Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Stitching and Gardening



Can you guess the theme of this cross stitch collage?
No?! I'll tell you then. Every July the framing company I prefer to use has a sale.  These are the pieces I've chosen to have framed.  I will share the finishes with you when they are done - probably in early August.

The weather has become quite warm again.  It's all the cats can do get comfortable! 

I've been doing all my gardening early in the morning or late in the evening as heat and I are not good friends.  I am watering more often, and plants continue to hold up well.  I'm going to share my mid-July favrrties with the Tuesday Garden Party over at an Oregon Cottage.

The poppies don't last long, but they sure are pretty.

These frilly poppies are quite dramatic.

The Ice Plant (Delosperma cooperi) is loving the heat!

I garden for my enjoyment and to attract hummingbirds.
This agastache serves a double purpose - pretty to my eye and food for the birds.

As the plants grow (and some die), I've been tweaking things a bit.
I moved a couple of geraniums to this plant stand.

I moved some more plants to frame the Ali-baba fountain.

The plant combo on this shelf has been spiffed up.

Some changes here as well.  I moved a couple of dahlias to join the group and the hummingbirds have already found them.


Some times all it takes to please me is a combination of small green textural plants.


Our local farmers' market gives me an opportunity to appreciate gardening and farming on a much larger scale.
My sister and I took a quick visit late Saturday afternoon.

In mid-July there were blueberries...

and lettuce and onions...

and beans and berries and cherries.

The first of the summer squash...

and peppers...

and did I say tomatoes...

I'm sure I mentioned tomatoes!

Even the bouquets shout Summer Heat with yarrow and sunflowers... 

and dahlias!

I still have more weeding to do, but as you can see someone appreciates my efforts thus far! This young doe found a newly weeded north-facing flowerbed to be the perfect spot to rest during the heat of the afternoon.

One year ago today Mom and I acted like true Londoners and ran errands and shopped

13 comments:

  1. I call this the season the of long cats....when the humidity kicks in here in RI my cats get so looong. Exposing every inch to the air, usually in a room with a fan. How sweet doe finding shade.

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  2. You've picked some gorgeous finishes to have framed, Beth--can't wait to see the final results in August :)

    I so love your purple poppies--don't think I've seen that shade before. And I also love the photo of the little deer resting her weary bones--so adorable!

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  3. What a fun post. LOVE that hummingbird capture and clearly you have a refuge for not only birds but that sweet deer.

    Here we are to have a cool down for a few days due to the 'polar vortex' and I say YEAH bring it on! :)

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  4. What beautiful, colorful photos! Love that shot of the doe. Amazing that she stayed still to be photographed.

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  5. The legs have it today Beth, puss cat looks so comical and relaxed and the deer's legs are so skinny looking.

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  6. My goodness....what an array of needlework to finish. Will look forward to seeing your finishes in August.

    Isn't summer just the most wonderful time of year to soak up all of the beauty of lucious fruits and vegetables on display? Your flowers are gorgeous. It makes me wish that we were allowed to have so many flowers in pots and in our yard at our condo. All so beautiful. Love the purple poppies....I have never seen any color but red.

    Blessings for a beautiful week!

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  7. Oh my gosh, how sweet is the deer?!

    Those poppies are stunning. I need some more in my life.

    You know, I've planted that Ice Plant three years in a row and it never does a dang thing and it doesn't overwinter. Then I see it in other people's yards around town, growin' like a weed. This year I said, FORGET IT. Ha!

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  8. Those poppies are spectacular! So beautiful! We've had yummy blueberries in the groceries recently. I've been gorging on them. lol!

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  9. I look forward to seeing your framed beauties! We are hoping for some cooler weather. I know just what you mean. I check my garden in the am and go out late for the dead heading!

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  10. Can't wait to see the framed pieces! When I was a kid, we would go hiking at the beach and there was ice plant all over the dunes! Apparently it is a very adaptable plant (from dunes to pots!). My husband has been watering in the early morning, before he heads out to work. Tho not today, because of the storms last nite! Hugs!

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  11. Good for you getting all those framed up! What a daunting task to pick out all those frames! Wow.
    Gorgeous, gorgeous garden pics.
    Look at that bold doe!

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  12. Poppies wouldn't be my favourite flower but that colour of Poppy is just gorgeous. Love the pieces you have chosen to be framed. Looking forward to seeing them all.

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Thank you all. I appreciate that you've read my blog and are taking the time to comment.