Up is Not the Only Way

I love the way trees look, their textured trunks, canopies of leaves, and the tenacious hold they have on the earth.  These are Manitoba Maples, aptly named.  I think the first one would be an ideal place to stage a family portrait.

I often wonder what they have seen, the history that has been absorbed through their roots, the stories they might tell if they could.

Leviticus 23:40  On the first day you shall take the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

Glory of the Moon

1 Corinthians 15:40-42

⁴⁰ There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory.  ⁴² So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.

Flying Jewels

Isaiah 7:18

On that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the sources of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

Hostas la Vista

The hostas are spectacular this year.  The holes in the leaves of the first two photos are the result of a recent heavy hailstorm.  I adore the purple flowers.

Exodus 9:25

The hail struck down everything that was in the open field throughout all the land of Egypt, both human and animal; the hail also struck down all the plants of the field, and shattered every tree in the field.

Baby, It’s HOT outside!

It feels like it has been an above normal temperature summer.  The last three or four days have been above 30C with extremely high humidity.  As hot days typically do, they bring severe thunderstorms at the close of day.

Yesterday we were at a family member’s cottage on Lake Winnipeg near Gimli.  There was enough of a breeze to make being outside tolerable, and it always seems cooler to be near the water.  On the return trip a cold air ridge came in and provided some glorious opportunities for pictures.

Job 37:4  After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.

First of Three, So Far

 Previously I mentioned we have received hail three times already this summer.  As a result the hostas are a mess, the basement and the roof have leaked.  The leaking stuff has been repaired, the drain in the driveway was unclogged and the roof has been reshingled.  The hostas, sorry to report, have not managed to repair themselves.

Psalm 105:32   He gave them hail for rain, and lightning that flashed through their land.

It’s Growing Well

December we took possession of our new house in our new community.  Winter seemed to take a long time to break as I waited in anticipation of what would spring up in the flower beds.  I knew there would be purple cone flowers, other than that, it was all a mystery.  Spring arrived and I gave all the beds some housekeeping.  There appeared to be some hostas, irises, day lilies.  Daily I watched to see what was to be.

The beds were quite the mess.  I wasn’t holding out too much hope, they appeared to have been neglected for a few years.  I told myself not to be too surprised if the plants took a year to re-establish themselves.  The bearded and flag irises did poorly.  Less than a half dozen blossoms on four bunches.  The one nearest the house was mush.  I had to removed a number of rotted tubers.  I expect to transplant it later in the season.

There was an abundance of hostas, they were late in the southern most bed which is quite shaded.  I’m going to have to thin them out.  All of them bloomed, beautifully.

The cone flowers began blooming this week.  They are fabulous!  One of my favourites, mainly because of the colour, of course!  There should be more than enough for some bouquets soon.

I didn’t plant too many annuals this year.  We got a couple of hanging  baskets for the veranda.  There were pair of tall pillar planters on either side of the bench that I filled with cala lilies, pansies and petunias in shades of purple.  The pansies are struggling a little, but those in the front flower bed are doing well.

The day lilies posed the greatest concern for me.  They, like the hostas, dominate the beds.  My fear was the colour they would eventually display.  The fear was realized when they bloomed orange last week.  I know orange is a good contrast for purple, but it is not part of my preferred palate.  They have redeemed themselves, the blossoms are glorious.  

I will be thinning them out, quite a lot.  There are a number of people volunteering to take the discards.  I have a fabulous white one as a replacement and some more bearded irises.  Plus I want room for spring bulbs, tulips, alliums, grape hyacinths, and narcissus.

The flowers have done very well, inspite of at least three heavy hail storms that punched holes in the hostas and beat down the pansies and impatients.  Still, the weather has been warm and there has been lots of rain. Perfect for a riotous display of colour. So grateful for the glory of flowers.  Praise God for the beauty of the earth.

Deuteronomy 32:2   May my teaching drop like the rain, my speech condense like the dew; like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth.