Feed Your Soul: Fuller Gardens/Part 3

 

Never Ending Roses

 

A couple of weeks ago, my mother and I visited Fuller Gardens, a local turn of the century estate garden. The Fullers created a beautiful garden that they have shared with the public for many, many years.

 

It's a beautiful place and we were lucky to go when the roses are in full bloom. If you missed the other posts, you can start your Fuller Gardens tour with us here and then here.

 

Today we leave the conservatory, back into the side rose garden and the dahlia garden. 

 

 

Oh my, that lilac rose. Heavenly.

A view back across the side rose garden to the conservatory.

I wish there was something to give you better scale of this yellow dahlia. It was nearly as big as a child's head. I've not idea how the stem even held it up.

Next time, we'll be heading into the Japanese Garden and the Front Rose Garden.

So much lovliness to feed the soul.


Today is my sister Gloria's (far right) birthday.  Happy birthday Glo!  Oh yes, us Dignam girl's new how to rock 80s perms, no doubt about it. Personally, I like the black plastic plant pot background, and our official photo shoot matching shirts, but that's just me.

Make it a great day, won't you? It's a great day to have.

Ciao for now,

Feed Your Soul

 

Fuller Gardens Part 1: Rose Garden

 

After reading my first Feed Your Soul post, my mother sent me an email saying she knew what I could do for the next one. She'd seen a special for locals they were offering at Fuller Gardens - a turn of the century estate garden open to the public. Having not been to Fuller Gardens in eons, I told her I was in.

 

It happened to be this past Monday, which was hotter than all get out.

 

I picked up my mother, and in the late afternoon we braved the still roasting sun and humidity to enjoy the gardens in full and glorious bloom.

 

We were welcomed by Rex Begonias and a view of rows and rows of roses just beyond the garden gate.

 

 

There were too many beautiful roses to pick a favorite.

 

 

What a sight.  Roses of every variety and color. You had to stop to smell the flowers often at Fuller Gardens. It would have been rude not to.

 

  

Isn't she lovely?

Heavenly really.

I'll share more of our Feed Your Soul excursion to the gardens. There are two other gardens and a conservatory in addition to the rose garden. Each beautiful in their own right.

Have you fed your soul lately?


Google Reader Is Going Away

Do you read Mercantile Muse via Google Reader? If you do, you need to be aware that Google Reader will cease to exist on July 1st. That's this coming Monday! But don't worry, there are other reader options. I've been using Bloglovin' for quite awhile now and love it for it's ease and the way the blogs I follow are displayed.

So, if you've been via Google Reader, I want you to continue to follow Mercantile Muse and bloglovin' is a great way to do it. You just have to sign up and then search for your for your favorite blogs in the search bar and add them to your reading list. Honestly, it's that easy. 

I hope you'll keep following.  Of course, there is always the option of subscribing to posts and then they'll be delivered directly to your inbox on a daily basis.  You'll find that option, as well as bloglovin' over in the righthand sidebar. 

I really appreciate you following Mercantile Muse and would hate to lose you, so go explore bloglovin' now and make the switch before Monday!


Enjoy the day and don't forget to take time to smell the flowers.

Ciao for now,

Take A Walk With Us

 

 

To The Field And Back

 

The field grass is very long right now. In fact, it's reaching the bottom boughs of the cedar that stands alone in field. So we aren't getting to actually walk 'in' field at the moment. That will have to wait until the farmer comes and hays it.

 

So for now we (the hound and I) just take a leisurely stroll along the field and back to the house. He's an old boy and that suits him just fine. Though he wishes he wasn't an old boy because really all he wants to do is run.

 

Yesterday we had beautiful sun. Then all hell broke loose mid afternoon. I had to shut the computer down and my last load of laundry on the line, which was damn near dry, got an extra heavy rinse cycle. The wind whipped up and it was a pure lashing of horizontal sheets of rain with thunder and lightning. My neighbor said she saw a couple of trees downed on the way home from work. 

 

This of course meant everything was still wet this morning and the grass that was touching the bottom bough of the cedar was all matted down now. Still, despite the wet, there was much to take in.

 

 

The Yarrow is blooming. Lovely.

 

 

She loves me, she loves me not. 

 

There's always clover. And then, that tall grass. Can you find the bug?

Then back for a walk around the house. My front door rose is about to go full bloom.  I've dubbed it 'Audrey' after Little Shop of Horrors because you just can't stop this rose from growing  and it has nearly eatten several people as they've come to the door. Seriously, I am not kidding. I have to warn people before they get to the door.

Crown vetch now in bloom. This pretty flower grows rampant. So if you plant it you better be ready for it to do whatever it pleases.

More roses out by the pool, as well has bright cheery primrose and pink fairy skirts, which grow like mad too.

At this time of year there is something new blooming every day.  It's worth taking some time to enjoy it while it lasts.

We're supposed to get more pop up showers today so I'm glad I took a few minutes for a walk this morning.  Thanks for coming along.

More design work on the plate today.  Logo adjustments, etsy shop banner design, and starting a new custom logo.

What's happening in your corner of the world?

Whatever it is, make it a good one.

Ciao for now,

Story Of A Rose

 

Beauty Is In The Eye of The Beholder

There is something about roses that make it hard for me to throw them away even when they're dead.

There is still beauty...........the colors change and as they dry they take on a new, but just as pretty life.

Juliet:
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
Romeo:
[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
Juliet:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.
Romeo:
I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.


My love of roses after what some may call their prime, could have something to do with my appreciation of the structure of things.  

Have a lovely day and take time to notice beauty in unexpected places. 

Ciao for now,

 

Beauty And The Beast

Noses & Roses

Have I told you lately that I love..........Saturday? Gotcha. Didn't I?

I love the slow, don't have to do anything pace that Saturday brings. Well, some of the time.

Today is one of those Saturdays.

The hound is busy doing what he does best. Napping.

Dang I love his nose. In fact sometimes I call him Nose. And Meem (don't ask because I will not be able to give you any reason for this).  And Cotton Ears (that one I can explain...because sometimes he has to stick cotton in his ears to prevent ear drum damage from my bad singing........no, no, no....not really........his ears just feel like cotton).

Those of you with pets will confirm (please. pretty please?) that it is completely normal to have at least 50 nicknames for your pals, half of which make no sense at all.

Anyways, like I said, he's busy sleeping. Well, he was. I swear.

Lucan only opened his eyes for a nano second just to try and prove me wrong, then he went back to napping.

On the opposite side of the room, twenty feet away from the beast.........beauty.

Cue the music......."He still brings me flowers..........evermore".

Yeah, I know those aren't really the words. Just humor me, OK?

Did I tell you that due to the constant noodging and nudging of Ms. Cari-Jane Hakes of Hybrid Handmade fame (sorry Mrs. Mojito, I couldn't resist), I signed up for The Sketchbook Project this week? Yup. It's true.  I signed up. The part about the noodgery isn't exactly true, but kinda sorta.

You see, my pal Cari-Jane has participated in The Sketchbook Project before and blogged about it. Then my other etsy pal, Ashleigh from Bleu Oiseau Photography facebooked that she had signed up as well and was pulling her sketchbook together. Then Cari-Jane blogged that she had yet again signed up for this year's Sketchbook Project. So, you see, there was no way I could not take all of that as I sign that I too should participate. Follow? Sure, it might be a stretch just like any 6 degrees of separation, but my three-degrees-to-sign-up ensured that I did. Sign up that is.

If you haven't heard about The Sketchbook Project it is very cool, or like, oh my god, totally tubular if you were a Valley Girl in the 80s.  People from all over the world participate, it is not juried. It's all inclusive.  Sketchbooks are sent out, people fill them up and send them back, then they (the sketchbooks, not the people) go on tour, and finally return to their new permanent home at The Brooklyn Art Library. Click here for a little video about it, if you're reading by email.



The Sketchbook Project, London 2012 from You and I Films on Vimeo.

I can not wait to get my sketchbook. I've got all sorts of ideas running through my head.

Not that that is anything new.

Last night the neighborhoodlums had an impromptu campfire. Cold? Who cares when there is a campfire involved. I layered up.......tank top, t shirt, flannel shirt, fleece vest, warm sweat shirt jacket, two pairs of gloves, winter boots, Bruins hat, scarf and I was good to go. It was toasty warm by the fire.

What's happening in your corner of the world?

It's cold, but not freezing today. There is snow melting off the roof. However, it is wicked windy. Later, some Italian Chicken Soup from the freezer that I will add some dumplings too. At least that's the plan.

Have a good one.

Ciao for now,

Almost Silent Sunday

Yesterday

We got up yesterday and I suggested we take a ride. Get out of dodge for awhile since we'd been working our butts off for the lobster bake prior to the 4th, and working on cleaning up since. We hopped in the car and headed eastward, looking for a seabreeze, which we found. I'll save the play by play for another day. Suffice it to say, after a nice lunch we got home and I took a much needed two hour nap. Yay for naps!!! Then we both did more clean up around the yard, packing things up and putting them away.

We ended the day sitting in the adirondacks next to the rose bush our front. Yes. It's still blooming.

We enjoyed some appetizers (artichokes stuffed with bleu cheese wrapped in prosciutto.....heavenly) and the sunset.

Sunset Meadows

Hope you enjoyed your Saturday. Today, I am going to completely enjoy my last day of vacation. Not sure what's on the plate other than laundry and pool time. Oh, and Gar gets to fix his muffler which lost some kind of spring clamp on the way to pick up our lobsters on the 4th. What else is new? 

What are you up to today?

Ciao for now,