June Joys

Yes, I know it's August, but life runs in the slow lane when you're retired!  I am so busy thriving that it does not leave much time to compose a worthy post.  You do understand, right?

In Montana, summer is short and every hour is to be treasured and maximized.  We squeeze activity into every glorious moment of sunlight, since it comes streaming unbidden into our bedroom at 5.30 in the morning!

Frequent readers know I relish outdoor dining, and it is even better when it features summer salads.  Head Chef might as well be Michelin with the creativity he brings to his mealtime miracles.

 

While we are talking about the Man of the House, let's re-cap Father's Day!  #1 Daughter took a page from my book and crafted a hand-made card.

 #1 Son took a commercial, albeit no less creative route.  Where DOES he find these things??? (in case you can't tell, these are sandals!)

As long as we are on the subject of parenting, I will show you the card #1 Daughter crafted for Mother's Day!

You all know my Dear Neighbor Friend, who lives on the farm across the street.  Spring and summer bring new animals to the farm.  First up, lambs.

DNF discovered a sweet kitten in the barn, and a momma was nowhere to be found.  Little Baloo took up residence in the house (just 'til she grows up a little) - but between you and me, these two have gotten pretty attached and I don't know if Baloo will make it back to the barn!!!

 

And one day DNF called me about a turtle she had saved from getting run over on the county road.  She brought it over in a box so I could release it down by the lake.

A post of mine would not be complete without a few flowers!!!  I planted Lupine seed 6 years ago, and this is the first year that the plants have bloomed!  Patience is a must-have for a gardener!

 

Caterpillars are welcome on my native plants - they are part of the ecosystem!  Looking at this Paintbrush almost two months later, it does not seem to have been affected by the munching.

Naturally occurring roses.
 

This Arnica volunteered to be in the garden!

I regularly host a ladies' gathering, and in June, one of the ladies casually asked me, upon arrival, "Do you have an aloe plant?"  When I replied no, she turned on her heel and went back to her car.  Momentarily, she appeared with this beautiful, octopus-looking creature, unlike any aloe plant I have ever seen!  What a surprise!

 

 

No Montana summer is complete without some time on the water, and even better if it is combined with a worthy cause such as weed pulling.   For the second year, we were hosted in the boat belonging to Kenny and Mary during the Weed Rodeo.  Yeehaw!

 

 

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Linking up with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color for I Like Thursday.  If you're searching for some positivity in a world that can focus too much on the negative, check it out!  The prompt for August 8 is "Would you like being part of the group of Olympic competitors?  Staying in the Olympic Village?  Have you ever gone to view the Olympics?" I think I would enjoy being in the Village and meeting people, but the stress of the competition would be too much for me.  I have family near Salt Lake City, and there might be an option to volunteer for the Winter Olympics 2034!  I have not attended the Olympics, even though we had tickets for Atlanta 1996.  I was offered a new position right at that time, and we gave up our tickets so we could make the move.  Dumb younger me!!!!

Linking to Thankful Thursday

Linking to Mosaic Monday

Garden Glory: (Showing Off a "Small Island" - Part 7)

It is inevitable, when playing tour guide in a familiar place, that you will make repeat visits to certain attractions.  Raby Castle is a case in point.  With its proximity to my in-laws' house, the Castle was an obvious choice to share with my sister and her husband last June.  And so we went, even though Spousal Unit and I had been there the summer before.  But make no mistake, I had no regrets; the Castle has stunning gardens, sweeping panoramas and, of course, a tea shop, that would occupy us while our guests toured the Castle.  Follow me!

My previous posts about this trip (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6)) have noted the uncharacteristically warm and sunny weather we'd been having.  Some evening rain put an end to that, and I rejoiced in capturing lingering raindrops on the flowers the next day. 

What is it about brick walls and stone parapets that shape a garden so?  When I first imagined the landscape design for the 'wild' acreage at our log house, I dreamt of the sort of 'rooms' that you see in a quintessential English garden, often created with the use of plantings and hardscape.  To this day I am inspired by this design technique (even if we are not using it in Montana!)

The walls of locally hand-made bricks were constructed with flues which, when heated, enabled sub-tropical fruits such as apricots to be grown on the south terrace.  Of these, only the White Ischia Fig brought to Raby in 1786 by William Harry, Lord Barnard, still survives in its specially built house, fruiting annually.

The gardens surrounding English castles and grand homes are often arboretums in their own right, with a fascinating array of trees, shrubs and flowers.  As a tree lover, I revel in studying the trees - color, texture, shape, placement in the garden - it all has a role to  play in the beauty of the space.

Many of the original features remain in the Raby Castle gardens, including two fine yew hedges, and the ornamental pond, which was originally constructed to provide water for the kitchen garden.

Yew hedges to right and left

Ah, the summer rose - riveting to the eye and tantalizing to the nostrils … below are the best of the bunch.

Occasionally, a garden will surprise.  This day, around a corner, we found a 'higgledy-piggledy' rectangle, populated by a variety of looming plants.  We wondered: could it be a forgotten section?  The head gardener's 'scrap' heap?  Done deliberately to show that an English garden CAN be disorderly?  Whatever the rationale, we loved the riot of textures, shapes and colors.

As I peruse my next set of shots, I am struck with wonder once again at the rolling landscape, dotted with majestic oaks and other aged trees that have seen Kings and Queens come and go.  This setting surrounding the Castle is referred to as the "Park."  Can you imagine anything more marvelous?

Groundskeeper's Cottage in the distance

Well, perhaps the view of the Castle …

Raby Castle is near Staindrop in County Durham, among 200 acres of deer park.  It was built by John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby, between approximately 1367 and 1390.  Cecily Neville, the mother of the Kings Edward IV and Richard III, was born here.

Linking to

All Seasons


Floral Friday Fotos



Our World Tuesday