Last year I came across a Martagon lily at a local garden centre and did a little dance of joy. I have wanted a Martagon for years. Once home, I planted it near the main walk in the back garden. This spring, I was secretly thrilled with the appearance of new green shoots. Every day brings a few new blooms and I was pleased to find that they have reawakened my joy in photographing my garden again. Last year, I couldn't work up the enthusiasm to take my camera out and contented myself with taking photographs with my phone. For the past few days, I have taken out my camera and experimented with my macro lenses. Mostly I get distracted with seeing all the minute things, like tiny bugs and exquisitely-rendered spiderwebs that escape our regular sight. So, thank you Martagon, for the inspiration. Long may you bloom. Continue reading

It doesn't matter how many springs I have lived through, each one feels like my first. I love the wonderful feeling of anticipation and possibility that spring brings. My heart does a little dance when I see puddles on the streets and dirt appearing as if by magic in my garden. Every bit of green is a delight to me. I want to take great gulps of air and dance my way down the garden path. I've rediscovered my camera and spent a contented afternoon taking photos of the tulips currently residing on my dining room table. It was a challenge keeping my cat, Finn, from knocking over the tulip vase. Happy spring to you all! Continue reading

Today while walking the dog, I thought about how much I like white flowers in summer and how little I like the white of the snow these days. If it hadn't been so cold, I would have stopped to take more photos of my dog gallivanting in the snow. I am certain that he far prefers the white of snow to the white of flowers. Winter is my dog's season ~ he's bursting with energy and enthusiasm. If he could, he'd happily spend his day running along the river bank in a nearby park. I look at my wicker chairs that didn't quite make it into the garage before the snow arrived and I try to imagine when next I will be sitting in them. Tonight as I was looking through photographs from last summer, I came across this image of Nicotiana sylvestris. As I sat looking at it, I vividly remembered how wonderfully this plant scented the summer's early evening air. That's why every year I grow large numbers of this plant throughout both my front and back gardens. I love an array of scents in the garden. They linger in my mind long after the flowers have finished blooming.Do you have a favourite flower scent that holds good memories for you? Continue reading

Lately I've been dreaming of sweet peas. Perhaps it is simply a longing for warmer weather or a need to breathe in the wonderful scents of spring and summer. Then again, maybe it is a result of many evenings spent paging through seed catalogues and vividly imagining my back fence covered in delicate sweet pea blooms. For many years, I have tried growing sweet peas and have not met with much success. Last year, even though I didn't do anything differently, several sweet pea vines appeared laden with blooms. It was great fun taking photographs of them. As the days grow longer, I am itching to get out in the garden. It won't be much longer. I'll be planting many more sweet peas this coming spring with the hope of having a fence covered with them just like in my dreams. I have been away from blogging for almost one year now. Time passes by quickly. I've missed my blogging friends and hope to post more often. Reading Anna Maria's post here gave me the impetus to step right back into blogging. So here I am again. Continue reading