50 minutes of Sunset

Such a lovely changing sunset on the 6th, I went from window to window taking photos in all directions, this is just a very small sample of the changes it went through. So beautiful. As you can see I've given up with writing under photo's as the new Blogger layout makes it such an unbelievable faff. Life is to short to waste time formatting each post and I've forgotten all the html I used to know.

update - I'be decided that since it won't let me write then it has to be all about the image, so i should make them bigger. Old posts with smaller images will still show at their full size when clicked (applies mainly to posts after 2009, prior to that I was making them tiny so my blog allowance wouldn't run out too fast). I hope you like the change.

The photos are set out by direction rather than in the order they were taken. Photo 2 was so bright it lit up inside the house, it was so intense. I wish I had made a video of the transition between the 1st two photos, i think it only took 5 mins to change, would have looked nifty speeded up.

1-3   Looking North and North East
4-7   Looking South West
8-10 Looking West

A good day

So happy to finally get a bit of sunshine between the clouds and be well enough to get out and enjoy it this morning with a simple blueberry breakfast and some frivolous silvery toenail painting - got to reflect every last drop of sunshine now that we have some. It's my way of pretending I've had a summer holiday. I'm not a pink cardigan sort of person, but i never say no to free cashmere hand-me-downs!

Still got some blueberries ripening on the bushes...



The Clematis/Hops is finally old enough to reach along the fence and then cross over onto the shed, creating a nice floral bower over the secret path between the sheds - which has become even more secret after this years rain made the bamboo grow like crazy...





The Clematis even creeps round in the other direction onto the back side of the shed (yes, in a 3rd shade of bluey green). I hope next year I will have some energy for gardening and can train it properly across the shed wall, I just had it tangled over a small nail this year so it was a bit bedraggled...




I just adore that clematis and grow have it growing on the East fence paired with Goldenrod, Evening Primrose and Eupatorium/Eutrochium...




Finally after 2 years without we got hold of some organic corn. The garden is in shade by late afternoon but I was determined to eat it outside anyway since there was still a lovely warm breeze. Who needs sun when you have a freshly boiled cob on your plate...

What's happy in the back garden today...

A few early August sunsets

Sunset today (above), last week (middle), and after sunset (bottom).
It's been so nice to have a break from the rain and get some washing dried outside.

Summer Solstice 2012

Sun setting at 10.30 on the Summer Solstice.

Sun setting at 10pm a day later.

The Soltice sunset was quite impressive, for about 15 minutes! I love the way you can see the pale blue and faded mint sky behind the more dramatic gold dusted rain clouds. I was hoping to get a nice shot at midnight since the previous night had looked bloody gorgeous (but could I find my camera? Nope). Sadly it was a bit too cloudy for a good photo at midnight but there were some lovely red hues in the north sky over Edinburgh.

In the March garden

Kerria buds, Spirea, Hellebore, Daffodils unknown, Daffodils 'Tete a Tete', Lilac leaves, Pieris 'Cupido', Cricus 'Ruby Giant' with Heather unknown, Kerria in flower, Flowering Currant.

So much grew and flowered in March, especially blossom which I would have expected in April and May. There will be a bit of a blank period in those months now but it was amazing to see everything flowering at once - Magnolia, both Cherry trees, Forsythia, Amelanchier, Kerria, Flowering Currant and so much more. I've not had time to get my other 100's of plant pics on to the computer yet. Will try.

Where my head's at...

Kwon Seulgi - Untitled - Brooch - 2011
silicone, pigment, plastic, thread, wood, stainless steel


Kwon Seulgi - Untitled - Brooch - 2011
silicone, pigment sterling silver, thread, stone, glass bead, stainless steel


Kwon Seulgi - Cell 10 Brooch - Oct 2009
silicone, pigment, plastic, stainless steel



Chanel Spring 2012 Under the Sea


Studio Bertjan Pot - Cluster Light 2009


Ernesto Neto - "Simple and light as a dream...the gravity don’t lie...just loves the time" 2006
Installation view fromTanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York
Photo: Fabian Birgfeld, photoTECTONICS.
Courtesy of the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York (Via Moment/C)

Indoor greenery

The lovely greens of a succulent and an indoor Hyacinth in December. The Hyacinth is in full flower now and smells great, especially in the evenings when there's some heating on and the warm air carries the scent through the room.

Happy Gardening New Year 2012

Cally Creates New Year Message (click to see in sharp focus)

My New Year wish for all you gardener's in 2012. The foliage in the photo is Oxalis Sunset, an annual which I've managed to keep alive in the house from cuttings I took in late Summer/early Autumn. It's such a great plant, like foliar sunshine. I plan to take more cuttings this month from the bits I've overwintered so that I'll have lots of it to plant out in April.

Have any of you managed to over-winter plants that you normally think of as annuals? I'd love to hear which plants do well. Mine were in the house in a room that wavers between 10 and 14 degrees centigrade in an East window with occasion daylight bulb use on dull days. But I've also noticed that the mild winter has allowed numerous annuals to carry on growing outside, most noticeable the Osteospermums which are twice their Summer height - I'll need to get cuttings from them because I don't believe for a moment that cold isn't coming. You can view all my plantings of 2011 and indeed 2012 here and I'd love to see others add their gardens too.

Antalis Calenclock by Ken Lo

Antalis Calenclock 2012 by Ken Lo via Behance Network

Great idea to have your clock and calendar integrated into one item with the pages tearing off each month. I bet we'll see lots of clocks and calendars inspired by this in future. It certainly has my head buzzing with ideas now.