Friday 30 July 2010

Contemplation In The Garden

Annual Poppy

Silence gives us a new outlook on everything.


Raindrops On Poppy

Nature, trees, flowers and grass grow in perfect silence.


Hoverfly On Poppy

See how the stars, the moon and the sun move in silence.


Flemish Poppy

God is the friend of silence.


Mixed Annual Poppies

In the silence of the heart God speaks to us.


Long-Horned Beetle On Poppy

In silence we are granted the privilege of listening to His voice.


Bumble Bee On Poppy

In silence He speaks to our souls.


Nasturtium

We need silence to be able to touch souls.


Danish Flag Poppy

Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.


Cerinthe Major

The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us.


Corncockles

In that silence He will listen to us; there He will speak to our soul, and there we will hear His voice.


Long-Horned Beetle On Cornflower

When you have listened to the voice of God in the stillness of your heart, then your heart is filled with God.


Mixed Annual Poppies

Mother Teresa quotes from No Greater Love




Six weeks of heavy snow slithered down the high-pitched roof of the barn like an avalanche and flattened the tall shrubs which had been growing there for 19 years. Instead of moaning about my losses, I decided to create a little summer meadow. I chose mixed annual poppies, cornflower, corncockles, nigella, nasturtiums, sunflowers and packets of 'butterfly' seed. The results are to be seen in this first video, Summer Meadow At Barleycorn, July 2010. There are two pieces of musical accompaniment. The first is Vaughan Williams' Fantasia On Greensleeves, followed by Butterworth's The Banks Of Green Willow.
xxxxxxx


The Second video, called, Cornucopia At Barleycorn, July 2010, has one piece of music, Brahms' Violin Concerto in D major, 2nd movement. I thought there were too many flowers to talk about this month as July is one of the months when the garden is in full flow. I think most of you will recognise the plants apart from one which is not as commonplace as the others. I have only ever seen it once, growing in a friend's garden. It is a white bell called Codonopsis Convolvulacea. In one of the still images I am holding a bell so that you can see the pretty colours inside it. I hope you enjoy your walk around Barleycorn with me.


25 comments:

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Wildie! Love your new garden with all those wonderful, colorful flowers. I'm growing Cerinthe major for the first time this year--love it and will collect the seeds. It's nice to see your poppies sway int he wind, and the cat too! (I mean, see it, not that it's swaying.) I agree a garden is a good place to be quiet and let the world come to you in the little things.

Babara said...

Good morning,
I knew that when visiting your beautiful blog I'd certainly be able to listen to wonderful music too ! And indeed, again you chose the perfect melodies to your dancing flowers (I love poppiess but they unfortunately do not grow successfully in my garden).
Thank you for this lovely morning music meditation and the insight in your beautiful garden paradise.
Have a nice Sunday,
Barbara

Babara said...

I forgot to say, the rain at the end of your second video is like an applause!!!

sandy said...

That first video (I listened to some of it, didn't get to the second yet)..but it's gorgeous, the music, the bees flitting in the flowers, just beautiful. I loved the post. Glad you created your summer garden. I will be back tonight to listen to the rest.

A wildlife gardener said...

* A warm welcome to our little corner of paradise, Monica :)

Thank you so much for your generous comments this month...I agree the garden is great for a spot of contemplation :)

A wildlife gardener said...

* Dear Barbara, lovely to have your company once more in the Barleycorn garden :)

I am so glad you enjoyed the music as well as the videos. I usually spend ages trying to find an appropriate piece to accompany the footage :)

I wanted everyone to hear the thunderstorm and not to have it compromised by the music, as the sound of the rain on the pond created its own music :)

A wildlife gardener said...

* Dear Sandy, great to see you here again :)

You are always so generous with your time and your input...thanks so much :)

Jeanne said...

Lovely photographs
Love you precious friend.
God bless you all

Jeanne

A wildlife gardener said...

* Thank you, dear Jeanne...you are great for my ego... thanks for all your encouragement :)

Ruth Welter said...

Hi WG, loved seeing all your beautiful flowers as usual...especially those elegant poppies, so lovely.

Ruth

joey said...

I adore poppies, one of my favorite flowers and, as remembered, yours are always stunning. Happy August, dear WF :)

A wildlife gardener said...

* Lovely to see you again, dear Ruth...and thanks for your comments...maybe you will do some poppy pendants?

A wildlife gardener said...

* Hey, Joey...wonderful to have your company...you and I share a love of poppies :)

Blender Diet said...

Very nice photos. I love your photo of the bumblebee on poppy the most. :)

We decided to plant some cornflower to add to our garden and it is just so beautiful.

Cheryl said...

Dear wildlife gardener.....your garden as always is a delight to visit.
I loved the bees and hoverflies dancing with the poppy.......it almost felt like I was standing in your garden with them.
Greensleeves takes me back to school....always loved to sing greensleeves.

My garden is my church.....I find peace and serenity amongst the flowers and trees. I love to be quiet..........I have an inner need to be quiet.
I always fine peace and serenity here......

SandyCarlson said...

Your poppies are gorgeous. Thanks for this post, and thanks for your thoughtful comment on mine.

Marie said...

What a beautiful post :)

A wildlife gardener said...

* Welcome to our little corner of paradise, Blender Diet... :)

We share alove of bees and cornflowers...thanks for visiting and leaving generous comments :)

A wildlife gardener said...

* Dear Cheryl, it's always a pleasure to have your company in the Barleycorn garden :)

'Greensleeves' always makes me think of the countryside and wildflowers, so I felt it would complement the video of the wildflowers in the summer meadow I planted :)

I agree that there is nowhere quite like the garden for finding peace and serenity. I have a little birdbath which has thie famous little verse inscribed in the front...

The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden,
Than anywhere else on earth.

Those words say it all, really :)

Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your thoughts with me :)

A wildlife gardener said...

* Dear Sandy, you and I love poppies...that's for sure... :)

Lovely to see you again and thanks for your friendship :)

A wildlife gardener said...

* Great to see you, Marie...and thanks for your positive feedback :)

Q said...

Gorgeous!
Seeing the rain drops on the poppies just is so beautiful...I miss rain.
It is hotter than hades here...
climate change has come to my gardens. All is cooked...I am a spring gardener...
Sherry

A wildlife gardener said...

* Dear Sherry, wonderful to have your company, here in the Barleycorn garden... :)

...you missing rain...and we missing sunshine...most days are 15 degrees just now and we have a constant wind blowing across the rolling landscape which gives a chill factor... :)

Raindrops on poppies epitomises summer, and my garden, for me :)

Duxbury Ramblers said...

Wonderful colour from the poppies, I have found a few growing wild on my travels, they brighten every area.
The bees, hoverflies & wasps are all necessary to us, it's good to see them, let's hope they continue to enjoy the dance :)

A wildlife gardener said...

Dear Dusbury Ramblers...we both enjoy poppies...and the earth would perish without the pollination of all the insects :)

Thanks for all your generous comments :)