Friday Favourites: Roses and Visitors

 

Spring being a tough act to follow, God invented June.

Al Bernstein

June is such a beautiful month. Roses, Sweet Peas, Lavender, even Dahlias grow almost visibly. We've enjoyed pleasant temperatures, not too hot, and clear evenings where the light lingers until well after 10 pm. The garden is a tangle of leafy growth and bright blooms that hide most of the weeds. 

Lichfield Angel, a David Austin rose, is showing off just now with large creamy blossoms. I see it from my kitchen window and admire the plethora of flowers. It's a large shrub, and I've removed other plants I had nearby to give it space. Working in the garden is such a joy and I come in with scratches and dirty hands and clothes, but oh, so happy. 

I read about berry cages in English books and wondered exactly what they were. Did people really build cages around their raspberries? It seems so, and I now know why. We've had a couple of very pesky robins eyeing the blueberries and strawberries and pecking at many of them. So much so that we built our very own berry cage! It's just tall poles with cross supports over which we've draped netting. It has kept the birds out. How funny it was to watch the robins shortly after we installed it. 

They swooped down from the sky and pulled up abruptly when the sight of the net registered. They marched about on the ground all around the cage looking for an entry point looking very cross. As Tim said to them, "There are plenty of worms in the garden, go eat those!" 

Sweet peas fill the air with such fragrance and colour. And I love the fact that they need to be clipped to keep blooming. I snip away, making bouquets for various rooms in the house. 

This weekend my sister and brother-in-law, and my parents are visiting so I'll put fresh flowers in their rooms. They are coming for my book launch party, hosted by a friend. I've never been to a book launch party, but my friend has, and has arranged everything. 

Hydrangeas are another summer favourite that are looking well these days. There is so much choice for cutting and filling vases. 

Molineux is my newest rose, purchased late last summer and settling in well. 

We've had a busy week. My brother and sister-in-law were in town earlier in the week and we took a trip to Botanical Beach to see the tide pools, and also to Butchart Gardens on another day. 

As well, last night was the graduation ceremony for our youngest daughter who has completed her Masters of Counseling degree. It's been a long three and a half years for her, being a mom to her two young daughters, as well as working with her husband on setting up a new business. We're very proud of Ashley. 

What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, 

the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet

no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.

Gertrude Jekyll

For fans of Anne of Green Gables and similar stories, I discovered a collection of L. M. Montgomery's stories online which are free to read. There are many I've never read. L. M. Montgomery short stories at Online Literature. 

My own reading these days is a biography of Jo van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent Van Gogh's sister-in-law, who, after his death and the death of her husband, dedicated her life to making Van Gogh's paintings known to the world. 

I'm off to finish the laundry and do some last minute things before the company arrives. Wishing you all a most beautiful weekend!

Friday Favourites: By the Shore

 

The sun shone this morning and it was a good day to do something different. We visited two spots on the water, Sandcut Beach and Fishboat Bay. Two places not very far apart on the shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but they couldn't be more different.

Walking through the forest was a wee bit chilly, but full of fresh woodsy smells. A choir of birdsong floated down through the tree canopy as we walked. I used the Merlin app to find out just which birds were singing. Pacific Wren, Brown Creeper, Western Flycatcher, Golden-Crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush, and the ubiquitous American Robin. The birds were high above us and we didn't see one of them. 

We rounded a corner on the trail and met this fellow, created with a bit of charcoal and two white rocks in old springboard notches. The notches were created long ago to hold a piece of wood out from the trunk to stand on while cutting the tree. I learned today that often the bottom of a tree is where the knots are, so loggers would cut the stumps quite high, hence the need for a springboard. 

Soon we heard the sound of waves rolling up onto the shore, but the sun was hidden by patches of fog obscuring most of the view. A Belted Kingfisher stood on a rock in the water, perhaps waiting for the sun to come out so he could go fishing. They are such quick birds and rarely in one spot for any length of time but this particular bird sat for a long time. 

Sandcut Creek winds its way to the ocean on a shelf 12-15 feet (4-5 metres) above the shoreline and then falls onto the tumbled rocks below. The flow varies with much more water in winter and just a trickle by late summer. 

This beach is a rocky one with curves and hills formed by the water. The smoothly rounded loose rock takes some effort to walk on, and there was little sand. 

We clambered up above the falls and walked upstream along the creek bed. Round pools and channels have been carved out by the water over time. We were startled by a dog who came from the woods barking loudly at us. A trail led to the creek and we could see the roof of a building in the woods, so I assume someone was living there. The dog was watchful, but not threatening. Still, we decided not to venture any further. 

Just down the road at Fishboat Bay the water looked almost tropical in the sunshine.  

A few patches of fog hung over the water, but the beach was clear. In contrast to the rocks at Sandcut Beach, here was beautiful smooth sand. It would be perfect for lounging on a warm day, or bringing children to enjoy the sand and sea. 

The tall pilings are the remnants of a dock where fishing boats came ashore, hence the name of the Bay. 

In sunny patches along the roads daisies bloom along with blackberry bushes and orange poppies. Summer weather seems to be settling in now, and for that I am very happy. 

I'm looking forward to -

* evenings on the patio

* bouquets of roses and sweet peas and dahlias

* summer food - watermelon, hearty salad dinners, and fresh fruit

* not wearing a sweater

What are you anticipating in the next months, be it summer or winter? 

Friday Thoughts of Roses, Birds, and Peonies

 

It was June, and the world smelled of roses.

The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside. Maud Hart Lovelace

The first roses are blooming in the garden. John Cabot, above, is one of the earliest. It's a thorny plant, a climber that we cut severely last year and moved due to the construction of a new patio. It seems to be recovering nicely, and should it develop the tall growth it previously had, we will train it along the fence which is at the back of our property. 

While I work in the garden, birds come and go. A bright male House Finch sat on a lilac branch and watched me for a few moments, giving me time to take a few photos of him. 

There is another bird who has discovered our garden, and I'm not so pleased about this one. It's a very cheeky American Robin who seems to think this is his property. He comes regularly and pecks at the strawberries. I planted pole beans this week and the very next day saw him peck them out of the ground. I've now covered the bean trellises in cloth to prevent him stealing the ones I replanted. 

Today I saw him perch on a blueberry branch and eye the berries up and down. He's just waiting for them to ripen. Something must be done for he is voracious. 

Our elderberry tree has grown very tall recently, and I hope it fills out a little. Meanwhile the lovely floral fragrance of the blossoms wafts across to where I weed sometimes, making the chore just a wee bit sweeter. 

I make Elderberry Cordial and we've enjoyed it on the rare hot afternoon with lots of ice in either water or club soda. I'm hoping there are plenty more hot summer days ahead, for just now there is a chill wind blowing in from the Pacific and over the past hour, clouds have covered the blue sky. 

As the roses begin to flower, the last of the peonies blooms. This is Sarah Bernhardt, who always shows up last. I don't mind, for I believe she is my favourite, pale pink with flashes of deeper colour here and there. 

Peonies are long-lived shrubs and can bloom for up to 100 seasons, hence their association with long marriages. I love their femininity and extravagant ruffles and can't get enough of them. I've taken photo after photo to try and capture their magic. 

Book news: 

My memoir, Life is Short but Wide, is now available via online platforms such as Amazon. I am still working on getting the print book available on Indigo (Canada), as only the e-book shows up for now. 

If you would like to support your local bookstore, the book can be ordered. Here's the information. The ISBN is not necessary but might help if there are difficulties.

Life is Short but Wide

Lorrie Orr

ISBN 978-1-0675121-0-1 

Also, for the month of June, I will send a signed copy to Canadian addresses, postage included. Just send an email to (lorrieorr @ gmail.com) without the spaces. 

Anyone who has purchased a book (throughout the month of June) is eligible to win this original matted (4 x 6 inches) watercolour. Just send me a quick email (or comment below) and I'll put your name into the hat for the draw. I will mail it anywhere in the world. 

Something to remember - we are all beautiful. When I taught, I would look at my students while they worked on an assignment and I would occasionally think of how beautiful they were, each one with unique gifts and talents, and years of life ahead of them. Youth has its beauty, as does each stage of life on up to old age. Think of the peony that continues to produce beauty throughout its long life.  

Tonight there's a birthday celebration for two darling granddaughters, born within a day of each other. Other than that the weekend will be fairly quiet, with gardening, housekeeping, and reading. 

Friday Favourites: Peonies and Strawberries

 

After dinner this evening, (grilled chicken, potatoes and carrots bundled in foil and cooked on the grill, and coleslaw), I spent some time in the garden. Birds sang sleepy songs as the light softened. Everything is looking lush and green. Now, nearing 9 pm, the sky is streaked with backlit clouds along the horizon. 

I so look forward to peonies in May. There are several varieties in the garden and they bloom at different times. I love their extravagant ruffles and slightly spicy scent. I'm so pleased that there are plenty of blooms so I can cut bouquets for the house. 

Now that my book is finished, I'm doing some serious cleaning. My sewing room, which is also my writing studio, has suffered from a lack of tidiness recently so I spent two afternoons pulling things off the shelves, reorganizing the cupboards, dusting and vacuuming. It looks and feels so much better. I have another storage cupboard that needs the same treatment and I'll start that soon. 

A friend of a friend stayed with us for five days recently. She lives in another province and was in town for a garden tour, but needed emergency surgery. She stayed with us until she was able to fly home. I found myself cooking differently to accommodate her diet and made some old favourites from my growing up years. Scalloped potatoes, homemade macaroni and cheese, hamburger gravy on mashed potatoes, baked custard, and bread pudding. I enjoyed it all, but the first meal I made for the two of us was Shrimp Creole which has punchier flavours. It made me think about how my cooking has changed over the years. 

"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. 

"I don't exactly want to make people know more...

I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time 

because of me...to have some little joy

or happy thought that would never have existed 

if I hadn't been born."

L. M. Montgomery (Anne's House of Dreams)

I've been reading the third book in A. J. Pearce's Emmy Lake series, set during the Second World War in London. Emmy works in a magazine office and it's a fun and unique setting. There are four books in the series; I've read three and will be looking for the fourth. Very enjoyable!

We watched Remarkably Bright Creatures recently. I had no expectations and didn't know what it was about. It's heartwarming and lovely, a very easy movie to watch, and told from a distinctly different perspective. There is a book upon which the movie is based, but I've not read it. 

Strawberries are ripening! The price of local berries in the stores is eye-watering and I am glad that we grow enough for the two of us. They are sweet and juicy. We enjoy them with our breakfasts. I like to freeze some in two-cup amounts for fruit sauces and desserts in the winter. So far, just one bag has made it to the freezer. 

I wish I spoke bird so I could have a little chat with the ones who are pecking at a few of the berries, but leaving the majority of the berry behind. "Bird," I would say, "you are welcome to a few of the strawberries, but please finish eating what you start. Wasting food is not ideal." 

Tomorrow we are meeting friends for brunch at a local restaurant, and on Sunday afternoon, another group of friends is joining us here for a barbecue. Tomorrow is also my parents 71st wedding anniversary. My mother says she can hardly believe it! 

June is just around the corner and I've included one photo of a rosebud that will soon join many others in bringing colour and beauty to the month. 

Friday Favourites: On Flowers and Dreams

 

In the morning, as soon as I get out of bed, I pull aside the curtain from one window and look at the sky. How wonderful it is to see blue sky with just a few puffy clouds. Bright mornings definitely lift my spirits. We've had a long run of those days that fill me with energy. My mouth seems to smile without effort, just because of the beauty of the day. 

Evening light is also magical with its soft glow and deepening shadows. Can you believe that sweet peas are already blooming in my garden? A couple of seeds sprouted from dried pods and self-seeded, growing slowly through our very mild winter, and now with the warmer weather, they have burst into fragrant flowers. I clipped the long stems and set them in a vase on the kitchen windowsill alongside a ceramic rooster that was a wedding gift to my parents over 70 years ago. It sat atop the fridge of my childhood home. My mother gave it to me a few years ago, and it brings back fond memories. 

The garden is relishing the sunshine and warmth. Columbines, Cornflowers, and Peonies are blooming their hearts out. I planted three alliums years ago and each year they come back, just three of them. This year they are all leaning noticeably.

There are so many buds on the peonies! The Duchesse de Nemours is blooming wildly just now, all elegant white frills. A vase of them stands on the dining room table and fills the room with spicy fragrance. Soon the pink varieties will bloom. They are such heavenly flowers. 

A dream came true this week. My memoir is now published. It all seems a bit unreal. It's a scary thing to write and let other people read my words. For those interested in reading it, information is here in my Substack account (no subscription needed). I'll be adding it to the sidebar of my blog, as well. 

A week or so ago I cut back the dry, brown sword ferns to allow fresh growth some air. How intricate the curled fronds are, and how quickly they open to the light. Elsewhere in the garden I've planted out the tomato starters, along with squash and zucchini. The potato plants have been covered with more soil. Basil and dill are emerging and we're enjoying salads with fresh lettuce, spinach, radishes, and green onions picked just before eating. Such luxury. 

We have no plans for the weekend and I hope to garden (the weeds continue to grow) and do the necessary house fluffing chores. Tea on the patio is sure to happen on a sunny afternoon, except the tea might be exchanged for a frosty glass of elderflower cordial, made from last summer's flowers. I sort of forgot about it and it's been sitting on the pantry shelves, well sealed. It's high time to enjoy it. 

Happy weekend to each of you!

A Hike on Victoria Day Weekend

 

The Coast Trail on southern Vancouver Island stretches along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the body of water separating Canada from its southern neighbour. We love hiking there, most often taking the trail to Beechy Head and back, easily done in about 3 hours. 

We've had a long weekend celebrating the birth of our sovereign. It began with Queen Victoria, hence the name Victoria Day, and always falls on the third Monday in May, no matter when the sovereign's birthday might be. 

Pink Thrift growing on a nurse log

Our son and his wife wanted to hike the full length of the Coast Trail, about 13 kilometres. This means taking two cars, so we both drove to one end of the trail in our cars, then they came into our car for the drive to the other end of the trail, a circuitous route. We thought we'd hike along with them for an hour or two and head back to our car. 

Then I had the idea to hike the whole distance with them, if they were willing to shuttle us back to our car at the end. So that's what we did. 

A narrow gorge - our daughter-in-law in the shadows on the right

The scenery along this route is spectacular as it follows the coastline, veering inwards on rocky bluffs, but always returning to the sea. The weather was perfect, sunny and not too warm. I wore a short sleeved t-shirt and a long sleeved cotton shirt and was very comfortable. 

Sea stacks, narrow gorges, blue water with a few whitecaps, and lots of wildflowers were a feast for the eyes.

 

Salal flowers blooming along the path

My Facebook memories told me that the last time I did this long hike was 17 years ago, this very weekend. I confess to finding yesterday's hike much more challenging than I remembered. There was a LOT of climbing up rocky bluffs with some long steps, then picking my way down the other side. In between, the short stretches of more level ground in the forest were a wonderful break. In all, we climbed 1700 feet in altitude, up and down, up and down. The up requires lung capacity and leg strength, the down requires care and is harder on the knees.

We stopped for lunch at Cabin Point, the site of an old fishing camp where men once pulled in hundreds of crabs. It was lovely to sit in the sunshine, eat our lunch, and rest for about 30 minutes before beginning our hike again. An eagle soared overhead - we would look up when his shadow passed over us. He looked like he was enjoying the air currents a lot. 

In the end, Tim and I cut off about 30 minutes of the hike by taking an inland trail. We waited for our son and his wife at the parking lot. There was a Search and Rescue vehicle there doing some training. I thought of going to ask them if they would give me a foot massage as my toes were sore from all the downhill climbing. Haha. 

It was five and a half hours on rugged terrain. I was exhausted, and I realized that I am not quite as strong as I was 17 years ago. I guess that's to be expected. Still, I'm glad I did it. And did I ever sleep well last night!

Friday Favourites: Of the Delights of Gardens

 

At last came the golden month of the wild folk -

honey-sweet May, when the birds come back,

and the flowers come out, and the air is full of the sunrise scents

and songs of the dawning year.

Samuel Scoville, Jr.

From the garden I picked the first two ripe strawberries today. They are indeed early, but red throughout with the sweetness of the sun. Plenty more green ones promise a good harvest in a few weeks. Red radishes and crisp green lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard are being clipped regularly for salads these days. Each morning I go out to open the greenhouse to let air flow through. The tomatoes are growing tall and need to be planted out this weekend. The squash seeds (Red Kuri, Zucchini, and Cucumbers) have popped through the soil and are forming their second set of leaves in what seems like no time at all. I'll keep them in the greenhouse until June for they thrive in the heat. 

 

Rhododendrons with their golden-tipped stamens are blooming everywhere. Last Saturday my sister and her husband were in town and wanted to visit Butchart Gardens. Off we went. Huge bushes of rhodos formed walls of colourful blossoms - pink, red, purple, yellow - so showy. Rhododendrons are not in my list of favourite flowers, but I do concede their drama and the wonderful colour they bring to May. 

More to my taste are the Himalayan Blue Poppies just beginning to bloom in the Japanese Garden. I've tried growing them in my own garden with no success at all. Seeing them reminded me of our trip to Iceland two summers ago where they grew in a very northern botanical garden in the Icelandic town of Akureyri. 

Yellow poppies are currently blooming in my garden and fat buds of the double pink bread seed poppies promise blooms soon. There's always something new to see on my morning strolls. This morning I tied the tall bamboo poles to support the sweet peas that seem to be growing visibly each day. 

My own tulips did not do well this year, and the few that did are now dropping their petals. In Butchart Gardens a few beds still held tulips, but I noticed they were being replaced by other plants.

The sun came back over the Forest, bringing the scent of May.

All the streams of the Forest were tinkling happily to find themselves 

their own pretty shape again and the little pools lay dreaming of the life

they had seen and the things they had done.

A. A. Milne

The friendly wisteria vine planted by our former neighbours is being trained along the back fence, as well as over the garden shed. The fence vine is slowly beginning to bloom, a bit later than the shed vine, probably because it's more in the shade. 

Wind has been the weather of late, with a chilly edge. Skies are dramatic. Last evening we attended an outdoor concert in a park, put on by our youngest granddaughters' school. Each class sang two songs in a very well organized production. Kudos to the music teacher! While driving home I noticed the light filtering through the dark undersides of puffy clouds. This evening we've had a bit of rain and it's most welcome. 

Our rhubarb plant is not producing well this year. I fed it a few weeks ago with some compost and it's perking up, but not enough to harvest. However, our son has plenty and shared a dozen or so stalks with us. I made a roasted rhubarb and strawberry (from last summer's frozen berries) that was quite delicious over ice cream, according to my husband. Today, friends came for coffee and I made rhubarb muffins. I'll post the recipe to my other blog later. 

Looking out my window at 9:45, it's not quite dark. Very black clouds are racing across the sky and tree branches wave wildly. Soon I'll crawl into my cozy bed and feel the cool air from the open window on my face. Sleep will be sweet. 

Wishing you a weekend of delight, be it Spring or Autumn in your corner.