Papaver orientale 'Olympia'

I put these Papaver orientale 'Olympia' to have a nap or beauty sleep. Their stems are so curvy and they self sow in such odd places that it was difficult to photograph them on their growing spot. A WARNING is in order: you'll never get rid of these once you have planted them in your garden! A couple of links: Wikipedia & Two previous posts of Olympia.

To finish with a portrait from 2017.

#Floral Friday Fotos

My May in Collage

The whole May has been absolutely wonderful for the summer came over night! Weeks and weeks of hot & sunny weather without rain. We call this a Finnish heat wave with nearly 30 C. The whole Finland has been excited! It has been a phenomenal month floralwise too: abundantly blooming cherries & apple trees and scent of lilacs ❤︎ You'll find posts about apple blossoms and lilacs in the May archive if you are interested.  My days have been spent outside from morning till night, doing this and that in the garden but also relaxing & reading on the terrace. This has been real happiness because last summer was chilly & rainy. I wish a good rain one of these days, preferably during night time  and then sun again! So I'll share with you Gardener's Prayer by Karel Capek - first in Finnish, followed in English.

PUUTARHURIN RUKOUS

Hyvä Jumala,
anna armostasi sadetta joka päivä
jos vain sopii, keskiyöstä kello kolmeen,
ja kuten tiedät, hyvin hienoa ja lämmintä,
jotta se hyvin imeytyy maahan.
Ja anna auringon paistaa koko päivän,
vaikka ei tietenkään liikaa, eikä
Astilben, Gentianan, Hostan
eikä Rhododendronin päälle.
Mutta varjele sateelta Silene, Alysseum,
Helianthemum, laventeli ja muut,
jotka kuten äärettömässä viisaudessasi tiedät,
pitävät kuivuudesta, ja joiden nimet
voin kirjoittaa paperille, jos niin tahdot.
Ja anna aina paljon kastetta ja vähän tuulta,
runsaasti kastematoja, mutta ei etanoita

eikä lehtitäitä eikä härmätauteja
Ja jos sopii, anna kerran viikossa
sataa lannoiteliuosta.
Amen.

❤︎
- Karel Capek -

GARDENER'S PRAYER

O Lord, grant that in some way 

it may rain every day, 

Say from about midnight until three o'clock 

in the morning, 

But, You see, it must be gentle and warm 

so that it can soak in; 

Grant that at the same time it would not rain on 

campion, alyssum, helianthus, lavendar, and others which 

You in Your infinite wisdom know 

are drought-loving plants - 

I will write their names on a bit of paper 

if you like - 

And grant that the sun may shine 

the whole day long, 

But not everywhere (not, for instance, on the 

gentian, plantain lily, and rhododendron) 

and not too much; 

That there may be plenty of dew and little wind, 

enough worms, no lice and snails, or mildew, 

and that once a week thin liquid manure and guano 

may fall from heaven. 

Amen.
❤︎
- Karel Capek -

I have to show you my pile of TBR = to be read books - takes a while, but no hurry...

THE BEST BOOKS OF MAY

Finnish - Pink Sea - a short story collection in magical realism

Marisha Rasi-Koskinen - Vaaleanpunainen meri ***** Wsoy 2014

Foreign - Secretary - A German Life

Brunhilde Pomsel, Thore D. Hansen - Sihteeri *** Gummerus 2018

Poetry - Might be, might - a poetry collection of death and sorrow

Tomi Kontio - Saattaa, olla ***** Teos 2017

#Makrotex Challenge / May - Toukokuu

Wishing you a lovely June! - Ihanaista kesäkuuta!

Floral Bliss #74

This week I'll share with you my Petunia planting that blooms heavenly!
This is Petunia sanguine 'Sky Blue' that I bought in the beginning of May.
Lime mummularia is starting to grow too....

A few days ago it showed less open blooms - but pretty nevertheless.

One of the joys of summer is making garden bouquets. 

Here a quick & colourful version for you!

THE LINK IS OPEN 

FROM TUESDAY 4 PM TILL THE NEXT MONDAY 4 PM

Helsinki time

Please join & share your photos with us!

All previous Floral Bliss

Wishing you a good start to June! - Ihanaa kesäkuuta!

An InLinkz Link-up

Color Collage - Apple Blossoms

Color Collage 22(2018 - Apple Blossoms

Garden Week - Lilac Charm

I might put this week in two words - Lilac Charm! All my Syringa vulgaris  hedges are in full bloom and the fragrance is lovely. I have only one shrub in white and one in pink. But these pale purples I have plenty of. The shrubs are very tall and I have them growing on three sides around the house. The only care I give them is to cut dried branches.

There is a chair underneath to show the measures - Tuoli mittatikkuna

Voisin kuvata kulunutta viikkoa parilla sanalla - Syreenien hurmaa!

Liilat pihasyreenit ovat aidanteissa täydessä kukassa. Minulla on vain yksi valkoinen 
ja yksi vaaleanpunainen, jonka juurivesoja istutin viime vuonna - hyvässä kasvussa ovat.
Ainoa hoito minkä nämä kaunottaret saavat, on kuivien oksien leikkaaminen.  
❤︎

It has been warm and sunny, fabulous actually but the nature would need a good rain. It is always so: weatherise no moderation at all. But I have enjoyed of the renovated terrace and seeing all plants starting to bloom. Summer life at its best - just wonderful!

Lämpöä ja aurinkoa on riittänyt; ihmisille hyvä, 

mutta luonto kaipaisi kipeästi kunnon sadetta. Säissä ei koskaan ole kohtuutta :)

Mutta olen nauttinut puutrhassa puuhailuista, syönyt ja lukenut kirjoja

kohennuksen kokeneella terassilla. Kesäelämää parhaimmillaan - ihanaa!

My friend grafted years ago Sorbus aucuparia 'Edulis' to an ordinary wild rowan.

The tree is huge and full of flowers and its berries are big & dark red!

...

Ystäväni varttoi vuosia sitten tavalliseen kotipihlajaan makeapihlajan oksan.

Puu on kasvanut upeaksi ja suureksi, ja se on täynnä kukkia!

Sen marjat ovat isoja ja meheviä & tummanpunaisia.

Among the lilacs there is growing Caragana arborescens.
...
Siperianherne luurailee syreenien välissä.

#Gartenglück

Wishing you a scented weekend! - Tuoksuvaa viikonloppua!

Syringa vulgaris in Pink

Fragrance in Pink

It is the Lilac Charm week - also in pink!

I photographed  a bouquet of pink Syringa vulgaris on the terrace

with my new garden buddha.

#Wednesday Around The World
#Floral Friday Fotos
#Image-in-ing

Summerlife at its best! - Kesäelämää makeimmillaan!

Floral Bliss #73

Pterocarya rhoifolia - Japaninsiipipähkinä

The Garden Princess  right now is undoubtedly our old apple tree. It looks fabulous and is full of white blooms - I could admire it forever! There are apple blossom photos in two previous posts - look here & here. Today mainly some other white impressions. Also my modest cherry & plum trees are blooming, lilacs burst these days in full bloom - and so does my long white blooming Spiraea chamaedryfolia hedge. So I have here a beautiful white blooming Hanami ❤︎

Juuri nyt ehdoton puutarhan prinsessa on valkoisenaan kukkiva vanha omenapuu. 

Sitä voisin ihailla iät ajat! Omenankukkakuvia täällä ja täällä. 
Laihat kirsikka- ja luumupuuni kukassa myös, pihasyreenit ihan kohta täydessä loistossaan, 
samoin pitkän pitkä idänvirpiangervoaidanne. 

Meillä vietetään siis hurmaavaa valkoisena kukkivaa Hanamia ❤︎

Fraxinus excelsior - Metsäsaarni

THE LINK IS OPEN 

FROM TUESDAY 4 PM TILL THE NEXT MONDAY 4 PM

Helsinki time

Please join & share your photos with us!

All previous Floral Bliss

So lovely that you joined my Hanami! - Ihanaa Hanamia sinullekin!

An InLinkz Link-up

Color Collage - Finch

Peipponen - Finch

Color Collage 21/2018