Summer, so fleeting

Where did the Summer go?

Colors have never been brighter

Long gone are the colors of Spring

Now is the time to gather seeds for next  year

  too bright?  What do you think?

Maybe add more blue, my favorite petunia, Sky Blue.

It's the blues and lavenders I usually plant.

Why not do both.

Hope you are enjoying the last days of Summer,

    

    Gina

Summer Colors

My Tuberous Begonias  are more than 20 years old, never re-potted or given special care. 

Dwarf Zinnias provide lots of color

Salpiglossis come in many colors, even black.

Shade is always welcome.

Wishing you a great Summer,

Gina

Happy 4th of July

Happy Fourth of July 

Enjoy the  day in this beautiful and free country.  

Have fun and be safe. 

Gina 

The hopeful gardener.

Will it ever look like this again?

Asters blooming from seeds collected in Italy many years ago. 

New soil did wonders. 

And then I had the soil removed because a nasty little worm had invaded my flower beds.  

The good soil was replaced and I have struggled for two years to improve  the top soil that was delivered. 

Come Spring, I will begin again. 

Happy planning dear friends. 

Seed catalogs are arriving.  

Gina 

I have not abandoned you

As usual, this time of year

I am preparing for  

the Annual Artist Studio Tour. 

See that red Poppy with the black and green center?

That is an Opium Poppy,  (papaver somniferum).

When I was a very young girl I spent a lot of time out in the country side gathering food for our many rabbits. 

Sooner or later I would run into a Poppy field. 

Often the pods were almost ripe but not quite. 

I would open a pod, empty the many seeds into my hand and hold my hand up toward the sun. 

Within seconds the unripe and green seeds would turn into black poppy seeds, yes the kind you would sprinkle onto baked breads and cakes. 

As soon as the seeds turned black I would eat them, all of them, 

all at once. 

Was that Euphoria I felt?

Wishing you a euphoric week my dear 
Blogging Friends

Gina  

Mon Bouquet du Jour

Mein Sonntag Strauss am Sonnabend.

And a gift to the first three lucky visitors who can identify the very last flower.

My Sweet Peas and the last of my Icelandic Poppies.

So many lovely flowers blooming in my garden right now.

Is it because they are such a challenge that they are my favorites?

The Salpiglossis.

Can you identify this flower growing in my garden. 

Please leave your answer by going to my Etsy shop. 

(All you have to do is click on Maiolica, at top of my blog in the Etsy box)

The first three visitors who leave the correct answer will receive one of my

famous hand painted "Fancy Feet"

Wishing you a beautiful week ahead my dear

Blogging Friends.

Gina