Encompassing Designs
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Kits
    • Patterns >
      • Christine Little >
        • Signature Designs
        • New Designs
        • Seasonal Designs
      • Deborah Sweet
      • Susan Leslie
      • Patricia Perry
      • William Morris
    • Supplies >
      • Backings
      • Frames
      • Hooks
      • Books
      • Extra
    • Wool >
      • Abrashed
      • Custom Dyeing
      • Dyed Bundles
      • Dyed Curly Mohair
      • Dyed Spots
      • Dyed Values
      • Dyed Yarn
      • Jacquard Dice Dyes
      • Natural & Colours
      • Plaids & Textures
      • Dye Books & Swatches
  • Ordering
  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us

The beauty before the rain.......

6/30/2015

5 Comments

 
The clematis blooms are magnificent this year.  The purple flower heads were the largest they've ever been.   The fuchsia one on my chimney has never flowered so bountifully with hundreds yet to open.  
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Ah gardening.  Is there any better past time to connect with mother earth?   The work can be backbreaking but the rewards are worth every ache and pain.  Sowing  a seed or introducing a new plant to the garden is an act of  nurturing;  raising a one season progeny.  

The excitement begins by finding the perfect addition and bringing the little bundle home. Preparing a nursery, that perfect spot in the ground.  Watering and weeding, watching over the little darlings with tender loving care and then the bloom.  The plant opening its essence.  If the conditions are right in this symbiotic relationship, after the nurturing comes the gift of amazing beauty.   

But the weather can be a harsh reality.  The wind and rain this weekend beat the peonies into the grown, their large flowering heads, soaked and heavy laden, bowed in defeat.   The delicate poppy petals were ripped from their glory to wilt and dissolve on the drenched soil.   My irises, so large and proud, forced to the ground like a hostages in a heist.  I looked around my gardens this morning with a heavy heart.  So much beauty senselessly destroyed by the same element that nourishes it.    

I’m miffed but I’ll get over it.  I’ve been through this before, it doesn’t make me want to stop planting, stop gardening.  The loss is tough but like farmers in the province at least my livelihood isn’t over.  Extreme weather can be a death to crops.  I only have to swallow a bit of disappointment. 

I’ve gotten behind in my weeding.  There’s been a lot on my plate lately and the rain made all the weeds shoot up with a vengeance.  It would be easy to give up for the summer but I won’t.  I’ll play the game of one step forward two steps back with mother nature.  I’ve invested a lot of  sweat equity in my little flower patch so until I hang up my trowel I have to move forward.  When the day comes that it’s too much to handle I’ll give my perennials away and either let the grass take over or put in low maintenance shrubs.  For now, it's curtains for my lost peonies and poppies, their run was short but sweet.  I am waiting for the next act.  Enter stage right, the Lily show, their magnificent performance is always worthy of a standing ovation. Although winter was a harsh critique and I lost some of my major players, my incredible Stargazer and a few Asiatics, I have a huge cast of day lilies, several show stopper Stella Dora's that are in rehearsal for the magnificent show about to open on this broad's way.  

Picture
This red poppy is almost a foot across.   It's delicate center is amazing.  
Picture
Picture
No garden is complete without a Peony Patch.  I have white, light pinks, deeper pinks, yellow and rich cranberry.  The smell is intoxicating and every whiff stops the earth from turning.  I find the peony more fragrant than roses, although disappointingly, some came without any smell at all.  I'm so sad for those plants.....what has man done to you?  My yellow peony hasn't opened yet but the plant is filled with buds.    
Picture
Picture
5 Comments
Adena
6/29/2015 06:42:16 pm

Beautiful.

Reply
Marye
6/29/2015 10:39:09 pm

Your garden is breathtakingly beautiful. Is this the prettiest time of year to visit Nova Scotia? Is June generally decent weather? I know this June in NH has certainly not been the usual one.

Reply
Christine
6/29/2015 10:41:08 pm

June is usually very lovely, warm and sunny. July brings a bit of humidity which makes it uncomfortable to garden.

Reply
Pastimes PEI Rug Hooking and Wool Shop
6/29/2015 10:40:08 pm

beautiful... I think mine is the same but far from blooming ... we are so far behind this year.....

Reply
Janet
6/29/2015 10:40:39 pm

Your garden is outstanding!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Christine Little has been ranked #5​ out of the 60 top rug hooking bloggers by Rug Hooking Magazine!

    Picture
    Picture
    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Picture
    Picture
    Gift Certificates are available for that special rug hooker in your life!  Any denomination, no expiry date! 

    Picture

    Categories
    (Click on the categories for past blogs)

    All
    Announcements
    Beginner Class
    Christmas
    Colour Planning
    Contests
    Copyright
    Coupon
    Customer Rugs
    Cutter Servicing
    Dyeing
    Equipment
    Featured Hooker
    Giveaway Draw
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Blogger
    Health & Fitness
    Home & Heart
    Hooked Rugs
    Hooking Groups
    Hook In Talk
    Initially Yours
    Jibber Jabber
    Just A Bit Of Fun!
    Life's Experiences
    Life's Experiences
    New Design
    New Ideas
    Pattern Of The Week
    Patterns Hooked
    Pets
    Rants
    Recipes
    Rememberingfbe7326ff7
    Rug Schools
    Show & Tell
    Show-tell
    The Rant
    Tips Technique
    Tips Techniquef0cd117ab4
    Visitors
    Workshops

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture





















    Picture
    We have a pot to "Fiz" in!

Shop Hours:
Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 
Saturdays 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
We are closed during ice and snow storms
​so please call ahead.  If school is cancelled we probably are as well.  

Toll Free: 1-855-624-0370
Local: 1-902-624-0370​
encompassingdesigns@gmail.com

498 Main Street
P.O. Box 437
Mahone Bay, N.S.
Canada B0J 2E0

​Follow us and keep up to date
on our specials, new products
​and events!
Picture
Picture
Picture


Home
Shop
Ordering
Blog
Our Story
Workshops

Contact Us




​​​© Copyright 2023 Encompassing Designs. Website by SKYSAIL