Blue skies
Warm breezes
Carnations
Their scent pleases
Gentle humming
Od buzzing bees
Fruit ripening
On the trees
I need summer
That warm glow
The sun caresses
There’s no Snow!
The birds are singing
burglars are deterred!
I NEED Summer
Tag: Back yard
house portrait
From May 2020, when I first started my part time illustration course. I am still quite pleased with this drawing. Physically, I was fitter and could draw without shaking too much. I tend to add less details these days too. I’d like to get back to drawing outside. Maybe meet up with urban sketchers again. Even though I havent caught Covid, it’s done things to me mentally. I guess I got a bit of cabin fever during lockdown, and since then it’s been easier to avoid people – you never know if you will just burst into tears… I think I’m OK, god knows what its like for people living through wars or famine. We can still do things here, well some of us can. I worry for people in food poverty or who can’t afford to heat their homes. It all spins round in my head. which is why I’m writing this at 3.11am…. must go to bed.
In the second world war and afterwards they had ordinary people just writing down their everyday lives in diaries. They were collated to record what had happened. There is a film called “Housewife 55” or something like that, which starred Victoria Wood. If you can find it, it’s worth watching, very poignant. maybe they were their own kind of bloggers.
Wishing it was warm
Finally the temperature is plummeting. Warm days this November are fading as the Jet Stream of wind changes position and cold air tumbles down from the Arctic. Some parts of Britain might see wintery showers soon. Then my garden plants will be hit by the chill. In the meantime I can only think of the glorious plants that bloomed in the spring and summer and the seasons ahead of us. Looking forward to the future again.
Still going!
What is going on? Begonias and Lobelia in November! I know some gardeners cut everything back and compost things after the summer. But I can’t do it. I love seeing things grow. The baskets will eventually die back. The tops of them are already looking a bit scrappy, but any sleepy and cold bee or hover fly can maybe sneak a sip of nectar. Our back yard is sheltered by the house, large bushes and a fence, I suppose the plants huddle together forming a microclimate. We also live towards the bottom of the hill so we don’t get hit by winds sweeping down from the north. It’s a haven. Looking forward to next summer. X
Looking back
I didn’t venture out today because its really cold and I’m still a bit unwell. I was scrolling through my photos from the summer and came across this double hanging basket next to the house. It grew and grew and was magnificent in July and August. Now? The frost came last night, a glaze of white on the tiled roof opposite. I think all the baskets will wilt, the delicate annual plants are starting to wither, but the slightly woodier ones like fushias are still there.
Photos of the back to follow, and if I get out into the autumn landscape before all the leaves fall I will post some shots of the trees locally.
Still gardening
The garden is still thriving although the evenings are drawing in. It gets dark earlier and stats dark longer. A lot of the flowers are fading but the plants are staying green. The worry is that as it gets colder they will die off, but it is to be expected here in the northern hemisphere. I do love cramming plants into our small yard and I thinks it creates a microclimate that keeps the temperature up and supports the growth. We’ve also had some heavy rain which has perked them up a bit over the last few days.
Back yard
Too many flowers
Growing out and round
Hanging baskets
Decked out and grand.
Pots filled with lots
Of colours and shapes
Joy to my heart
These flower baskets make.
A real riot of colour
Blooming in my heart
And the heart
Of the city.
Flock or Phlox?
Next to my raspberries a tallish purple flower stands. I think it’s a phlox? I’m not sure of the spelling. Homonyms, words that sound the same but are spelt /spelled differently.
The English language can trip you up. It has evolved, with different spelling rules like ‘i before e except after c’, which isn’t always correct.
Anyway, back to this plant. I was really pleased I managed to get a reasonably close image of the flowers. With water droplets visible on the petals. Any ideas on identification?
My secret garden (mirrored)
By duplicating and flipping one side of the couple of photos I ended up with an interesting structure (in reality next doors small extension bathroom). The hanging baskets and pots pop with green and bright flowers. As they grow and bloom I will post more pictures (and include more if the rain stops!). Summer is here so they should take up more space. Gardening and rain, a typical British summer.
Garden done
Had the pleasure of hanging the flower baskets and planting up some pots today. I’m expecting as they settle down there will be a mass of more flowers. Last year the baskets were still partly in flower in December!
Mallaband-Brown 