Our front door
The end of July and it’s a cool summer. This morning the temperature is 54 F. Clouds will burn off in a couple of hours, then the afternoon will warm up to about 70. Flowers like this kind of summer. I love flowers. Jerry says I over do the flowers.
Above is our front door.
And here’s where we sip wine in the late afternoon if it’s comfortable to sit in the sun.
Our patio
If we want shade we use the back deck.
Our back deck
Crocosmia
Lillies
Daisies
Geranium
Phlox
Rose
Sweetpeas
Lobelia and coreopsis
Poppies and lobelia
Fuchsia
Some vegetables grow well in cool weather. I have more lettuce than I can use, but not much luck with arugula. It bolts immediately. Yellow zucchini are do doing nicely. We should have some for dinner tonight. I haven’t figured out a good way to cook the zucchini flowers, which I know are supposed to be a delicacy. I have harvested one artichoke.
I’m growing my veggies in half whisky barrels.
vegetables
Jerry has built me the cutest little greenhouse. Tomatoes hate cool weather, and the ones in the barrels grow bigger and bigger with no tomatoes. So I splurged and spent $15 on a big plant to put in the new greenhouse. It has lots of green tomatoes on it.
I can’t go off on trips and leave all these flowers and veggies.
My new greenhouse
Besides, I live in vacation land. I paint on the beach. Part ownership of a beach and some tidelands came with this house. The other owners of the beach don’t live on the island — in fact I don’t know who or where they are. I don’t use the beach much except for occasionally digging clams there. This summer we have bad red tide, so the clams are not eatable.
Our beach is across the road from the property of an elderly couple, the Grangers, old time residents. The street I live on is named after them. Most people assume that beach belongs to them, so if anyone wants to moor a boat there they ask the Grangers, who obligingly say sure.
That suited me fine until recently. While painting on the beach I observed that there was constant traffic on it. There are six or seven row boats, canoes or kayaks stored on it, lots of people walking there and a whole flotilla of boats moored off it. A transient was sleeping there for a while, and kids drink beer and smoke pot there. I asked my lawyer daughter if I had liability for any of this and she said if there was an accident I could. She advised me to post it with no trespassing signs.
I am sad to do this. I believe that all beaches should be public property. But since this is not the case, I suppose I shall have to put up those unpleasant signs.
Here’s the beach, looking north.
Our beach
Here’s the painting I did on the beach. It looks south and is a view of the adjoining lot.
Painting done on our beach
Your flowers are breathtaking.
I had to post “no trespassing” signs on our summer place and felt so bad about it. But it’s always the few who ruin the world for the rest.
Your flowers are beautiful. Mine are also showy right now and I am making the most of enjoying it knowing how late this all came.
I like your painting and glad to see the setting that inspired it. You are very fortunate to own exclusive rights to such a beautiful beach. In Oregon people can only own above high tide; so the option to put up a no trespassing sign would not be there. I can see the reasoning why you would want to though.
We live on a creek and it’s a problem also for people wanting to wade up it from a nearby park. We would have liability and creeks, while delightful are also places you do have to watch yourself as trees fall over, there are unexpected holes. We don’t have a no trespassing sign up but probably should.
The flowers are amazing!! I love flowers, but the summers here are so hot that they need lots of water and shade. The painting is lovely.
Love the painting! I haven’t been able to garden at all since my car accident. I miss it (and all my flowers!) so much! For the first three plus years I couldn’t use a camera either … I’m slowly regaining the ability to shoot pictures. Maybe someday I’ll be able to garden again too. I hope so!
Lovely flowers, garden and beach – and the painting! Indeed why go anywhere when you have all this at home! I too enjoy my garden and don’t like to leave them for too long. I’m surprised how much cooler it’s been there compared to here where it’s been in the mid 70s and 80s all summer.
Right where you live the temperate zone flowers are so beautiful because they don’t get too much sun and heat and therefore don’t fade.
The whole beach thing must be a pain. I agree that all beaches should be public and that no vehicles should be allowed on them.
That is such a nice painting!
Glad you are enjoying your summer.
Those flowers are gorgeous … and the veggies sound yummy! We’ve had a very cool summer too, with thick fog in the mornings, making for temperatures stuck somewhere in the low 50s for most of the first part of the day.
Your painting of the beach is so inviting, and makes for a great visit without worries about trespassing.
Your flowers’ explosive joyous colours lift the heart.
Who could argue with that?
Here in Australia all beaches are public property.
You can’t buy a beach.
You can buy a jetty or a mooring: but the beaches are for everyone.
I was thinking about your stories – the one about John and then the Jerry story – while enjoying your flowers, and then when I came to the beach, and the painting I thought to myself, she deserves all this .
How wonderful that this is what your life is, now.
My flowers are becoming spent and my roses have gone from big blossoms to tiny ones fighting the heat. I will weed and deadhead and see if I can look forward to a little lovely fall. YOu area is wonderful and your flowers delightful.
Wow, your own beach! If it must be owned, the planter of such flowers and painter of such a painting is a worthy owner. Maybe you could post notices with NO TRESPASSING in large print and a statement of your philosophy and reasons in smaller print for anyone who cares to read?
How can one over-do flowers? They are lovely, as is your painting, which puts the viewer right on the beach, too.
You do not need to post your beach. You do need to read the WAC for allowing people on your property.
Why leave Eden to roam?
You are such an accomplished woman – artist, gardener, photographer, traveler. writer! One can never have “too many” flowers and yours are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your little corner of heaven.
Your flowers are beautiful. I have never had enough flowers. My first season in my home at the edge of the woods is one of hottest ever. So many plants did not do well. Your beach looks wonderful. I can feel the sand on my feet. You have so many talents. Love your painting!! Also, I would like a greenhouse like that!!
Nice greenhouse. That is one spoiled tomato plant!
The painting is truly great, the flowers are glorious, and the thought of putting up signs is ugly. Maybe there’s another way.
Takes my breath away. You obviously enjoy your life and surroundings. Every blessing
You inspire me
To overdose on flowers
I never did
Before.
XO
WWW
Your flowers are lovely, and so profuse! Your setting is so idyllic, hard to work up any motivation to leave I’m sure.
Do you eat any of your tomatoes green? I love fried green tomatoes!
I don’t envy you the problem of bad behaviour on the beach.
Thank you for sharing your profuse and gorgeous flowers. It is rejuvenating just to see the photos. I live in Ashland, Oregon-have lived here for over 30 years now–so we are fellow Pacific Northwesties. I look forward to getting to know you!
A very lovely post, so colourful.
Sorry about the beach and the sign. We have a paddock which attracts campers and we are forced to put up a sign telling everybody there’s no right of way. Actually, I don’t really want a lot of people traipsing up the paddock; they end up at the house and turn their cars in our courtyard without saying sorry.
Sorry I haven’t ben around. Will catch up on your earlier posts
tomorrow.
Such a rich life you have, in the best sense. Shame about the beach, but space is precious and abuse of and intrusion onto it can’t go unchecked.
Keep on enjoying the summer!