it's so quiet...
So quiet that I can hear my breathing and the beating of my heart.
Days with no breeze or wind are rare in our area...it's because the ocean is nearby.
I tip toe outside...
the warmth and light of the summer sunshine
on my back.
our deck is bathed in sunlight
one of summer's gifts
shadows come out to play
The garden is a chaotic riot of greenery
the side yard has been taken over by Lady's Mantle
it's a massive lime explosion!
our local deer wander by for a nibble here and there
if I left the back gate open perhaps they'd help me out...
dead head a few plants and do some weeding
but if I did I am sure that they'd head straight for my roses!
Jude The Obscure a David Austin Rose
sits out front in our Humble Bungalow Garden
vulnerable to the deer...
a doe and her two babies have been dining here.
One of the stags in our vicinity
and we live fairly close to town
the deer are thriving here in Victoria as there are no predators
(other than man)
urban development has taken over their habitat
forcing them to be resourceful and creative
in a city with so many gardens that offer up a salad bar
the deer seem quite happy.
the neighbours are building fences
placing nets on their favourite plants
erecting chicken wire barricades
Oak Bay has performed a deer cull and it has been met with a lot of criticism.
There are signs up in the areas where fawns cross the roads...
"slow down fawn crossing."
It's curious how when we are in a peaceful and quiet setting
that our thoughts can wander
as we take time to ponder
life's bigger issues and questions
being in the moment
focusing
changing
shifting
adapting
attempting
to live in harmony with nature.
17 comments:
Peter Rabbit is wreaking havoc on the two large potted hostas I've had at my entrance for several years. He eats the stem, which I guess is juicier than the leaf he leaves on the ground. My daughter and I love to see him around, but do not necessarily want him ripping through my plants. I thought I had cut off his access to my patio, but discovered him there yesterday ..... he had worked his way under the fence of the townhouse patio next door, and discovered another different plant on my patio he liked. Rats! I think I'm in a losing battle. Wish I had some of your cooler weather. Definitely not patio weather in the southeast now.
Your roses are stunning, and as pretty as the deer are, I wouldn't offer the roses up as a snack either! ;-)
You paint an idyllic picture.
Breezes have been rare here this spring. Wind, however, has wreaked havoc with our peaceful deck. The umbrella has been uprooted more than once and my window boxes (unfortunately not secured tightly to the railing) were sent hurtling into the yard. Miraculously, they landed right side up. Not so lucky for my herb pots.
Your space is so inviting and roses are my very favorite. Are they difficult to cultivate?
such a lovely post -
Those pink & yellow flowers are stunning!! Are they from the Lily family? I would really love them in my garden ;) I agree with you...let us live in harmony and leave our little creatures alone. Glad I don't live in Oak Bay with a Mayor like him :(
I always love your Jude The Obscure roses; just breathtaking!
We also have so many deer on our property.
I do feel a bit of worry, as we have 58 acres of forest that share a mutual border with Avril Lavigne's. She has Lyme Disease, and hasn't said where she contracted it. I worry she picked it up on her own property.
In our New Hampshire village there are few deer. So hostas abound. But the chipmunks! Lovely, delicate little creatures who eat all our bulbs. Oh well...
Your post breathes peace and contentment.
I love your blog. You write so beautifully and chose the perfect photos to illustrate your comments. We have suburban deer as well. I swear they look both ways before crossing the street! And yes they nibble on front gardens up and down the street.
Such a wonderful post. The random thoughts flow beautifully together. I have tried to grow Lady's Mantle. It just wilts and dies. It is just too hot here.
Thank you so much for your kind and supportive words. I am beginning to get back into a routine, and it feels good. Hugs! Bonnie
Oh we are having a heat wave right now and it is hard to keep the garden watered...I love bunnies but we do not have any living nearby. My friend who has a vast garden in Gordon Head has a rabbit which is protected as it is an indigenous species, living in her garden and it has a voracious appetite.
Can you put out rabbit food in a bowl? Maybe it might stop eating your plants.
I found roses very easy to grow...we have clay soil which they seem to like and I buy good quality roses, mostly David Austen varieties.
They are very greedy when it comes to water so you must keep them happy by regularly watering them at the base or if you water from the top do so in the morning so the leaves dry out before night fall or else you'll get black spot on the leaves which is very hard to get rid of...start with one and see how you do. I like to research a rose and find out it's growing and blooming habits...choose hardy stock and fragrance is very important to me as I like to cut and bring some blooms indoors.
They are lilies...I'm not sure what they are called but you can find them at the local nurseries.
Lyme disease is serious...wear your Hunter boots when you go mucking about in the fields just in case and watch out for your dogs as they are vulnerable to ticks.
There are so many bugs and insects that are dangerous...it gives me the creeps just thinking about it.
Oh our deer just saunter out and hold up traffic as they are in no hurry!
I have so much Lady's Mantle I need to rip up all the seedlings...they have taken over.
It's interesting how we have different plants that thrive in our growing zones.
Take care.
My daughter did come up with some "veggie-flavored sticks" made from real veggies such as corn, peas and carrots. We give it a couple at a time as a treat. It isn't as if Peter doesn't have access to enough to chew on around the entire complex, but we don't want to go overboard. And hey, we're finally getting rain and weather a few degrees cooler. :-)
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