birthday bouquet, and a lost cottage

bringing flowers to a lady is appropriate under almost any circumstances.  but when they're from her own garden, well, that's often deprecated. 

Charles and Sylvia are among my very favourite people in the Grove.  they have always kept a stunning garden, in which there's always something lovely in bloom.  if one is out for a walk in the Grove it's always interesting to stop by for a look, and if they happen to be out tending it they are always willing to set down tools and visit for a moment. 

in early July I had been lurking there, camera in hand, and took this picture of a self-arranging bouquet.  the arrangement was quite attractive and didn't require anything to be cut. 

garden bouquet

Sylvia's 90^th birthday was on Tuesday.  of course I wasn't organised enough to send off a card in time, though many others in the Grove who were did so.  so instead I ran off a full-page print of this digichrome and went over in the afternoon to present it to her.  they were both pleased with it and I very much enjoyed visiting with them. 

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just before leaving I happened to glance at a photo on the wall and was struck by the resemblance of the cottage depicted in it to my own home.  the upper front window looks just like the one that had once been here, and the porch wraps deeply around two sides in the same fashion.  the only differences are that the roof pitch isn't quite as steep and that the placement of chimney and gable are mirror image to what's here. 

you'll probably have to click through to a larger image to make out the details. 

the picture is dated 1 April 1924.  the cottage no longer exists but once stood on their property. 

lost cottage

they were kind enough to allow me to take a picture of the picture.  this will be quite useful in working out the details when the time comes to complete the upper front here. 

dogwood fruit

[OT from cottage renovations]

as autumn comes to the Circle the dogwoods turn and shed their leaves early, the better to exhibit their fruit to passing birds.  a bit of nutrition is offered in exchange for a bit of transportation in an attractively packaged proposition.

dogwood fruit

the eponymous vine

yesterday and today were good days for getting yard work done:  lots of raking, trimming, bagging and general neatening up.  the acuba japonica in back had gotten a bit out of control and got an overdue severe cutting back.  I've never actually cared for it and wanted to keep it from crowding out the dogwoods that have come up in back.  when construction finally happens back there the trick will be to finish off the former without losing the latter. 

it was also time to do some planting:

the bittersweet ...


... and chionanthus virginicus, planted

the sticks and stones will help to keep me from stepping on or otherwise clobbering the li'l tree until it gets big enough to fend for itself.  I do not believe they afford it any protection from the ravages of the all-consuming deer.