fall zinnia 2

Here's another fall zinnia!  Have I mentioned before that I love the word "autumnal"?  I am sure I have.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

fall zinnia

The swoops, the detail and the colors on the bottom of this zinnia caught my eye on a dark dreary morning.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

fall hosta

The fall season has inspired me to pick up my camera and venture out the back door to see the beauty in the end of summer. 

The summer was busy with vegetable gardening.  We added a new perennial plot at the community garden which made it difficult to get out of weeding by taking pictures.  I found myself so thankful the other day at the gift of our little plot to grow and work and experience some internal rest there.  Truly a gift from God.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

fern

What a strange weather day today -  sun, rain, snow.  The change of seasons I guess.  Some of my potted plants are still going strong.  This is some type of fern that I hope will winter well inside.  I hope that I do too.....

Grace and Peace,
Jane

scenes of harvest

My iphone has been busy taking pictures of the garden this year.  We added a full plot to our half plot, so we have had more produce, more learning, more canning, more work.  Anyway, here are some pics to share.

beets:

Beans:

Raspberries:

Fennel:

Sweet potatoes:

concord grapes:

Grace and Peace,

Jane

cosmos

Grace and Peace,

Jane

chard cards

I am working on a new series of cards and framed images for the fall and holiday season.  The chard, broccoli, kale grouping is too much fun!

Grace and Peace,
Jane

sunflowers

Sometimes I have to take a group shot instead of my preferred close up!

Grace and Peace,
Jane

zinnia

Grace and Peace,
Jane

dahlia

Sweet dahlias it's Monday!  I spent the weekend canning.  I made two batches of tomato salsa and two batches of peach salsa.  Mike is very good at chopping jalapenos...fyi.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

carrots

Carrots are one of my least favorite veggies to grow.  They are difficult to weed.  But because I spent so much time weeding them, they are really satisfying to harvest.

Grace and Peace,

Jane

tomato

Tomato sauce, salsa, gazpacho or just plain.  repeat.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

sunflower

Welcome to the garden.  Can you see the two bees?

Grace and Peace,
Jane

squash

Hold on!

Grace and Peace,
Jane

cosmos

Grace and Peace,

Jane

dill

When I planted dill seeds in my new herb garden this spring, I grew impatient when I didn't see anything sprouting.  I went out and purchased a couple dill plants thinking my seeds had failed.  Let me tell you, the seeds did sprout and now I have more dill than anyone in their right mind would need!  Let me know if you want some!

Grace and Peace,
Jane

another zinnia

This zinnia is at our garden plot.  I always plant them in the front of the plot as a sort of welcome. 

Grace and Peace,
Jane

zinnias

I took this picture with my iPhone.  The last few weeks have been filled with vacation, family visits and a wedding.  It's been wonderful!  It feels like summer!!  Our gardens are bursting with flowers and produce.  And they are needing some attention this week!

Grace and Peace,

Jane

pitcher's thistle

We just returned from a great vacation up north.  Pure Michigan!  I got interested in the wildflowers up there and these endangered thistles were along the boardwalk leading to a quiet perfect beach.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

borage

It is common to have garden plot neighbors give each other plants.  Maryann gave me a borage plant from her garden.  I planted it with my herbs and may make some tea from it's leaves.  I read that it was known as 'the herb of gladness'.....

Grace and Peace,
Jane

purple flowers that remind me of grapes

"Prayer" by Mary Oliver

It doesn't have to be

the blue iris, it could be

weeds in a vacant lot, or a few

small stones; just

pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try

to make them elaborate, this isn't

a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which

another voice may speak.

Grace and Peace,

Jane

watermelon sprout

Last week's adventure of teaching a photography elective at the arts and rec camp at my church was so much fun!  I was blown away by the images the kids took.  Today I am back to my garden and my own backyard perspectives.

Grace and Peace,

Jane

trees

Today is the first day of a week long arts and rec camp at my church.  I am going to be teaching a photography elective to 9 children.  This photo was taken in the woods behind my church where I hope many photos will be taken by some great kids.

Grace and Peace,

Jane

peony

I think I've said it before, but it deserves repeating:
"Stop and smell the peonies!"

Grace and Peace,
Jane

radish

We grow radishes because they are so satisfying.  They grow so quickly and the almost instant gratification of having something to harvest makes us giddy.

Grace and Peace,

Jane

ps. does anyone want some radishes?

peony

I observed this interaction between the ants and the peonies last evening. When I googled it, it appears that the ants like the nectar but the ants aren't necessary for the peonies to bloom.  They are just enjoying themselves. 

Grace and Peace,

Jane

lilly of the valley

We have a bunch of Lilly of the valley along our driveway.  They smell sooo good, but make me sneeze!  achoooo!

Grace and Peace,

Jane

solomon's seal

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along.  If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter.  He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans."
Romans 8 in The Message.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

backdoor chives

I think we will have potatoes with chives tonight for dinner.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

apple blossoms

"But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."  Luke 8:15

Grace and Peace,
Jane

asparagus

A week or so ago, I cleared out some beds that we inherited in our new plot.  It was a wonderful surprise to find that the previous owners had planted asparagus!  Crisp and sweet right out of the ground.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

peach blossom

This time of year is a fabulously crazy time for someone who likes to photograph flowers and gardening things!!  I am overwhelmed with inspirations.  But I always go back to the basic blooms and my macro lens. 

This flower is from a peach tree (at least I think it's a peach tree) in our new perennial community garden plot.  We have added this new full plot to our half plot at Hillcrest and have inherited some fruit trees!

Grace and Peace,

Jane

pot of fern

magnolia4

Tonight I went into our backyard and took this picture.  The magnolia blooms are so beautiful it seemed like we should just put our lawn chairs out in front of the tree and enjoy the view.

Grace and Peace,

Jane

magnolia3

Once again, our backyard magnolia is waking up.  I am happy to see that we have more buds on it than the last couple years.    It's been good getting out in the backyard garden a bit between the raindrops.

Grace and Peace,
Jane

white bloom

Seed
by Luci Shaw

God dug his seed
into dry, dark earth.
After a sprouting up
in hopeful birth
and healing bloom
and garland grace,
he buried it again
in a darker place.

Twice rudely planted seed,
root, rise in me
and grow your green again,
your fruited tree.

Grace and Peace,

Jane

azalea

When I look out the window, it doesn't look like spring at all.  So I am posting another vacation photo from the Phipps conservatory.  Hopefully it will help.

Grace and Peace,

Jane

grape hyacinth

My nieces took me on a flower tour of their neighborhood in Lancaster PA.  They knew where all the blooms were and couldn't wait to show them to me.  They are budding photographers themselves. 

Sisters!!

Grace and Peace,
Jane

succulent

Another highlight of our trip, was a visit with Jamie to Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh.  This cactus was in the succulent garden.  I had such a great time snapping pictures and walking around with two of my favorite people!! 

Grace and Peace,
Jane

the angel oak



Mike and I just got back from a great road trip vacation visiting the South and friends along the way.  This photo shows one of my highlights of the trip.  The Angel Oak on John's Island, SC (near Charleston).  That's me at the base of the tree!!  It was beautiful to behold.

Grace and Peace,

Jane

magnolia bud

Happy birthday my sweet Jamie Christine!

Grace and Peace,

Mom

blue squill

April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
-Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

Grace and Peace,
Jane

garden visit

Last night Mike and I visited our garden plot. The ground is still frozen but the sun was bright and the evening light was lovely. We pulled some old kale stalks out of the ground and gathered up some of the left over sticks we used to identify plants. I took this picture with a new ap I just got on my iphone.

Grace and Peace, Jane

crocus

I snapped this photo this morning. It's been so chilly it seems like spring is at a standstill. But in just this little rectangle of space it feels warm and bright.