Poetry Shared

This will be my last post. I promised a last poem. I wrote 'Vase' as part of my OU A215 course poetry, with the theme of life. It is my best to date and my favourite...

Vase

Lilies dropping pollen;
Like blood stains
On white sheets.

Gerberas wilting faces
Shrivelling up
Like dead leaves.

Dehydrated they drink
The vase of tap water
Like a drip.

To any reading my blog - I thank you...

With very best wishes,

Ali

Lost in Summer

I haven't been able to write much of late. I am still waiting for the right words.
Instead I thought I'd share a few photos on here...

Nothing beats the view on walking alone

Amazing sky at Newlands Corner

Visiting my very favourite place - the beach. Been here a lot lately for the sea air. This picture captured many years ago - remains the best.

Same beach different shot - taken this year.

Some beautiful roses I bought myself when feeling sad. I always do this. These were unusual - coloured like rhubarb and custard - the photo doesn't do them justice.

***

Spotted at a theme park, in one of their garden areas whilst waiting at a ride.

Just so Beautiful

Confetti Rose

June is for roses... a little late in blooming this year but now on full show in English gardens.

This is the first rose in our garden, which sheds petals, like confetti under its boughs.
A poem is born...

Confetti Rose

Naturally fall
blanket grass pink,
for a girl.

Rose petals like
confetti thrown,
for a bride.

Sharing Old Memories

Bank holidays always are a bit of a loose end for me... So thought I'd share some old memories.

Today we went for a walk and saw one of these. This is one I captured a while ago - I did not have my camera in time today... The blue is quite vibrant in the real.

Today I finished off my final OU assignment. I have been at a loss as to what to put on my blog of late, as my head has been filled with academia ;) So as usual I will be reviewing how the garden is faring and getting back to my more creative writing.

Sadly my camellia did not do well after wet and windy Spring weather. Although it had twelve buds, all of them either dropped off, or disappeared (likely blown away). So found this from a year or two ago when it did bloom to show it in flower. Maybe next year...

Some flowers from the past, looking forward to sitting in the garden (hopefully) now my studying is finished. The garden will be my new haunt rather than hunched over my books and laptop.

Pretty daughter's dahlias

Fuchias are so beautiful - courtesy of my Dad - the grower. If I remember rightly, the actual species of this one sounds very much like my name...

Cornflower Blue and Lavender Too

I've got the May blues. In my garden that is...cornflowers, bluebells, forget-me-nots and wild-flower.

Looking round the garden at all the hues of blue, reminded me of a nursery rhyme I once loved.  But can't now remember all the words. I had a book of rhymes, again where it is I have no idea. I remember it's pictures and it's pages that I glossed over through my childhood. This is the first line;

'Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green'

But no it's not blue or green. Lavender is purple blue, lilac and white in the garden centres and I'm sure I've seen a pinkie purple one too.

I don't have any lavender out at the moment - too early, but here's some from last year...

Lovely, lovely  lavender
Flower, scent - all parts
To bathe in your beauty,
Essential purity
To heal wounded hearts.

April Flowers

Every day the garden is changing. This morning the tulips were all unfurling to reveal their beauty...

There are many variants of primroses too...

I planted bulbs that didn't flower last year. Now I have something coming up in the pot and have no idea what it's going to be (spiky looking leaf bulb as below). That's the beauty of gardening. Self seeding, nature and dormant bulbs appear from nowhere, without any need for nurturing. Nature has it's own mind.

April sun is here for a bit longer. Good for a few days anyhow!

Buds and Blooms

'Sunshine'

Shrubs and trees are waking. Their stems pop buds as the winter sun reminds them it is warming up... hopefully anyhow.

I have taken a few photos on the odd occasion I've managed to get in the garden.

This was the first snowdrop. It really gave me hope.

The rose at the front seems to like the extra compost of my fresh coffee grounds (decaf I hasten to add)!  Not sure whether this works but tried tea bags once and no - that just lands up as dried paper bags. I've never seen this look good once cut back and so hoping for more flowers.

This camellia didn't flower last year. I added lots of extra compost in November and now look... Loads of buds - can't wait to see this in full flower, as only one flower has appeared before on its first year. It's a gorgeous pink if it does come out.

I bought a bunch of flowers for myself a few weeks ago now. These tulips are so unusual. They look a bit like a lion's mane to me. Really pretty variations in colour. They came in a little bunch with some purple tulips and pink roses. Nice and bright.

Looking For The Good

After a few weeks of colds (the never ending sniffles), rain, wind and general grey days, it's no wonder the normal January blues are at an all time high. The other day, I decided to look for the good.

*

After heavy rain, came blue sky. Birds seemed to fly more gracefully, darting from tree to tree in the garden. My usual walk to the shops was highlighted by a pink flowering shrub (a camellia, I believe) which I vowed to capture on my phone on the way home, hoping for better light. I found warmth in the coffee shop and the local charity shop. Not just the heating, but kind people who smiled, rather than look the other way. Everyone seemed more chatty about the changeable weather in a heart-warming way. I didn't mind getting wet - my hood sufficed the forgotten brolly (why does it always rain when you have no umbrella ;D and never when you are prepared?!). The dark clouds cleared. The shrub - in the church graveyard was captured (felt a little strange doing this but had to be done... albeit it came out blurred). I apologise for trespassing - as one does!

Beauty lives in nature

I look up to blue skies on my return journey. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day...

Looking For The Good

January
is such a down
turned month to me.

I look around
to find the good -
this is what I see.

Floating Flowers

I used to float candles. Now I flower... A rose from the tree in the garden scents the bowl with geranium. Delicate fallen orchid flowers; stay strong in water bowl. The frayed rose and gerbera that are no longer for the vase; float afresh.

Simplistic beauty.

A Rescued Rose - Flowering in November

I could not believe my eyes this week; whilst raking leaves in the garden...

A rose; that had not flowered all year decided to bud. Luckily, I brought it inside; before the frost got at it. What a lovely bloom to brighten up the grey days of November.

October rains...

Well the rain has started but it is at least staying mild. Here are a few roses that are still flowering. The tiny white rose was grown from a plug pot; that I got from Co-op last year - as a baby house plant rose shrub. It seems to still like it outside.

I moved it to the front doorstep for a bit of shelter and the bloom has grown to this...

Pink Lily

I bought some oriental lilies the other day. They have just started opening; spraying their noxious perfume and dropping pollen. I like to cut out the stamen as it opens to reveal the opening flower's detail.

I have just popped one in my bowl (see my floating flowers post here). Lilies don't work... too big - they fill like a rowing boat taking up water.

***

Lily Pollen Stains

Pink lily floating in the bowl

Sinks deeper meaning in my soul.

I don't like lilies any-more

They make me cry dry tears; that pour.

I don't like lilies any more.

Still flowering - September in my garden

The rose tree in our garden is still budding. it's been flowering since April - this years record.

The petunias have gone 'leggy'; a phrase I am sure I have picked up from my Dad at some stage... It always makes my husband laugh! The violas in the pot are still there albeit 'very straggly'. They will be for the recycle bin soon...

This rose flowered for my birthday - an unexpected flower from a rose that looked finished for the season. Lovely warm days this week have helped there I think.

Gorgeous Cosmos. Love this colour; grown courtesy of my Dad.

I come from a family of growers/ gardeners; but nobody can beat his plants for longevity. I have not inherited his power (or indeed patience) for potting and sowing but my daughter and I love to bring back 'unwanted' plants from nursery clearance sales. We have done well with a heather bought for pennies two years ago and it is doing really well. Waiting to see it flower when it turns a bit colder.

Enjoy the sun and blue sky whilst it lasts.

The Wandering Wildflower Walker

Yesterday morning I went for a walk. Alone. Before the masses had turned the paths into a cycle and dog race! I only saw a few cyclists; sedate ladies and two more ladies with dogs. I often get jumped at by dogs but luckily these two were very well trained.

Here are a few pictures all taken early; when the plants were dripping with dew - a most impressive and inspiring start to the day. I highly recommend early runs, walks or cycles. The air is so fresh and clean.

Here is the view from the bridge I walked to. Actually quite eerie...

This is such a beauty...

Stormy and humid

School holidays means rain and lots of it. Well we've had a few storms over the last week or so but the garden is surviving - just. The petunias have had a bashing but are growing back strong again, after some serious rain lashing.

Here are a few pictures I took before the rains came at the end of July. Sadly the roses seem to have stopped on this shrub now. The blooms last for only a day or so. Glad I snapped them when I did...