It's been pouring rain the last two days..should help seeds etc..if they don't drown..
It's feast or famine here..things pop up suddenly and abundantly and early ..this year...more than most.That heat at the start..
Lilacs are lasting longer..and how stinkin' cute as my friend Susan would say are the dwarf irises?
So stinkin' cute:)
The gardens are filling up..On a sunny day..grass mowed..it's cute.
Cute..nothing pro..nothing manicured..or well planned..
I just grow what I love to see..sometimes it works ..sometimes not.
I realize I am fortunate to be able to garden..to walk and wheelbarrow and plant and care for these things.I never take that for granted and if you could hear my thoughts while gardening you would know that gratitude is first.
Anything and any minute can change that ability.
So while I can..I am.
I took my last class of JHaines watercolor for now..Once the weather changes..I will go back.
Rufus was my last class.
I've made Le Gâteau Rhubarbe de Monette from Ricardo..numerous times..but this time I added a crumble..the cake was good before w/a crumble ..the best rhubarb cake.Really..No kidding.
How sweet are Jack in the pulpits..little fairy tale characters.
They are in the fairy garden.
Can you believe Lucas has started driving..some of us have known each other since before he was born..time does in effect fly by.
I look back at pics of all of them and yearn to hold and kiss them again over and over and over again.
The best yrs..the best yrs of my life..when my girls were little and when the Alphabet boys were little.
They are still so much fun and entertaining and delicious each in their own way..But I can't kiss their necks and examine every little finger and toe.To every thing there is a season.
Like my gardens.
Take care and bon weekend.
That cake looks delicious! I do miss my garden some. But I feel fortunate to have my raised bed herb garden on my lanai. I just made some pesto!
ReplyDeleteYay!! That is fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat a magnificent garden, I particularly love the lilies-of-the-valley bouquet... So charming!
ReplyDeleteMerci!!
DeleteBeautiful garden pictures…love it all…happy weekend lovefrom me 🌺🍀🌸
ReplyDeleteThank you Ria:)
DeleteYes! I was loving that bouquet also.
DeleteLucas is driving! Yes time does go by quickly as we watch them grow. I think I’m in the I know you before the Littles were born in our Gardenbuddies days. So happy you are enjoying those beautiful gardens. Happy Memorial Day to you and Jacques. We are attempting a family get together today even though it might be showers.
ReplyDeleteI think you have! No idea why your name shows up anonymous:(Enjoy....
DeleteWhen we first bought this house Paccysandra was rampant but I kept pulling it for several years. It always something, right?
DeleteI love your blog! Our gardens on the west coast are 2 weeks or more behind schedule. The spring has been atrocious. I like the way you have displayed your lily of the valley, I don’t think mine are that tall. You and I have a lot in common. Gardening, cooking, gkids we adore, one 16yr old learning to drive and I have lived and studied in Provence. But I wouldn’t trade it for Canada for all the tea in China. You are calm and gracious but I ,on the other hand, am loud and boisterous, that’s where the similarities end,lol. Angharad
ReplyDeleteOh you made me laugh..:)Thank you for telling me that re Provence..Jacques has always said that.And while in Provence many told us how fortunate we were to live in Canada.:)
DeleteYour garden y is lovely. Nothing happening in mine yet. I know how your feel about your littles. My oldest just finished 5th grade so next year he will be in middle school. He still finds time to FaceTime with me for hours at a time. The little one will be in 1st grade and he still loves all the neck kissing that we call "rumple's". I hug them even closer now after the tragedy in Texas.
ReplyDeleteYou still have Littles time ahead of you.Mine grew feet during Covid..where 3 of us could fit in my bed for sleepovers and storytelling ..they are all young men now and one would take up our bed.That period robbed us of yrs:(But we made it..and we are changed forever but wiser forever too.Texas is unforgivable.It amazed me in Fl to see firearms sold in Walmarts:(
DeleteThanks Monique.
DeleteSuch abundance in your garden. You are catching up to me. Love it all. Years ago I planted one of each color of Spiderwort (Tradescantia). Oy, what a mistake! It is so invasive and self sows with carless abandon. It has taken over several beds. I have failed in trying to keep up with it. Yesterday Larry and I spent a few hours digging up major clumps of them. Clumps that were deeply rooted and most were 2 feet tall and almost as wide. And still, there's a lot more. I may have to ask my landscaper to address the rest. I just don't have it in me. Very bad knees.
ReplyDeleteAn now Lucas drives! I remember when he was just a thought.
How sweet you remember him as a thought.I have no idea why you are anonymous too..that bothers me..My worst ennemy is Goutweed..I cannot stand it at all and it has invaded 2 gardens:( I pull it out..more returns..:(
DeleteThe above is me, Arlene. No idea why I became anonymous
ReplyDeleteAh, that Rufus...be still my heart. You captured him! Your flowers are simply beautiful, Monique! I've never seen dwarf irises, but that makes good sense. Whenever I've grown them, if they're not supported, they tend to lean over. I'll bet that doesn't happen as often with the minis. I saved the rhubarb cake recipe. Since we moved, I had been trying (without much luck) to find ruby red rhubarb starts. I was discouraged. And then one day, I happened to drive by a little farmstand selling plants. I asked if they had rhubarb and the young woman said yes, but she wasn't happy with the plants. They were tiny. So she gave them to me. I amended soil and made them a scrumptious bed to live in. I have high hopes that next year, I will be able to try your recipe with my very own rhubarb!! (they've already tripled in size, yay!)
ReplyDeleteWhen you talk about your grandchildren, your heart shows. So much love. Immense, deep gratitude. I know because I'm right there, too. We are watching our nearly 5 month old granddaughter 3 days a week, while our daughter works. If I had a dollar for every time I kissed her, I'd be the richest woman in the world. Of course, just having the grands makes me feel like the richest woman in the world. They're exhausting little bundles but bring so much joy.
Oh those baby kisses..how lucky you are to have her.As an infant we babysat Lucas the most..Mommy went back to work..but all of a sudden Max appeared then Oli..in between our firecracker Noah..But Lucas is the one we spent most early time with..You know..I'll ask them if they remember something and they don't:( Not everything..some tings..Im so happy you have happy rhubarb..do add a crumble..:) I'm so grateful my daughter's new home has so much.. she could sell it;)Who knew grandchildren could be treasures we never thought would be so priceless♥We were always happy tired ..have you noticed how much we as grandparents talk to each other about them.I'm always telling Jacques something about them♥
ReplyDeleteYou're right, my hubby and I talk about the little girls all the time. It's been fun to watch him become a grandpa. I was 66 when our first grand was born, and past ready to be grandma. The good thing about being older was we had the flexibility to help watch the little ones, since we were retired. I like your term, "happy tired." I might have to put that on a t-shirt. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
DeleteThe same to you..You know when I saw J as a grandad there settle in a new affection..different:)
DeleteOh Monique, to spend even a moment in your garden would be like entering paradise. Every photo is beautiful -- every one makes me gasp. You have such a gift of gardening. I know -- it's a gift you work on very hard, till you are bone tired. But it is beautiful. And I think Rufus might be one of your best. Bravo.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Jeanie.I think of your friend now also when gardening.Thanking the universe for the capability while here...
DeleteAnother gorgeous gateau, another wonderful watercolor!
ReplyDeleteToday I am anonymous! XxxParisbreakfasts
DeleteMa chère amie, Je te souhaite une très joyeuse fête des mamans (en France c'est aujourd'hui !)... Une très belle publication où les fleurs sont à l'honneur pour mon plus grand plaisir. Bravo pour cette très jolie aquarelle. Gros bisous,
ReplyDeleteMerci MA..je te souhaite une très belle fête..nous c'est au début de mai!
DeleteMonique your gardens look so lovely. I know how much work it is. Beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteI know you KNOW:):):)Thank you!
DeleteYour garden is beautiful. I just put in some Solomon's Seal this year and I hope it takes. It was from another gardener. Yes to doing what we can while we can!
ReplyDeleteI still have a couple of young granddaughters (18 months and 3 yrs) who love to snuggle and cuddle and I treasure every second of it, because soon they will be like the older ones and not so willing.
Here our gardens are so far behind because of our cooler than normal spring. I'm getting a little cranky about it, but that won't help at all.
Have a great week.
So cute your comment about cranky not helping at all:)Your SS should go forth and prosper:)I bet it will!
DeleteYou are off to a great start in your charming garden! I received an Annabelle Hydrangea for retirement and will finally get around to planting it today. I am truly enjoying my free time in the garden.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while because of my circumstances but as the years went by I settled in to not working..and now the thought of working ..is a nono:) Nonononono:)Enjoy!
DeleteGreat blog
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI love your thoughts on gardens and children Monique. God willing we live long enough to enjoy great grandchildren and cuddle them! Your blooms are beautiful. Haphazard works for me and they are the prettiest gardens. Not manicured, but well cared for and filled with the things you love. Your cake looks fabulous! I baked a rhubarb cake this week as well, a different one than yours. It was tasty too. I adore rhubarb season! Thank you so much for all that you generously share with us! xoxo
ReplyDeleteI thank you for all you share!
DeleteWould you believe I just checked my blog emails today for the first time in days! Lots of gardening and golf - LOL. I had 129 emails to sort through and one of them was the link to this post. Sorry to be so late to the beautiful party here and here we are in June already. So many beautiful things bloomed and are already waning or totally finished blooming. I goes by so fast, just like Lucas' 16 years! I can't believe Mack will be 13 at the end of summer! Our first teenager. He's still so sweet just like your boys are. Walks right up and offers a hug without me asking for one. ♥ I love all of your beautiful photos! The flowers, robin's eggs, Rufus, Ricardo's cake - YUM.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a great night last night:) I know you did..today we celebrate Max..15..oh lala.. Age looks way better on them than me..Jacques put Nematodes this AM at 7 to try and remedy grub issue..now I just need a wildlife guy lol..Have a beautiful weekend!
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