" Thou art the Iris"

      " Thou art the Iris, fair among the fairest,
         who, armed with golden rod and winged
         with celestial azure, bearest the message
         of a God."

                            H. W.  Longfellow


                                 

I am not sure, which God Longfellow refers to, but I dare hope, that he would refer

to our Creator, the Creator of all things, even the beautiful Iris.

Poets, artists and aspiring Photographers like me cannot help but see the hand of God

in the beauty around us, especially in the splendid creation of flowers.

I stand in awe, admiring the uniqueness of each flower, their colour, their scent, their shape.

God is indeed the greatest artist we know.

Of all creations, I think flowers in their abundant

differences, and which ,despite their fragile natures,  defy the harshness of their environment,

bear the message of God.

                         

The "mighty" thistle

This donkey obviously loves thistles , and so do I. Perhaps that's because I am not a big time farmer.
To them thistles are a scourge. They propagate by the millions, have painfully sharp thorns, and have underground runners that are impossible to irradicate.

I love them , because birds, bees and butterflies love them  and they are very photogenic and controllable in my little garden. I am not sure what kind of thistles are growing in my garden.According to my research one might be a scotch thistle and something else. I have tall ones and small ones and they are all beautiful

                                                       

                

Seasons

" To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

                                                                                        Ecclesiastes 3:1

Immersed in snow, cold winter winds twisting bare branches, I am wondering about the purpose of winter for my slunbering rose.

From an artistic point of view, I find trees , shrubs and perennials very interesting in winter. Their true shapes are not obstructed by leaves. They lend themselves to great photography and paintings.

The purpose of winter is to create new life. Already visible now ,in tiny buds, is the life of a new rose.

And should there be any bad bugs hibernating beneath the thick blanket of snow , they might be hopefully eradicated.

The loveliest purpose is the DREAM of a new arbour in it's splendour, just like last year's,

with it's magnificent little roses.

                                                              

Amy's fantastic life captured in photos

On December 12th Amy was one inch tall. It was exciting watching her rapid growth. I have never observed watching another plant grow at such a fast rate. On the 25th she was 26 inches tall, that is 25 inches growth in  14 days.As she grew, her twin was trying to catch up with her. On the 31st of December her 4 magnificent blooms were open.
Her twin did catch up and is 7 inches taller than she is. Amys blooms are fading but she is still beautiful.

Amy's twin has caught up and will be as beautiful as she is.

Watching Amy grow

                        On  Nov. 28th I planted a beautiful BIG Amaryllis bulb which I had purchased at
                        Halifax Seed.
                        We call her Amy. As you can see, I am growing a little silly since the gardening
                         outdoors has stopped. I now have to play with my indoor plants.
                        Growth inside Amy took a while. Yesterday I took the first Photos to record her
                        development.



                                                              

It seems , that I  have a little curious helper , Heffy, checking it out as well.

Mmmmm, I better go for a closer look!!

                                                        


                        
                    

Bringing in the Goods

I think it is winter. We have had our first snow.The pond is frozen.

Time to take in the veggies from the garage to the basement

This is all that is left. We have eaten a lot, I juiced them , made crisps and apple sauce.

Yummy acorn squash

and the garlic is hung on the rafters with care

beauty may fade, but lasts forever

Miss Calendula is determined to survive

Kale is still quite happy in the snow

...I will end with this lovely plant

                                 

Last Chance?

          I would much rather just go outside into the sunshine and take pictures
          of pretty flowers, instead of presenting a Kale Cooking demonstration.
          But the chances are getting pretty slim.
          Today the first snow flurries were falling. I know we should not complain.
          We have been blessed with such wonderful weather.
           I also know it is inevitable, that my flower's roots will have to be covered
          with a thick blanket of snow in order to sleep well .
          I was determined to find their last beauty today.