Friday 24 July 2009

Softly Awakes My Heart

House Martin Resting
Of all the months in the year, July, more than any other month, epitomises the poem I wrote about the garden.
Wind through the barley,
The song of the breeze,
Ephemeral poppies
The tracery of trees,
Barleycorn - Magic!
A feast for the eyes,
Our little corner of paradise

Young Greenfinch In flight

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.

Adult Swallow On The Barn Gutter
Blessed with two pairs of swallows' nests in the barn this year, their fledglings from the first broods are already sitting in lines along the rafters inside the barn waiting for their parents to deliver their never-ending supply of sustenance.


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.

Papaver Rhoeas, Annual Cornfield Poppies

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.

Papaver Somniferum, Danish Flag Poppy

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.

Papaver Somniferum Var. Paeoniiflorum, Red Flowered Peaony Poppy

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.

Mixed Salad Leaves With Alpine Strawberries

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.

Papaver Somniferum, Orange Oriental Poppies

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.
Papaver Somniferum, Dusky Pink Oriental Poppy
It wouldn't do if we were all made the same way, for that would be boring. The essence is the difference. I feel our concern should be to look after others and help our friends, for when we are sick, they will matter most in life.
Papaver Somniferum, Fuchsia Pink Oriental Poppy
As for our families, we should keep in touch with them as often as possible, never taking for granted the love and joy which enriches our daily existence. My brother taught me that people matter most in life. If we begin each morning with a goal, we will be able to count our blessings in the evening.
Papaver Somniferum, Perry's White Oriental Poppy
White flowers seem to create a feeling of peace in the garden, an air of innocence, a time for reflection. Feelings of stress melt away and are replaced by a sense of tranquillity. With calm, comes the knowledge that life, in all its forms, is very beautiful. We have one chance only to make our mark, and we must grab it with both hands.


White Pond Lily
Arguments are, in the main, useless, and, therefore, a waste of time, and only bring out our horns and tails. We have no control about what others think and say about us, so why worry? Bearing that in mind, we should make peace with our past, for we are responsible for our own happiness.

Mixed Pond Lilies, Ranunculus and Flag Irises

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.
Changing Foliage Of The Lilypads

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.

Dragonfly Skin

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.
Across The Back Pond

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.
Blue Pond Irises
Other than that the ponds have mostly looked after themselves. On a sunny day I might skim a light rake across the surface of the water to collect any floating algae,
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.

Delphiniums, Arunus and Aconites

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.

Bumble Bee On Delphinium

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.
Blackbird Singing In The Rain
Each year the garden manages to support several blackbird nests. As a result we are serenaded morning, noon and night. If any of you have been wondering about the beautiful whistling in the background to the videos, nine times out of ten, it is most likely that of the blackbird's. I posted this photo to show that we have had some rain during this glorious Summer, and the darling bird in the photo has sung his way through the sunshine and the showers, filling my heart with gladness.

Rainbow Over Barleycorn
Although July is our monsoon month, after the rain comes the beautiful rainbow. The Greek legend tells us that Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, was sent to replenish the rainclouds, and how else would our crops grow without precious water? If that doesn't retore your soul and make you feel, 'God is in his heaven, All's right with the world', then nothing will.

Barleycorn In July

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!

Barleycorn Sunset

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.
Translation Of The Aria

My heart opens to your voice as the flowers open at dawn's kisses!
But, o my beloved, the better to dry my tears,
let your voice speak once more!
Tell me that you are coming back to Delilah for ever!
Reminding me once again
of the promises of bygone days, those promises I loved!
Ah! Answer my tenderness,
Fill me with ecstasy!
Answer my tenderness.
Some of you may prefer to turn up the volume as part of the footage was taken on windy days.



45 comments:

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Wildie, I always miss your posts. Love all the wonderful colors of feathered and furry friends as well as flowers. Hooray for summer!

CONEFLOWER said...

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.

Cheryl said...

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......

CONEFLOWER said...

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.

Sorrow said...

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.
:)

Laura Paine Carr said...

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!

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

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.

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

Wos so much eye candy, flowers, bugs, birds, more flowers, kitty cats, what a treat!

A wildlife gardener said...

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 :)

Jeanne said...

So very lovely as is all that you post. With much love and many blessings
Love Jeanne♥

Anonymous said...

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 wildlife gardener said...

* 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 :)

Q said...

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

SandyCarlson said...

Your photos are an absolute feast, and I walk away from my computer sated. Beautiful stuff.

Libby said...

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!!!

Barbara said...

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

A wildlife gardener said...

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... :)

Anonymous said...

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

Anonymous said...

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 wildlife gardener said...

* 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 :)

Wanda said...

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

Z said...

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?

Naturegirl said...

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

Miranda Bell said...

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

farmingfriends said...

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

A wildlife gardener said...

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 :)

Anonymous said...

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

A wildlife gardener said...

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 :)

sandy said...

What a beautiful beautiful post and all those poppies are wonderful!! and the sky ruby and pink sky beautiful.

A wildlife gardener said...

* Wonderful to meet up again, dear Sandy :)

Red sky at night...always a delight...poppy mania here at Barleycorn :)

Deb said...

What a gorgeous post. Your photos are fabulous! I always enjoy my visits here at your "little corner of paradise" ♥

A wildlife gardener said...

* Thank you, dear Deb...you are so generous in your comments. I enjoy having you here in the garden :)

Duxbury Ramblers said...

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.

A wildlife gardener said...

* 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 :)

Sunita Mohan said...

What a beautiful lyrical post, filled with the loveliest of pictures! Thank you, you really started my day off just right :)

A wildlife gardener said...

* 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 :)

Kathleen said...

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!

Kathleen said...

PS That is a most adorable photo of the baby house martin!

A wildlife gardener said...

* 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 :)

linda may said...

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.

jamjar said...

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!

A wildlife gardener said...

* 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 :)

His Girl Friday said...

lovely photos :)

A wildlife gardener said...

A warm welcome, Girl Friday, to our little corenr of paradise :)

Thank you for your kind words :)

Bimbimbie said...

With all that's happening in and around your garden I wouldn't want to be getting on a plane either in July*!*