"For many people summer is a time of leisure: days at the beach, or picnics in parks and gardens; long, fair-weather country walks. Often it feels too brief, or comes in instalments: we pine for the six solid weeks of sunshine we believe we always had as a child. But in wanting to recapture those days we risk missing the days we still have - because what is that wish but a wish to be a child again, loosed from school, loosed from the house, and barefoot on the grass? Those elysian summers, polished to dazzling brightness by the flow of years, can never be recaptured; but we have this summer, however imperfect we as adults may deem it, and we can go out and seek it at every opportunity we can."
"Introduction" in Summer Anthology, editor Melissa Harrison, 2016
These portulacas with their eye-popping colours of orange and pink and yellow make me grin. How brilliant they are. They are like a jolt of joy when I come upon them around the corner by the garage. Did you know they are nature's fair-weather creatures and open their petals only when the sun shines on them? I took the photo a couple of days ago. On overcast mornings, the petals remain tightly curled and they look dismal. Can't say that I blame them, but a person does wonder if maybe they've bit the dust and are ready for the compost bin. Don't do thaaaat, you'll be sorry. Haha
Along with these bright petaled blossoms, here is a glimpse of what else is blooming in the garden right now... hope you enjoy.
Pink penstemon, variety unknown
"I have thousands of moments
in which to be happy and joyous."
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
The Last Dream of the Old Oak (A Christmas Story)
Pink lavatera, sometimes referred to as rose mallow
Captivating pink beauty,
one petal at a time.
UNKNOWN
Hydrangea getting ready to burst out
"The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth."
DOROTHY FRANCES GURNEY
Sedum
"Flowers are like friends, they
bring colour to your world."
UNKNOWN
"I come to the garden alone
while the dew is still on the roses"
C. AUSTIN MILES (1912)
Clematis 'Gillian Blades'
"Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants
as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas."
ELIZABETH MURRAY
"Amidst a sea of green,
pink flowers bloom as nature's delicate poetry."
UNKNOWN
❦
We have this summer, however imperfect it may be—
let us go and seek out its beauty at every opportunity we can.
Heart hugs,
Brenda
Photo credits:
Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life
What a pleasure it must be to wander through your lovely garden, Brenda. I'm sure that, like me, you stop and have a quiet word with those beautiful flowers, just to tell them how they brighten up all around them.
ReplyDeleteI do talk with my flowers sometimes, especially to say thank you for the joy they give. I'm imagining you going around your beautiful garden and doing the same thing. Thanks for popping in, Barbara. xo
DeleteYour garden is absolutely stunning and soothing! Thank you so much for sharing your lovely photos, Brenda.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda, for stopping by.
DeleteWhat beautiful pictures of so many flowers you get to enjoy! And so many wonderful quotes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Becki. Lovely to hear from you.
DeleteFlowers are so beautiful! Didn't know that about portulacas. Good to know. Some of my flowers are just starting to bloom.
ReplyDeleteanonymous Betty
Oh, how i love that "introduction" quoted at the beginning of this post! It is insightful and helpful, for who can recreate a childhood summer? And yet, there is good to be found in every summer, even if we have to adjust our plans and expectations based on the reality of "now" (bodies, responsibilities, changes). It is a good reminder to grab the opportunities that are there!
ReplyDeleteMelissa Harrison's words struck a chord with me, too. "We have this summer..." speaks of delighting in the moment. A walk through your colourful garden would be a delight. Is your favourite colour pink? Or perhaps, just pink flowers. They are so lovely.
ReplyDeleteThat is the prettiest rose mallow I've ever seen! And your clematis is brilliantly pure, reminding me of things G.K. Chesterton has said about the color white:
ReplyDelete“[W]hite is a colour. It is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black. When, so to speak, your pencil grows red-hot, it draws roses; when it grows white-hot, it draws stars.... God paints in many colours; but he never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white.”
I used to have a pink penstemon, called "Apple Blossom." I would love to have that in my garden again, if I could find a place to put it. Likewise portulaca... surely I can fit some of those in !! Yours look like they are growing in a pot; that might be the solution for me. I hadn't even thought about planting them this year, maybe because they hadn't arrived in the nursery last time I visited. It seems that one needs to stop by the nursery every week or two to keep from missing out, but it is SO hard to do that and not acquire more than is realistic.
Brenda your garden looks lovely and all the the quotes regarding summer are so true. I hope you are having a beautiful week. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThat first quote is so good. And so true.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite photo is the lavatera ... reminds me so much of the row of lavatera I grew in my garden thirty years ago, and I haven't been able to grow them the same since moving provinces. But I planted a new batch of seeds this year and I'm still hopeful. That's the thing about gardens, isn't it? Every seed, every plant carries hope.
Thank you for another beautiful post.