I must have flowers ...

happy Friday from my garden 

It's another hot and humid day here.

As Archer and I walked around the garden 

we spotted bumble bees, cabbage white and monarch butterflies. The two cabbage white butterflies followed us. For those who have followed my blog over the years will know that spotting  2 cabbage white butterflies flying together always make me think of our two beautiful, much loved black labs Bentley and Ernest xo

 I wanted to clip a few flowers and leaves for the flower press, but first I needed to water plants, add some cool fresh water to the bird baths,

top up the feeders, sprinkle coffee grounds around the vegetable garden (I was told by my daughter that radishes love coffee grounds, so trying her trick) and pick cherry tomatoes for tonight's salad.

"Flowers are the music of the ground.

From Earth's lips 

spoken without sound'

~Edwin Curran~

Good Morning

 Morning Glory

I love Cosmos  ... started in our garden many years ago with a handful of seeds

randomly scattered through the garden to land where they may.

Even now, we never know where we will find them   :-)

I love that!

"She wore flowers in her hair

and carried secrets in her eyes"

~Arundhati Roy~

After the garden was taken care of, it was time to snip some leaves and petals.

A few rose of sharon * coleus * pansies * trumpet and honeysuckle vine leaves *

leaves from the dogwood * 

Between the squirrels walking over the pergola

and birds pulling at the vine for nests, there are always bits and pieces of vine on the patio .

I always pick up a few of the pieces and twist them into little wreaths.

They make very pretty napkin rings.

There is something very relaxing and meditative about laying out petals and leaves

in the press 

Some of the older pieces that were in the press are now on tags

... a little bit of calligraphy and twine and they will be finished.

Even  petals that have broken off get added ...

"I am in awe of flowers.

Not because of their colors,

but because even though they have dirt in their roots,

they still grow.

They still bloom.

~D. Antoinette Foy~ 

Have a beautiful weekend

xo

d