My Balcony Garden - June 2019

Today, I'm going to take you into my garden!

The month of June is a good time to see all the lovely colours and flowers

in my Balcony Garden!

These beautiful yellow Primula were planted at the beginning of March

and they have done marvellously well.

A huge favourite of mine are Gaillardia flowers, sometimes called Blanket Flowers.

I had them for the first time two years' ago

but couldn't find them last year.

I did buy three beautiful plants downtown in the Flower Market this year though.

Aren't the buds so full of lovely details?

So charming too when the petals start to form

They are doing so well

and the bees adore them.

I can see why!

My lovely purple Campanula, or Bellflowers, have been coming back for years

in a very big terra cotta pot.

So lovely to have this colour among the warmer tones.

My Edelweiss flowers are doing so well. Most of them are still in bud form.

I still need to find some blue Gentian to keep them company.

The Zinnias are looking lovely.

Three different colours in the same window box

Red

Yellow

Pink

Surrounded by deep blue Lobelia

and white Alyssum

There are dark pink and lighter pink Geraniums

There are peachy pink Begonia

and darker Begonia with frilly petals

My hydrangea, my Mother's Day gift, are turning pink

Aren't those tiny central flowers amazing?

Here is the view from one side of my balcony overlooking the road below.

I was happy to see how much greenery I can see, despite my urban environment.

I'm ending up with a collage of my geraniums that you can see in the photo of my balcony.

I hope that you have enjoyed this colourful visit of all the flowers that make me happy

every year.

Having a balcony makes living in a town very much more bearable.

In fact, I have the best of both worlds really 

with all the useful shops and other amenities in my direct neighbourhood

and the joy of seeing so much green and having the possibility of

growing all these flowers outside.

Do you like growing flowers and plants?

Perhaps you have your favourites too.

Days 25 - 27: My Flowers

Dahlia

Despite the torrid heat during this month of July.

the flowers on my balcony garden have done pretty well.

There are so many of them that it's difficult to know where to start.

Pretty in Pink

Fresh yellow

A tiny red rose which was part of the Mother's Day plant arrangement

sent to me by my son this year.

Hydrangea

Tiny Asters

Blue Campanula

and white too.

Geraniums: pale pink

and darker ones too.

Phlox in different shades

Here is a collage of the many different kinds of flowers in my window boxes and big pots this year

My flowers are my biggest joy in the summer months

and I eat all my meals outside

surrounded by their wonderful colours.

My herb garden is doing well too:

A Rosemary tree

A big plant of Basil which I use a lot

Lemon Verbena for herb teas

and mint.

I have run out of chives and must get a new plant!

Day 20 - In My Hand

Nestled in my hand

A tiny phlox bloom

Searched for the light

She had fallen from the plant

at the height of her beauty

Looking for a tender hand to save her from her plight.

I was lucky to capture these photos on my balcony just before the storm broke and the 

heavy rain fell, bouncing off the road and path.

Ah!

Coolness at last!

The Power to Choose

Sunday morning on my balcony!

My favourite place to be as soon as it's warm enough to sit outside!

I'm surrounded by window-boxes and big tubs of flowers

and there is birdsong in the early morning.

I can see trees from where I sit when I turn by back to the road.

I am happy, not only because of all these lovely things, but because I choose to be!

Whatever happens to us in life, whatever our circumstances,

whatever our state of health, we have the ability to choose our attitude

to every single thing in our life.

The book in the photo is a new one that I have recently started.

It reinforces my belief that we are able to develop our resilience

and rise above the hard knocks in life.

Of course, some things are more difficult to bear than others,

but however hard things may seem, our attitude is everything.

We are not the victims of our lives,

but we are the creators of how we want to live.

I love books like this, 

they make me feel empowered.

May and June have been busy months, both with birthday celebrations

and creative occupations.

On the creative side, out came my crochet hook and some new red cotton

which I recently obtained from a local store.

Forty-two crocheted hearts have been made as part of a table decoration

for my son's wedding this August in Switzerland.

I found this lovely rose in the exact same tone of red as the hearts.

There's such mystery and beauty in the heart of a rose.

The weather is already hot and humid

with daytime temperatures reaching 26C but it feels much hotter

because of the high humidity.

Storms have been building up towards the evenings.

This could be the start of a very hot summer¨

It will soon be time to get my ventilators out of the cellar!

Where Are the Stories?

She looked out through the confines of where she was hiding.

She knew the world was waiting for her to make the effort, to take the first step.

There were other human beings out there, living life.

Was she living hers? 

She wasn't sure anymore.

She sometimes felt like a little mouse in a cage,

going round in circles, but not exactly getting anywhere.

How had that happened?

Was she doing anything to change that?

She tried looking at things from another point of view.

She felt an inner smile bubbling up from deep within her

and she felt her confidence grow.

"What strange creatures we are", she said, almost out loud.

"We allow ourselves to be influenced by mere thoughts that we have created."

She felt her face becoming relaxed and her breath came slower and calmer.

She could feel the sparkle coming back into her eyes!

There was even a feeling of lightness about her again.

She smiled and knew exactly what she had to do

and felt a tingling of excitement at the sheer thought of it...

This is a fictional story.

***

I did my first self-portrait course five years' ago when I turned a big birthday.

It was quite a challenge, but I so enjoyed the story-telling

and the role-playing we did.

That course was called "Now You".

This year, I decided to do another self-portrait class, to celebrate another birthday!

They do seem to come round rather quickly, don't they!

This time it's with Vivienne McMaster.

She's so encouraging and full of fun.

You can see her website here

***

Today is Sunday

and it's a perfect day for relaxing in the sunshine.

First of all, I just need to show you this gorgeous blossom in my neighbourhood!

After an early morning walk,

I had breakfast on my balcony and then read for a while

enjoying the spring flowers in my window boxes and pots.

Campanula or Bell flowers, just beginning to bloom.

I came across this advertisement for a film I would like to see.

I read the book, which was really good, sometime ago.

I've been having fun with double exposures, so here is one with my grandson!

He gave me permission to use this photo of us both.

See you all soon!