The Gilded Bloom

Abundant Beauty

2022-06-19T15:41:00.003-07:00

“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep "- John Keats

The grandeur of the rose is timeless and it is one of my favorite early summer flowers. There are so many different varieties each with its own character, fragrance and unique color. In May and early June when our garden roses bloom they bring the most lovely scent and soft color.

The legendary beauty of the rose is celebrated in this piece. I was inspired by the elegance of old world floral designs which often include a profusion of roses. They were essential components in flower arrangements during the Victorian period when floral design was first recognized as a form of art.

"Abundant Beauty" is painted with acrylic on canvas, and is 24" x 24". For more information please click here.

Coral Charm Peonies

2022-04-24T22:09:00.006-07:00

The coral charm peony is one of the most fascinating late spring flowers. Over the course of just a few days, it transforms itself from an intense coral bud to a bright watermelon pink bloom then turns a soft apricot tone and finishes as a faded cream color. The blooms are large and lacy with many layers of petals and are stunning in arrangements.

Coral Charm peonies are herbaceous perennials and prefer full sun. They grow about 24" tall and 2-3 ft wide when mature. Peony plants often take a year or two to get established and usually produce few or no blooms the first year. In four or five years the plant will be fully mature and have many blooms if it receives enough sun and proper care.

Peonies form a lovely complement with ranunculus and snapdragons as they are all flowers that thrive in late spring. The round shape and large scale of the peony blooms overshadow the smaller ranunculus and the stalky snapdragons when arranged, but the three flowers together provide visual interest.

Observing the changing beauty of these flowers inspired me to create this acrylic painting on canvas, titled "Coral Charm". Additional information can be found here.

Daffodils of Spring

2022-04-04T21:32:00.007-07:00

It is that beautiful time of year again when the daffodils spring from the ground in honor of the season to come. The garden is starting its symphony of color and our pink charm daffodils have begun to naturalize. They add a touch of seasonal splendor before Easter arrives.

A vase filled with daffodils is always a joy. They make an elegant display and have a very soft fragrance. For longevity, it is best to keep only daffodils in the arrangement as their sticky sap will poison other flowers.

Daffodils make stunning cut flowers and there are so many types of specialty daffodils available to grow for bouquets. These were planted years ago and come up every spring as long as they receive an ample amount of sun and water.

They are beautiful when massed in a bud vase, placed on an accent table, or in an entryway where the subtle scent of spring will welcome guests.

Highlights of the Early Summer Garden

2021-06-30T22:03:00.001-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me when the seedlings I plant in the spring turn into so many beautiful flowers and vegetables by the summer. Some of my favorite floral varieties this season have been grown from seed along with our vegetable garden which is contained in elevated beds.

Since we have an abundance of seed-grown annuals, I often plant them in containers that hold other flowers. The heirloom pansies shown above are planted at the base of containers filled with bougainvillea.

The elevated beds are filled with many different varieties of vegetables. This season we are growing a mix of tomatoes, melons, eggplants, peppers, and cucumbers. In addition there are several more large pots of vegetable plants throughout the garden.

These orange calendula flowers were abundant in the patio garden until the heat arrived. They were then replaced with zinnias which tolerate much hotter temperatures.

Queen Red Lime Zinnias are one of my summer favorites. They grow in full sun and have the most amazing range of color!

Apricot Blush Zinnias are also a favorite and add a touch of brightness to the patio container garden. They grow beautifully in pots and bloom profusely in the sun.

Easter Morning...

2021-04-04T11:54:00.002-07:00

Wishing you all a happy and blessed Easter!

The Spring Splendor of Ranunculus

2021-03-30T23:34:00.002-07:00

This beautiful spring has brought with it an abundance of ranunculus. These early season flowers, also called Persian buttercups, are a joy to style. They not only have a lovely bloom, but usually feature a unique twist in the stem which adds a sense of movement to floral designs.

We are growing many white ranunculus flowers in the garden this spring, which are currently starting to bloom. In addition to those, my sweet hubby surprised me with a ranunculus delivery subscription that has kept our home filled with bountiful blooms over the last few weeks. I was thrilled to have so many beautiful varieties to paint and style and have selected a few favorites to add to the garden next year.

White ranunculus are timeless and a beautiful way to transition arrangements from winter to spring with a neutral palette. Here they are shown with silver dusty miller and white anemones from our garden.

The orange fringed variety above reminds me of a peony with so many layers of petals.

The unique magenta and green ruffled ranunculus above is the Italian Pon Pon Fanny. These vibrant blooms have a rustic texture and pair well with garden foliage and herbs.

Spring pink is always a favorite hue during the Easter season and these pop with color!

To learn more about the story of this lovely flower and how to grow them yourself see this previous post, Flower Spotlight: Ranunculus.

Winter Garden Delights

2021-01-30T23:10:00.002-08:00

The first month of the year brought an abundant winter garden harvest along with many cold and cozy days to relax inside. Here in central California the weather is usually mild, so it is possible to grow a culinary garden throughout the winter. This year, the focus has been on salad greens and citrus which grow and thrive in cooler weather. The Meyer lemons, blood oranges and limes have been bountiful.

Creating a cool season garden involves planning what you want to eat as well as how you want to access the garden on cold or rainy days. Since we like to harvest our salad greens right before they are served I keep several salad bowls filled with Mesclun lettuces on our outdoor table. These are easy access at dinner time as they are right by the kitchen door and one can step out, snip a handful and go right back to cooking. They are also cut and come again varieties, which means that when they are harvested, they grow back in a few weeks. The autumn pomegranates from our tree are being dried for use in arrangements.

Head lettuce like the ruby romaine shown above is grown in a raised bed.

French chervil is easy to grow in pots and can be placed in a windowsill or on a patio. Here freshly harvested key limes are staying cold on an outdoor shelf until they are used.

These ruffled pansies were a pleasant surprise as I planted seeds in the fall and they are now blooming! I am happy to see the first signs of spring approaching...

Pumpkin Spice Floral

2020-11-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby)

The beauty of autumn is now upon us as we settle in to the season with pumpkins on the porch and magnificently colorful leaves falling from the trees. Autumn has always been a favorite season of mine, and like Fitzgerald, I see it as a time of new beginnings. I always look forward to sweater weather, a pot of hot soup on the stove, planting bulbs in the garden, and of course, the quintessential taste of the season- pumpkin spice!

This fall bouquet of vivid orange zinnias, mixed with peachy-pink dahlias, blush lisianthus, and mustard yellow amaranth captures the mood of autumn with its spicy hues and rustic texture. It was a pleasure to style and also to paint!

A simple metallic gold vase highlights the warm colors in the bouquet and provides an opulent finish to complement the varied texture of the flowers.

Dahlias in a pale warm pink soften the bouquet with their ombre color and elegant rolled petals.

Bright orange zinnias add earthy texture and a pop of color. These traditional autumn hues remind me of pumpkin spice! Happy fall!

Autumn Berry and Burgundy Bouquet

2020-09-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I received this beautiful bouquet of pink sunflowers, zinnias, and burgundy amaranth to style and paint. The unique colors and striking patterns found in these flowers made them fascinating to photograph.

Styling the bouquet with hydrangeas and sprigs of green berries offset the pink tones in the flowers. The rich palette was enhanced by a wine colored vase.

The bright green color in this Queen Red Lime zinnia complemented the greens in the hydrangeas and the berries.

Next I rearranged the flowers and added silvery dusty miller for contrast. Then I began to paint!

A Fall Floral Treat

2020-09-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

Amazingly, autumn has already arrived with yesterday the official first day of fall! The summer garden is now in its final phases and I am clearing out debris of a successful vegetable harvest. However, with so many edibles planted this year, I miss the flowers that would usually fill our garden in the fall. I've found that although vegetables feed the body, flowers nourish the soul. So, you can imagine how happy I was to find Kelley Flower Farm offering a four-week floral subscription. I promptly signed up for the program, and last Friday these stunning blooms were delivered to our door!

Since I will be painting these flowers for a new collection of artworks, I styled two different arrangements with them and took a myriad of photos for future art reference. The first, in a rustic jug vase, is pictured below. To create the design I mixed the bouquet with hydrangea and foliage clippings from the garden for added texture.

These beautiful burgundy dahlias add depth to the arrangement with their dark rich color.

The apricot zinnias stretch from their stems adding a sense of movement to the design.

Finally, the sunflowers are clearly the stars of the show, with their large blooms and soft unusual color.

In the second arrangement I changed to a more formal vase to complement our current table setting with pumpkin plates and soft amber glassware.

I also used this arrangement to paint, which is one of my favorite ways to record the beauty of flowers.

I look forward to sharing my progress on this new collection of paintings from the beautiful flowers that arrive over the next few weeks! The paintings and prints of them will be available for purchase in my shop when the collection is complete.

Happy Fall!

Summer Vegetable Garden

2020-08-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

This summer we have been focused on growing fruit, vegetables and herbs in the garden instead of flowers. It is a big change as you know I love the flower cutting garden, but this season I wanted to experiment with growing fresh produce and learning how to cultivate interesting edibles from seed.

As we have a suburban home that is landscaped with many trees and very little full sun, it was a challenge to find a way to integrate the edible garden, but many of our vegetables found a home in pots on the sunniest parts of the patio and in other containers throughout the yard. Here is a large zucchini plant nestled near the plant rack filled with greenery and herbs.

For fun we added this garden bed to a section of the lawn that receives full sun. The elevated style of bed was chosen so the grass would continue to grow beneath and it proved to be more resistant to pests and easy to tend as well. Inside we are growing cantaloupe, bush beans, more zucchini and cucumbers on the trellis at one end.

Growing from seed provides more options for unusual and gourmet vegetable varieties. This is a Persian Baby Cucumber called "Green Fingers" from Renee's Garden Seed Company, where I purchased many of my seeds this spring.

These container snap peas called "Little Crunch" peas make a delicious addition to the early summer menu and also can be eaten straight from the garden!

Soon to be harvested are these mini Sugar Cube Cantaloupes. They are personal-sized melons that grow in containers. We have some in the garden bed and a few more pots trellised throughout the yard with melons hanging from their vines. Looking forward to this special treat!

Of course no vegetable garden is complete without a few sunflowers to draw pollinators and add color. This year I planted Autumn Beauty sunflowers from Ferry-Morse Seed Company. They are lovely and have been in bloom for about a month with no signs of slowing down. Miniature eggplants, peppers and a few mini pumpkins to line the windowsills in October are also growing. The garden is always full of seasonal surprises!

Valley Snow

2020-04-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

I hope you are all well and staying healthy at home during this challenging time. These photos are a bit overdue, but I'd still like to share them with you as I know many are struggling to find peace in these troubled times while adapting to a new lifestyle of being indoors. I hope I have captured the serenity I experience in nature, and that it will bring you a moment of joy and a glimpse into a beautiful world that you can see on your screen if not outside your window.

Every spring I photograph these orchards near my home and even though the almond trees are the same the pictures are always different.

Some years are filled with bright blue skies peeking through the canopy of trees, and others with green grasses from rain in the orchards.

This spring was a majesty of white petals, like snow on the ground of wonderland...

Fresh Flowers Styled in a Long Wooden Bowl

2020-02-02T20:03:00.001-08:00

Today is a beautiful winter day here in California with the sun shining through the icy cold air. I'm finally getting time to share some floral fun after a very busy last few months. It's great to be back blogging as it is such a wonderful way to connect with all of you who share my passion for design and flowers!

This season I hosted a winter tea party for my Mom's birthday and created a centerpiece of fresh white roses for the occasion. Having just purchased a long wooden bowl for the holidays, I decided to create a "rose boat" centerpiece for the dining room table.

The wooden container is 36" long and about 6" wide which makes it the perfect size to hold three dozen roses. First the bowl was lined with plastic to keep it dry, then three loaf pans filled with water were inserted and covered with a grid of tape to hold the flowers in place.

Long stemmed white roses were combined with clippings of foliage from the garden and a few holiday pine tree branches. First, the foliage was arranged in the loaf pans of water to create a bed of greenery for the roses. Then the roses were cut shorter to fit in the containers and baby's breath was added and strewn throughout the design.

The roses were fresh and lovely for the birthday tea party and lasted about a week after the event.

Summer Flower Paintings

2019-08-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

The studio has been a busy place this summer as I have been working on a new collection of paintings along with commissioned works.

One particularly rewarding creative project I recently completed for a client remodeling her master bedroom presented the challenge of painting two decorative floral arrangements from my imagination without relying on an actual arrangement of flowers for reference.

The buyer, who is an avid collector of purple Depression glass, selected two favorite pedestal vases from her lovely collection for me to photograph, then I began sketching and designing a pair of painted floral arrangements that would fit the vases and complement the colors of her beautiful new bedroom!

Many of the flowers included in the paintings are varieties grown in our garden over the years except for the pink peonies which I was lucky enough to find at the market. Predominantly old fashioned flowers were selected to fuse with the antique style of the vases and the elegant, traditional bedroom decor.

Hydrangeas, roses and peonies arranged in a decorative design are painted in thin layers of acrylic paint to capture the dimensional quality of the flowers and the range of colors. It was especially fun to paint the petals of these blooms glazed by light.

It is always a joy to paint home grown flowers as it makes the rewards of working in the garden more permanent. Soon I will be planting a fall flower garden and as I plan the varieties of flowers, I'm always thinking of the future paintings they may become...

Spring Garden Floral

2019-04-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

The early spring garden is now dressed in shades of pink and white as our cymbidium orchids, anemones and camellias take the stage. They are lovely in the landscape but also make beautiful cut flowers for arranging!

This design began with a pedestal planter and a smaller glass vase of water set inside to hold the fresh flowers. Then a garland of faux greenery was wrapped around the vase to fill in the gap between the containers.

A series of garden flowers and a few filler flowers from the market were added to the glass vase, which created an unstructured floral design.

These raspberry colored cymbidium orchids were arranged first and then surrounded with blush carnations to hold them in place.

Fragrant sprigs of stock and a few black and white anemones were woven into the design.

White camellias placed near the bottom of the arrangement were encircled with carnations and filler foliage.

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For texture, a few fluffy budding tulips were added to the mix.

Providing the final touch, fluttery petals of the white anemones contrast the sculptural shape of the orchids and add interest to the design.

When I brought this arrangement inside to use as a centerpiece for the Easter table. it felt like spring had truly arrived!

Styling an Easter Table

2019-04-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

Its almost time for Easter! The garden is filled with fresh flowers and the days are warm and beautiful. I'm now styling an Easter table and have used a palette of soft greens and shades of white to complement the floral centerpiece made from garden blooms.

A few thematic objects like this white glass bunny and bird salt and pepper shakers were chosen for the center of the table to reflect the colors of the floral arrangement and blend in with the dishes and linens. Next a lightweight crinkled ribbon runner was strewn down the center of the table. This is an easy way to add color.

The charming toile bunny dishes were layered with white dinner plates and accented with majolica cabbage bowls in a different shade of green.

Simple linen placemats in a neutral flax color with white cotton embroidered napkins to complement the printed plates were added to complete the design.

Styling a table for Easter, or another spring holiday, is easy and fun and can be done with whatever dishes you have on hand and just a few seasonal additions. I chose bunny dishes and spring green to give this table an Easter theme, but any seasonal accent plates or objects will do. The important part is to be creative and have fun!

Flower Spotlight: Ranunculus

2019-03-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Ranunculus flowers, also called Persian Buttercups, provide stunning blooms in early spring when the weather is still chilly and moist. Boasting a mass of chiffon-like petals, the multicolored flowers are always a favorite for spring weddings and floral arrangements.

These beautiful stems were brought to me by a sweet neighbor who knows how much I enjoy the art of flowers. They were grown by Kelley Flower Farm , and I am dazzled by the quality and color of these unique ranunculus varieties- so dazzled in fact, that I've been researching how to grow them in my own home garden next spring! In my efforts to learn more, I found some excellent ranunculus resources to share.

Every fall, I usually purchase a few new varieties of flower bulbs to try in the garden from Erin Benzakien's Floret Flower Farm in Washington. In addition to many amazing varieties of flowers, she also provides extensive educational resources on her website, like this tutorial about how to grow ranunculus. She is also the author of Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden, which is reviewed in this post.

Another great resource is Garden Design's post How to Grow Your Own Ranunculus which includes a buying guide, planting tips and ideas for using ranunculus in the garden and in floral arrangements.

The Gardenista website also adds an interesting twist to the discussion of this flower by including background on its mythology in the post "Ranunculus: The Little Frog". Apparently, ranunculus means "little frog" in Latin as it often grows near bodies of water. According to Gardenista, legend also has it that the original Asian myth (upon which the Western fairy tale of the Frog Prince was based) stated that the prince was turned into a ranunculus instead of a frog. Fascinating...

Winter Decorating with Dried Hydrangeas

2019-02-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

The winter months are quiet as I prepare the garden for spring and await the first blooms of the season. It is always a challenge to keep the vases filled until the garden starts to produce flowers for cutting, so I often use dried or artificial flowers this time of year.

Dried hydrangeas are elegant when placed in wide vases or bowls and provide soft color and texture. They are simple to preserve during the summer by cutting the blooms and placing them in a vase of water until the water evaporates and the flowers start to dry.

Fresh blooms, as shown in the photo below, can also be made into wreaths which will dry and last through the winter. See the post about "How to Make a Hydrangea Wreath" for instructions. I have used them for centerpieces as well as wall decor.

Season's Greetings

2018-12-23T10:44:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all a happy holiday season filled with peace and joy...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Fall Gardens at Filoli

2018-10-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

Fall is a beautiful time of year to tour Filoli in Woodside, CA as the gardens are still in bloom and the trees are beginning to change color. We visited there recently since two of my paintings are featured in the current art show, "Fall Landscapes of the Golden State". We were dazzled by the beauty of the estate and still spectacular gardens in October.

The flower beds throughout the grounds were filled with colorful blooms. A combination of orange and purple flowers defined the central garden and was stunning. Layers of zinnias, dahlias and salvia grew in beds lined with boxwood for a lovely autumn display.

The formal garden design at Filoli provides dramatic viewpoints throughout the property. Many are highlighted with elegant garden sculpture and wrought iron filigree gates.

The rose gardens were in bloom and filled the air with a sweet perfume. There are many beautiful varieties, which are labelled for the convenience of visitors. As a gardener, I always appreciate this educational detail, as I look forward to adding my favorites to our garden at home.

There are also extensive cutting gardens at Filoli and these were filled with zinnias, cosmos, strawflowers and a multitude of other fall-blooming beauties.

It was fascinating to see the rows of different flowers and autumn hued foliage plants which would surely look stunning in floral designs.

The dahlias were also blooming in gorgeous vibrant colors. It was certainly a day filled with garden inspiration!

If you'd like to visit Filoli this season, the current "Golden Harvest" celebration features orchard tours, fall events, an art show, and a display of antique farm equipment through November 4th. For more information please see the official website.

Creating a Fall Garden Floral

2018-10-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

Our fall garden is beginning to bloom at last as we welcome October with cool weather and raindrops. It is a beautiful time of year to design arrangements from the garden, and creating a fall floral using homegrown flowers mixed with a market bouquet is an easy way to enjoy the garden indoors.

Choosing a few key homegrown stems and combining them with a complementary mix of store-bought flowers can create a dazzling autumn arrangement. I chose these peach roses for a focal point as they are large and spectacular this season and have a beautiful scent.

Orange garden dahlias and zinnias in a soft antique pink are also sourced from home.

To bring an autumn glow to the peachy-pink tones of the garden flowers, I selected a market bouquet with deep, rich fall colors and textured foliage.

Orange mums add warmth and texture and their color pops next to dusty green eucalyptus branches.

Variegated burgundy mums pick up the pink in the zinnias but add a deep fall hue, while cherry brandy roses mix in a vibrant berry and golden orange color.

To keep the arrangement from looking too formal, I usually place the largest blooms first, then add filler flowers and foliage in an asymmetrical pattern. This results in an unstructured, flowing design that reflects the way flowers grow in nature.

As there are so many beautiful blooms to enjoy during the autumn months, I hope you will create a natural floral design of your own. Happy Fall!

Hot Summer Flowers...

2018-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

The summer high temperatures are often a challenge for gardeners but with a little bit of planning and the right choice of plants, a summer garden can be filled with flowery fun.

During the months of July and August in this part of California, temperatures can be over 100 degrees but we still enjoy cool nights and lovely mornings. A few flowers I chose for our home garden which perform well in these high temperatures year after year are hydrangeas, dahlias and zinnias. The hydrangeas are planted in a moist area with partial shade, the dahlias in a semi-moist area with only morning light, and the zinnias in full sun with minimal water. I find that these flowers keep our gardens filled with color during the hot days of summer.

This year the hydrangeas are all shades of pink which is the natural color the soil produces. They start to flower in May and then fade to soft green and purple as the summer progresses. By August they are a gorgeous shade of gray-green...

This bi-color hydrangea variety is a unique and vibrant addition to the summer garden with its striped petals and textural foliage.

The dahlias started blooming in July and will likely last through September. Dahlias like plenty of sunshine but not too much heat so they are a perfect choice for a space with morning sun.

This Creme de Cassis dahlia is a new addition in our yard this summer. It starts out a deep burgundy and fades to soft pink.

Zinnias flourish in sunny areas as they are tough enough to stand up to the heat. They are available in a wide range of colors from bright yellow-orange to soft pink. I favored this miniature peach variety for the full sun flower beds and have been so happy with the results. Also, they require very little care and keep producing gorgeous blooms!

Peony Season...

2018-06-04T15:38:00.001-07:00

Peony season is here and I'm enchanted with all the beautiful blooms! These lovely pink stems were brought to me by a friend who has grown them for years. The one with the yellow center is called "Bowl of Beauty" and the other is "Pink Chiffon". The pink hue and intense scent of these flowers is quite a seasonal treat!

These elegant flowers are a pleasure to photograph and also to paint. The complex structure of the petals and the way they reflect light is fascinating to observe and capture with a camera or paintbrush.

The Duchesse de Nemours white peony is one of my favorites. It has a soft yellow center with ruffled petals. The more common, but equally beautiful, Sarah Bernhardt peony is shown below. Its vibrant pink color is enhanced with a profusion of fringed petals.

This year, I am inspired to paint peonies for both their beauty and meaning. The peony is often a symbol of good fortune in life and love. Celebrated for its fragile beauty and fleeting nature, it is a traditional symbol in Chinese art, where it is referred to as "the king of flowers" for its majesty and grace.

Below are a few examples of my recent paintings inspired by these botanical treasures.

Styling Cymbidium Orchids

2018-04-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

Cymbidiums have always been my favorite variety of orchids. I've been collecting them since I was in college and fell in love with a neighbor's wine barrel full of amazing blooming orchid stalks. Over the years, I have added many plants to our container gardens and have enjoyed spectacular blooms.

Cymbidium orchids originated in the Himalayas and tolerate unusually cold temperatures. They are found throughout Asia and produce large robust blooms in late winter or early spring. The flower stalks can last 4-6 weeks. Different orchids in our garden have been in bloom since late January and I cut the pink flowers you see here last night for the arrangement. They should stay alive and beautiful for another few weeks.

Cymbidium is easy to style but must be handled carefully as the flowers are very fragile. To create this mixed arrangement, I put the stalks of orchids into a tall container and then combined them with sprigs of heavenly bamboo recently pruned from the garden.

Since our deep purple tulips are currently in bloom, I added a few throughout the design to enhance the color of the orchids.

This arrangement is about 2-3 ft tall and makes a stunning centerpiece. I plan to refurbish the blooms in a simpler vase in the weeks to come.

Spring in the Garden...

2018-03-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today is officially the first day of Spring and the garden is clearly celebrating with beautiful blooms and blossoms. Our magnolia tree is covered in pink and white velvety flowers which glisten on these rainy days.

The daffodils are also coming back to life. They are one of the first in a parade of flowers that will light up the garden this season.

The potted tulips are growing and starting to grace our patio with pastel beauty.

Blooming in bright pink and usually buzzing with bees, this redbud tree is already filled with flowers.

(I happened to get a bee-free photo while out in the rain this morning!) The branches are so colorful.

Pink jasmine buds cover the fence and are about to open and release their lovely sweet fragrance into the air...

But most exciting, is this sweet little dove living on the top shelf of our plant rack. She's been there for a few weeks and is very friendly, even when we water her plant! Today I noticed she has two new baby doves in her nest. One was happy to pose for the picture but the other is resting. What a wonderful surprise!

Happy Spring!