland. Such a beautiful state.
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I always love your gorgeous photos! And I nominated you for a Creative Blogger Award. ;) https://smokingwithcaterpillars.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/creative-blogger-award/
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You are too kind, and I thank you. Unfortunately, I no longer accept awards, but I am so flattered that you believe I am deserving of one.
❤️
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So glad you posted. Your garden and creatures and fur friend (Hannah) are lovely.
Sad to say I think of you everytime the TV tells me how bad the rain is in Texas. But your garden seems to be thriving.
Georgia O’Keeffe is my favorite artist. I once made the long drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe alone just to spend a few hours in her museum.
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Oh my! Her work is amazing, actually, I think it’s off the charts! She had such a keen eye for extracting the essence of her subject, and found a way to translate that to the canvas.
We had only light sprinkles yesterday. But other areas West, North and East, were in the midst of heavy hail storms, copious amounts of rainfall and so sadly, more tornadoes.
The dill plant nursery has three young Monarchs nesting. I wish I could have gotten a still shot of the Swallowtail. He was a beauty!
Thanks for chatting. I love your visits. And thank you for complimenting the garden. It’s my “playground.” ;)
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Monarch caterpillars? Garden is amazing!!!!! I can see that you’re enjoying it, as well you should.
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Yes, Sharon! I’m hoping the birds leave them alone. The milkweed has not bloomed yet, that’s their preferred plant. So many things are either ahead, or behind schedule due to all the rainfall.
Hope this finds you well. How is your flower bed doing? You must give an update.
❤️
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Our butterfly garden is gorgeous – we love to sit on the bench under the eave and just look and smell – but not a lot of fluttery visitors yet. The rest of the front yard we are slowly converting to drought resistant plants and rocks. At least we don’t have lawn to worry about removing. I’ve always loved big green lawns but they belong in other climes and are unnatural here in CA. Our back yard is a large wood deck with potted plants. We live in a “eucalyptus forest” meaning thousands of trees were planted in straight rows. Very unnatural looking and subject to pests. They get so large that they simply fall over, no warning, and are very dangerous. We’ve slowly removed nearly all of them from our yard but even then, the ground is poisoned by their sap. I’ve since learned that you must plant what is meant to be grown in your area and not try to grow a jungle in a desert. So I love looking at your beautiful creation. And if you’re weary of your rain, you could ship some to us. <3
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One day will you take a picture for me? You’ve built an oasis for the bees and butterflies! Yes, within the next month we will see a fluttering wave drift across the flowers, sipping nectar. I’m excited. As the heat builds and the flowers come into their fullness the world comes alive.
Why, oh why, did someone plant trees in rows, unless of course they were fruit or nut trees? Even the National Forestry service doesn’t plant like that!
Sorry it took me s few days to write you back. Rain was forecast again for early morning, so yesterday was yard cleanup for me.
Hope this finds you well.
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I don’t have a smart phone and my camera just broke, so unlikely to post a photo soon. You get to use your imagination – lantana, alyssum, lavender, and butterfly plant – liatris. All tucked in a crescent shaped plot with a butterfly feeder as sentry. They are doing well and we’ve seen a few critters – our resident lizards love it.
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My imagination is vivid. It sounds beautiful and a lovely respite within your Xeriscaping!
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