Flower Power ~ a cheerful and bright pop of colour and a new murder series to read.

Abraham Darby

David Austin Rose

Fragrant frilly and frothy petalled rose in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

How is your summer going?

Ours has been a hot one with no rain.

We are staying hydrated by drinking lots of homemade lemonade 

reading in the shade of the front porch in the afternoon.

Trying to get our garden chores done early in the morning 

while keeping up with the watering.

Blooming Artichokes

seen on my walk.

These bloom every summer 

they always catch my eye when I walk down the street.

Buttery yellow Roses in the front yard.

Jude the Obscure

another David Austin Rose

citrus fragrance

deep cupped blooms

that are 

repeat blooming.

The sweet peas are growing vigorously this summer.

I cut them each day and the next time I go out there are more flowers!

It must be because of the heat and constant sunshine that we are experiencing.

Angel's Fishing Wand

aka Dierama

We have two clumps of this planted in our front garden.

The hummingbirds like them!

Jude the Obscure 

I almost swoon when I see these blooms.

The limelight hydrangeas are brightening up The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Their chartreuse shade GLOWS!

Verbena Bonariensis

I finally found this in a local nursery after hunting for it for well over a year!

It felt like winning the plant lottery...

I must have been in the right place at the right time.

I discovered a new mystery series by Canadian writer Steven Burrows.

"The Birder Murder Series"

which is set in the UK.

A memorable group of characters and a murder with birds featured in the story.

Steven Burrows is an experienced "birder" and has written for many birding magazines.

This book is the second one in the series...

A Siege of Bitterns is the first book.

I am planning to read it as soon as I finish this one.

Good News...

There are 4 more books

something to look forward to!

Hope that you are keeping well.

Our Covid cases have spiked again...

The delta variant seems to be spreading quickly.

We have had both our vaccinations but are not taking any chances.

Masks indoors and avoiding close contacts.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Anniversary of our wedding day from July 20, 1974

July 20, 1974

47 years ago...

We were so young 

but we knew that we were in love 

and

ready to spend our lives together

as husband and wife.

I have kept my wedding dress, veil and blue garter.

Maybe Isla will want to play "dress up" and wear it someday?

We went out for dinner with our friends on Sunday evening to celebrate.

We went to the Snug at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and we were waited on by Mom's favourite server.

I had a glass of the wine that Mom always ordered.

Tonight

If it is not too hot we will sit on the deck and have a cocktail.

I will make my husband his favourite spaghetti dinner and a simple salad.

The sun is shining down on The Humble Bungalow Garden.

on the north side of the bungalow we have a slate patio

that is surrounded by a riot of hydrangeas, 

Limelight and Angelina mixed in with hostas and lady's mantle.

We spent the better part of the weekend in the garden getting caught up on the weeding and the deadheading of the roses.

It feels a little bit cooler today as there is a breeze...

an exterminator is coming by this afternoon to deal with a large wasp nest.

We are planning to buy a new TV and get an upgrade on our viewing subscriptions.

There are so many options and channels that it feels quite daunting trying to decide what to order...

Do you have any suggestions on particularly good channels?

Will close with this pretty sunflower grown from the seeds that dear reader Rosemarie sent to me in memory of my mom.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Holidaze at Quarterdeck Cottage

The lazy daze of summer...

Simple meals

family

pooltime

Sun

Gazing at the Bees collecting pollen from the flowers 

can hold the attention of a sweet girl.

Sunshine 

 a bright bold yellow flower.

Buzzing Busy Bees...

bees on almost every bloom.

We had the grandchildren here for a week and it has flown by so fast.

They left on the ferry on Friday...

I will miss their happy laughter and energy.

Simple daisies

blooming at the side of the road.

Love these humble beauties...

there is something so classic about these blooms.

I like to pick a few and pop them in a jam jar.

Behold the beauty of this gorgeous Dahlia!

Mom grew dahlias when we lived in Oak Bay.

Her garden was quite lovely and she spent many hours every week tending to the perennial beds.

She had a dedicated section for her beloved Dahlias.

Some of the flowers were as big a dinner plates.

When dahlia season was at its' peak 

mom would pack a variety of dahlias to bring inside the house.

There would be vases in almost every room.

Oh those were the days...

We've got my sister and her husband coming to the cottage today for a visit so I will close for now.

Hope that your summer is ticking along nicely.

Stay safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

 

Mellow Yellow...OOTD

Italian Linen Dress 

Loose and cool 

an easy way to dress for summer.

Added interest...near the hem.

Ready for a wee gathering at a friend's home.

Appetizers and bubbly!

Amanda Blu flip flops

Keeping hydrated in the intense heat wave that we had is important.

Lots of fluids and ice...

I made several jugs of homemade lemonade which we sipped throughout the days.

It is slightly cooler now and for that I am grateful.

So are the parched roses and plants in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Julia Child Rose

David Austin Variety

We purchased this buttery yellow beauty this Spring and planted it it a pot.

Love the bold shade and the fragrance is delightful.

I had a reader send me an email that she could no longer comment on my blog and I am not at all sure why that is happening?

Feedburner has expired on Blogger so subscribers will no longer receive automatic emails when new posts are published. 

Please use Bloglovin as it still offers this service.

Please send me an email if you are having difficulty leaving a note.

I have moderation turned on 

so I need to approve the comments before they are published.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Summertime Blues...

Himalayan Blue Poppy 

snapshot from my latest visit to Butchart Gardens.

These poppies are so pretty but are not all that easy to grow.

I had some about 10 years ago and they lasted for a few seasons and then they disappeared.

I have toyed with the idea of buying the seed packet from Butcharts and trying my hand at growing them again.

Old Navy Boyfriend Jean Jacket.

Very soft

distressed

and super comfy to wear.

Purchased in the store at 30% off the regular price.

It is very versatile and I love it with my white Tees and jeans.

(with pearls)

I added this scarf from France.

This scarf was in a subscription box from My Stylish French Country Home.

I think they sell them in their online store. 

There are a few rips which gives the denim character...

I wear this with my blue and white striped Talbots linen skirt.

My black UPP capris. and black lace top...

I popped it over a black dress

and can imagine that this will become a workhorse in my wardrobe.

We received our second vaccinations this morning and I am very pleased that we were able to get the second shot.

There is a sense of calm now as we move toward opening up things here in Victoria.

Dining inside is permitted, as are movie theatres and plays.

Looking forward to being more social.

Seeing our family and more friends.

How are things going where you live?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~