A Sunny Day for a Change!

I have been complaining about the July weather in Finland. Today was a gorgeous day, but pouring rain & strong winds returns tomorrow. I have been out in the garden the entire day. One bright side of gardening are the abundant materials for bouquets. I made a joyful mixed bouquet of what was growing here and there.

 

  A simple coffee break with salty biscuits was so needed!

It is Campanula time as you can see. The light was not the best possible but I love
white Campanula latifolia. The blooming could last a bit longer.

Astrantia major

Wishing you a sunny & pleasant weekend!

❤︎❤︎❤︎

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White Beauties of the Week

My garden suffered actually no rain damages during this wet & windy week.

Secretly the old & big shrubs of Philadelphus coronarius have started to bloom.

I have three of them in a row and they need pruning again in the autumn or next spring.

The other white blooming beauty is Clematis recta ’Atropurpurea’

- not easy to photograph, but it has enlightened my week.

Many different flowers are in bloom, here a lilac Tradescantia. I like them very much

and have many colors of it: lilac, dark blue & heavenly blue, purple & white.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 

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My June in Collage

June was a lovely & sunny & PINK month, yet still quiet because of social distancing. A dear friend visited, and Daughter’s family at Midsummer. In a bigger group of family members we decided to spend one Sunday outdoors and visit the Haaga Rhododenron Park. We enjoyed the time together and relaxed at a seaside café Torpanranta as well. Photos of azaleas and rhododenrons. The first roses brought so much joy in my June garden. The Pimpinella rose ’Ruskela’ was absolutely fabulous and Norwegian rose Hurdal has never before bloomed like this ❤︎ There are still pink flowers to open: Lilium martagon, peonies and my many rose shrubs.

Let's travel to Paris with music: Paul Mauriat - Jeux interdits / Forbidden Games

Soon we enter in July. Let’s hope it’s warm and sunny with some rain ocasionally, too!

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag  #foto-tunes #gartenglück  #image-in-ing #makrotex   

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Haaga Rhododendron Park - Rhodos

Haaga Rhododendron Park is a wonderful place to visit in early June. 
Last Sunday was the time for this year’s visit. HERE all my related posts. 

Information: The oldest rhododendrons were planted in 1975. 
The University of Helsinki and the City of Helsinki originally planted 3000 
rhododendron hybrids for research purposes. 
The aim of the plant breeding programme was to create varieties that were suitable for 
the Finnish climate and diverse in terms of their growth and the colours of their flowers. 
Following long-term observation, eight rhododendron varieties were selected 
for commercial production: 

Haaga (pink), Helsinki University (pink), St. Michel (pale pink to white), 

P.M.A. Tigerstedt (white), Axel Tigerstedt (white), Pekka (pale pink), 

Eino (bright pink) & Mauritz (bright red). 

Sweet Villa visiting the park, too!

My son-in-law Timo Rainio & Indiana - She leaves today,

They participated in the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest preliminary in 1994.

❤︎❤︎❤︎
#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 

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Green Garden Views

  Our property is around 1100 m2 and the house is in the middle. 
I’ll show you some views from the west side where our terrace is. At the moment not much 
blooming, only lush green.

This sorbus has grown extremely well. Years ago my friend grafted some variety of 

’sweet or crossbreed sorbus’ to a common Sorbus aucuparia. 

Its berries are big, beautiful & dark red.

Here I have a spot of flat granite that I use to store for a while cut branches.

To the right outside the photo there are rose bushes, not in bloom yet.

In my flower beds there grow geraniums, peonies, delphiniums, hostas and what so ever!

Ground covers mix! The hostas are not yet fully grown.

Clematis recta ’Atropurpurea’ blooms with small white flowers,

like Clematis mandschurica but with no scent.

The petals of apple blossoms lie on the ground but lilacs are still going strong.

I wish you enjoyed the tour - wishing a happy & sunny weekend!

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 

#image-in-ing #makrotex  #t in die neue woche #the weekend roundup #värikollaasit #willy-nilly

My Blue & White Finland ❤︎

Finland is a good and beautiful northern country. We are few and we have space. 

The nature and air are clean; society works well and our social security is good. 

My identity is Finnish. I wouldn’t change that - but I would gladly change one thing: 

It would be so nice if the summer was longer and the winter shorter! 
But you can’t have it all.

There is little to photograph in the garden. There have been a few snowshowers this week 

that have covered small spring flowers. That's why I made you a tiny blue and white, 

Finnish still life. The result was no good, for I don’t have any real macro lens and this year 
my snowdrops are petit, petit. Here some photos from April 2016.

During this Covid-19 pandemic I've been thinking about, how much better off we are 

compared to our ancestors during the Spanish flu in 1918. We have access to the internet 

and social media, we don’t have to live in the dark. Of course, this has its distressing side: 

we see all the terrific news.

I have listened as audiobook A Wonderful Life: Insights on Finding a Meaningful Existence by Finnish Frank Martela (b. 1981) PhD, Visiting scholar at University of Rochester, NY - See his blog!

"There is much that is beyond our control in this situation, and occasionally it can feel overwhelming and scary. To remain sane and functional, it is crucial to focus on those areas of life that are within your own control. Instead of ruminating over what you can’t influence, identify what you are still capable of doing to improve your own situation and the situation of those around you. Concentrating on that is enough to make your life meaningful. Washing your hands have never been as meaningful and as valuable act as it is today. By doing that regularly you participate in an activity that literally saves human lives.”

Enjoy your life - this video with elderly people dancing brought me so much joy!

Million de Roses par l' Orchestre Dominique Moisan

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 
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