Saturday, May 17, 2014

Flowers . . . all year long


I began taking photos for this post last weekend, but today something occurred to totally change the focus of the post.


My original plan was to play with the photographs because I am trying to improve my photography skills.


But, a chance comment from Kris of Junk Chic Cottage really got me thinking about the things I take for granted.


Kris worked so hard this past week planting flowers and getting her garden into shape for the spring weather - only to have it snow yesterday.


Kris explained that she needed to purchase the flowers right away because they were going out of town soon and if she waited, the flowers would no longer be in the stores.


52 weeks of the year, I can drive 1 mile to Fernando's flower/produce stand to purchase fresh flowers/strawberries grown in the fields right behind the stand - the area between the truck and the tents was blooming bright purple today, but for safety reasons, they wouldn't let me go out to photograph the fields.


On any day of the year, I can head to Trader Joe's to pick up flowers for decorating and planting.


The bucket I found at Target last week for just $18 - far less than the olive bucket for $95 at my favorite antique shop - is perfect for holding the mums I found at TJ's.


TJ's also had wooden patriotic containers for mini rose bushes that I couldn't pass up.


The mini rose bushes were $1.99 each and will be planted in the garden by next week.


My children had no trouble finding flowers fresh from the fields on Mother's Day and the heat has helped to already dry out the yellow roses from my daughter.


After reading about the garden difficulties Kris experienced, I vow to no longer take for granted the fact that I have fresh flowers in the house


and in the garden 


all year long.

..  ..  ..  ..  .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 

Join me at these parties

Show and Tell Saturday at Be Different ... Act Normal

Sundays at Home at Thoughts From Alice

Anything Blue Friday - The Dedicated House

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Saturday Showoff at The Rosegarden in Malevik

47 comments:

  1. Hi Carol. I think your photography skill is pretty good. Your photos are well focused and the subject is detailed. Wow those mini roses are so cheap. You won't find something like that around my neck of woods.
    I can't stop looking at your kitchen table. We are trying to make something similar. Hope you had a good Mother's Day.

    Blessings,
    Aida

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  2. I live near Kris and experience the same thing. It is very seasonal where we are. I think it makes up appreciate whats in season and get it while we can. Beautiful photos, and love your olive bucket.

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  3. We have to wait until the end of May here to be safe in regards to planting annuals and vegetables. It's tempting ...a few days ago it was very hot, and the thought occurs "surely this year it won't get cold again " but only a few days later it is going down to the 30's at night.

    Emjoying YOUR flowers for the time being! :)

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  4. Kris must live in a region similar to mine because we have had frost every morning this week! There is no way I can plant anything until maybe the first weekend of June. Your photos are beautiful my friend, and the only way any of us will achieve our goals is to continue to just DO what we want. Keep snapping away, while I write. Oh the glory of our garden! I also pray that the heat has subsided? Anita

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  5. Love all your flower photos and especially the one of your blue windows, looking into your house. I like how you changed the perspective of this post … and hope you are having a cooler weekend.

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  6. You are so lucky to have gorgeous flowers year round. I live in a pretty great part of the country also but we do have some cold winters. Love your photos. I want those buckets...all of them. Guess I must go shopping!

    Linda

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  7. Carol, you are so right about counting our blessings! I lament the rain controlling when I can get out to garden when you folks in CA could so use a little rain. Thank you for the reminder to be grateful. Your photos are beautiful.

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  8. Oh, I am always jealous of you guys in CA because of your year round abundance of flowers. You are certainly blessed in that area!
    Brenda

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  9. That's the beauty of living by the coast in southern California!.

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  10. That's the beauty of living by the coast in southern California!.

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  11. Hi Carol, that is what makes California so beautiful. Your weather is perfectly wonderful, and your soil is so fertile, not to mention your humungous coastline :)
    "Enjoy where you are planted"
    We all need to remember this. Whether we live in sunny California or anywhere else on our gorgeous planet earth, we need to be grateful for the beauty around us.
    This is such a lovely post, thank you.
    Your blogging sis,
    Connie :)

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  12. I can't imagine not seeing flowers in the stores. We have them all of the time. I will appreciate it even more now. Thanks for sharing about that.

    I've learned to appreciate the produce selection we have in SoCal stores too. We've been amazed on our trips to Utah of how minimal the veggie and fruit selection is. Although, I saw something interesting....it was an article that told about the areas where people were best able to access or obtain fresh produce and we weren't even near the top. So, there are places even luckier than us. I'd love to see that. I wish I'd taken note of where those places were. I'll have to search for that article.

    Enjoy your weekend!

    P.S. I've heard the smoke from the San Diego fires has gone into LA. Has it reached your area? it sure has been bad here.

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  13. I would love fresh flowers in the house and garden all year round you are very lucky and your displays are always so beautiful.

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  14. I haven't planted here either and with the exception of a few daffodils, nothing has bloomed. I think that is why I enjoy your blog so much Carol, there is color in your world all the time! It's a happy place to visit and keeps summer on my mind all year long! :)

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  15. Another beautiful post. I love all those wonderful flowers. I do not know which I like the best...it's to hard to decide. Hope your weekend is blessed, xoxo,Susie

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  16. I only live 15-20 minutes from Kris and can vouch for the short-lived season we have for flowers here! And yes, we did have some snow the other day and a frost warning last night. It's rare that it's still this cold here in May, but still...ugh! I'm heading to the garden center tonight to buy some flowers and hopefully get them planted in containers this week!

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  17. I'm swimming in tulips at the moment, and loving all of them. It's hard to imagine growing flowers year round, but I know I appreciate the seasons when I do have them; tulips in May, peonies in June and so forth. You are quite right, it pays to appreciate what we have, Carol.

    -Karen

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  18. Carol, I can't imagine how you could improve your photos. They are always crystal clear and full of vibrant color.
    I agree about taking things for granted. We don't have the fabulous climate you have in CA, but there is much in my life that I should never take for granted. Life is good!

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  19. Having fresh flowers & just green plants all year long is one of the things I miss most about CA. Here in NE Ohio we could have frost overnight & it's the middle of MAY! I no longer invest in flowers & herbs to plant in the yard here...they are dead by October. I do plant jalapenos & a few flowers in pots...but the rest is simply the perennials my parents planted years ago that survive from year to year.

    Enjoy CA...and NEVER NEVER leave...or you'll be sad & sorry like I am.

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  20. All you had to say was flowers all year long!!! Man that would be a dream!!!!! Carol!!! Your garden shots are amazing! I love that mirror you put in your space...it bounces the colors around perfectly! I would say that having blooms year round is something to be very thankful for!!! All the best pal! Nicole xoxo

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  21. Beautiful...words, pictures, and flowers. Just a lovely post...:) I love your yellow mirror in the garden...so cool! I might have to copy this idea someday...:) Have a lovely Sunday...Vicky

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  22. I know, Poor Kris! God bless her and now she is on her way to eternal summer in Florida!

    That really IS a blessing to be able to get flowers like that all year long. We do not have anything blooming yet this year. It is still really cold here and we can't plant anything outside here until after the first of June.

    You are a lucky lady! xo Diana

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  23. WE have some kind of flowers all year also, i have tried to set my garden up that way.

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  24. You are SO lucky to have gorgeous flowers all year long - but I would miss my white Christmas's ( only for Christmas lol ) I do LOVE Spring - Summer and Fall - it's the winter's that are killers.........
    You don't need to improve your photography skills Carol - from where I sit you're a professional photographer - the details you capture are simply amazing! xoxo

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  25. Always bright and beautiful, your photos give us a peek into your flowery brilliance and that gorgeous California sunshine!

    Poppy

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  26. california life is such a different life!!!

    this is a quick comment, as i am catching up with blogs, after our trip to our "grand's" graduation from university.

    gentle hugs,
    tessa~

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  27. Reading blogs all over the world also makes me realise how lucky I am to live surrounded with lush green gardens nearly all year long! Your photos are absolutely enchanting.

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  28. Thanks for your visit and kind comments.
    It must be lovely to live on the beach in such a great climate.
    Have a great week ahead.
    Ingrid x

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  29. Carol, indeed you are fortunate! We have a Trader Joes but it's 45 minutes away. We love and enjoy our flowers so much because they are not so readily available as they are for you my friend. Indeed we often forget how lucky we are and do take things for granted. Love your photos and the buckets from T.J's are fabulous! I do have two Americana pots that my sis bought for me on clearance last year. Heading to the nursery tomorrow to buy red, white, and blue plants.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  30. You are lucky. :-)
    We have tossed around the idea of moving to Texas. But we do enjoy our snow activities too. And the seasons.
    But I would not mind fresh flowers and produce all year long.
    Fun post. Thank you.

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  31. How great it would be to have flowers year round. Your flowers are so pretty!! I'm leaving on a trip too and am hoping there will be flowers left to purchase when I get back.
    ~Cindy

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  32. Love the bucket from Target! Is that a current purchase? I would love to copy cat you.

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  33. You are, indeed, blessed with flower possibilities!
    Thank you for leaving a comment this morning. It made me think 'I haven't read anything from Art and Sand recently. It seems that for some reason I no longer get notice of your posts from the feed. I don't know what's going on, but will try to remedy that.

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  34. Hi Carol,
    Your photography skills are certainly working. Your photos are wonderful. I love your blue and white checked pillows! It must be absolutely glorious to be able to have fresh flowers all year long. Here on the Island {on the east coast} I have to rely on flowers from the grocery store in the wintertime. But you know, I'm glad that at least I can get them there. I love having flowers in the house. Thanks for your visit and enjoy your day.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  35. Hello Carol! I think you have just described why a bazillion million people live in California. The weather is nice all year long for flowers and fruits and it makes a very pleasant lifestyle. I love California, but geesh, too many people live there!!

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  36. I'm in awe of your beautiful photographs of all of your flowers! I love your home, it's so colorful and your cottage by the sea must feel like heaven! Great post!
    Nancy

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  37. I'm marvelling at my garden this year because we've had no frost at all, on the South coast (I don't remember a year without frost or snow) and many things haven't died back.
    Your photos are always gorgeous Carol and make me want to go to the garden centre !

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  38. It is funny what we take for granted, isn't it? We had hail and frost 2 days ago!
    You're blessed with your yearlong beautiful flowers, indeed :)
    Susan

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  39. Yes, you are lucky to live in a climate that gives you flowers year round! You have some pretty ones too. I like the olive bucket you found at Target. I didn't know they sold those there.

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  40. I took so much for granted when I lived in California. But now I appreciate the seasons as they roll by. Nothing like seeing the first little spike of a fall planted bulb in the spring or a tulip in full bloom. Mimi

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  41. You are indeed fortunate to have such lovely weather all year round, but truth be told I think I would miss the seasons. Not winter though ;).

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  42. What beautiful flowers you have and what a charming and cheerful house!!! I don't even want to THINK about snow now, after the winter we had! Hope you have a wonderful week!
    Donna

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  43. You are a lucky duck, Carol. I enjoy posts that feature your garden. I think having fresh flowers in the home is so important. We actually budget for it. It's good for the spirit and soul!

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  44. How wonderful to have a local flower and produce stall so close by. Sarah x

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  45. Oh yes indeed! Flowers and green all year long! I went to the Strawberry Festival last weekend and thought about you! ;) xoxo Jen

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  46. Good point. That may be the best thing about living in California - well except for the whole beach thing. I LOVE those patriotic pots! So cute!

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