Painting With Flowers.

Gardens at Sandals resort on Exuma, Bahamas.

2012-01-16T16:57:00.000-08:00

And most of all, the Sea.

I made this picture from the airplane, when we were approaching Exuma island.

It's a Birthday month!

2011-12-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

It's a Birthday month, 2 of my best friends are celebrating their Birthdays, and I want to add some festive mood to their parties with flowers and little funny poems for them.

For I. Z., who's creativity makes you wonder where she gets all her ideas. I only publish the end of my poem, so she can have some surprise and fun at the party tonight.

МОЙДОДЫР,

или да здравствует И.... !

........................................................................

Да здравствует осень душистая

И жизнь- интересная, быстрая.

И цветочный горшок,и дурацкий стишок

И друзья, и кино, и чтоб в доме тепло!

Чтоб как нынче, cовсем не считая года,

Мыслей радостных, умных- полна голова!

Давайте же праздновать весело

Мы твой День рождения песенный!

И дома, и в классе, всегда и везде- здоровья и счастья тебе!

For J. L., who made me go to the Opera in SF.. after 20 years of boredom, and who's bright laugh I love so much!

Оперу, оперу, мы очень Любим оперу!

Мы с подружкою вдвоем

Снова в оперу идем

Рене Флемминг нам поет

Виктор нас домой везёт!

В перерыве - мы в буфет

Суп, салатик и dessert-

Выпьем там, закусим

Жизни праздной вкусим!

Мы с подружкою вдвоем

Познавательно живем!

Знаем кто Кармен убил

Кто в каком буфете pil

Как поют кастраты,

И в какие даты.

Развлекаемся вовсю

вот уж 3й месяц,

Обеспечил Виктор нам

Ride и стол в буфете!

Ну и пусть года проходят

В оперу мы снова сходим!

Выпьем там, закусим

Жизни праздной вкусим!

Мы с подружкою вдвоем

Сладкой жизнию живем!

Хоть нам пенсия не светит

Есть всегда дессерт в буфете!

I love you, my Birthday girls! Happy Birthday!

November Garden Vignettes.

2011-11-27T16:06:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Holiday besides everything else, means four days off work. It did feel like a blessing from the skies! The weather was wonderful, considering that it is the end of November. Yesterday, I spent more than 4 hours outside, and made some pictures, while taking short breaks between cleaning , pruning, and attending to few forgotten corners of my garden.

Photo #1 .

This was just a pile of left over pebbles after recent renovation, so I decided to put a pot in the middle of it to brighten it up. I just had to find plants, that will go into it, and which would grow without much care, since it is quite a dark spot. Believe it or not, but I found completely neglected orchid, which to my surprise had a shoot with flower buds. It became the center piece of my arrangement. I also snipped few succulents, which there are plenty all over the garden, and see what I've got: a perfect garden vignette! My husband said that it is too symmetrical to his taste, but i think, that after it grows, the symmetry will not be so obvious. We will see who was right later in spring. I will keep you posted...

Photo #2. Now, this would not be anything special, if it wouldn't be the end of November. Doesn't this rose tree look like in spring? Perfect undamaged leaves and many blossoms. I 'll tell you why. I didn't like how it looked back then in August, so I cut it. And quite severely, like I normally do in winter. It was not a pretty picture then, but it looks like new now, when the other roses are so pitiful, that I have hard time waiting for January to prune them. Dark velvety Coleus is a lovely compliment to light pink of the roses. Who would believe that it is November?

Photo #3. And finally- true autumn. Beautiful yellow leaves! They are all over the wet deck. Even white, naked chairs look like they should in autumn- sleepy and ready for winter and rain.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Winter beauty.

2011-11-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

"а эти запоздалые цветы напоминают привкус горьких слёз."

Red , pink and chartreuse.

2011-11-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

I came out to the garden today, turned around and saw my little tree turned red! Then I noticed bright pink cyclamens and chartreuse leaves of the potato wine below it. I had to take a picture.

It is not as pretty in the garden now as it is in summer, but the colors are still beautiful!

White and red dahlias

2011-10-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Николай Рубцов.

Улыбка лета так знакомо Опять сошла с лица земли! И все уехали из дома И радиолу увезли

Вот-вот подует зимним, снежным. Все умирает... Лишь один Пылает пламенем мятежным - Наследник розы - георгин!

Just saw this...

2011-08-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas. ~ Elizabeth Murray

ГЕОРГИНЫ (dahlias)

2011-08-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Афанасий Фет Вчера - уж солнце рдело низко - Средь георгин я шел твоих, И как живая одалиска Стояла каждая из них. Как много пылких или томных, С наклоном бархатных ресниц, Веселых, грустных и нескромных Отвсюду улыбалось лиц! Казалось, нет конца их грезам На мягком лоне тишины,- А нынче утренним морозом Они стоят опалены. Но прежним тайным обаяньем От них повеяло опять, И над безмолвным увяданьем Мне как-то совестно роптать.

Salad in the pot!

2011-05-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

It looks good, but tastes even better!

One month later...

2011-05-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

May is the best month in the garden. Roses, foxgloves, ireses, everything is in bloom. Most of it was planted last year, but looks it best this spring. You can click on the picture to see it full size.

First spring pictures from the garden

2011-04-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

The spring is cold and late this year. But finally there are some pictures from the garden, which can be published . Take a look at my herbs pot. Bright marigolds make it quite nice to look at, and there are fresh herbs for dinner:-)

Spring bouquet

2011-03-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

I think this tulip looks exactly like an exotic bird it's named after: parrot. Little white flowers are paperwhites. Few birch brunches with sticky new leaves and you have it: "spring" bouquet.

Tulips

2011-03-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

I planted tulips bulbs late autumn, and was expecting tulips like those you buy in the store. But mine turned out very different. They have short stems, but are very bright and have multiple layers of petals. Almost like painting, not like real flowers. I like them, just a pity it is still raining quite hard. Here they are:

So simple, So unpretentious.

2011-03-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size." - Gertrude S. Wister

Early spring in Santa Cruz. The sky and ocean of the same blue. One of the most beautiful places on earth, and so simple, so unpretentious.

Beach Daizy

Aloe Saponaria

Today, tomorrow, on the weekend.....

2011-01-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

Finally the Holidays are over!

The nervousness, the rush, the confusion that goes with it is now replaced with usual routine, familiar duties, with common sense and clear understanding of what to be done today,... tomorrow,... on weekend. And with that, my Ikebana classes are back on schedule. Despite new job, despite annoying new Bosses, despite congested highway traffic, I made my way to the lesson this week. And, as always, I was rewarded.

The flowers are still wintry, the pine is still Holidays like, but the brunches with tiny blossoms are here to remind me of spring. To point out the obvious : that we are in the second half of January, and it is time to get ready: to cut my roses, to check on my tulips and daffodils, which already poking through the ground, to clean the fountain, and to wait...

And while I am patiently waiting for my garden to awake, I can still arrange flowers in bouquets. They should brighten up my winter mornings and, hopefully, will compensate the lack of blooms in my sleepy garden.

Let it snow... with flowers!

2010-12-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

Our winter is snow-less, but never the less it is winter: with cool, frosty air in the morning, with all colors fresh and stark against milky sky. I want my winter bouquets to reflect this Holiday spirit: with lights on the streets and dressed up tables inside, with all that excitement and anticipation of great parties and family gatherings with plenty of wine and hearty food . My flowers are light colored or even snowy white to mimic the air outside, and with a touch of pine greenery to compliment traditional winter decorations, and with dark red accents to make them be worthy of December celebrations. Happy Holidays to all of you!

November Colors

2010-11-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

This is how November looks from my window.

And this is November "free style" bouquet.

Autumn clouds

2010-10-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Couple days ago I woke up and went to the garden to water my flowers. When I saw this, i called my husband, and he made a picture. Clouds were in the sky, and in the water, and it was quiet and warm, and very picturesque....

And few more recent flower photos.

Pink Bliss...

2010-08-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Summer is at it's highest point. Roses are back with their fancy curly petals and such a dreamy, indescribable & sophisticated pink color, that you know they were painted by God himself. All greens are still very bright, and Fusia yet another shade of brilliant and oh, so heavenly, pink! Even if you prefer other colors, I am sure you will enjoy this display of pink bliss.

Mid Summer Colors

2010-08-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

Water in lagoon looks nice and blue. In few months it will turn cold and gray, but I still have quite a few summer days to enjoy the view and the sun.

Finally all flowers blooming at once: purple foxgloves, blue delphiniums, pink roses and white potato vine. I can't believe it actually looks the way I had it in mind, when designing my "cottage" border.

Few new features, such as stone borders,step stones and new very green grass make it look fresh and bright, and almost to my satisfaction.

Pink Summer Flowers

2010-07-25T13:32:00.001-07:00

When I was a teenager, I did not like summer. That I remember very vividly. I think because I was very skinny, and could not put enough clothes in summer to cover my angular, tall figure. Well, I am no longer a teenager, and not that skinny any more:)), and I absolutely love summer! I also love pink flowers, may be because they look young and make you feel like you are a teenager girl again? Or may be because I hardly ever wear pink and purple these days, so it fills the gap in the color pallet around me? Whatever the reason, the fact is that I am the happiest person in summer with all the pink flowers blooming around me.

New Flower Bed

2010-06-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

It is so time consuming to water it all, even with the dripping system we installed with my son, but it pays off: looks colorful and bright, so I am happy when sipping my morning coffee, looking at it. The only problem is that I have only 10 -15 minutes, and then need to leave for work. The good news though is that there are only 5 working days before each weekend:) Few more pictures here. http://picasaweb.google.com/natashtein/June10#

Painting Still Life with Nasturtiums.

2010-05-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

I discovered that nasturtiums look really well in small arrangements, and they last for weeks in water. Here are few ways to freshen up dull corners in the house at no cost: just cut it (long or short) and add water. They'll do the rest themselves.

Filoli Goes to the Movies

2010-05-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Such was the Theme of the latest Filoli exhibition during Mothers day weekend. More photos on Picassa http://picasaweb.google.com/natashtein/MothersDayAtFiloli# Enjoy!

Morning impressions: Inside and out!

2010-05-06T20:59:00.001-07:00

No matter how many pictures of roses one made in the past, it is still very tempting to make another one, when they are in full bloom. So unable to fight that temptation, I keep making arrangements with them, and keep photographing them. Aren't they beautiful?

Finally I found the perfect spot for this little tree: a sunny corner against the wall seems to be exactly what it needed. And, perhaps under the influence of my Japanese Ikebana teacher, who combines all colors without any fear, l also created an unlikely combination of orange nasturtiums and pink geraniums. I can not say I like it that much, but abundance of large round green leaves makes it all look fresh and healthy.