Lily of the Valley

Things started off like this..


And very quickly progressed to this. The aroma was heavenly, and I was so delighted to have a legitimate source of lily of the valley - I used to purloin them from public places (thanks, University of Ottawa! smooch) and now I don't have to!


And there was another patch in the backyard, edged with white violets. I picked fragrant bouquets to my heart's content.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The White Garden

Image
Inspiration abounds. I was reading about the life of Vita Sackville-West (and what a life!) when I read about her "White Garden" at Sissinghurst. Apparently it's famous! She wrote, in 1950: "All the same, I cannot help hoping that the great ghostly barn-owl will sweep silently across a pale garden, next summer in the twilight- the pale garden that I am now planting, under the first flakes of snow." The U.K National Trust, which manages the garden, states "Only the colours of white, green, grey and silver were to be allowed to grow in this new pale garden thus creating what we now call the White Garden, one of the most famous areas of Sissinghurst." Photo source:  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden/features/a-moonlit-masterpiece-at-sissinghurst-castle-garden Simultaneously, in July I noticed a curious lot of white perennials on sale at the Canadian Tire near me: white bleeding heart, white liatris, white scabiosa...
Read more

M is for....

Image
M is for mystery! There is a neglected spot (yes, one of many!) behind the house that, last year, had a healthy crop of deadly nightshade (swiftly pulled out by me when discovered - I have little children!). This year there is milkweed growing profusely, which makes me happy because, monarch butterflies and all. A neglected spot...wouldn't it benefit from the addition of some POPPIES??? I love poppies, I love them so much. The red silken skirts of the blooms, the black eyes, the leaves that look prickly but aren't. Such romance to them. I picture golden fields of wheat, with scarlet poppies dancing amongst them. And, of course, the poppies of Flanders Fields, the poem which always makes my eyes prickle. Poppies were always in the plan for this garden, no matter how long we stay here (or don't). And so, I planted poppies! The first place I put them was in a small brick-encircled patch in the main backyard (more on that later) in early May (about 8 weeks ago). I al...
Read more