A Haiku For Now...

Lost bee scours garden

Skims by pollen spent flowers

Lost in poetry.

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.

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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...

Blossoming Beauty

Blossoming beauty
surrounds, senses spring to life.
The church bell calls time.

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!

Haiku for March

Light pierces curtain
Sun rises red, burning gloom
Birds nesting wake me.

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.

Haiku for February

Silent like shadows
Clouds grow crystal raindrops
Hailing winter storms.

Poem for January

Spirit

I am not here

I am dead:

In mind

Not in body,

No head space

Taken too much 

By others cares,

Not intended; ended. 

My intention was

Not this way.

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.

Winter Garden

Not much to do in the garden - but there is still colour out there.

This is the little heather plant my daughter bought for pennies a few years ago, from the clearance at the local garden centre. If you've read other posts on here about this hobby we have; 'renovating' old plants, sorry to repeat myself. But really - what a lovely plant and still healthy too.

This little holly plant never grows much. I'm sure if I put it in the ground it would do better, but it looks so pretty in this pot.

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.

Turn and Blow Away

What a wet October; although it has been relatively mild. The trees are turning...



The leaves have started falling: the rain dampening their vibrancy. Reflecting memories of kicking up and crunching through paths; like streams swimming with crisp leaves, on the way home from school.

The colours are still beautiful though, brightening up grey days.

Thought I'd share these that I managed to catch before they pile up brown and waterlogged.

Sending 'Mister Blue Sky'

A reminder of amazing summer skies...

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Stormy here today; hail, sunshine, rain, thunder and lightning. With a rainbow arching over the back drop - to cheer up the blackened sky. Autumn...

Still on the autumnal theme of squirrels...

We have a cheeky squirrel and his pal; that run across the fence at the back of our garden. They are quite fast and spirited.

The other day whilst quietly reading in the garden, one made me almost catapult out of my chair! This morning, from my kitchen window whilst doing the washing up; I spied the bigger one digging again, in the downstairs neighbours garden (we live in a first floor flat). Making muddy divots in the grass; like golf clubs do when swung through the air to release the ball - only with it's little paws.

I wrote this haiku last year - thought it worked with this post.

Acorns fill the tree.

Fall down for squirrel’s dinner;

Buried deep in soil.

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...

Lake view

Yesterday...
I walked back in time to a lake I used to feed the ducks with my daughter - then a toddler. The ducks are still there. A crane perches, head held high; he owns the lake. The swans glide and flow under the bridge and through to a stream; duck follows suit. A roundabout like the ones in the playground we used to spin. Waterfowl play.

Take a walk - inspires a haiku

A signature neck

Sails serenely over lake

Craning out anger.