The most beautiful flowers in my courtyard are the roses.
They thrive in the sunshine, protected from the drying winds that blow across the Sonoma Mountains in Sonoma County, California.
It’s been a cool summer until the past few weeks. We are now into the 90′s tho the English roses are still blooming!
The grapes are beginning to show their luscious purple~ness in the warm days of August. Soon it will be harvest time.
Today while gathering a bouquet of Eglantyne along with “Provence” lavender, I made friends with a huge mantis praying upon the lavender stems. She is there each year, growing larger with passing summers.
Now almost 6″ long, she turns her odd head to peer at me as I trim lavender stems the honey bees have passed by.
Next time I’ll share with you some of the other charming flowers that add to the courtyard’s merry mix.
Perhaps I will find the glorious Ms. Mantis as well! I am sure she won’t mind posing for a photograph or five…
In order to make progress, there is only nature,
and the eye is turned through contact with her.
Paul Cezanne
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- Why I Love (and hate) English Roses (countrywomanpaints.com)
Linda, I love the collage of photos you have at the start of this post. Really awesome!
And the photo of those luscious wine grapes? Bellissima!
Lavender is perhaps one of my favorite essential oils to use. I love both the smell and the natural healing qualities it contains. It’s an amazing herb. I also love eucalyptus as well.
“Perhaps I will find the glorious Ms. Mantis as well! I am sure she won’t mind posing for a photograph or five…”
HA! I would so enjoy seeing Ms. Mantis!
Happy Tuesday, dear friend!
(((( You ))))
xoxoxoxo
I have not been back out to seek her but will look perhaps today. she is a splendid creature if not a little spooky if surprised by her as you are bending over the lavenders.
xoxo
Hi Linda – I feel right at home here – have a look at my blog and you’ll see why! LOVE YOUR BLOG XXX
hi hana,
i did have a look and you are a fabulous artist. thank you for stopping by and leaving me your kind comment. i hope you return soon again. xx
Wow…..I peeked at Hana’s blog–AWESOME. Holy cow……
And your flowers and grapes– *happy sigh* I’m glad you have them to enjoy and just BE with. I’ll hope for a fruitful harvest (no pun intended……)
Oh gosh…..himself has been working on discovering a mantus for the past few weeks–it’s that time of year, I guess. No luck so far, but I’ll point him in the direct of some lavendar thanks to you. *laughing* If nothing else he’ll smell better for the efforts!
Lovely……feel free to capture the Mister or Missus Mantus–I’ll enjoy either, truth be told!
hi mel,
do love my lavenders and it’s the first garden out of three i have had them. they are spooky and cool all at the same time.especially when they turn their weird little pointy heads. xxx
yes, i agree.
i am ‘being’ with them a lot lately since i have been laid up. and they are perking right along too…it’s been a good weather summer! even the grapes are coming along in a grand fashion. mantises-manti?
Every time I see pictures of your garden or the individual beauties who reside there I experience a deep settling of my heart. You present the images with great sensitivity and awareness.
I’d love to see a picture of your visiting mantis if she agrees to pose. Some things we see I think are for our eyes only.
dear susan,
you are so kind and thank you. it is my wish to try to somehow share the beauty i experience here with others. i am privileged to live here now and it is a special and sacred place with a long history of spirituality with native peoples. only wishing they were here today still…. thank you.
i am going to seek her out again altho she tends to somehow pop up in all the right places, ifyou can call them that as she sort of freaks me out each time i run into her unexpectedly. very BIG and alien and strangely human. but yes, sometimes we see what only ‘we’ are to experience…i do agree so if i do not find her again, we shall know why. xoxox
It’s good of you to share the beauty that surrounds and infuses your life. Such acts of magnanimity only increase the benefits to all. The sadness in the world can only be healed as we make efforts to transform and transmit our understanding at every level. I’m sure that nothing good we do is ever lost and the spirits of those who came before smile when we show appreciation.
I can well understand the shock and delight you feel when you meet her. Some years ago as Jer and I were walking through Portland I was telling him about Jung’s scarab story and that James Hillman had had a similar experience with a mantis appearing on the windowsill of his NY apartment. Just as I finished, he said, ‘Look up there.’ What should he be pointing at but a large mantis looking down at us from a perch just above our heads on the side of an old brick wall. Synchronicities are a great gift.
xoxoxo
sweet susan-this is beautiful. you have such a special way of seeing… and you are so right! we do integrate and blend our worlds together, whether we know it or not tho i never thought about it in quite this way. a special gift to me this sunny sunday morning. my gratitude to you, as always. xxx
Such lovely blooms in your courtyard. I know this is a very happy place…..
hi chris,
thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. i am enjoying lots of blooms this season…very kind rose-growing weather we’ve had here. yes, it is a happy place most days.
Dear lovies,
I am sorry I have been absent. This post went off all by itself on purpose as I have been laid up again. Drats! I am feeling better “today”… one never knows.
It is a promise I will get to your kind comments when I can, body/shoulder/hip/mind allowing. And thank you for coming and reading and supporting my little blog. You have no idea how much it means to me. xxx
You have absolutely the most gorgeous flowers! The grape photograph looks like a painting. Hope your body/shoulder/hip and especially your “mind” recovers from the annoyance of the body/shoulder/hip problem!
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