Good afternoon Friends ~ We are having rain off and on as a cold front moves down over us. That is great as it was feeling too much like summer way too early.
Thank you for asking about me. I've been puttering around, taking things one day at a time. Had a really nice, but very emotionally draining visit with my SIL. Tears and more tears, they don't seem to run out, just build up to overflowing. After our visit, we picked her husband up from the seminar he had been too, and we then looked for a restaurant to eat at. My BIL likes to find hole-in-the-wall little restaurants and we found one called Island Grill. It was Haitian and the food was delicious and plentiful. Fern and I both had fried talapia with brown rice and beans and fried plantains too. Pepe had oxtail soup which he said was delicious, and he had a small portion of the goat and I tried that too and it was oh so delicious but a little too chewy for me.
They gave me a wonderful comfort bag of goodies. In fact, I just finished a delightful cup of pomegranate, hibiscus, white tea, it is antioxidant and delicious. Fern made homemade biscuit scones to be spread with clotted cream and strawberry preserves. Delicious! Also a yummy banana nut bread. Some butter shortbread cookies, a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio wine. Oh yes and a sweet little orchid. It was all a wonderful and comforting gift and I am thankful.
Now, on to what is going on and growing here at Plum Cottage gardens. Here is a wonderful plant that basically grows with little or no care. When it blooms a sweet, delicate scent fills the air. The bees love this plant and so do I. It is Basket Plant of callisia fragrans. This plant spreads ridiculously easy.
I tried to get this iridescent green flying bug, which I think is a hover fly, buy I'm not sure.
I think this is some kind of wild petunia vine, it also grows like crazy with little or no care.
Clock vine or thunbergia.
Climbing Maman Cochet
Mm. Laurette Messimy
Raindrops on rose leaves
Louis Philippe
A lizard thinking he is hidden.
Miss Tork sleeping on the rocking footstool that DH used to use.
This is in the caravan garden area on the north end of my shed. I inched this 'faux bois' cement chair to this spot. (Faux bois is a French term meaning "fake wood" and pronounced "foe bwah".) This whole garden area needs work, this is just the start.
East half of the front main garden. I did more weeding, then laid a drip hose. I need to get another hose for the other side. This is for use with the rain barrel water. One of the last projects my husband did last year, that and the new gutter around the front of our little cottage. I'll be planting things in the main garden both sides, and have seeds yet to get started. I'm behind. I seem to be moving in a fog most days.
This is our grotto area. I took the rubbermaid rake storage unit out of here and put this back the way it was before we got the unit, which I've still got to find the right place for. Here are some of the glass blocks I put to use for a shelving unit. I'll have most of my orchids back here.
This is the heart I made for my SIL Fern. I am not satisfied with the embroidered fern, and will do better the next time. This is the front.
Here is the back.
Now for a good laugh, enjoy this.
Look at each day as an adventure and a gift.
FlowerLady Lorraine
26 comments:
I figured it would be an emotional visit. I'm glad there was so much goodness and love in too. ♥
The flowers are lovely! The Orchid in the little pot looks a bit like a white Daffodil. It's an Orchid?! That's neat. How kind of them to gift you with some comforting and pretty things. Leo Buscaglia shared something in one of his books about how when his [mother or father, but I think it was his mother] died, one of his friends left a chocolate cake on his doorstep. That image is always so poignant to me--love made visible, and the ways people offer comfort to each other--so touching to me.
Much Love,
Val
You really got some great shots. The lizard peaking out is too cute.
Cher Sunray Gardens
I love your faux bois chair! And that picture of Miss Tork is just wonderful. Your house seems so, so cozy, like something Beatrix Potter would paint.
You have such beautiful orchids. This gift was perfect for you. Love the lizard.
Balisha
Lovely pictures. The rose leaves with rain drops are by far my favourites in this series. When a loved one has passed away,the feeling of living in a fog is a very accurate description.The fog does eventually lift,for now let the tears flow and don't push yourself more than necessary.
I'm sorry the visit was hard but that's not surprising. It sounded good at the same time.
As always I love your roses.
All lovely pictures.. especially the little lizard! Glad your visit with your SIL went well, it was probably wonderful for all of you and much needed! Sweet little heart too...Cheers~
The series of floral photographs is breathtaking Lorraine.
An emotional but poignant and sweet visit with SIL & BIL. The bag of comfort goodies is so beautiful.
I adore lizards and love it when I see them in the garden - your little fellow is so cute. I must say not everyone is likely to have such a fishy specimen (marlin) in their garden or backyard! And Ms Tork certainly knows where to go for comfort. They sense these things yes?
Your garden really is extraordinary and demands nurturing and attention - perhaps also being the stimulus for your aura of fog lifting - albeit, little by little bit.
Much love
Rose
You and Glenda take such wonderful pictures!
Sounds like you had a good visit. Tears are cathartic, let them flow. I cry easily and it's a nuisance sometimes but I don't have high blood pressure!
Wish I could grow some of the beautiful plants that you do, but a lot of them would not survive our harsh weather extremes.
Keep on keepin' on... Hugs, Ilene
Beautiful pictures. . . and the video was hysterical!
your garden is lovely, like a magical hideaway. Everything looks so lush and tropical.
The embroidery is lovely also, you may see the flaws but it looks wonderful to me!
As much as I love the beauty of your flowers, it is the INTERIOR shots that I love, too! The grotto, the log chair & your embroidered heart are SO wonderful also.
Thank you for sharing about your time with your SIL. I'm sure you went through at least ONE box of Kleenex :) The little hole-in-the-wall restaurant sounds right up my alley, too...
I am glad you are close with family, that lessens the pain. And your garden is blooming to sooth the pain and inconvenience, filling up the void. That orchid is beautiful, and i laughed at your lizard photo. Keep enjoying Lorraine. take care.
I love all of your creations.
Living in Florida you can have
so many delightful and beautiful plants. Here at the edge of the damp and cold woods it sure looks like winter but plants are beginning to peak out of the ground.
Your gifts look wonderful and I know you enjoyed your guests.
Take care
God is Good....
Dear FL ~ I'm thankful for you that the visit with your SIL went well and I hope it will lead both of your hearts to further mending. I so enjoy all the photo's of your garden. I think your garden is like your heart. It keeps growing, marching on, and waking every day. Cheers, Jenni
Hi Sweet Lorraine, I heard from another FL friend that you all will get quite cold this weekend... Hope your beautiful flowers and plants don't get damaged. My favorite are your ROSES. Can't wait 'til we get some here.
I knew your meeting with SIL and BIL would be emotional. But--I think crying is good for you. It helps you deal with this --and be able to move on... God Bless You, Lorraine.
Got some snow here today--just a little, but it is COLD.
Hugs,
Betsy
Things are looking up for us with lots of rain in our neck of the woods. The sun is now out and time for the gardens and our soggy yard to dry out a bit. I can almost smell your beautiful blooms.
One day at a time....
Glad to hear how you're doing. You have a very big garden to take care of, but so many beautiful flowers. I guess your visit with family was another point along the way of this walk of healing. Take care. Hugs.
Hi Rainey, so glad your visit with F&P went well. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Your flowers are so beautiful, I love the plants with water droplets on them. I too have a pet lizard that hangs out on my front patio, actually he sits on the head of a statue of a puppy I have in the garden. We will be having weather in the 30's tonight so I guess I'll be covering my plants again. Can't wait until all the cold is gone. My Azeleas have already bloomed twice because of this crazy weather. Much love to you from your little sister, Cheri
I wish I was closer, and I would come and sit, hold your hand , and cry with you.I feel your pain. big hug & love, Gina
Hi Lorraine! I have that petunia like vine on my fence of jasmine and it also goes over the grass in the yard! I always wondered what it's name might be!!! The bees just love it! Way back about a year or more ago I did a post on my blog with pics of the bees going in and out! It was fun to watch!
Raindrops on roses,my favourite...loved having a walk around your garden
The glass block shelf is just beautiful. I can see it filled with orchids.
Beautiful as always Lorraine. I do love the raindrops on the rose leaves, has to be my favorite of the bunch :)
So glad you had a great visit with your SIL, and what a sweet bunch of goodies they left you.
Stay warm, and hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs,
Sandra
Dear Lorraine, I am glad your visit with your sister-in-law went well. The raindrops on the roses are beautiful and melancholy all at once. Your garden is stunning and repaying your gentle care with abundant blooms.
I had such a good laugh watching the video and all the 'googly eyes'; it makes the plants look even more appealing.
I hope you will give sweet Miss Tork a good pat from me, she looks so comfy.
Sending my love and concern, Karen
Goodies to eat and drink AND an orchid! What lovely treats.
It's a pleasure to visit in your garden and see what you are doing. I know the 'inch-walk the heavy object' routine very well. The other day i had to ask for help, not that I couldn't manage but it was quicker and I was in a hurry.
The googly eyes vid was so funny. I thought the banana plant looked more like he'd given it bosoms, those were low eyes, lol.
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