Sunday in the Garden: Downy Woodpecker

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

It was super quiet this morning until I heard a familiar staccato taptaptaptap, ran outside with my camera and was FINALLY able to capture a visit from my Downy Woodpecker!

Usually they’re playing hide and seek in my garden; this time he’s just over the fence on the neighbor’s palm tree. A while later, his mate came to eat in the exact same spot.

Isn’t he simply magnificent?

In many ancient cultures, the symbolism of the woodpecker is associated with wishes, luck, prosperity, and spiritual healing. The woodpecker often symbolizes new opportunities that come knocking into our lives. Other cultures consider the woodpecker to represent hard work, perseverance, strength, and determination, all positive attributes for sure! (curated from Google search)

Happy Sunday, friend!

Cup of Gold

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

Important info: Regarding Solandra maxima, Cup of Gold Vine–all parts of the plant are toxic and poisonous, so be aware of this before planting if you have pets or small children.

If that’s not an issue for you and you love vines with gigantic flowers — about six inches in diameter — take a look at this!

The flowers deepen in color as they age which make this plant even more appealing and that’s when they become fragrant.

About a year ago, a gardener friend gave me a few rooted stalks of Cup of Gold and they seem to really love it here. One of them is already about 40 feet and growing every day. The others are doing well too, but not as great as this one.

I’ve rooted more and now I have them growing everywhere; in a few years it’s going to look like a jungle around Casa de Enchanted Seashells.

Think Pink

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

I don’t know why Angel Girl 2.0 and I love the color pink as much as we do, but we DO.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“PINK PINK PINK!”‘

A little research reveals that the color pink represents compassion, nurturing, tenderness, and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing.

A combination of red and white, pink contains the need for action of red, helping it to achieve the potential for success and insight offered by white. It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exhibits.

Pink is feminine and romantic, affectionate and intimate, thoughtful and caring. It tones down the physical passion of red replacing it with a gentle loving energy. https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-pink.html

All I know for sure is that all shades of PINK make me happy, from the pink of my ballet shoes to any and all flowers in the garden. After all, I was named for a flower so in my case, it was sort of predestined.

It’s a little early for my rosebushes, but here’s a very pink freesia:

And deeply pink peach flowers, Since this is the tree’s first year, I know I’m supposed to pinch off all the flowers so the tree will grow stronger but I can’t bear to do that.

Beauty in Death | Decay and Decompose

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

My little angels know how to make Grandma happy. Look what came in the mail, whole and undamaged.

It’s a gigantic, perfectly formed, preserved, and decayed leaf they found in their front yard. It brings me so much joy that the first thing they thought of was that it’s something I would appreciate.

I immediately framed it to admire every day.

March is here, winter shifts to spring, trees are budding and leafing, and it’s important to remember that autumn’s falling leaves were the catalyst to everything new. This leaf died so that more will grow; the inevitable circle of life.

It completely fills out an 8.5 x 11 frame. Isn’t this amazing?

I don’t know why the wall looks yellow cos it’s not.

Fragrant Freesias

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

These are the first fragrant freesias of spring. (I like alliteration.)

#WordlessWednesday

Forsooth! Frivolous Forsythia

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

All of our crazy weather including half the rain we usually get made for an early spring. The fruit trees are flowering, the ash tree did its thing and is leafed out already, as well as the grapes.

Not at all native to this weird deserty, sometimes Mediterranean climate, I saw a forsythia bush and couldn’t walk away without bringing her home. I paid full price too, which should tell you how much I wanted it. Teehee.

When I was growing up back east, I knew spring had arrived when my mom took me violet hunting and the lillies of the valley popped up, An even more glorious sign were the budding forsythia and lilac bushes up against the French doors in the living room.

When the weather warmed up enough to open all the doors and windows, their fragrance was literally breathtaking.

I’ve tried to grow lilacs here and failed, so I don’t have the highest of hopes for this forsythia, but I will try my best.

Fingers crossed, everyone!

P.S. There’s a chance we’ll have rain this week and that’ll make all my plants (and me) happy.

Happiness is a Blooming Hedgehog Aloe and Stunning Ceanothus

Posted on February 17, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

The temps dropped nearly forty degrees and we were lucky enough to get some unexpected rain.

In the morning I was greeted by this flowering orange Hedgehog Aloe against a background of a very healthy ceanothus covered in lilac blooms.

Violet Memories

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

A little violet plant surprised me today in the garden. I don’t know how it came to grow here, especially since Southern California is not the most suitable habitat. Violets prefer damp, well-drained ground and the sun-dappled protection of woodlands, none of which I have.

I was reminded of a special time with my mom. Every spring we’d bring willow baskets with handles and go to the stone bridge at Palmer Park in Detroit and fill them with purple and white violets.

When we returned home, my mom and I would fill every vase and glass we could find with the fragrance of these beauties. Sometimes I’d press a few in a book to find at a later date when it was dried and papery but still evoked the faintest perfume.

Since there’s no rational explanation, I’ll just thank my mom for her visit to guide my happy memories of those lovely times we shared.

Sugar Snappy Ambedo

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

Ambedo – n. a kind of melancholic trance in which you become completely absorbed in vivid sensory details-raindrops skittering down a window, tall trees leaning in the wind, clouds of cream swirling in your coffee.

Or while you pick weeds under the loquat tree and look up to see sugar peas in a pod backlit by the sun.

The pea plants decided to have a life of their own and the tendrils became entwined in the branches of the tree because I didn’t stake them good enough.

I became lost in time, entranced by the simple green perfection. I l subsequently discovered there’s a word for that: ambedo.

(Click on the image to access full size)

#wordlesswednesday

Snail’s Pace Escape

Posted on January 23, 2022 by Enchanted Seashells

I discovered a snail that escaped from one of my yard waste containers so I rolled it closer to a spreading geranium and watched his ascent to freedom.

His excruciatingly slow movements had a very mindful awareness, as if he was channeling Thich Nhat Hanh.

“When you walk, arrive with every step. That is walking meditation. There’s nothing else to it.”

Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud

Beguiling pearls of wit, wisdom, and whimsy-with attitude

Tag Archives: garden

Sunday in the Garden: Downy Woodpecker

Cup of Gold

Think Pink

Beauty in Death | Decay and Decompose

Fragrant Freesias

Forsooth! Frivolous Forsythia

Happiness is a Blooming Hedgehog Aloe and Stunning Ceanothus

Violet Memories

Sugar Snappy Ambedo

Snail’s Pace Escape

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