Somehow, these roses remind me of frothy, whipped, double cream – rich and thick and perfect with freshly-picked wild blackberries.
Blackberries are hugely abundant here in late summer and it’s common to see happy pickers on the roadsides with buckets and bowls, eating as much as they put in their containers. As I pass them in their anonymity, I like to imagine what scrumptious delights they are going to treat their families to that night – pie or cobbler or jam from their grandmother’s recipe.
I really do use this gate post quite often to rest jars and pitchers on while I’m tending to the roses. Sometimes I hang my camera from it, too. This is the fence that divides the upper front lawn (seen above) with the upper back garden. We have many bird baths, but the one you can just make out here is by far the most popular. I remember posting about it when we first purchased it – none of the birds would touch it and now they jostle and spar with one another to get in first.
Tremendous bird activity in the garden this morning – robins and tohees and jays and crows and chickadees. A hummer is resting on the wire outside my window as I write this, which reminds me to freshen up their feeders. We don’t leave food for the other birds – plenty of worms and berries for them – but the hummers we take care of throughout the winter when nothing is blooming.
Canning jars are so nostalgic, aren’t they? I have begun my own collection in recent years but most that I use in photos are borrowed from Mom, who has dozens in all sizes dating from the early 1900s. My parents had an antique shop on our property when we were growing up and Sundays were spent on country drives to go “antiquing”. I remember their thrill of expectation and discovery exploring condemned old houses.
These are all David Austin roses – ‘The Shepherdess’, left and ‘A Shropshire Lad’, right.
‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ and ‘The Shepherdess’. The Shepherdess so very much resembles scoops of vanilla ice cream. Mmm, perhaps I’ll get some sugar cones…
One of my very, very, very favorite flowering plants is Gaura lindheimeri, known as Whirling Butterflies or Beeblossom or Indian Feather. Aren’t those the most wonderful names? To me, they are such magical and sweet plants. This one is ‘Pink Cloud’, with beautiful burgundy and green stems. I’ve been unsuccessful keeping them alive through winter, although they are classified as perennials and I do give them heaps of loving care. So, until I learn what I’m doing wrong, I keep buying new plants to add sprinkles of magic to the late summer garden.
Ooh I want to see that garden in person some day!!
Late Sept and still beautiful.
I used to have Gaura in my yard, until I discovered the deer loved it as much as I did!
Fantastic photos. Very summery and autumny all at the same time.
So pretty! Everything!!
Ann
These photos are so summery and beautiful, I love all the bright colours!!
From Carys of La Ville Inconnue
I have never seen berries look so beautiful and dreamy! You transform even the simplist of nature's gifts into a piece of art:)
How perfectly berries and roses blend ! C'est superbe! I love jars and old jugs used as vases~ they have such character, especially with the old~fashioned variety roses. Beautiful as always.
~Dianne~
The roses and berries look pretty G and I think the blue jar makes the bouquet stunning.
When I saw whirling butterlies for your blog on my dashboard I knew you were talking about gaura. I have several of the pink varieties and just love this plant too! They may be a short-lived perennial though as sometimes after a couple of years mine don't return.
I hope visiting bloggers will see how dainty the whirling butterflies are and buy some too.
Judith
Gasp! Never would I have thought of placing berries and flowers side by side. How silly of me! ;) Also- searching through abandoned houses for antique goodies sounds like a dream to me.
The blue of the canning jar contrasted with your flowers is so striking, Georgianna.
I love Gaura, too. I had one in my garden and it lasted through 3 winters. But this year it didn't reappear in the spring. I really missed it, so I will be replanting some in the spring.
xo
Claudia
Blackberries and cream or ice cream sounds lovely. Your pictures are fabulous. I have only grown Gaura in containers as an annual, have never successfully overwintered it. Take care.
lovely pictures…i finally found some blue canning jars. they are up on my windowsill with flowers in them. i love yours on the fence and love the texture on the photo….
hugs
So pretty, I don't know much about flowers, but I do know that the flowers here at Georgianna Lane is the prettiest!
As always gorgeous photographs you are so artistic. I love the jam jar :)
What wonderful memories you and your parents must have of those Sunday outings! Your mother must have quite a collection of beautiful things! I love the berries in these photos. The color and texture they add is just stunning! Hugs from Copenhagen!
Oh, I'm so jealous of your parents' antique shop and antiquing. It must have been wonderful growing up in the middle of such beauty. I grew up in the middle of engineers :D
Love all these beautiful photos again!
Dearest g, berries ad flowers are both my favorites! I am planning to use berries and flowers as the theme for my wedding next year. These photos really help me have a better picture of how it would look like. Beautiful combination!! I love it so much! Thanks so much for this beautiful combination of gorgeous photos! Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!
This was the perfect way for me to start the day, visiting you and your beautiful flowers :)
Have a lovely day!
xo, Thili
I think the contrast between the texture and the color of the berries with the softness of the flowers is striking. You have such an eye for beauty!
Debi
Pure gorgeousness!
It is my hope that I will one day have a garden as gorgeous as yours ~
Thanks for sharing the beauty of your world, G!
Darling friend. Stretched so thin I could fit between the holes in the lace necklace you so graciously sent me. Know you are on my mind and these berries and the ball jar make me sing inside for when we moved here, my grandparents had berries and ball jars everywhere. The berry garden is gone now a blight hit it, but we are planning to set some more in. Thanks friend for always knowing where my heart lies and needs to be. Blessings.
Seeing the blue canning jars reminds me that I have some too passed down from my grandmother Pearl. Of course in her day they would not have been stored away. They would have been full of vegetables or fruit "put up" to eat through the year. I'm so glad to have the memories of seeing her and her sisters, Cordy and Lucy, working together on the back porch and in the kitchen all day to make all the wonderful canned foods. When it was time to leave from a visit, she would always say to go down to the cellar and pick out whatever we would like to take home. For me it was always her green beans!
What a beautiful combination here with the flowers and berries! I love it Georgianna!
Your photographs are so beautiful I could look at them all day! My husband let me know that he ordered a couple of things from you for our anniversary, he won't tell me what though…. I can't wait to find out! x
Georgianna, your gorgeous photographs are so inspiring! There is beauty to be found in our own backyards (maybe some more than others). I too grew up with "antiquing" parents and remember the drives and wild-goose chases.
I love all the colours and flowers.I miss allready summer time,especially cause here is cold and dark.I want escape some dreamy place where is as beautiful as in your photos.
Greetings from Finland
Hi Georgianna, Lovely post! Really enjoyed looking at your beautiful photographs and reading about your garden and plants. The Gaura can withstand temperatures down to 5 degrees F – so no colder then that! It likes to grow in full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It will tolerate some drought and a bit of shade. Maybe it is too damp (and cold) where it is growing during the winter?
How fun it must have been to grow up with parents selling antiques!
All the best,
Ingrid xx
Ah, photos every bit as luscious as cream, soft and frothy. Growing up, we would pick blackberries and my grandmothers made steaming sweet cobblers with them. I can remember the dark berries glowing from the canning jars stored in the cellars. A wonderful dessert of berries in winter.
Brenda
Thank you, thank you, dear friends.
I appreciate knowing your experiences with Gaura. Amazing that you had it through three winters, Claudia. And I think you are right, Ingrid. Mine were probably in a spot that wasn't sunny enough and too damp.
Thank you also for your reminiscences of blackberries and antiquing and canning and grandmothers recipes. I just love reading them and it's so much fun to share these precious memories.
xo – g
Love your photos! There is beauty to found everywhere and you have certainly captured it. Thank you and have a beautiful day.
Blessings,
Sandi
Oh, so pretty! I too love old jars. I loved going to grandmas while canning and seeing how pretty all her goodies were going to be!
My mom didn't can very often, but I've just started to can last year and have realized how nice it is to not have to go buy certain things. Especailly with the stores raising their prices.
As always I love seeing the beauty you present!
So lovely!
When I opened your gorgeous blog, the first photo took my breath away! OMGosh that is so stunning! All of this series is stunning! Will one or some of them be on cards soon?
Good news! I'm finally moved. Once I get settled a bit I can get back to work towards opening an Esty shop. ♥
Ahh… blackberries. This takes me back to my childhood where we used to go into the field with our gumboots on and pick them till our fingers were stained red, also scratches all the way up our legs but it was worth it.
I love the pairing with the roses. Perfect. x
Oh, G! I have much to say about this incredible post, but my plan time is almost over and it's time to pick the class up from art. Before I do that, I wanted to invite you personally to join in a blog swap I am hosting. I think you would really enjoy it. Of course, I totally understand if that's not something you're interested in doing. Just wanted to let you know that I'd be thrilled if you would consider joining us. Sign up ends tomorrow. I hope the end of your week is marvelous.