Father's Day Weekend

I do hope your Father's Day weekend was as fun and relaxing as ours. My husband and I traveled to the coast as part of his celebration and visited friends and enjoyed their great surroundings.

We carried with us two nice Pinot Noirs to accompany the fresh smoked tuna hor d'erves I had made, and later in the evening we had the benefit of dining at a small local restaurant. Deliciously prepared crab encrusted halibut was relished by each of us. Hmm. . . I could go for more.

In addition to enjoying our friends, we were introduced to this little resident. Immediately she allowed me to touch her. . . knows how to warm my heart.

Apparently she cannot see very well at times, so on occasion as she plays she may misjudge and run into a wall, but not to be deterred, for Tsunami tries it again. Stunningly beautiful, don't you think?

And what would a trip to the coast be without driving a portion of our favorite stretch of highway and stopping to view Heceta Head?

Oh yes. . . traveling to a new nursery and buying a few outstanding plants was in order.

The bright blue and cloudless sky and delightfully cool mid-to-high 50 temperatures transitioned quickly to 70 as we drove inland from the coast to return home.

. . . Sunshine, On a Cloudy Day

... and yes, it's cold outside, this morning past the month of May. Okay, you would rather hear The Temptations sing rather than someone adding to their lyrics, so I'll not sing anymore. . . but, what can make me feel this way. . .

I couldn't help myself, for I just returned from an early walk in the garden. There is nothing quite like it, those feelings of such pleasure and joy, the peace and tranquility, the beauty and individuality of each flower. As I gaze upon the intricate and perfect design of each, repeatedly I ask myself, how can anyone look at the complexity of each blossom and not believe there is a God?

Roses are in full bloom. . . the fragrance, well, you have heard takes your breathe away. . . it is so. Intoxicating is the delicate scent which embraces my every movement. It releases me for a moment but then returns its grasp as I move into another area.

The double deep pink of David Austins's beautiful Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' for me is the quintessential old rose fragrance which makes me stop and linger. . .

along with the rich deep red crimson R. 'Wenlock'. Of the two I'm not sure which is my favorite, for together they rank among my top picks.

Not too visible is the deeper crimson R. 'Prince' tucked below these two, but this cool pale apricot color of R. 'St. Cecelia' (whose intoxicating scent makes me dream of lemons), holds a dominant position in our garden.

Selections are endless. . . the beauty and fragrance captivating. You might want to consider one of these for your garden. Visit the site for numerous selections.

http://www.davidaustinroses.com

But before we go in, one thing which always stops me in my tracks.

Still Cloudy

With another partly cloudy and rainy day forecast for the Pacific northwest, the plants and trees rejoice.

The misty morning offers added moisture for Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth'.

On This Overcast Day

Quite enjoyable is this cloudy and overcast cool-sorta-day, especially when one is working in the garden. There is great pleasure without the glare and heat of a summer day, and taking photos this morning offers a richness of color.

With any amount of forthcoming sunshine, the budded peony will soon emerge, just as the Bearded Iris and delicate white blossoms of Anthriscus sylvestris 'Raven's Wing' fade. The tri-colored creamy white, pink and green leaves of the mounding Salix integra 'Hakukro-nishiki' produce a delicate balance with its variegation in this area of great structure.

Off to the left, the lemon-lime color of the Carex elata 'Bowles Golden' offers a bright spot even in the darkest corner, and contrasts with the subtle pinks of the poppy (Papaver orientale) and foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). The delphiniums patiently await the soon-to-be warm days before sending forth their cobalt blue blossoms, and the deep burgundy leaves of the beech (Fagus sylvatica) loom densely overhead.

Gracing the edge of the path is the ever-blue (evergreen) Helictotrichon sempervirens, accompanied by the evergreen mound of Hebe 'Mrs Winder' and low mounding and airy panicles of 'Coral bells' (Heuchera).