poppies, peonies (again) and april cornell

poppies are on my list of favorites. i haven't actually got any in this garden yet...i think it's because i haven't found the right one. in my last two gardens, the red was perfect amongst all the colourful flowers i had there. i'm trying to avoid adding oranges, reds and yellows this time. (they are here though...came with the house and i haven't the heart to kick them out) 

i am holding out for pinks...i have the seeds, but they haven't gone in yet. too late already? i need to get me a pink perennial poppy. i think the seeds are annuals. wow i'm muttering to myself here.

i heard a radio ad the other day. at the tail end of it i heard something like...april cornell...linens and clothes...oh my. a grand opening. a new shop. before now, my only source for april cornell had always been a sure spot to find a lovely new tablecloth or some nice pillow shams. BUT THEN IT CLOSED FOREVER. i can't even begin to tell you how upset i was. i panicked. i even thought to myself...i might have to open my own shop. but of course i didn't and now this brilliant girl in the next town over did! i am happy for her, but feeling a bit envious to be perfectly honest. the good news is that when i'm feeling the urge...it's  just down the road. i love my new tablecloth. i am finding myself enjoying robin's egg blue these days.

pretty isn't it?

yesterday it was hot and sunny. today it rained ALL DAY. great for the lawn. not so great for the full blooming peonies. i think they are nearly past their point. no worries though, this is what the garden is all about. next...lavender, lilies and roses. it's a beautiful thing!

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED IN MUSKOKA!!!!

We've been having a heat wave up in our parts. The furnace was still running not too many days ago and now we've switched on the air...doesn't seem right to me. Kind of skipped spring. But oh well... the good news is that it looks and feels like the right season at the right time. We headed to our favorite spot yesterday and the girls enjoyed cooling down.

The dock is at a nice spot in the river. It's shallow and sort of sandy, lots of lily pads and little fish. The big bullfrogs were croaking and a noisy bluejay stopped by for a minute. A little fish was being very protective of its nest...very nervous that we were near by.

At home those peonies popped open in the heat, so did the roses. I am afraid they are going to come and go too quickly. It is SO hot...

photos for friday...

summer has arrived! sunny and hot...em wrote her last exam and spent the afternoon swimming with her friends. so neat that the high school is beside the water. i felt like heading to a dock myself after i had finished up in the yard.

the garden is coming together. the last couple of years i have been collecting lots of blues, whites and pinks...there is still lots to do, but i am getting closer to what i imagined it could look like. hydrangea, lilac, daisy, phlox, peony, bleeding heart, forget-me-not, lily, fern, lavender.....

today i bought 5 cans of spray paint. i am always thinking "i wish i could paint that"...so today i did. lots of projects to finish, but i ticked a few off the list.

looks like it is going to be a wonderful weekend...happy summer solstice to you!

saturday scenery...

i bought this little painting at a yard sale in 1992. it was the summer we got married. it will always remind me of the first apartment we had...so small. we had nothing but LOVE!! i found it in a box lately...it will look pretty in the new room.

....our yard is green, but not exactly perfect. the bees enjoy the clover. so the clover stays....

emma is doing a marathon reading session this weekend and it's not for exams...the book has to be returned to the school library before summer shutdown. i know she'll make the deadline. this girl loves to read.....

i picked up this art decor vase a couple days ago. a royal winton. a few imperfections, but i got it with the loose change in my wallet. a deal. so tall and buttery yellow. it's nice to be around.

hope the sun is shining wherever you are. i enjoy a good saturday. cheers! xo

still playing around with miss nikon...

they smell so beautiful...one of my favorites. i keep planting them all over the yard. you can't have too many lilacs can you??

i am still needing some biggy shasta daisies, but these will make me happy until then!

ahhhhhh......ferns. I LOVE FERNS. ALOT. wouldn't a woodland garden full of these lacy lovelies be a cool spot to perch yourself with an iced tea and a book about fairies or something?

i am glad the work week is over....ahh friday. HAPPY WEEKEND!!

i've got a new toy!

playing with my new camera...haven't tried anything tricky yet. we're just getting to know one another a bit better...

we have something in common...we both love the flowers in the garden!

it was another cool and cloudy day...oh sunshine, where are you??

iris, thank you for brightening up my day!

.......and little hens and chicks, you know how i feel about you ( mmmm i love 'em so)

i picked up some goodies this week. more sharing to come. i'll be back...

busy having fun

Elsie doing her hip hop...recital went well. She's a natural performer! Love to watch her dance...

A couple weekends ago we had a little stay-cation...into Algonquin Park for the day. We pretended to be tourists. It was a really great day. No rush to be anywhere...no plans to follow.

Emma is very dramatic. She should be an actress. Doesn't it really look like she's sufferin' in that pot???!! I know...impressive!.......

I thought I'd share this one of Elsie at her badminton tournament...she was ready to kick some butt on the court!

Summer is coming!! I have a new job...gotta run!