flowers

Never have I ever: orchid edition

/ Tracy Abell / 11 Comments

Our neighbors gifted us yesterday with these beautiful orchids and a note of condolence about my mother-in-law‘s death last month. Such a lovely and thoughtful gesture.

September 18, 2022

I can’t stop gazing at these flowers’ intricate beauty. I am a bit nervous, however, because I’ve never had an orchid before and know absolutely nothing about their care and maintenance. I’ll be consulting the google for help but if anyone out there has tips, I would welcome them. And if you know what type of orchid this is, I’d also love that information.

Just because

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

When everything feels cruel and horrific, I lean on natural beauty. This photo isn’t especially special, but gazing upon these coneflowers that bloomed in my garden brings me a moment of inner peace.

July 16, 2020

Maybe it can do the same for you.

Wordless Wednesday now a tribute

/ Tracy Abell

I’d just sat down to upload a photo of our blooming Christmas cactus when my phone rang. It was Wildebeest, in tears. Young Dolph, his favorite rapper whom he listens to all the time, was just murdered in Memphis. My son cried, “He has kids! Why do people have to murder each other?”

All I could do was listen to his pain. There’s no making sense of the senseless.

November 17, 2021

Rest in power.

Love is a rose

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

My most recent post was about the cat card I made for my neighbor’s birthday over the weekend. Turns out, she received yellow roses from her sister. And then an identical delivery of yellow roses due to florist error. Instead of keeping all that glory for herself, my generous neighbor offered me one of the bouquets. I just collected it from her and decided I wanted to document it on this ol’ blog, so set it on the floor in a patch of natural light.

Marcel immediately came to investigate.

October 12, 2021

“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose.” – Kahlil Gibran

And Marcel? Well, he sees the rose and its thorns, then proceeds to snack on the surrounding foliage.

Late bloomer

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

I recently bemoaned the lack of blooming iris in my gardens, wondering how others in the neighborhood managed their bumper crops of iris. I then realized I wasn’t alone. Yes, there were a couple gardens absolutely filled with iris, but the majority of us had clumps of iris in which only one or two stalks had buds/blooms. Then I remembered our early freeze last fall and the unusual amounts of moisture this spring. Maybe it wasn’t negligent gardening practices that led to my dearth of iris blooms? Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for this flower.

June 10, 2021

Solidarity with late bloomers, yo!

Garden variety envy

/ Tracy Abell / 15 Comments

May 24, 2021

I’m starting to see iris in full bloom around the neighborhood. One home has two banks of deep purple irises which are absolutely stunning and another front yard is filled with white iris blooming.

My garden? A grand total of four potential iris blooms in the front and back gardens. What the hell? (I’m so grumpy I’m not even going to attempt taking another photo that at least pretends to be in focus).

And the indignities don’t end with the iris. I passed a yard today that was ablaze with blooming allium. I just checked on my plants and this is what’s happening here:

One puny, non-spherical bloom. Not only that, it’s really short. Again, what the hell?

Today’s offering

/ Tracy Abell / 1 Comment

May 29, 2019

This iris bloomed in my garden not quite two years ago, beautiful despite being battered by the elements.

Iris are hardy flowers and I look forward to seeing this one bloom again this coming spring.

#Caturday with Marcel

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

Here’s another installment of Marcel and the ever-blooming geranium.

February 5, 2020

This photo is from February, but could’ve been taken today or yesterday. The familiar serenity of the image evokes peace and contentment.

Wishing a good #Caturday to all the feline-lovers out there.

Sunday Confessional: focus issues

/ Tracy Abell

I’m struggling to focus today so it feels very appropriate to post an out-of-focus flower from my garden last spring.

Cranesbill. May 23, 2020

Even though it’s not a sharp image, the bright pink and the various shades of green are soothing. And I have nothing but admiration for a bloom that stands tall while others hunker down.

Phlox R Us

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

This spent phlox is a pretty accurate representation for how I’m feeling today.

August 6, 2020

Bloomed out.
Worn out.
Depleted.

But just as this hardy perennial will  gather its resources in order to bloom again in the future, so will I. Hopefully, it won’t take me until next summer to do so.

What do you see?

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

I see aquarium plants waving gently in the water.

In reality, this is sedum and penstemon growing in my front garden. But my lack of focus and the poor exposure make it look like aquatic plants. Rather artsy-fartsy, methinks.

Sunday Confessional: tree no more

/ Tracy Abell / 3 Comments

For years, a cherry tree flourished in a four feet by four feet space on the patio. It was lovely and we made pie with its fruit. The birds, bees, and we loved it. Then the tree became sick and we had to cut it down. Last summer, one volunteer sunflower grew in that space.

Sunflowers on patio. July 12, 2020.

This year, it’s a literal sunflower forest. I just took my camera out there to finally document the tangle of stalks and blooms. And I smiled the entire time. Here’s a tiny sampling of the happy flowers thriving there.

My confession? Right now I hardly miss our dear old cherry tree.

Happiness is

/ Tracy Abell / 1 Comment

Dayliles make me happy. They’re cheery and vibrant. They intrigue from every angle.

Daylilies in my front yard. July 3, 2020.

Also? They’re a very low maintenance perennial. What’s not to love?

Poppy bee mine

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

I had poppy-envy yesterday as I walked the neighborhood. One yard was filled with happy orange poppies, bouncing in the breeze. Why hadn’t mine bloomed yet?

This morning, I looked out the window and saw two bursts of orange! And when I got closer with my camera, I saw the bees were also celebrating those cheery blooms.

Front yard. May 16, 2020.

Such a nice way to begin my weekend. Wishing everyone a blooming-good day!

The gift that keeps on giving

/ Tracy Abell / 11 Comments

Allium blooming on slope. May 13, 2020.

One of my favorite aspects of spring is being surprised by what pokes through the soil. Years ago, my mother-in-law gifted me some allium and I’d forgotten all about it, possibly because it didn’t come up last year.

This year, though, I’m blessed with these lovely and intricate orbs. Bees love them, I love them.

Surprise!

Not yet, but soon

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

April 25, 2016.

I’m really, really hoping my iris bloom this year despite the various snowstorms and freezes. I really, really need the boost. Until then, I will bask in the glory of these beauties from nearly four years ago.

Come on iris, please do your thing!

Exuberance

/ Tracy Abell

Three years ago today, I arrived in Amsterdam. I was jetlagged and foggy in the head, but still remember the lift I got from the mounds of tulips blooming in a nearby park.

Amsterdam. April 28, 2017.

Such exuberant flowers, unruly in their passionate display. We should all live so boldly.