Enchanting Garden

I recently had the pleasure of spending time in a friend's delightful garden. I asked if I could return with my camera so that I could take you along on a virtual garden tour.  Happily the answer was a resounding yes.

It was a perfect afternoon, I took my pictures and then enjoyed a "cuppa", tea of course, on the covered porch of the summer house. 

So welcome to this "sanctuary" of peace, comfort and whimsy. The garden is welcoming and divided into restful spaces; there is a gazebo, a summer house with covered porch and a patio with table and umbrella. So here are some of the pictures I took, first of the garden decorations, then the flowers and then the other visitors.

The garden boasts decorations collected over many years, there are many creatures, hanging ornaments,  a gnome and an angel.



A painting of the garden hangs on the covered porch



These two thoughful frogs caught my attention.

The garden has mirrors, globes and hanging ornaments that reflect light and dance in the breeze.

From Hymns and Spiritual Songs by Isaac Watts:

We are a garden walled around,

Chosen and made peculiar ground;

A little spot enclosed by grace,

Out of the world's wild wilderness.

Flowers add fragrance and colour. Here is a selection of flowers including roses, geraniums, hydrangea, crocusima, sweet peas, nasturtiums, daliah, pansies and some pretty foliage.

Rose hips decorate the gazebo roof

Joni Mitchell sang:

We are stardust,
We are golden,
And we got to get ourselves
Back to the garden.

It was a beautiful warm afternoon as you can see from the thermometer. We had tea on the covered porch and scattered crumbs on the path for the visitors, a host of birds. As we enjoyed our tea we were entertained by the antics of the birds.

Little birds flock to the garden and share the feeder, there seem to be one or two whole families of little birds. The garden is full of bird houses, feeders and there is water out for the birds, why won't they feel at home. A crow came by to have a visit and then a seagull (named Jonathan), that comes by every day for a treat, dropped by.

Not quite sure what this bird is looking at

This little fellow has its' beak open perhaps waiting to be fed

I think these birds were having a dust bath



Jonathan ready for his treat



Spending time in a garden, whether a few pots on a deck, a small backyard garden, a community garden or large country garden is calming and restorative, even a few minutes of quiet garden time can help bring things back into prespective when the day gets a little too hectic. 

I hope you have enjoyed todays' garden "tour", and that it has given you a smile or two. Thank you to the "garden keepers" for letting me inside your little oasis.

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This is a print of one of my picrtures that has been framed to resemble a "cat door", I couldn't resist taking a picture of it. Isn't it a hoot?

Finally, here is the latest card in the "Thought  for Food" series. This is a watercolour of a handful of berries, I call this one "Berry Handy". It is available as 5" X 5" cards or as a 4" X 4" or 6" X 6" print. Each card in the series includes a recipe card (4.5" X 5") insert, "Berry Handy" includes a recipe for "Homemade Fromage Blanc".

You can see all the cards in this series, 10 now, at: http://www.pswhimsy.com/

Twelve of my paintings and two drawings are on display at Curves Point Grey until the end of September.

Curves (www.curveslocal.com/882 )  Point Grey, is located at 2570 Tolmie Street (at 10th). Curves is a women's fitness facility with a wonderful sense of community. The art displays change monthly, and while the art is usually for sale, the purpose is to add colour and interest to the facility.  Visitors are welcome to come and see the art: women are welcome at any time  (hours of operation), and men should phone and inquire about the best time for a visit. The closest BLine (to UBC) bus stop is Sasamat (then just a one block walk).

Thank you for visiting my blog, and happy "Whimsy Wednesday".