Garden gems in July;

To nurture a garden means hoes and rakes, broken fingernails, hands in the soil, sun and wind in the face, body and soul sing to the tune of nature. Ts

Feverfew; Tanacetum parthenium;

Cottage Gladiolus;

“A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in--what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.” 
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Pycnoporus found on decaying Palm trunk;

Delbard Rose;

Ready for the flowers;

“Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes.” 
Clare Ansberry, The Women of Troy Hill: The Back-Fence Virtues of Faith and Friendship 

Gladiolus nanus  "Las Vegas"

Herbgarden;

Lemongrass flowers

“Gardens are enclosed areas in which plants and arts meet. They form 'cultures' in an uncompromised sense of the word.” 
 Peter Sloterdijk, Du mußt dein Leben ändern 

Bromeliad Nidularium;

Aloe waking up;

A glimpse of the garden in winter;

“The greatest change we need to make is from consumption to production, even if on a small scale, in our own gardens. If only 10% of us do this, there is enough for everyone. 
Bill Mollison 

Cottage gladioli.

Canna indica;

The name for this thyme comes from Jekka McVicar the UK’s leading organic herb grower. Her family run herb farm grows over 400 varieties of herbs and boasts the largest collection of culinary and medicinal herbs in the UK.
Thyme Jekka; pink flowers and strong flavour.

An old fashioned Geranium; since around 25 years in my garden.


“Long experience has taught me that people who do not like geraniums have something morally unsound about them. Sooner or later you will find them out; you will discover that they drink, or steal books, or speak sharply to cats. Never trust a man or a woman who is not passionately devoted to geraniums.” 
Beverley Nichols, Merry Hall 

(smile, I like that; the good old  Geranium reveals even more…)

I have established a smallish garden along the chicken yard; I call it the butterfly garden.

I am in love with this Plectranthus, everything is beautiful about it; it is not a glamour plant where people say ahh and ohh.  Its toughness, the leaves soft downy silver blue, ethereal, small blue flowers so worthwhile to grow it.

“What wondrous life in this I lead
Ripe apples drop about my head” 
Andrew Marvell 

Camellia japonica;

Bromeliad Neoregelia;

Believe it or not;

“The master of the garden is the one who waters it, trims the branches, plants the seeds, and pulls the weeds. If you merely stroll through the garden, you are but an acolyte.” 
Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

©Photos my garden; Ts