A treasured gift

This year friends gave me a gorgeous sundial for my little garden. Here are a few pix of the plants around it as the seasons passed. Thanks to all of you who contributed. It brought me much joy.

Ansomia "blue ice" as they begin to bloom. Variegated weigela behind.      

With daffodils, tulips and grape hyacynth

Pale purple irises, ansomia blue ice, yellow yarrow, petunias, pale pink soapwort and hot pink dianthus, and purple salvia.

Russian Sage takes center stage, with pansies, rose of Sharon and balloon flowers.

A quiet moment in September

            

Chrysanthemum "Hillside Sheffield Pink" going nuts in October
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Fleeting Joy

I have gotten so much joy from my flower garden this year. I put in quite a few new plants, and have spent many hours weeding, deadheading, and appreciating the glory of nature.

For this post, I'm sharing some close-ups of individual plants, beginning with several stages of an allium. I think I have two types planted, Allium 'Gigantium' and Allium 'Globemaster,' although I'm not certain  which is which. 

Here you can see the globes beginning to open in the front, and in their glory in the back.

Opening a little more

This is an in-between stage. There must be about a hundred little starry flowers on each globe.

I still find them fascinating when they go to seed.

A closer look.

Here they are in both stages, with yarrow, roses, and catmint.

Here are a few more flowers from the garden.

This is a spiderwort that seeded itself. I think it's pretty cool... white, violet center, and stunning purple stems for each flower. It's a droopy, messy plant, but those stems are worth it!

Tradescantia

I'm not usually crazy for daisy-like flowers, and echinacea (coneflower) doesn't usually curl my toes. But check out the color on this one, "Pow-Wow Berry."

 My poor little "endless summer" hydrangea doesn't like it's spot. It's tiny, and after 3 years, this is the first time I've had blooms. But I adore blue hydrangeas, so I will keep coaxing this one on.

 This is an heirloom hydrangea. My dad dug some up from his mom's yard in Philadelphia, and moved it from house to house as he moved to Delaware, Maryland and PA. I dug some of dad's up, and now it's in RI reminding me of sitting on the back steps catching fireflies in my grandmother's tiny city yard.

with self-seeded Feverfew

Below is Coreopsis 'moonbeam', with snapdragons and Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies.' It's my first year for the gaura, and it hasn't stopped blooming yet. It totally lives up to the name, with flowers flitting in the breeze. I love, love, love it.

 I've enjoyed the garden so much, I just wanted to share. Make sure you take some time to stop and smell the flowers. They are a fleeting joy.

Spring Joy

'Daydream' tulips are yellow on May 1

It's spring at last. Oh, I do love spring.

I've been enthralled with the new bulbs I put in last fall. Check out this one... tulipa 'daydream' in front, an old favorite 'ballerina' behind. On May 1, 'daydream' is yellow. Now, on the 7th, it's orange. It opens in the sunlight and folds up each night. I can't believe how much pleasure I get from a couple of tulips!

They open to the sun. Groundcovers are vinca, ajuga, grape hyacinths and dianthus 'firewitch'

Dwarf Japanese maple on left, dwarf pieris japonica on right

Soon they're tinged with orange

A shade lighter than the ballerina's in the back makes me happy

 I have a little path on the side of the house for my "woodland garden" (lol) Here are some woodland phlox and new ferns.

I spent quite awhile trying to photograph a bee drawn to the muscari.  Not great... but this was the best one. I got to lounge around in the grass on a beautiful day. Who could ask for anything more? 

ENJOY!

Catching Up With Summer

Dave and me

How can it be the last day of summer already??? What a wonderful summer it was, too.
The weather was incredible. Only a few of those hot, humid "dog days," and literally weeks of perfection... 70's and low 80's, breezy, sunny and dry. This was MY kind of summer, for sure!

I didn't blog for months, so here's a "once over lightly" of summer 2014. 

I've been working on a few freelance illustration jobs. Sadly, I can't show them until they're published, so no pictures yet... but they've been fun to work on.

In the meantime, four wonderful students graduated from the RISD children's book certificate program this June. I'm such a proud mama hen. (Our fourth graduate, Clare, was on a plane to England, and couldn't attend.)

Bob with his family.

Sarita with her husband and mom-in-law

Marcela and Sarita bookended by two of our very fine instructors, Emilie Boon and Judith Moffatt.

I taught a summer class at RISD, with 10 talented students. It was 6 weeks, 2 days a week... a whirlwind class that I always enjoy.

Dave built a patio for our tiny back yard, and we ate dinners outside in the garden all summer. Our pear tree, which was old when we moved in 24 years ago, had it's best year ever. We estimated that it had about 300 pears, and they were delicious. Dave made his famous pear pies, and cooked them in our NEW oven!!!

One of Dave's pear pies!

Dave enjoying the view on the other side of Beavertail Point.

We took a few day trips, one to the island of Jamestown. Always a beautiful place to visit, we especially enjoy Beavertail, with the lighthouse, and a little cove over in Fort Weatherhill.

An idyllic view of Castle Hill from Fort Weatherhill

The spectacular rocks of Beavertail, on the island of Jamestown in RI.

My friend Judy celebrated her birthday in style, as Queen Judith with her court of ladies-in-waiting.  Tea, talk, great food and great weather... a wonderful day for a special friend.

The library in downtown Westerly

Dave and I took another day trip to Westerly, a town in the southwestern corner of RI, right before you cross into Stonington, CT.  Westerly's border on the north and west is the winding Pawcatuck River. The town is historic, and stately homes grace tree-lined State Street. To the south are beaches... East beach, Misquamiquit, Westerly town beach, and some shore-type food and shopping. There is also Watch Hill, filled with gorgeous shingled homes with manicured gardens.

Just one of the spectacular seaside  homes in Watch Hill, Westerly RI.

My ageless mom, and my brothers, John and Andy.

We also had a great family get-together in August. My niece, Cassie, had a party to celebrate graduating from high school. (wasn't she a baby just last year???)

We had several outings with Phil and his girlfriend Jess, and her 5-year old son Conner.

We celebrated my mother's birthday... last I heard she was 65.
;  )





Of course, there was much more... pool parties at Dot's and Linda's, dinners with Jeff and Mel, many repairs to the house done by Dave... FAN meetings...

It was a great summer. Have a great fall!

My lovely niece.

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Parade of Roses

Once again it's the glorious month of June, and the roses in my garden are out in full force. Here are a few photos.

The roses here grow up into my styrax obassia.

The tree's common name is fragrant snowbell, because of it heavenly scented hanging flowers. They were in bloom a month ago, when there were also peeping chickadee babies in the birdhouse. See the chickadee bottom right?

A new bush… the ubiquitous red knock-outs

Golden showers with a clematis "Etoille Violette" in the background.

a close-up of of the clematis "Etoile Violette."

The garage is covered with New Dawn roses for one glorious week in June.

They cascade over the front of the garage too.

One New Dawn with roses that came with the yard 20+ years ago.

A few New Dawns with Allium, spires of speedwell and self-seeding white feverfew, with a touch of catmint up front 

One more of the roses on the garage… such a fleeting pleasure. 

Please… don't forget to stop and smell the roses!!! Happy June.