247/2011 persistence, originally uploaded by rosipaw.
To have the persistence of weeds! Despite being constantly pulled out, they keep on sprouting, even throught he bamboo carpet on our patio. Then again, it’s also wise to know when to give up, and direct your energy elsewhere.
246/2011 barbeque, originally uploaded by rosipaw.
Saturday evening in our garden, and no rain for a change. Good time to get rid of some twigs, and barbeque our supper on the ashes. Nice crackling sound, lovely warmth and a homely smell.
214/2011 busy afternoon in the garden, originally uploaded by rosipaw.
A beautiful hot afternoon created quite a commotion in our little garden. The buzz and flutter that went on in the trees, bushes and around plants was amazing. I spent hours trying to catch some close-ups of the beautiful visitors.
These butterflies are maybe the most common around here. In Finnish we call them “stinging nettle butterflies” but I found out that in English they are called “small tortoiseshells” (I wonder why?). The Finnish name is quite logical since the larvae feed on stinging nettles. These colourful creatures seem to love our mint flowers. This photo revealed to me how transluscent their wings are, and how their antennae almost look wiry close up! I was also totally unaware how hairy they are in the middle!
I started wondering how much primary school teachers or biology teachers make use of all modern technology to get students into hands-on nature observation.
Why not just spend the hot day in the garden, reading an entertaining novel, and lazying round? It’s holiday time, after all! Why are we so conditioned to constantly be productive and busy? It’s good to kick the bad conscience at times, and just relax. And even to kick off the flimsiest flip-flops, too, and just walk barefoot!
Seen from the balcony above, the results of mowing the overgrown grass in the garden are clearly visible.
I know why so many teachers are keen on gardening, DIY or handicrafts, in their freetime. With teaching, such clear results are hard to see, at least on a daily basis. Sometimes, your work might only bear fruit long after your students have left school!
Only a month away, and our garden is totally overgrown. It’s in desperate need of some tlc, to help all the plants thrive again.
This is how I feel at the end of a school year – buried under all the accumulated mental clutter. I hardly recognize myself, or my needs. Sadly, even relationships get neglected in the rush of daily life. Luckily I’ve got the long summer break to do the gardening on all fronts!
I read that our white spring bush is commonly known as ‘elf’s home spiraea’ in English. What a beautiful name!
It always used to make me think of lacy wedding dresses and veils, but I prefer the imaginary fairytale comparison now.
Most people seem to cut theirs right down at a regular basis, then having to wait for years to get the cascading blooms back. We are lazy gardeners, and have just let ours grow freely. Our fairies seem to like it, as they reward us with this beauty every spring.
102/2011 new life, originally uploaded by rosipaw.
Yes, yes, yes – this is what I have been waiting to see for so long! These flowers must have started sprouted under the snow, as the moment the snow disappeared, they were already there, ready to grow. I think they are the mini-daffodil bulbs we saved from our balcony boxes, and planted last autumn.
013/2011 our snow barometer, originally uploaded by rosipaw.
Two of our garden light bulbs are broken. It looks quite funny after it’s snowed. The heat from the still working bulb soon melts all the snow on it. The half broken pink bulb still retains a little bit of snow on it, while the broken one gatheres all the snow on it. I’m wondering why it is that the warm light balls create icicles underneath them, but the snow-covered one doesn’t. Must be to do with melting snow turning into water, and then the colder night temperatures freezing the dripping water – perhaps?
Quite a science lesson – but pretty, too! I think our light fitment has more character than our neighbours’ uniform, perfectly working ones. Nah – I’m just making excuses for our laziness to fix things around the house. There is so much snow in the garden, though, that I think we’ll wait till spring to change the bulbs.
327/365 have to admit it, originally uploaded by rosipaw.
It’s winter, no escaping it anymore. The garden is covered in snow, sleeping quietly, waiting for next spring.
