For me, when hell breaks loose all around, there is solace in symmetry and succulents.
My happy place. No matter what.
Garden; verb and noun.
Breathe.
Happy Saturday!
I love these little matching pots from Daiso. They kinda sorta remind me of Chanel quilting. The plant saucers, also from Daiso, were meant to hold ginger and wasabi for sushi.
Nothing but a round sunny yellow plate with a variety of succulents, but they bring joy.
Really hot for the beach…
And probably super crowded, too difficult to maintain proper social distancing, so I’m here:
with a couple friends …
and some mulberries that aren’t quite ready…
along with some pretty pretty flowers…
I’m enjoying all the lush and colorful garden because pretty soon no matter what I do, the grass will turn brown ‘cos we probably won’t have more rain until next winter and the dry hot SoCal Santana winds make watering a futile effort.
Since I’m pretty much a (willing) prisoner here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells just like we’re all enduring stay-at-home orders, I decided to create a positive mindset and find the beauty inside and outside these four walls and my infinite garden.
Today, the sky is blueblueblue with occasional puffy clouds so I thought I’d focus on blue.
Cerulean, ultramarine, the shade of a Ceylon sapphire.More like a periwinkle blue, but still BLUE.
The blue of agapanthus, also known as Lily of the Nile, from bud to flower.
The view from my kitchen window in the early morning light.
A perfectly symmetrical Monarch sunning herself on grape leaves.
Saturday.
Photo by Enchanted Seashells. Taken with my Canon Rebel T3i
I love roses of all kinds but this one has nothing to do with Rowdy Rosie; a nickname I acquired in another life during a brief stay in Steamboat Springs. (Read about it here: https://enchantedseashells.com/2013/07/02/the-story-of-rowdy-rosie/)
This one’s a hardy garden rose that does well in drought conditions.
I’ve had really good success propagating them, too. Here’s how I do it:
Perfect for a hot summer garden with no rain in sight.
Robert Burns, of course.
I’ve been posting a lot about the beautiful flowers in my garden because I know how short lived it al is and I want to enjoy it while I can…soon the hot sun and blistering Santa Ana winds will dry up all the lush blooms. We had so much rain this season that it really looks like a floral fairyland at Casa de Enchanted Seashells.
Another day, another rose, a very red one, not yet open.
A Red, Red Rose
by Robert Burns
O my luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly played in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
O I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.
And almost completely gone but still drunk with a dancer’s graceful elegance:
All the rain we had in SoCal a couple weeks ago caused my roses to grow like crazy.
Planted at least six feet apart in order to comply with all social distancing orders, here’s a couple of little bouquets displayed in a Waterford crystal sugar and creamer, just because…
…and my magical secret garden with a working windmill…
…as well as an afternoon visit for snacks from Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, also complying with social distancing directives!
I hope you’re enjoying a lovely weekend!
Not about ME, haha, but check out this most delicate ballet pink rose I’ve ever grown in the garden here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells.
The life cycle up to this point has been about a week long journey.
Just picked. The fragrance is so light and delicate. The very essence of a rose.
The petals are starting to open a tiny bit more in response to the sun and being indoors.
See the outer petals beginning to turn color? Still beautiful, though.
This morning, in her full glory at five inches across. More discolored, faded, and less pink petals.
Sweet rose. Almost at the end of her life, she selflessly shared all the joy and beauty she had to give. Soon, her petals will fall to the table and she’ll be gone.
How did this all get so depressing? Just like The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Sheesh. I need to lighten up!
And now this, the finality and death of a once beautiful and vibrant rose.
Shaking off THAT doomed train of thought, here are more roses that I left unpicked in the garden.
Buds. Babies.
I love the peach and red dual tone of these roses.
Peppermint striped climbing roses. Very spicy fragrance.
Finally, a rock rose, California native.
All the rain we had in SoCal made a joyful garden.
Happy end of April and almost May, everyone!
Rain of any kind in SoCal is something to be grateful for because for a brief moment, we can enjoy green and lush hills and gardens.
Now that we’re back to sunshiny blue skies again, I took pics of the lawn ‘cos it’ll never look this velvety smooth again.
Even though I have the flu or some version of it in spite of a flu shot, no way would I miss spending an entire day working in the garden. Dirty hands, twigs in my hair, muddy shoes. HEAVENLY.
But I wasn’t alone.
This happy gangsta butterfly not only followed me everywhere I was, but sat on my head for a few marvelous seconds, too! It’s too bad I couldn’t snap a pic but it was impossible, so you’ll have to trust me. Fluttering and flapping wings all around my face and head. And listen to the birds! So much joy.
Was there a message or a lesson the butterfly was attempting to convey? Or maybe just a shared joie de vivre?
We can coexist in peace, my friendly Mourning Cloak butterfly.
Yes, s/he was upside down or maybe I was upside down? It’s all in your perspective. Totally LOVING the apple blossoms.
Knowing that our rains are brief, all the plants put their best foot forward. The rosemary is a riot of blue flowers and bees.
Bees, so many bees!
Happy all planets direct and Super Blood Wolf Moon eclipse tonight!
The epic rains that soaked SoCal this year gave birth to a springtime of lush floral beauty and emerald lawns, something I don’t think I’ve experienced in the thirty-two years I’ve lived at Casa de Enchanted Seashells.
Before that, I lived in the area and there were definitely some heavy rains, but I didn’t notice nor did I appreciate the luxuriant plant life like I do now.
Flowers that previously lay dormant for seasons now burst forth in riotous color and perfume, like the lovely freesias, stock, Jupiter’s Beard, and borage.
Most exciting for me is the herb garden.
Just look at the abundance of this patch of lemon balm. Planted directly under a bedroom window, the lemony fragrance wafts up and in with even the slightest breeze.
Ahhhh.
Heavenly!
Lemon balm was traditionally used to uplift the spirits and to enhance memory. Some of its healing properties were spiritual in nature. This herb was used in spells to heal broken hearts and also to attract romantic love. It was believed that a lemon balm bag put under the pillow could help promote sleep and put in the bath would promote relaxation. (https://www.mountainroseherbs.com)
Easy to grow Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a member of the mint family, is considered a calming herb. It was used as far back as the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion (including gas and bloating, as well as colic). help heal wounds, and treat venomous insect bites and stings. Today, lemon balm is often combined with other calming, soothing herbs, such as valerian, chamomile, and hops, to promote relaxation. It is also used in creams to treat cold sores.
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lemon-balm
Lemon Balm is useful for nursing mothers that want to reduce overproduction of breast milk or when in the process of weaning and drying up milk supply. DIL added it to her sage tea when she weaned Angel Boy 2.0 and it worked!
Add it to any dish that might benefit from a little lemony flavor, including cookies. I’m going to experiment on a vegan Lemon Balm & Lavender cookie, and will let you know how it turns out.
1. Chop a couple tablespoons of lemon balm and add to your favorite salsa.
2. Chop together with cilantro in guacamole.
3. Lemon balm salad dressing is yummy and so easy! Combine your favorite oil with white balsamic or champagne vinegar, 2 TBS chopped lemon balm, pepper, Pink Himalayan sea salt, and whisk!
4. Pour hot water over lemon balm leaves. Let steep and enjoy!
5. I add a few sprigs to a pitcher of water with ice cubes and sliced lemon.
6. Lemon Balm Pesto:
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup almonds or pine nuts (or both)
2 cups fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh lemon balm
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (don’t add if vegan)
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
In food processor, add all ingredients except oil and pulse. Pour oil in steady but thin stream while pulsing until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with dried red peppers if you like it spicy.
If you Google it, there are loads of DIY recipes on the internet and Pinterest using lemon balm, but I chose this one to share with you ‘cos it’s cool and seems fairly easy:
7. Lemon Balm Extract
Combine your favorite carrier oil (sweet almond oil or sunflower or grapeseed with chopped lemon balm leaves in a small jar. Make sure the leaves are submerged in the oil.Cover and place in a sunny spot for two weeks, turning/shaking every so often while still making sure the leaves are submerged. Strain out the leaves and the oil is now ready to use.
**While it’s generally considered safe for most people, lemon balm might inhibit thyroid function. If you’re on thyroid medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist before using internally. As always, if you’re pregnant, nursing, or have any other questions, talk with your doctor.“Melissa Officinalis produced a significant inhibition of TSH binding to its receptor and of antibody binding to TSH”http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14759065
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