I was hanging the sheets on the line, a little beyond the corral in the back forty and I noticed a flash of color. I went over to investigate and I saw this, which I identified as lychnis or rose campion. It has lovely gray/green stems and pretty flowers.
I have no idea where it came from. I’ve never planted it in the 17 years we’ve lived here. It’s a perennial. So it must have self-seeded from somewhere else. Perhaps a bird dropped the seeds at one time? I don’t know, but I have to say it’s a delightful discovery!
It’s right on the edge of the wild area in the rear of the Secret Garden (but on the other side.)
These unexpected finds are always fun.
I mowed the entire front lawn, including the lilac side yesterday. Why I chose to do it in 80 degree temps when I knew it was going to drop down to the 60s today, I don’t know. But I did it and, though tiring, it was satisfying. Since Don is going to work for 5 hours at the Farmer’s Market today, I figured it’s the least I can do to hold up my end of things.
Today is very, very breezy and much cooler.
I’m going to pack up more books to donate to the library, along with the two books I have to return. Today’s donation will be pulled from my many decorating books. There are some I want to keep, of course, but there are many that I never crack open. So it’s time for them to go. Since Don is going to be gone today, I’m going to do some cleaning and some laundry and some putzing.
Happy 80th to Paul McCartney!
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
We’re chilling off too. Such a malaise over the past week or so but today is cooler here too and I hope will be infinitely more productive. I missed doing our neighborhood garage sales this weekend simply because I thought we wouldn’t be here. So now I look at all the stuff that could perhaps find a new home (and a speck of art supply money in return) and think “what a missed opportunity.” And I suppose I could pull out a table today — but I think not. There is so much to do inside and out, my time might be better spent.
Have a wonderful, productive day!
Sorry you missed the garage sales! When do you head to the cottage, Jeanie?
Stay safe.
Rick gets out of isolation tomorrow so we think we’ll go up Tuesday.
No great loss on missing the sales. I should be HAVING one, not buying!
xo
big chore done, new flowers found, puttering ahead and cooler weather? sounds like a great day … enjoy!
hope don’s time at the farmers’ market is fun, productive .
i am at the service department where i bought my car eight-plus years ago. been here since 7 am to be first in line … oil changes are “first come, first served” with no appointments available. good to get that and an errand done, then a shower and time with members of my family.
last night we went to a baseball game as part of a church group. had some fun, but it was (for me) overshadowed by the crowds and worries that now come with that (we sat in the back row and had masks when not eating popcorn … still, hard not to worry). and being told our seats were in the shade when they definitely were not. got home about 10:30, couldn’t get to sleep until about 2:30 am so now am tired! still, very grateful for my family and time with them!
hope you will all have a good, safe saturday.
kathy
Try to rest up today, Kathy. I don’t like being in crowds at all these days!
Stay safe.
What a beautiful surprise flower. Wish I’d get more flowers, I just get surprise trees and evergreen babies. While lovely….they sure don’t flower much. However, I do have three Japanese Maple volunteers, that I’ve nurtured for several years, so that soothes my soul.
I was wondering, if Don has been having good luck on Saturdays? Good for you donating your books. I wish I could donate my books…guess I’m just a book hoarder. Enjoy your day! ;)
I get all of those, too.
It’s been slow for the first two Saturdays. I think it will pick up in July. Maybe it will be better today.
I have over a thousand books here in this little cottage. I have to donate some. There’s just not enough room for them all.
Stay safe, Donnamae.
I think these beautiful perennials are commonly called Campion Roses. They pop up every year with such impressive colour. Pretty great that the seeds were dropped and are now growing. What a lovey surprise indeed.
I think I mentioned that they are called Rose Campion. They are lovely, aren’t they?
It’s amazing that they appeared and are now brightening part of the yard.
Thanks so much, Mumsy.
Stay safe.
Whoops! I typed rose mallow instead of campion! I didn’t even know I’d done that. I’ve corrected it, Mumsy.
Yes you did Claudia, I missed that and yes they are lovely.
Ha ha, glad to know I am not losing it as much as I thought….
You aren’t!
xo
xo
A thousand books! I do have mostly decorating and gardening books, but I am not ready to get rid of any of them. Where do you put all those books? It sounds like you had a nice “alone time” day. Not that we don’t miss our husbands! It was even cooler here in Phoenix today with some nice cloud cover. Wish it would rain. Well, Covid finally hit our family after 2 years of avoiding it. My mother—in-law who is in assisted living, 95 years old, got Covid 3 days ago. Both myself and Bill were around her about a week ago. Then my daughter, who went on her annual trip to Nashville for the CMA festival, she tested positive yesterday. Now I am feeling awful today but it feels more like the flu. I did take a PCR test and am waiting on the results.
Keep my fingers crossed. I hope Don had a good day at the Farmers Market.
My 50th High School Reunion is tonight and I am not there. It is in Glenview, Illinois. They were expecting about 200+ people. I am glad now I did not go or I would have been miserable. I told a few friends to take a lot of pictures. I will just be home in my jammies waiting on my results. Take care!
Gosh, I’m so sorry about Covid! I hope you and your husband remain covid-free and that your family members recover quickly.
Stay safe, Deb.
I feel like anybody left I know is getting Covid. It’s rampant. And isn’t it ironic, because you’d have thought with all the helps, all the education about it two years in, we’d have knocked down Covid for good. We’re not an obedient, conscientious society, are we. People don’t seem to care if they get it; they’d rather have freedom from a mask, distancing and all the rest. I think duped into thinking they’ll have a mild case of the virus; the unknown of course is if you could become a long-hauler and ruin your health.
I have two relatives who are still suffering the effects of Covid, one of whom contracted the virus back in December, and now the other one from two months ago. Believe me, from listening to them? You do not want this virus! Our testing sites even in my smallish town have been diligent, very present; yet they get no takers after a long day of being accessible and available. So I guess a lot of the vaccinated are getting break-thru infections but I just wonder when and where they’re masking, or not. I have a friend who’s having a big BBQ bash on Saturday (prepared to take it indoors since we’re in the 100s temps here and it’s too hot outdoors for some people) and she’s very nonchalant about risk, saying everybody is vaccinated. But I said, “Are you going to make sure the guests are tested before you gather?” She said, “No. I don’t do that. I wouldn’t ask people.” But this is precisely why so much of my husband’s family got Covid in January, same mindset, gathered big at somebody’s house; didn’t test beforehand. The college teen who got sick during the gathering was vaccinated, but he brought Covid home to all of them, including his grandma who is my husband’s sister, and she is still not normal from January and suffers from excruciating headaches and troubling brain fog.
So, for my friend and her BBQ party, we wonder in our Southern Calif county WHY we’re surging with, as our newspaper published, a ‘whopping’ increase in cases of Covid. And I’ve just read that they’re also, across America, expecting record tourists everywhere, with people also giving no mind of gas prices, much less being around lots of other people in probably many situations. We did really, really well for a long time with mask-wearing in my surroundings/area but, truly, hardly anyone is wearing a mask anywhere here anymore. At the fast-food places, other than McDonald’s, the people at the drive-thru window aren’t masked. Even the clerks at the post office counter no longer mask. I’ll go to the dentist tomorrow, but I know everybody THERE will be masked because my dentist is a stickler about the precautions and has never deviated in two years of how careful he is for his staff and patients, thank God.
Oh gee, just because I was going off about Covid (worry and frustration), it was in no way a reflection of Deb in Phoenix’s comments about the virus. Like Claudia, I wish the best for her and her family. Clearly, so many people ARE being careful about Covid; but, despite best efforts, it happens that they’re infected. Sometimes it’s never understood WHY it happens. I just read back over my comment and didn’t mean to be insensitive for Deb; I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to rub salt into the wound!
Oh, I’m sure Deb understands, Vicki.
xo
Actually your beautiful found flower is one of our longtime favorites, lychnis (rose campion), yes, rose mallow no :) Mallows are hibiscus.
The lychnis pop up all over and we have a lot of fun attempting to put them in one area, which over the years, has become a lovely large patch, albeit with cousins still continuing to pop out all over throughout the summer. You will see them in their distinctive gray-green fuzzy leaf clumps (no flowers) first, and if you are like us, will have to be careful not to accidentally mow them. Then just dig them out, move them & enjoy. Of course if they are not in danger of being mowed or trampled then you can go right to the enjoyment phase. They are quite lovely planted en masse, with their gorgeous complementary coloring, though, since the flowers are relatively tiny. (And the kids love the fuzzy leaves!)
I knew it was rose campion, must have typed mallow without knowing it! I corrected the post.
Thanks, Naomi.
Stay safe.
PS I do the exact same thing at our local library, and often the librarians tell me they found one or more in my bags to add to their circulating books. It’s so wonderful, the community of book lovers <3
It sure is!
xo