Textures all around us....

An old railroad tie step down our hillside...
mossy...
needles from the hemlocks after the wind...
caught in the crevices...
Look around for the beauty in simple things...

It's a mystery...
this suddenly appearing red growth of some kind...
but lovely in it's surprise among the ivy!

Lamb's ears...
Tiny little lavender blossoms...

Creeping thyme on a rock embossed with shell fossils...
wet from the rain...
shiny, almost polished...

A rusty hook...

Rock slab,
lichen,
moss and ivy,
impressions from eons past...

No sunshine today but it doesn't matter when....

......you have flowers in your garden!
Have you ever seen an almost-black hollyhock?
We didn't either until we brought this plant
home a few years ago.
The pot only said "hollyhock" and that
was enough for us.
What a surprise when it bloomed!
Just look at all the pollen on the petals!

Yes...it smells wonderful too!

These above look like mini orchids.
The name is on the tag in the pot but I've forgotten it.

Ruffles and flourishes!
Just like ballerinas' dresses!

She sells seashells by the seashore....

I've been terribly remiss in my blogging "duties"!
Our garden turned into a veritable jungle because of all
the rain we've had in the northeast!
So...hubby and I have been pruning and cutting and
neatening up all of the shrubbery and trees.
Now he can walk UNDER them with his lawn mower!
I said HE! Yes.
I do NOT cut grass.
Noisy machines with sharp blades are not on my
list of favorite equipment to handle.
Yes, I'm a sissy.
I'll admit it.
;-)

So, I thought I'd share some of my seashell collection pics.

And a wooden egg and some hemlock pods, cones, whatever
you call them!

I actually had time to get to my sewing machine today
and hem a pretty red, silky blouse that was too long.
Next is to replace the top border of one of our bed sheets
that has become worn there.
The rest of the sheet is perfectly fine so I'll just
pretty it up with some floral fabric from the quilt store
and it will look brand new and more stylish.

I hope you're all having a wonderful summer.
I am!
The weather has finally turned sunny and just
warm enough with a cool, refreshing breeze.
Perfect for porch sitting,
meandering around the garden
and drinking tall glasses of iced tea!

"Return to Sullivan's Island"

This is my next summer reading by
Dorothea Benton Frank -
"Return to Sullivan's Island".
"Bull's Island" was better.
I'm enjoying this one but it doesn't grab
your attention quite as much.
You'll either want to shake the nosy and intrusive
mother and aunt or embrace them.
I guess it depends on how much you think you
could survive with so much dysfunction around you!
Beth's just not put-together enough a person for me and
she better house-break that dog! LOL!
Anyway, I'm glad I borrowed this one from the
library and didn't fork out the $7.99 for the paperback.
Maybe, as I get into it I'll feel differently, but
compared to Dorothea's other books, this one is not
up there. Humorous at times for sure!
I am definitely laughing out loud.
If there's any character in the book who you'll warm to
it's Cecily.
It's a nice, light summer read but so far I can't say
that it's one I can't put down.

The fragrance of Rosa Rugosas.....

Our rugosas are blooming along our lower driveway
and we can smell them all the way on the upper side
of our house!
The color is incredible too!
The bumble bees roll around the inside of them and
are totally covered in pollen.
They look absolutely inebriated with joy!

You know me and books! Gotta have books!

So I have another one to recommend -
highly!
"The Long Walk Home"
by
Will North

It's kind, thoughtful, deep, true-to-life.
You'll love the setting in Wales.
If you come away not feeling for the cast of characters,
I'd be very surprised.
You'll wish you knew them.
You'll wish you could visit and sit down and
have a cup of tea with them.

Will has a 2nd book that just hit bookshelves very
recently: "Water, Stone, Heart" and novel #3 in progress.

Sunday afternoon in Pennsylvania

Walkin' down Primrose Lane!
Remember that song?
Guess you can tell how old I am! ;-)
These primroses never cease to make me smile!
They're like silky sunshine that you can touch!

Ah....our little "tunnel" alongside the eastern side of the house!
It's a cool and shady place to spend some time on
a hot and sultry summer afternoon.
Yes, you see on the path that I've done some weeding.
Actually, it's some stray oregano that found its way
into the perriwinkle patch and was crowding it out.
Of course, you can see more primroses!

TOMATOES!
Almost ready to ripen for the table!
Can't wait!
There's nothing more like the taste of summer than a
fresh tomato from the vine.
FORGET those plastic varieties in the grocery stores!
Ugh! Hardly ever buy them.
If only we could grow these year-round here!

And look!
My "henna" variety coleus is becoming more of a redhead
since she's been out in the sunshine!
Our own personal "painted lady" like the
Victorian cottages in San Francisco!
Can you imagine a gingerbread house painted
in these shades!
Wow!

I can't get enough of this glorious blue sky that
has been traced with wispy feathers!

The Sun Has Finally Come Out!!

So yesterday we pulled out the garden tools
and wheelbarrow, saws and nippers and
started trimming this jungle that the rain has sprouted!
But just look at that sky!
The breeze was perfect for staying cool while we worked.
The job's not even half finished though so maybe
this afternoon will find us out there again.
It's fun!
Nothing like being out in the garden to
brush away the mind's cobwebs!

See! I told you we're mildewing here in the northeast!

Toadstools!
I've never yet seen a toad sitting on one!
;-)
But aren't they neat underneath!

A thunderstorm in the making north of here!
Beautiful!

More textures from Mother Nature.
Lichen..
Nature is never boring.
It almost looks like a blossom.

It won't go away! The rain, that is!

I think we're all mildewed here in the mid-Atlantic states!
And some of you are knee deep in water...
and others in drought.
Well, if ever at a loss for conversation,
the weather's always a good choice.

So...I've been trying to look at it through my artist's eye.
Little rounded diamonds on willow leaves...
Now if I can only learn to hold my camera steady!

Above is the "henna" variety of coleus we bought today.
Someday I'd like to plant just coleus in our flower pots -
different varieties instead of annual flowers.

These will be paintings.....

It's always so much fun to visit the plant nurseries!
Begonias - one of my all time favorites for the garden!
But this year I didn't buy any -
I just took pictures instead and they will be
models for future flower paintings.

Hubby and I went to the plant nursery with the intention
of buying a concrete garden bench.
But...
the weight of it was 'way too much for even both of us to
think about lifting!
So...no concrete for this garden!
Instead maybe hubby will build one or two from wood.

These are annuals.
I've never seen this variety before.
Pretty, aren't they!
More models for paintings!

We came home with the "Henna" variety of coleus -
something to add to the pots by our porch.
:-)

Evening and Morning in My Garden.....

We had had a lot of rain earlier on this day.
The wind later shifted and began to come out of the northwest.
But you can see the rain caused a mist to rise in front of the hill
across the valley from our home.
I like to think of it as the mountain's spirits when
these wisps of mist form in the evenings....

Our view from the front deck always has
something pretty to offer when weather sets in
or moves on east from here.

This morning the sun is out and so far it's a
perfect summer day.
Mosses on our garden path are multiplying
after the rainy spring we've had.
But they're so pretty.
They lend an "always been there" feel to our
landscaping.

Lamb's ears.
Don't you love that name!
And they truly do look like a lamb's ears.
These dry beautifully for arrangements that
last and last.
Just cut and hang upside down in a
nice, warm, dry place.

Not a young plant

Buckeye Sue,
No, it's not a young plant.
It's been growing about 10 years at least
and hasn't grown taller than 18".
The leaves are like this all year,
serrated, long and very narrow,
not glossy and dark green like
mock orange.
No scent either like mock orange.
Yes, I could take it to a nursery.
Didn't think of that!
I can't even remember where I bought it either.

The leaves are different

Thanks, Buckeye Sue!
Still not sure if it's mock orange or
Philadelphus Lewisii

The leaves on mine don't have smooth edges like
mock orange.
Mine are serrated along the edges.
The flowers are VERY similar.
Unless it's another variety?

*sigh* It's not mock orange, gals!

Mock orange flowers are larger and
they don't have the leaves with the little toothed edges
like this does.
*sigh*
Still a mystery!
Good try though!
For some reason the letter "L" keeps
coming to mind.
But the tag is long gone.
:-(