The Best of the Rest 2013

Wow! 2013 is coming to a close, and it is time for this year's 'The Best of the Rest' feature. These are photos taken through the year that for various reasons did not make it onto my blog the first time around, but, nevertheless, deserve a look. I always enjoy going through the THOUSANDS of photos trying to choose appropriate selections for each month, but it is a time consuming task! In the end, the shots are are a good review of the year.

So, drum roll, please! Here they are:

January:Autumn the cat came to us in October, 2012. She disappeared without a trace only a couple months after I took this photo. Although she was with us only a few months, she left us with lasting memories. We still miss her. If you love cats, or if you hate cats, and if you haven't already done so, you should read my previous post A Cat Tale.

February:Clockwise from top left: Cheery daffodil; Leucojum aestivum (Summer snowflake); Trollius; Hellebore.

March:Early spring in the woodland garden

Deodar cedar 'Feelin' Blue' is one of my favorites, and I have featured it in many of my blog posts. One more time won't hurt!

April:Looking like a hairy newborn alien, an Autumn Fern frond unfurls.

Woodland garden, early April, 2013.

This old urn belonged to my grandparents.

May:

June:

July:

August:Red banana plant in the front garden; everything has a golden glow in August.

September:Clockwise from top left: Variegated pittisporum and wood aster; Coneflower; Plectranthus; Rosa mutabilis.

October:Clockwise from upper left: Entrance to lower woodland garden; Ipomoea fistulosa (Bush morning-glory); One of several birdhouse in the front garden; Little Heartleaf ginger.

November:

December:Clockwise from top: Edgeworthia crysanthia buds are swelling; Collard greens are Lou's favorite; these were just picked from our garden; Nandina berries.

I hope you enjoyed the photos! Did you have a favorite month? Best wishes to everyone for a very Happy New Year!  Deb

A Sensational Day in the Front Garden

The golden sun was so warm, even as a strong cool breeze was blowing summer away. In the background, the sound of thousands of katydids rose and fell like rhythmic Latin American maracas. I have heard the sound all my life and hardly notice it, but a stranger to the region could be overwhelmed by it. The songbirds were singing, the hawks were shrieking at each other, and the barred owls where hooting in their otherworldly language. The colors of the world were heightened with the sky an intense cerulean blue and the trees and shrubs edged with shades of yellow, pink, and purple. When I took a deep breath I could smell it all: the earth, the freshness of the breeze, the aromas of the foliage. In all, the day was a marvelous sensory experience.

Here are some photos I took around the front garden yesterday as I enjoyed a taste of early autumn. I hope you will receive a blessing, as I did.

A view through the Jasmine arch toward the front garden

a view of the front garden

A view from the front toward the edge of the woodland garden

I planted Deodar 'Feelin' Blue' about a decade ago, when it was only a few inches tall and about a foot wide. Now it is over six feet tall and ten feet wide.

Some views inside the front garden

A view into the front garden from the lower front lawn. I call this the backside of the front garden.Paths run throughout the front garden.

Wild ageratum is one weed I allow to roam, within limits.

An early beginning of the fall foliage show

Finally, here are some September flowers:

I hope that, wherever you are, you are surrounded by love and those things in life that are most beautiful. Have a great week!