Monday, May 4, 2015

tiny flowers and brilliant Brits




 The only flowers in my garden are these petite blue scilla. 
Several years ago I planted lots of bulbs, but every year fewer appear. 
I assume squirrels have taken them. Or garden gnomes.
 No daffodils bloomed this year, or even crocus. But lilies of the valley are on their way 
and before you know there will be so many pictures of peonies here
that the internets will break and we'll have to start sending each other letters
and photographs. On paper.

Doesn't Aji look like a giant?


My andromeda shrubs are laden with delicate bells.
After the winter we had I'm especially grateful for these sweet small blossoms.

(The wedding was almost a year ago, and I've finally framed some pictures.)

After reading this piece in the New Yorker, I've been on a Barbara Pym
kick. Her novels of domestic life in post World War II England are witty and delightful, with enough astringency to keep them from being too cozy, but they also fall into the category of comfort reading. I thoroughly enjoyed Jane and Prudence ,  Excellent Women and Some Tame Gazelle.

Also, Wolf Hall on PBS via BBC is brilliant (as are the books it's based on).

Now, visit Small but Charming for more Flowers in the House
and to see our dear friend Jane.


40 comments:

  1. Oh Jen, you just made my (early) morning. Sweet, sweet, sweet, words and pictures.

    I love Barbara Pym, definitely falls into comfort zone reading.

    And I'm missing Wolf Hall? Now I want to reread those too.

    A lot of thought for 4:26am.

    TTYL?

    xo J

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    1. The BBC Wolf Hall is mesmerizing, and now I want to reread the books too! I hope once you're home you take a nice long nap surrounded by kitties and flowers from your garden. xoxo

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    2. Can't believe you two were up that early! Can't wait to see your peonies. isn't it nice to have the gang back together for our monthly flower klatch? Thanks for the book recommendation - always needing a new author. thanks.

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    3. Actually I was up late last night, into the wee hours of this morning. I think I met Jane in the middle. It is fun to "see" everyone. I love book recommendations too. Always happy to give and get them.

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  2. A touch of astringency is so important in a book. Have you tried Elizabeth Von Armin? Her 'Elizabeth and Her German Garden' and 'A Solitary Summer' are super. And they include abundant flowers for you and Flwrjane!

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    1. Book recommendations! So exciting. I hope Shelley is listening. Thank you, Mise.

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    2. Jen.. have to 2nd Mise's suggestion on Von Armin. Just reread (upon Britta @ Joy of Living suggestion) Enchanted April on Kindle and as an added bonus Elizabeth and Her German Garden was included in the purchase.. a brilliant 2 for one!

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    3. Enchanted April is a favorite, book and film. I even went and found the castle in Portofino. ;)

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  3. We sound exactly alike in the garden category. Wolf Hall is on Broadway but it is two plays like Angels in America was, don't think I can handle it.

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    1. I heard that the Broadway version is excellent, and I wouldn't mind the two plays (assuming I liked the first one). Pretty amazing that the can translate those books so well to small screen and stage. As long as they don't try to make a two hour movie!

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  4. I'm reminded, again, just how different it is to live in California. And how beautiful an East Coast spring can be. On the other hand, I too planted bulbs, 15-20 years ago, 30 narcissi. None of which bloom any more. So, gardeners have some universal experiences. Here's to FITH.

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    1. Oh, California. I lived there for many years and miss it in kind of an abstract way. An east coast spring at that moment when all the trees and flowers are blooming, is spectacular. Cheers to Jane!

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  5. Good Morning! Nice to visit you so early. :) I'm wondering how all the thousands of bulbs I planted over fifteen years are doing with the new house owners. Hopefully they're having fun like I am here, seeing new things pop up everyday.

    Now I've added a couple more books to my read list. A list that is growing too rapidly.
    Have a wonderful day! xo

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    1. I can't believe that my bulbs disappeared. It breaks my heart, and I'm afraid to plant any more. I'm sure the new house owners are thrilled with your flowers--what a treat for them! Oh, yes, the book list never ends, does it? I don't know your reading taste but you might get a kick out of Barbara Pym. Do you have a library in the area? I love country libraries.

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    2. There is a library and it's rather big for the size of the town. And would you believe it has a card catalogue still. It's very basic, but you still get that wonderful feeling flipping through the worn cards. Typically, I read non-fiction, historical, political, biographies etc., but I am trying to add different types of books to my reading list. I hadn't heard of Barbara Pym before, but I did look her up and she sounds very intriguing.

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    3. I love card catalogues! Sounds like a wonderful library.

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  6. Flowers, lovely wedding photo, AND book recommendations!

    I have rarely known daffodils to peter out like you're describing. Tulips, yes ... clumps of daffs usually multiply and get bigger and better every year. Except for the patch that my husband keeps mowing because he doesn't realize that I planted bulbs in that spot. Those poor things tried and tried, getting smaller and weaker each spring, till they finally gave up last year and are gone. Any chance this is happening to yours?

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    1. I don't know what's happened to the daffs. I'd say squirrels stole them. but I've read that they love crocus and tulips but not daffodils. They are in a bed--no mowing. Further investigation is necessary!

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  7. Hello Jen,

    I've just discovered your blog as you kindly left a comment on mine and I'm delighted to have made your acquaintance.

    The first thing to greet me on your blog was the sight of your charming kitty, which looks exactly like one of the semi-feral/homeless cats that I feed at my house. They could be related!

    Thank you for the introduction to Ms. Pym and her novels; you've piqued my interest.

    Could I suggest that your narcissus may need dividing to once again flower? Perhaps they have become overcrowded which has prevented them blooming. Also, the foliage needs to remain in place and wither away (not cut) to insure re-flowering the following year. Good luck with your daffs. I am simply mad for them.

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    1. I am going to have to investigate the daffodil situation. We had a terrible winter, and everything is off-key, Maybe they'll pop up in July!

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  8. Barbara Pym is one of my favorite writers - I have all her books,read them way back in the '80s, hard to believe it's been that long! Now may be the time for yet another re-read. How I love Some Tame Gazelle and the wonderful Bede sisters!
    Sorry your bulbs are lost in action. Perhaps re-planted somewhere far, far away by a forgetful squirrel?
    Thanks for the link to the Pym article. You may want to read the biography - forget the name, sorry - about Barbara Pym.
    Mary

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    1. Hi Mary--Barbara Pym fans are popping up all over. I've found a real treasure. Will look for her biography! Some Tame Gazelle was fabulous!

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    2. The biography that I read was Barbara Pym- a Very Private Eye. Not sure if it's still in print, but so interesting! Just love her. Wish there were some undiscovered manuscripts out there to publish.

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  9. Your little blue scilla and andromeda bells are lovely. I think I need a little Pym. Should I go for Jane and Prudence or Some Tame Gazelle? Hmm...

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    1. I would lean toward Some Tame Gazelle, but they are both wonderful.

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  10. Peonies! I want peonies. Have some planted but so far they have done nothing...kind of like your daffs.
    Sweet kitty pic.

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    1. Maybe it's too early? I can't remember if peonies need a year or two to get going. I hope they do for you!

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  11. Since my daffodils are just coming to an end here in Idaho, I think yours just haven't bloomed yet. Animals won't eat them - they're poisonous. Wolf Hall is excellent, isn't it. Better than the novel, I think, since I can't recall anything about the novel except the last line. Did you know that Barbara Pym's publisher became so chintzy with her, it wouldn't provide her with a typist? Her books had fallen out of favor with the public. And now that she's been gone so long, there's a new interest in her novels. So sad.

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    1. I did read that there was a devastating long stretch when she wasn't published, and eventually she was picked up again. So sad. I am bursting with admiration for her.

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  12. Hello Jen, In the various houses I have lived in, I noticed a similar slow attrition in existing plantings of flowers. Since I tend to prefer my flowers growing wild, this never upset me very much.
    --Jim

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    1. Hi Jim, I to love flowers that grow wild--can't wait to see violets covering my lawn!

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  13. oh no, more books to add to my ever-growing wishlist. but your recommendations are always good, so I trust you on this one too. by the way, did you recommend Maine by Courtney Sullivan by any chance? someone did, but I don't remember. I finally got it. starts promising.

    and happy spring. i'm glad it's finally warming up over there. we had the most amazing weather here for the past weeks and everything is out early. almost feels like early summer already, even though during cold stretches the temperatures still drop to 10 degrees. anyhow, can't wait for the internet to break tho. love, love, love peonies :)))

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    1. Hi Petra, I didn't recommend Maine. Would love to hear what else you've been reading. I've been enjoying your gorgeous blossoms from Paris and elsewhere, am so glad you are having a joyful spring.

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  14. Jen... so happy to see that you have these pretties + kitty to perk up your springtime! The daffodils may be too deep if they are in a place that mulch and soil could accumulate on top of them.. dig around a bit and see. We have legions of squirrels and they don't bother my daffodils... the bird feeders are a different story! Have Pym on my "to read" list.. just haven't gotten to her yet. I have been rereading Shelby Foote's historical Southern novels and the first 2 of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Not sure I can reread the entire series.. but it was a good thought in theory! The wedding photos always bring a smile... to know your child has found a life partner... sweet, indeed!

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    1. Now that is a possibility I didn't think of, Susan. I have mulched there a couple times and maybe the poor things can't find their way out! You know I've never read Shelby Foote's novels, and I think they are right up my alley--I love war books. I'm off to investigate them.

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  15. Hi Jen, I think your daffodils are probably still there because animals don't like to eat them. They might need you to rescue them. Your son's wedding photo is so charming. What a beautiful and happy couple. Are they still in NYC? Do you get to see them often? My middle daughter will be working for an investment bank in NYC this summer. I am very excited because I will have a perfect excuse to go up there often. This is the same daughter who was doing an externship around the same time that you were in NYC choosing various wedding stuff. Too bad we missed each other by a day. Maybe this summer?

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    1. Hi Christa,

      The daffodil investigation is ongoing.. My son and his wife live in Brooklyn, and so does my youngest son. I love it. I used to go a few times a year--though it's been more often lately for various reasons. Your daughter will have such fun, and so will you!

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