Summertime Blues...

The days of summer are fleeting...

to see them pass,

gives me a little case of the blues...

(click photos to enlarge)

so I let my mind swim in the aqua blue

of a vintage bottle...

and create a soft summery vignette,

a tribute to the fleeing summer days...

a nest of spring,

holds her clutch of blue...

the once tender sprigs of flowers

that adorned the nests edge,

have withered...

their beauty has changed,

but are they not still beautiful?

fat chicks have ruled the roost,

but will soon fly south...

summertime,

when paper butterflies dance...

with glittered wings,

and all the world is a whimsical delight....

(Sceptred Isle Rose)

summer days when perspectives change...

a petite rose

swims in the shallow pool of a giant scallop shell...

these are the days,

 when I can get lost,

looking that rose straight in the eye...

soaking all her beauty into my heart,

enough beauty,

 to keep me warm throughout the winter...

Today I am joining...

Show and Tell Friday

Home Sweet Home

Feathered Nest Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

and

Blue Monday

Thanks for stopping by...

a SUNNY Garden Tour...

Yes!  A SUNNY garden tour today!

the old thermometer actually climbed to 80 today....

(only the third time this year)

So I made us some sweet tea,

grab a glass

and lets stroll...

(click photos to enlarge)

Aloha from Washington State :-)

that's not a common phrase,

but this is the Aloha Rose...

I have a pair of large pots on my back patio,

nothing ever survives in them...

they get all day sun,  and if they survive that,

they never make it through winter...

the Aloha Roses were on clearance for 8 dollars each,

a great price to experiment :-)

my garden lady rests in the shade....

Phlox are everywhere....

they were one of the first plants in the garden,

and even though I don't divide them like I should,

they prosper each year...

soft pastels...

and white in the secret garden....

my purple Hydrangea is coming into bloom,

it was gifted to me

by a gardening neighbor...

I am crazy for the bloom colors....

a quartet of Bonica Rose

is also new this year...

they are fragrance free...

but make up for it in the looks department :-)

from first bloom,

till the last petal drops..

they are pure grace....

the Japanese Anemones are busy blooming...

much to the delight of the bees...

who are busy gathering...

do you see the heavy pollen load?

a bench in the shade of the Cherry tree...

the place where I will be,

soaking it all in....

A taste of summer... at last!!

Today I am joining...

Outdoor Wednesday

Cottage Flora Thursday

and

Open House Party Thursday

Thanks for strolling with me today....

David Austin's Roses....

In the spring I shared with you

my newly purchases David Austin Roses....

(click photos to enlarge)

most of them have had a few good shows this summer,

but a few have struggled...

with our lack of sunshiny days,

we have been struggling with mildew...

and I as I learned in this shot

more aphids than I knew :-)

don't you love the things you find in your photos...

like the dusty mirror, or surprise spider web :-)

the lack of sun has also left a few guys feeling a bit,

lanky....

though none are lacking in jaw dropping beauty....

and I am sure,  the sun will shine again...

tomorrow:-)

so I gathered up the lovelies,

and brought them in out of the gloom,

to shine....

Scepter’d Isle

Brother Cadfael

Winchester Cathedral

Mayflower

Cosmo

Yes Cosmo...

He is a little tired of his "attention hogging" sisters,

and feels he deserves a little photo time too :-)

Today I am joining...

Saturday Show Off

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Garden Bloggers Bloomday

and

Tabletop Tuesday

Thanks for joining me today...