Things for which I give thanks this week…
Sensitivity Warning – there are a lot of plants in this week’s post so Hay fever sufferers, read at your discretion…
1.- Our Olive Tree seems to have loved the weather this Summer has seen fit to throw at it the heat waves alternating with rainy days and has produced a bumper crop of its tiny flowers – whether these translate into olives remains to be seen – the conversion rate never seems to be that high – but meanwhile we live in hope!
2.- I promised you some Cyanotrope prints in last week’s post and yesterday, I duly unpacked the flower press and made my first prints – I think everybody starts with pressed flowers and grasses…
But I also made a giant negative in Photoshop by first turning a picture black and white and then inverting it and printing it onto transparent inkjet film – the resulting negative can then be used to make a cyanotrope print…
3.- We went out on Saturday, to Harlow Carr Gardens in nearby Harrogate. It is run by the Royal Horticultural Society and offers interest all year round – even in winter with illumiations…
4.- Of course its not all flowers that are worth seeing – below some interesting architectural ideas – -possible projects to beautify the estate, Clark?
5.- There are always amusing names to be seen…
6.- Back in our own more modest garden, I have often noticed how weeds can get to quite a size before we notice them providing that they resemble the plants next to them. The left-hand picture below shows my favourite Allium, I only have the one bulb, and it grows slowly, to a prodigious height and when it finally colours up, it resembles a large Loganberry. Behind it to the left and in the right-hand picture, is a grass and I cannot decide if it is common (and therfore a weed in my book) or an ornamental grass – either way, it has a head almost the same size as the allium and I was late to spot it and put it on “weed-watch”…
And talking of disguises – here are some cacti disguised as Yeti…
7.- Enough of plants – I am grateful for the thoughts that comments provoke and last week, Clark, yes, him again, asked, in the light of my modded “Mod” scooter picture “So, tell us… your youth, Mod or Rocker? (my money is on your being (or at least sympathizing with) the Mods?”. Well, I struggled with this, to all intents and purposes, I was neither – not as in belonging to or dressing like either cohort. I don’t really appreciate those tight suits the Mods wore though I appreciate the ir desire to look smart at weekends after shitty jobs during the week. On the other hand, I also have a sneaking admiration for the Rebel Rockers. Truth be told i am not much of a joiner of groups and my sister yesterday told me that neither is she, and that she is reading a book “The Gift of Not Belonging: How Outsiders Thrive in a World of Joiners” which looks at explore the distinct personality style of the otrovert ― someone who lacks the communal impulse and does not fit in with any social group… Of course, I do belong to certain online groups, such as this august body! But back to Mods v. Rockers – what I do appreciate from both camps is the music – Paul Weller and the Style Council, The Kinks on the one hand and Deep Purple and Meatloaf on the other. So I don’t know if that answers your question, Clark…
8. The heatwave is over 31.5 C in the living room is too much!
9.- My cyanotrope prints and lino prints which I also intend to do, give me a much less arduous source of postcards for the Poetry Postcard Festival which begins in early July and runs to end of August. Last year saw me making original postcard-sized paintings for the 31 recipients, which was a welcome return to painting but a lot of work. It is interesting to make and give away original art that you havent’t lived with for a while – teaches the Zen of non-attachment…
You can see last years efforts here. And if you fancy having a go at the Poetry Postcard Festival – its not to late to sign up here.
10.- Managed to complete anothe week’s 10 grats…
Have a great week y’all – hope you have the weather you desire or need…
Making cyanotrope prints for postcard designs is an excellent idea. Your pressed flowers and fern leaves (?) turned out well preserved; their shapes are well defined. The first four photos show plants suitable for pressing? I’m guessing the smaller flowers and leaves take well to pressing. Have a good week.
Thanks, Cai, it is great fun except that every other item on my facebook feed is a cyanotrope…
Excellent photoage.
Grat# 4 What a great looking stone wall (the top course of vertical elements very cool. The bench (“Hey, Fibonacci, I’ll trade your scooter pie for an apple”) but… an insect hotel?!!! No. fricken. Way. lol
Grat #7? totally does. In the lexicon of the Wakefield Doctrine that would imply that you might* be a clark**
*one of the Rules of the Doctrine is that no one is empowered (at least not with any Doctrine authority) to designate another person as being (a) clark or a scott or a roger aka Outsider/Predator/Herd Member
** partial list of predilections: clarks abhor being in the spotlight, will not tolerate being ignored
You probably have an insect hotel already Clark in leaf litter etc. They do all sorts of useful stuff for you…
Love this. I love the cyanotype prints and the “tiny cities of Fairy mushroom houses.”
I especially liked the alliums. They do look like “a tiny city of Fairy mushroom houses”.
I have just one of this variety in the garden and it is not nearly so big yet but give it a few years…
#2: Completely beautiful cyanotrope prints. And #4: I’d love to have that stonework in my garden, but I’d need a larger garden. Good to see Barbara out and about (and matching the flowers, too!
Thanks, Marilyn, I am going to tacle lino prints next – first time since school…
AHH, so many beautiful flowers and that stone will was fancy as heck. And the printing seems like a cool way to create art, I should try it, it looks nice.