Little White Jug

Here I am, almost one year to the day since my last post. How could so much time have passed? A longer break than I anticipated, but here I am feeling inspired once again and raring to go.

I thought I would mark the occasion with a blog about my little white Lord Nelson Pottery jug from England.  This jug is very special to me because it was a gift from my lovely friend S.  She and I were on an antiquing trip in Almonte, Ontario and S. found this jug at one of the shops, fell in love with it, bought it and took it home. Some time later, she surprised me by giving it to me, not because she did not love it anymore, but because she knew how much I loved it.  Now that, is a special friend.

I picked the flowers this morning from my garden. Alliums from the bulbs that I planted last fall.

 
Siberian irises, which I just love. These are a dark blue purple and the clumps that they form are full of spiky thin green leaves. They don't last long but their slender elegance makes them a favourite of mine.

And last, but not least, in this lovely trio is a perennial bachelor button, more larger and showier than the annual variety.  This year, mine are much larger than I have ever seen them grow in my garden. Their spiky spheres are remarkable.

Put all three together and they are even more beautiful.  Have a look and see what you think...

I think they work so well in contrast with the simplicity of my little white jug.  I also think that I will continue to make other flower arrangements in this jug and share them here so you can see just how versatile this wonderful receptacle is. I am willing to bet that the mood of the arrangement will change with the flowers. Time will tell.

Cumberland Market

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, what kind of peppers did Peter Piper pick? Why Purple Peppers, of course! I saw these gorgeous purple peppers at the Cumberland Market today. I loved the re-use of old wicker basket chairs by one ot the food vendors. What a great idea! Cumberland Market in Cumberland, Ontario has a wonderful small town market on Saturdays. The produce is local and the prices are good. And best of all, the atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming. Definitely worth a visit.

Lavender Days

Oh dear, this year’s lavender days are just about over. Already the last of the lavender flowers are turning brown at the edges. Soon there will be nothing left of them to cut. The heat wave we’ve been experiencing certainly doesn’t allow for a long season. Thank goodness I managed to dry some of the flowers so that I can at least enjoy their fresh scent over the winter months. This year I only had two plants to draw from, but hopefully next year the eleven plants I put in this spring will have matured enough to produce lots of flowers.

Lilac Lovelies

I pass a stand of a breathtaking variety of lilacs most days and right now they are at their peak and the scent intoxicating. There they are, all in a row, the most beautiful view in sight along an otherwise uninspired stretch of road .

Cosying Up to the Blues

Have you ever been drawn to something simply because of its colour? A gorgeous blend of blues and purples, this handknit shawl had to come home with me from the thrift shop where I found it. Its soft nubbly texture will offer cosy warmth to whatever it adorns.