Softly Awakes My Heart
At this time of year everything in the garden conspires to awaken my senses and make my spirits soar, whether it be a baby house martin on its first flight taking a rest by the pond or the balletic dance of a young greenfinch, wings outspread, aiming for the bird feeder.
Alstroemeria, Peruvian Lily
Whether I am listening to the cacophony of the feeding frenzy from my vantage point on one of the benches in the garden or trying to avoid being dive-bombed when my footsteps are too close to the barn, I cannot help but marvel at their determination to raise two broods successfully, all within one short Summer.
Whenever I wander in the garden I find the birdsong music for the soul. I could never sit listening to the radio, for it would stop me drinking in the sights and sounds around me. The beauty and intensity of the scarlet poppies gives me a feeling of renewed energy and the enthusiasm to promise myself to grow even more new varieties next year.
So-called because the white flag in the centre resembles the flag of Denmark, these poppies have always been one of my favourite annuals. I find their deeply serrated scalloped petal edges most attractive. I found myself having to grow them in pots this year, space being at a premium nowadays in our busy garden. They require light to germinate and develop, otherwise they would get lost in the thick undergrowth.
Eighteen Summers ago, during the first year of the garden, I sowed many packets of annual poppies amongst other meadow flowers such as corn marigolds, corncockles, cornflowers and ox-eye daisies. I had the romantic notion of wandering through the garden, paintbrush in hand, as if in one of the dreamy landscapes of my childhood, when these flowers were a common sight beautifying the cornfields.
Papaver Somniferum Var. Paeoniiflorum, Pink Peaony Flowered Poppies
It was very cost-effective, as well as a strikingly beautiful way to fill large tracts of our half-acre plot of ground quickly. This Summer I cleared away an area in our scree bed which contained woody, overgrown phlox, long since past its best, and, low and behold, the dormant seed from the paeony poppies appeared of its own accord, as if by magic. Nature often gives us surprises.
Annual Cornfield Poppies and Ox-Eye Daisies
I think its important to dream while awake, and where better than amongst the meadow flowers of one's own garden? Here I can sit and watch the majestic sky turning from leaden grey to azure blue, or watch a sunset, one minute a misty yellow, the next a melange of watery indigo-violet-pink.
Ripening Barley In The Adjacent Field
Living so close to nature as I do, it's impossible not to have feelings of positivity. To watch the farmer sow his seed in Spring, and observe the transformation of bare earth into a carpet of emerald-green shoots, is like saying farewell to dark Winter...and when, in July, the carpet turns a shade of gold, it feels nothing short of a miracle.
Cookie, The Barn Cat
Whenever I see Cookie outdoors I know it will be a beautiful warm day, for she is old now and only ventures out on the hottest of days, preferring to lie under the heat of the light bulb we have suspended above where she sleeps in the barn. She is a gentle soul, grateful for everything we do for her, and seems in a permanent state of bliss. She always reminds me to hug my friends for time passes for all of us.
Taz, Cookie's Friend
Being a much younger cat, Taz abounds with energy in his thick coat of fur. He has taken up Monstie's mantle of being my constant companion, following me around the garden, resting where I rest, often beside the poppies. Taz reminds me to have fun, and not to take myself too seriously, for no one else will.
Raindrops On Asiatic Lilies
For several years now we have grown large Oriental and the smaller Asiatic lilies in pots and troughs to provide us with a colourful display and a splash of the exotic in the garden. The flowers are long lasting with several blooms on each stem. Each Spring I renew the compost and offer any lily grubs I find to the robin.
Mixed Asiatic Lilies
This year I chose a delicate shade of pink to marry up with the russet-coloured bulbs my hubbie chose. When they came into bloom we noticed a rogue yellow one, which just goes to show we think we are in control of our lives, though, in fact, the opposite is often the case.
Calendula Officinalis, Scotch Marigold
The light in Scotland at this time of year is often quite spectacular, and a painter's paradise. Some evenings, just as the sun is setting, there is a glow coming up over the eastern horizon, making it almost continuous daylight, and the further north one travels, the more frequently this occurs.
Strawberries
July and August are the strawberry-picking months at Barleycorn and this year's harvest has been no exception. Whenever we have a bumper crop, my hubbie is often heard to say, if he eats many more strawberry tarts, cakes, pavlovas and jam, he might waken up one morning with a husk growing out of the top of his head.
Salad Leaves
My little pots of salad crops have yielded an ongoing treat of coriander, fennel, parsley, mustard, Lollo Rosso, purple basil and chives brightening up the salad days of Summer, and have encouraged us to eat more natural foods and less processed.
One of the wonderful things about growing Alpine strawberries is that the birds seem to leave them alone. In a salad their tartness goes well with the petals of Scotch marigolds, apple mint and borage flowers, which I also put into ice cubes to cool our elderflower wine.
As well as the very vibrant orange Oriental poppies, with heads the size of dinner plates, I also grow the more muted shades of white and delicate pink. The strong variation in colour reminds me not to compare myself to others. Rather, I feel we should appreciate our individuality and be mindful of the fact that each of us has our own charisma.
White Pond Lily
On hot July days when my hubbie and I sit by the ponds drinking refreshing green tea or a glass of wine, watching the damsels dart this way and that amongst the lilies, I reflect upon how thankful I am for the love and laughter we have shared in our lives together and for the beauty that surrounds us.
The ethereal quality of the light reflecting on the ponds creates an ever-changing tapestry of colour and texture throughout the seasons. No sooner are we revelling in the delights of Summer, when an orange leaf reminds us Autumn is just around the corner. It's that carpe diem thing of seizing the day and living in the moment.
We should never allow ourselves to lose that childlike excitement of savouring the new, even if we saw the phenomena last year. A dead skin is evidence of the dragonfly completing its life-cycle in our ponds and proves they are healthy habitats for the myriad of wildlife they support.
I am frequently asked how much work the ponds entail and the answer is quite straightforward. In the eighteen years since we first created them, we have only cut back rampant growth of the vigorous grasses once. Part of the problem was that the lilies took time to establish, whereas the grasses had to be hacked from their baskets. Covering as much of the pond's surface is the secret to preventing algal growth.
which I then leave along the edges of the pond to allow any creatures to make their way back to safety. After a week the algae goes on the compost heap.
Along the stone-dyke wall bordering the adjacent field, I grow delphiniums, aruncus, aconites and a yellow berberis for the visiting bees and bumblies. In June and July the whole length of the path seems to hum with the soothing drone of their music. It is one of my favourite sounds of Summer.
In the early years I used to grow delphinium and foxglove seeds in alternate years, as I love both of these flowers so much. It's all to do with their attractive tapering spires and the fact that the bees adore them. However, the slugs can be voracious gobblers over the Winter months when the frogs are hibernating at the bottom of the ponds and there is a scarcity of hedgehog activity. This white one is a favourite as it has managed to win the battle each year.
This is the sight which greets visitors to Barleycorn in the month of July, though the poppies will last till September. Poppies and violas between the paving stones, Oriental and Asiatic lilies in pots and troughs and the climbing New Dawn Rose over the door...to say, Welcome, Everyone!
Saint-Saens' music, 'Softly Awakes My Heart', sung by Olga Borodina, plays in the background of my little video. It helps to impart my feeling about the sensory experiences at Barleycorn in the month of July. Not for me the tedious queue at the airport on a hot, sticky day waiting to fly off to some exotic destination. Everything I need is right here in our little corner of paradise.
My heart opens to your voice as the flowers open at dawn's kisses!
45 comments:
Wildie, I always miss your posts. Love all the wonderful colors of feathered and furry friends as well as flowers. Hooray for summer!
What a lovely post! Very effective use of white space. I had the picturesque beauty of your poem ringing in my ears and my husband gently whistling an Irish hornpipe as I scanned down the post. It was like watching nature program on TV only better because I could go back and review if I wanted to. You do definitely live in a special corner of Paradise. Thank you for sharing.
Dear Wildlife gardener.....why do your posts always get to the very heart of me.....perhaps because you say so beautifully what I feel.
The poppies are lovely....I had a black peony poppy this year....she appeared after lying dormant for a long time....natures surprises...
All your birds are exquisite....it is lovely to see the juveniles.....just starting lifes journey....
I have had many dragonflies visit this year.....an Emperor came to say goodbye, it was sad, but very beautiful......
A wonderful post, that tells me there are others out there, who love nature as much I do.
Thank you my friend......
Oh, I see it wasn't white space at all. When I viewed your post the first time there was no text showing. So I'd see a photograph then longer than usual white space, then a photo again. Truly it was very effective. I may experiment with it myself a bit.
Thanks for the text though. I love knowing what I'm looking at.
I wouldn't know where to start commenting, The rainbow that is your corner of paradise, just makes me smile.
I adored every photo you posted, from the felines to the feathered friends and every flower in between.
It is an artists paradise just perusing your photo's. Thank you, for sharing, I can hear the birdsongs in my heart, and catch a scent of sunshine and blossoms on the wind.
:)
My goodness! Each photo is outstanding. The whole post weaves together so beautifully. I will return to soak it up again.
My favorite tale from childhood is "Thumbelina" and the first photo, of the resting Martin, took my breath away! I love it. love it. Love the moss under the youngster.
Wonderful. And, thank you!
We are in the midst of a drought and horrible heatwave. It is always a breath of fresh air to visit your Little Corner of Paradise.
Wos so much eye candy, flowers, bugs, birds, more flowers, kitty cats, what a treat!
A warm Summer's welcome to you all :)
* Always lovely to see you, dear Monica :)
I only seem to manage to post once a month nowadays, Monica. But I hope the length of each post makes up for the infrequency :)
Thank you for your gracious compliments...haste ye back to our little corner of paradise :)
*It's great to make your acquaintance so soon again after the last post, Coneflower. I feel very humbled to have you comment twice on the same post :)
I had a great deal of bother uploading the video and the photos this time around...I think there were glitches both times I tried. That will be the reason why you saw photos without text etc. But a special thank you for persevering and returning to read the post :)
Thank you for all your kind comments...I'll pop over to visit your now :)
* Dear Cheryl, we definitely sing from the same songsheet as far as gardening for wildlife goes. Much of what you write resonates with my train of thought and your photos are a delight because the show your love of nature :)
* Dear Sorrow, it's great to have your company in our little corner of paradise. Draw up a chair, come sit and have a glass of wine. We'll chat awhile about the flora and fauna around us while enjoying the serenading birds and the humming bees... and let the sun warm us while we compare notes :)
* Come and join us, dear Swallowtail...how I love your name :)
I know Thumbelina well, and can relate to your comment about the house martin. Many wildlife artists emulate nature well, for they love the subjects they are drawing and painting. It's all about feelings. I can say that from fact, for I draw and paint flowers and wildlife from my garden from time to time, though not so much recently, as my time is taken up with an elderly relative. Hoepfully, I'll get back to it all in due course :)
Welcome, Moring Glories In Round Rock. It's lovely to see you again :)
* The last time our country had a drought was in the Summer of 1976...the year I was carrying my first-born... So, we are not so familiar as you are with droughts. I send you my sympathies and, hopefully, a cooler spell of weather so that the land and the wildlife can replenish itself :)
* Great to see you once again, dear Iowa Gardening Woman :)
I'm glad you enjoyed the post with the variety of photos and the video. Come again, you are always welcome :)
So very lovely as is all that you post. With much love and many blessings
Love Jeanne♥
A dazzling post! Love the plate full of strawberries; we've never had the many. And the birdsong these mornings is something else! People who go through life constantly plugged in to their own music miss out on so much.
If you have the time, would you like to join in a give-away over on my blog?
All the best!
* A warm welcome, dear Jeanne...come and listen to the wonderful aria while partaking of a glass of Chardonnay and home-made lavender shortbread:)
* So happy to have your company too, Kitty...have a glass of Kir Royale with our own strawberries while listening to the songthrush seranade :)
Thank you.
I enjoyed every minute in your garden. The video was so special. The wind and the birds and the bee in the poppies was exquisite.
Thank you for loving nature and for touching my heart.
Sherry
Your photos are an absolute feast, and I walk away from my computer sated. Beautiful stuff.
Stunning, absolutely stunning. Your garden is beautiful I wish I had had so much space to play with!
Your photos are also amazing. When I see yours and Cheryls gardens I think I should remove all veg beds and tropicals and grow your way!!!
As always, wonderful impressions of your flower paradise. Now I finally know the correct name of these red and pink poppies which I have in the garden since two years. Here they do not come up in a great amount (compared to the seeds I distributed), as we have a lot of slugs. But I enjoy every bloom that survives. I love them, they stand for summer with all its glory.
Have a good time!
Barbara
Good morning, Everyone, and welcome to our little corner of paradise :)
* It's wonderful to have your company in the garden this morning, Sherry :)
I'm so glad you liked the video. It was made of of many clips I took during the month and I chose music which I thought apropriate to the content :)
* You say the loveliest things to me, Sandy. thank you for being so gracious :)
I try to cover as much as I can of what's happening here in the garden as I only manage to blog about once a month nowadays.
* Lovely to meet up again, Libby...always a pleasure to talk to you :)
I have to admit the size of the plot appealed to me when we first came here, as I knew I had a blank canvas in which to create our garden for wildlife :)
I love your garden, Libby...every exotic plant, every vegetable you grow! It is so the opposite to mine and, therefore, gives me so much of interest whenever I visit you :)
* I'm so glad you have come today, Barbara. The garden wouldn't be the same without you :)
Summer would not be the same for me without my poppies as they are my absolute favourite flowers...closely followed by foxgloves... :)
We like the same music. This aria was part of my college repertoire and Meditation from Thais was used on one of my recent videos as well. I can see why you would never want to leave the paradise in Barleycorn.
Donna
I guess you will have to keep me honest and correct my flower name mistakes on Our Flower Pot posts. I have trouble remembering the names sometimes. http://ourflowerpot.blogspot.com/
You seem to be an expert gardener and your pictures prove it.
It is a cool, 63 degrees here at 6:00 AM in Ohio on this August 1st, 2009. Not bad. I slept under a blanket last night. We set the coldest July ever recorded last month. I hope you get some relief this month.
* A warm welcome to you, Mother Nature's Garden. It is lovely to make your acquaintance :)
I must thank you for your gracious comments..and I'll pop over and introduce myself to your garden :)
* Welcome back, dear Abe...always a pleasure to have your company here :)
We have had our warmest summer in years though it's been a typical wet July and a bit chilly in the evenings :)
You were LOST, but now are FOUND!! I'm back, and saved you in my favorites so I won't LOSE you ever again!!!!
This post is so beautiful, and your title so close to the name of my watercolor "Love comes Softly".
Each and every picture brings an oooh, awwwwww, as I look at God's creation through your eyes.
I'm going to email you a copy of my red poppies, as it looks just like your banner!!
Nice to be back..... Love and Hugs
Wanda from Brushstrokes
I won't send our blackbirds your way - they eat nearly all the alpine strawberries! I love poppies, all sorts - only trouble is, the big gap the Oriental poppies leave when they finish flowering.
I'd love some advice please, about my new flower bed which will be dug this winter - it'll be about 40 foot long and 3 foot deep at one end to 8 foot at the other, and I want to plant flowers to attract butterflies and honey bees. I've been growing only vegetables and shrubs for years. The soil is sandy and it will face west with a southerly aspect too and this is a dry part of the country, and it'll be protected to the east by a 5 foot wall. Any suggestions?
What a wonderful post filled with summer sights and delights and beautiful prose! I am so happy that you invited me to come by..I have not been visiting blogs much these days since getting my recent diagnosis..get tired easily so I limit my postings.Your post was just what the doctor ordered a place to sit unwind feel peace and see so much beauty in those wings and poppys!Some of the colors..the ones that look like peonies!!!! Gorgeous..loved the kitty cats too!
smiling NG
Sorry it's been such a while since visiting you last - a bit like you It's been such a busy time over the past few months - gardening mostly and sometime visiting family and having friends over to stay - your garden is looking gorgeous and all those poppies - quite beautiful... we love the swallows here too and are looking forward to the third brood of babies at the moment - hopefully the eggs will hatch any day :-) Have a lovely Sunday... Miranda x
What a beautiful poem and photographs are stunning as always. It is a delight to visit and I thank you for sharing you little corner of paradise with us.
Kind regards
sara from farmingfriends
Welcome to our little corner of paradise, Everyone :)
* Thank you, Jennifer, for your visit. You are most welcome :)
* I am sooo pleased to welcome you back, dear Wanda. I have really missed you. The garden is all the better with your presence :)
Thank you for all your lovely comments...and I look forward to the email, dear Friend :)
* A warm welcome to you, too, Z :)
Isn't it strange how your blackbirds eat the Alpine strawbs and mine don't..perhaps it's because mine steal the cat food to supplement their diet :)
I cut down all the foliage of the Orientals ...and they grow up again with more flowers...that's the secret in keeping the border replenished :)
I hvae a few suggestions and I will pop over to see if you have an email address. It would take too long here... :)
* I am so happy you accepted my invitation to come to the garden, Nature Girl. I have missed you too :)
I knew you would love the poppies and the kitties...and I felt sure the visit would be just what the doctor ordered...please come again, anytime. I send you get well wishes across the miles :)
* I understand perfectly about the lack of time, Miranda, as I only manage to post once a month. So, it's really appreciate your visit :)
How fantastic...three broods of swallows! See you soon :)
* Hi, Sara! Great to see you too :)
I'm so glad you enjoyed your time here...I loved having your company in the garden :)
It is always a pleasure for me when i to visit your garden blog.
The poem was sweet and it is plain to see you have a peaceful heart and a lot of joy.
Love, Becky
How lovely to see you again, dear Becky :)
Thank you for your gracious comments. The garden gives me a lot of pleasure and I enjoy sharing it with everyone :)
What a beautiful beautiful post and all those poppies are wonderful!! and the sky ruby and pink sky beautiful.
* Wonderful to meet up again, dear Sandy :)
Red sky at night...always a delight...poppy mania here at Barleycorn :)
What a gorgeous post. Your photos are fabulous! I always enjoy my visits here at your "little corner of paradise" ♥
* Thank you, dear Deb...you are so generous in your comments. I enjoy having you here in the garden :)
Love the photos especially the cats - we use to grow a lot of our own food up to a few years ago still have a bit of patch with herbs and wild flowers in - we tend to do a bit of foraging while on our walks, plenty of raspberries lately and now we are into the blackberries not that many make it home. Waiting patiently for the beechnuts, bumper crop this year. As you say nature has a calming effect on most people. Not enough people take the time to relax and see the beauty of it all.
* Great to see you again, Duxbury Ramblers :)
The quantity I used to grow in my veggie garden has subsided over the years too...
Foraging is great fun...Nature's bounty, free for all :)
I agree...nothing like Nature to blow the cobwebs away :)
* Thank you, Marie, great to have your company :)
What a beautiful lyrical post, filled with the loveliest of pictures! Thank you, you really started my day off just right :)
* Lovely to have your company in the garden this morning, Sunita :)
It is another beautiful day and the butterflies are here...
I'm so glad you enjoyed the post...I gives me pleasure to share :)
You are a magician with words Wildlife Gardener. Your posts always uplift me. I think I could reread them over and over and never tire of them all the while learning something new. I can't listen to music when I'm in the garden either. I always wonder about people with their Ipods on outside? Do they even realize what they're missing? You have so many beautiful poppies ~ the peony poppies have always been my favorite. So interesting how they germinated after all that time. I have seed heads now and that's it but I am letting them scatter where they will. I am having success with my little pond. The water hyacinths spread so vigorously I have already had to divide them and give them away! No lily blooms yet tho ~ yours are so beautiful. What a perfect place to sit and enjoy a glass of anything. Your garden is certainly a little corner of paradise. I'm also so happy you have a new garden companion in Taz. Happy August!
PS That is a most adorable photo of the baby house martin!
* Good morning, dear Kathleen, and thank you for such warm comments :)
I agree, Nature's music is more natural in the garden. It soothes the soul and keeps the blues at bay :)
It's poppy-mania here at Barleycorn...and, no doubt, they will appear in my next post too, I suspect :)
I am so glad to hear your pond is thriving. I'm amazed at how quickly ours came into its own. Your hyacinths will be good at keeping the surface covered and the algae from forming. Our lilies took a few years to establish that we thought they would never flower.
Taz is my new shadow and a delightful companion. Cookie's little heart purrs with joy each time I cuddle her. She is frail now and only comes out on the hottest of days.
Happy gardening, Kathleen :)
G'Day,
You have really outdone yourself with this magical post W.G. I love it sooooo much.
If I ever find my own little patch of dirt maybe you could send me some of your magical barleycorn soil. I truly is magical there.
I often wondered how things grow so beautifully there in such a short growing season compared to what we have in this country then I found your comment about having nearly continuous sunlight in the summer time. I guess having enough rain helps too eh? And the fact that you obviously have a higher water table than us too.
Beautiful Barleycorn, all year round in her different clothes.
I also loved your little bits of life philosophy woven through this post, you are a beautiful lady.
what a dazzling post, your photographs just take my breath away. Such a wonderful range of flowers and wildlife a absolute delight for the senses. I love the idea of alpine strawberries in a salad, mine never reach the kitchen as I graze on them when I am hanging out the washing!
* Lovely of you to join me in the garden, Linda :)
You are right, it takes the sunlight and the Summer rains to keep everything lush and green :)
Thank you for the lovely compliments..I'm blushing now :)
Happy gardening :)
* A warm welcome to you too, Jamjar...always a pleasure to see you :)
All the delights of Summer are worth waiting for, I must agree :)
I know what you mean about those strawberries...very tempting :)
lovely photos :)
A warm welcome, Girl Friday, to our little corenr of paradise :)
Thank you for your kind words :)
With all that's happening in and around your garden I wouldn't want to be getting on a plane either in July*!*
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