Garden Shrines, a Venerable Elm, and the First Big Bouquet

It's pouring rain here in Langley, but for most of the weekend it was glorious weather - and WARM - I mean gardening in flips and shorts and T-shirts warm. I planted nasturtium seeds, and even tomato starts in a sunny, sheltered spot where they'll bask in reflected heat off the house (or that's my hope).

Here's reassurance from meteorologist Cliff Mass who wrote on his blog on May 2,  "Due to the warm weather my vegetable seeds have germinated...soil temps are now in the low fifties. The cloudy weather will prevent any real cold...so delicate plants should be ok."

A few images from the first real gardening weekend of the season:

I admit this first photo is mostly about procrastinating on my final book edit. I certainly didn't set out to make a garden shrine - but once I got the moss glued onto the chair, I thought about the peacock feathers, then the Buddha needed a comfy place to sit outdoors. It went on from there, ending with a little offering of fresh flowers. What if we all made our own unique garden shrines - think it'd bring us some  sunshine karma for the coming season?

I came across this glorious weeping Camperdown elm (Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii')  on my walk this morning in Langley's Woodmen Cemetery.  It's worth a pilgrimage up Al Anderson Road to take in this elm's gnarled shape and tissue-paper chartreuse flowers, so delicate on such a sturdy old tree.

Below is my first big bouquet from the garden this spring...The orange 'Princes Irene' tulips are just about blown out, there's yellow-leafed bleeding heart in there (Dicentra spectabilis 'Gold Heart'), purple lunaria flowers, old-fashioned snowball viburnum, and the very first lilacs, not quite fully opened.

 

Comments

[Kathryn Hunt]

Valerie,
Congradulations on the new book! A friend and I are going to visit Meerkerk Garden on Thursday. Are there other must visit nureries or gardens we should include in our day trip, before heading home to Port Townsend?
Beautiful bouquet!
Kathryn

[Valerie Easton]

Hi Kathryn,
A perfect time to visit Meerkerk - I hear it's in full and glorious bloom. You shouldn't leave Whidbey without visiting Cultus Bay Nursery, Chocolate Flower Farm, and Bayview Nursery, all on the south end of the island - each destination has a web page with instructions. Now let's hope Thursday is sunny -
Have fun,
Valerie

[online sunflowers]

I have spring flower bouquet that prepared to my mom,i put it in her room.Hope she like it!Your bouquet is simply beautiful

-Aubrey

[sally]

After years of building little scenes here and there in the garden, I realized that they were shrines, or shrine-like anyway. It's a fine meditation and can't hurt our collective garden karma. Your throne is a beautiful example.

[valerie Easton]

Hi Sally,
If you want to send a photo of your garden shrines - or any other readers would like to send their garden shrine pics - I'd love to post them....such a personal and transitory art form is such fun to share....
Thanks,
Valerie

[Fiona Gilsenan]

I always say, it's the peacock feathers that really make the mossy chair.

Otherwise, you know, it's just a mossy chair.

[valerie Easton]

Hi Fiona,
What a coincidence - that's what I've always felt too - peacock feathers are true transformers...

Thanks for visiting my blog -
Val

[Online Flower Shop Philippines]

Hey Val,

I love your first big bouquet from the garden.nice combination of those different fresh flowers from your garden.hope to see more flowers on your post. keep it up!

-khatie-

[send gift Philippines]

Hi Val!You inspired me by your Big Bouquet.Wishing to see more pics from you.

~Ashley~

[bathmateus]

nice posting....i like it...it is really helpful to all...I love your first big bouquet from the garden.nice combination of those different fresh flowers from your garden

Bathmate

[PaddyPower Bingo]

Wow this flowers post look really nice and used flowers are really awesome.Its really nice combination of those different fresh flowers from your garden.

[jordan france]

oh so funny!