The shortest days in the year have come- at least in the Northern Hemisphere- bringing along a lot of bleak and gloomy moments. Unfortunately, the so called "moments" seem to last far too long, which is sheer torture leading to physical and emotional deprivation. We all need extra energy to endure the dark, merciless hibernation and finally survive. Hoping for lighter and longer days, how about a sip of healthy infusion of red petals and fruit? Why red? You will know the moment you have finish watching the slideshow below. Just give it a go...
 A yellow flower
(Light and spirit) Sings by itself For nobody. A golden spirit (Light and emptiness) Sings without a word By itself Let no one touch this gentle sun In whose dark eye Someone is awake. (No light, no gold, no name, no colour And no thought: O, wide awake!) A golden heaven Sings by itself A song for nobody. Thomas Merton  I am positive that even the silky touch of a trap does not make the experience of being trapped enjoyable. Every garden is full of hardworking spiders building their silky webs non-stop. And they catch whatever can be caught crating new surprising dimensions in the architecture of a plant and garden as well. Wilted flowers or dry leaves caught in mid-air not to mention poor insects. Some spider webs show a striking resemblance to the wooly or hairy flower structures we can now observe while having a walk in the country side. The source of inspiration seems to be the same although the objectives are totally different. Among the pictures in the slideshow presenting spider webs are six illustrations of innocent plants. Try to find them while listening to one of the best - if not the best- Queen of the Night sung by Zdzisława Donat. The queen is trying to catch her own daughter in the trap of vicious feelings and her voice is pure silk!
 Malcolmia is a dream flowering plant for every gardener. You sow its seeds and in no time you smell its flowers. And I swear by it. What is four weeks of waiting for Malcolmia's lavender four-petalled blossoms compared to a period of time, e.g. twice as long, other species make us wait? Nothing!
Virginia stock (Malcolmia maritima) is an annual which produces a profusion of fragrant flowers. The plant naturally grows in Mediterranean Europe and shows clear predilections to become a natural part of any environment where it finds suitable growing conditions. Being not very demanding, it thrives in every decent garden soil in full sun or light shade, which means, it can easily transform part of your garden and make it look Greek. In four weeks!  Mid -August is still reigned by astrological Leo, a sign whose powerful characteristics like ambition, generosity, loyalty, being stubborn and dominant find their colourful (mostly yellow) incarnation in... rudbeckias. At least some of them.
Rudbeckias or coneflowers, natives of North American vast prairies, arrived in Europe long time ago with a very ambitious and secret plan to colonise the Old World (of course, it is my interpretation). Being very prolific responded with great generosity to hospitable new lands and spread quickly within gardens they were planted. And not only within. Confinements of all sorts are not for such energetic plants like rudbeckias whose ruler-according to Zodiac readings -is the sun and fire their element. They can dominate every territory showing uncompromising determination while seducing everybody with ornamental leaves and graceful flower heads. |
AuthorI was destined to be born gardener. In order to become a professional one I had to enjoy years of studying at various schools and universities... read more Archives
May 2017
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