Showing posts with label Flowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flowers. Show all posts
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Flower Mystery is Solved
Mr. Cha Cha and I had dinner last week with some dear friends. The wife of the couple is a plant expert and she identified the mystery flowers that were growing in our wildflower patch.
The pretty pink flowers that arrived in such profusion are called Godetia. They evidently like full sun and slightly hungry dry soil--our type of flower exactly!
The white or blue flowers with the big pods are Nigella damascena, more commonly known as Love in the Mist. Their wild-looking pods are filled with seeds that when roasted are used to spice Middle Eastern and Indian food. The pods can easily be dried.
Follow the links for pages full of lovely photos on Flickr. We still don't know what variety the monster orchids are, but if you want to drool over photographic loveliness, check out the orchids link.
Godetia Nigella Orchids.
My life has been so hectic, and I've been feeling so stressed. Looking at these flowers is exactly what I needed tonight. Hope you enjoy them, too.
The pretty pink flowers that arrived in such profusion are called Godetia. They evidently like full sun and slightly hungry dry soil--our type of flower exactly!
The white or blue flowers with the big pods are Nigella damascena, more commonly known as Love in the Mist. Their wild-looking pods are filled with seeds that when roasted are used to spice Middle Eastern and Indian food. The pods can easily be dried.
Follow the links for pages full of lovely photos on Flickr. We still don't know what variety the monster orchids are, but if you want to drool over photographic loveliness, check out the orchids link.
Godetia Nigella Orchids.
My life has been so hectic, and I've been feeling so stressed. Looking at these flowers is exactly what I needed tonight. Hope you enjoy them, too.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Flowering Gifts and Expansive Thinking
Today is the last day to comment for this year's giveaway. To participate go to the previous post and leave a comment. Then come back and check out these flowers that are gifting me with joy and inspiration.
These coral-red gladioli were given to me by a friend a few days ago. They sit by my desk in a blossoming fever and encourage me, just like my favorite quote by Collette, to be willing to do foolish things and to make mistakes with relish and enthusiasm.
Mistakes measure our willingness to explore and experiment. They are a sure way to learn, and we should all aim to make some daily.
My friends, the monsterrific orchids, are back.
When I first bought them two years ago, the blossoms were not so huge. Last year, I got two different sprays of these beauties, with the largest flower at 10 inches in height. This year, one is 11 inches tall:
They remind me to be wildly expansive in my thinking, to let go, and to stretch beyond what I think is my full potential.
You may remember the wild flowers I showed just a few weeks ago. Be prepared for a shock:
This photo is from the very same patch along our driveway. It's simply packed with flowers. Right now there are mostly these pretty-in- (various shades of) pink flowers. This patch reminds me to take an idea and go further with it. They tell me to ask "What else could I add or change about this idea or situation?"
Here's a close-up. Does anyone know what they are? I could literally make about 30-50 big bouquets right now. If you live nearby and want some, let me know. Oh, and see that strange pod thing in the upper left corner?
Before it was a pod, it was a flower much like this one. It comes in an almost cornflower blue and in this white version. The foliage is feathery. At times the blossom almost resembles a passion flower. It's usually 1-2 inches in diameter. Anybody recognize it? I'm clueless.
This flower reminds me that sometimes an ugly pod becomes a beautiful flower and sometimes the pretty blossom turns into a pod. It goes both ways.
All this wildness and beauty makes me want to take chances and try new things. How about you? What inspires you to stop playing it safe?
These coral-red gladioli were given to me by a friend a few days ago. They sit by my desk in a blossoming fever and encourage me, just like my favorite quote by Collette, to be willing to do foolish things and to make mistakes with relish and enthusiasm.
Mistakes measure our willingness to explore and experiment. They are a sure way to learn, and we should all aim to make some daily.
My friends, the monsterrific orchids, are back.
When I first bought them two years ago, the blossoms were not so huge. Last year, I got two different sprays of these beauties, with the largest flower at 10 inches in height. This year, one is 11 inches tall:
They remind me to be wildly expansive in my thinking, to let go, and to stretch beyond what I think is my full potential.
You may remember the wild flowers I showed just a few weeks ago. Be prepared for a shock:
This photo is from the very same patch along our driveway. It's simply packed with flowers. Right now there are mostly these pretty-in- (various shades of) pink flowers. This patch reminds me to take an idea and go further with it. They tell me to ask "What else could I add or change about this idea or situation?"
Here's a close-up. Does anyone know what they are? I could literally make about 30-50 big bouquets right now. If you live nearby and want some, let me know. Oh, and see that strange pod thing in the upper left corner?
Before it was a pod, it was a flower much like this one. It comes in an almost cornflower blue and in this white version. The foliage is feathery. At times the blossom almost resembles a passion flower. It's usually 1-2 inches in diameter. Anybody recognize it? I'm clueless.
This flower reminds me that sometimes an ugly pod becomes a beautiful flower and sometimes the pretty blossom turns into a pod. It goes both ways.
All this wildness and beauty makes me want to take chances and try new things. How about you? What inspires you to stop playing it safe?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wildflowers
In the early evening I picked some of our wildflowers yesterday
and took a camera along
to share some with you this morning.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Enticing Purple Flowers
Like I said in my last post, the unusually early Spring here in Oregon has gotten me dreaming of flowers. Here's lovely group of them in purple.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)