It's a Spotted Touch Me Not!

No one seemed to know what my mystery flower is, so I took matters into my own hands and looked up wildflowers on the internet. I have Spotted Touch Me Nots. They are called that because when you touch the seed pods they explode (I've never done this, will have to try). Also, the juice from the stem is known as a treatment for poison ivy, which I currently have on my arm and grows rampant in our yard (the original owner didn't like kids cutting through his yard, so he let it grow out of control. Yay, original owner. My poison ivy sensitivity would like to have a word with you, and the shingles they triggered a few years ago).

So, it really is a delightful flower which will spread like a demon but is really easy to pull out in places you don't want it. I love it and any shady spot in your garden would love it, too!

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Name that Flower

I'm writing this post to ask for help. I first experienced this flower in Giverney at Monet's garden. All of the gardeners were examining it to try to figure out what it was. Then, about a year after I moved in to my house, my neighbor had an unmarked package of wildflowers and scattered them beside my house. Lo and behold, it was the Giverney flower.

The flower is a self-seeding annual that flowers now until the frost. It grow to 3 to 4 feet tall. The flowers are orange speckled, trumpet shaped with a curve at the end and only about 1/2 inch long. Hummingbirds are really attracted to it.

I really love it and would love to know what Monet and I have growing in our gardens. Perhaps you know?

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Tigerella

My first tomato of the season is this gorgeous Tigerella heirloom tomato. What you can't tell is that it is a little smaller than a ping pong ball. Bet it'll be as tasty as it is pretty!

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Flowers; or The Return of Spring

There is color, bloom, and fragrance in the air everywhere. My gardens and those in Marysville are abloom, more pastels and the occasional shocking pink show up every day.

And as soon as they bloom, they form carpets of petals on the ground. One rainstorm and the magnolia is bare, the cherry blossoms create a path for winter weary feet. Daffodils droop and iris bleed, but they will be replaced by the flowers of summer - roses and lavender, hollyhocks and cosmos.

Though never really gone, the robins and chipmunks hop along doing their spring business. Nests are built and worms are eaten. The animals return to their business as they join us in awakening from their winter slumber.

Welcome spring.

Bloom

The flowers are starting to bloom in Ohio. My father-in-law's daffodils are showing their sunny faces and I have pictures of my first hellebores to share with you. My mom has a magic touch with house plants; her Christmas cactus blooms sporadically all year long and show off the most gorgeous tiered flowers (the jade plant is here's, too). She's the only person I've ever met that could keep African violets and orchids alive outside of a greenhouse and get them to bloom over and over again. She doesn't have to wait for spring to see flowers blooming.

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They Make Me Happy:The Garden Dreaming Edition

The promise of:

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Tiny sprouts turning into fragrant flowers

Fresh tomatoes - that don't taste like cardboard At All

That old rose myrrh smell wafting into the windows

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Trips to the garden center, dreaming about fantastic Victory Gardens

Peonies heads to large that they fall over onto themselves

Vases full of daisies

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Hens and chicks, my grandmother's favorite

Seeing my grandfather's irises grow tall and proud in my garden

Muscles sore from digging and tilling

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Walks on trails smelling of honeysuckle

The heavenly experience of brushing up against catmint and lavender

Butterflies, hummingbirds, ladybugs, and caterpillars

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Fantasy Christmas List

My friend Relyn posted her fantasy Christmas list yesterday and I am copying her! You know I want peace and love and all that stuff; this is going to be a totally self-indulgent list of fantasy items that I really love.

A Rose Festooned Cottage

This one would do

The Inside of which is a Perfect Shabby Chic Paradise

Whoever designed this can do my house!

Surrounding the House

an amazing, lush, English garden

Inside the Garden

this amazing garden room

And in the back 40

this incredible field which looks like this the entire growing season

And while we're at it

I wouldn't turn down this Cartier Love Bracelet

or this hot pink, lizard Hermes Birkin.

And that's my fantasy!

Okay. So I'm a Basketcase

My IOP evaluation was today and if you call crying for an hour while I talked about why I needed to be there it went well. I can't go into a lot of detail because it involves a lot of family issues, but the long and short of it is that I am incredibly overwhelmed, feel under appreciated, and constantly stressed out. Also, they believe my depression is cyclical as every time I've been in an IOP or hospital it's been in Septermber. It's not the greatest spending your birthday ina psychiatric hospital.

My meds aren't right so they are going to find me a psychiatrist and therapist who can manage my depression better than my family doctor (who freaks out a little bit every time I tell him I need a refill on my anti-anxiety medication - never asked for it too soon, have been on the same dose for 3 years, and yet it's addictive, so most non-psych docs freak a little when writing for it.) My last psychiatrist refused to treat anxiety, so I'm not going back to her.

So I was sent home, was told to take my anti-anxiety meds, and to come back tomorrow at 9 am. Then I'll have to sit in a little circle and tell everyone why I'm there. Which is so complicated I don't even know where to start. These people are good people, though. They helped me so much a few years ago and I'm happy to let them help me now. So that's my basketcase day.

And I took this picture. For you astrology people out there, goldenrod is my ruling flower, whatever that means. I just think it's cuz it blooms at the same time that Virgos have their birthdays, but it's probably much more complicated than that.

August Break: End of Season, Hollyhock Leaves

A few days ago, you got to see my hollyhock leaves at the beginning of the season. Now you get to see what they look like at the end. Weathered by time, rust, and insects they become lacy and ethereal shadows of what they once were.

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Emily Joyce asked me in one of my comments if my August Break photos would be up for sale. After I use rollip.com, the photos are low res, so they wouldn't be appropriate for 8x10s, but I am looking into making note cards available and will be offering individual and combinations of note cards available soon in my store, Howard Knits.

August Break: Hollyhock Leaves

A photo from earlier this summer; just getting around to sharing it now.

August Break: Don't be a Crabby Appleton!

My name is Crabby Appleton,
I'm rotten to the core
I do a bad deed every day,
and sometimes three or four
I can't stand fun for anyone,
I think good deeds are sappy,
I laugh with glee,
it pleases me,
when everyone's unhappy!

Kick it old school!

And don't be a Crabby Appleton!

August Break: Lily Bud

Resurrection lily bud

And the stately lilies stand Fair in the silvery light, Like saintly vestals, pale in prayer; Their pure breath sanctifies the air, As its fragrance fills the night.
Julia C.R. Dorr

August Break: Iris

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My daughter had a bunion removed yesterday (she's doing great) and my husband has a broken rib (he's doing pretty well, too). I don't think I'll have any problems posting, but if I do, just know I'm busy!

On another note, do you remember when I alluded to the fact that I would soon be able to call myself a professional writer? Well, now I can! I can actually tell people that I have a JOB (!!!) and I'm a writer! I'm one of the newest bloggers to join the Today's Mama community, where I blog specifically for the Columbus, OH region (but anyone can read my posts, no matter where you live!). I'll be blogging about Parenting with Depression (I think I want to call my blog "Parenting Through Depression" unless I can think of a snazzier title). You can read my first post here if you want to follow my blog, there is a link for the RSS feed on my profile. Then check out more of Today's Mama, as there are some really great blogs there!

Queen Anne's Lace

"Legend has it that Queen Anne, the wife of King James I, was challenged by her friends to create lace as beautiful as a flower. While making the lace, she pricked her finger, and it’s said that the purple-red flower in the center of Queen Anne’s Lace represents a droplet of her blood. Also called Wild Carrot (since Queen Anne’s Lace is the wild progenitor of today’s carrot), Bishop’s Lace or Bird’s Nest (for the nest-like appearance of the bright white and rounded flower in full bloom), in the language of flowers, Queen Anne’s Lace represents sanctuary."
From teleflora

My gardens are infested with Queen Anne's Lace. It is incredibly difficult to control. The tap root is quite strong and if the entire root isn't removed, another plant will appear. The flower self seeds and one plant can have hundreds of progeny. This year, the Queen Anne's Lace won. At least it's pretty.

All photos property of Erin Wallace

Thank you Beth for telling me about rollip.com. The filters are amazing and for a gal who doesn't own photoshop it's great to finally be able to see what these great edits would do to my pictures. Go try it out if you haven't already!

Ornament

"Ornament" is the prompt for Creativity Boot Camp today. I went about the garden, but liked this picture of Saint Francis the best.

I need to sit down and spend some time with my journal. My web traffic has increased dramatically, which is taking up some time, and we got a new (used) washer and dryer, so I'm trying to catch up on mountains of laundry (can't use the clothesline when the rain never stops!).

Oh, and an FYI on the bug picture. I did some more research online last night and found out that I'd better contact the county extension office because my creature is some sort of wood borer. Not an Ash Borer (THANK GOD as we have a gorgeous Ash in the front yard that I'd rather not have cut down), but a bad invasive species nonetheless. Always something!

Photos: Dublin Cemetary

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Dublin Cemetary (in Ohio) is a historical cemetary with headstones dating back to when the area was founded in the early 1800's. In the oldest parts of the cemetary headstones are made of limestone and are organized by lettered markers in the ground. The cemetary is also full of flowers and blooming trees. It is a beautiful, peaceful place.


A Depth of Field photo for You Capture

Picture Picture

Some new photos for your enjoyment.











I am currently testing photography paper to decide what my images look the best on. Once I figure it all out, I will put images up for sale in my shop (so excited about this!). I'll keep you posted!