Encouragement Post - Coronavirus Distancing Day 37 (Tuesday)

Do you love surprises? I thought these Tiffany hybrid tea roses had long since kicked the bucket. I haven't seen them produce in several years, and truthfully had let the foliage around them grow up over them because they weren't getting enough sun. But today I just happened to be peeking around in the shrubbery, and what to my wondering eyes should appear... two HUGE pink blossoms on the longest stems, almost over my head. These beauties were just begging to be brought inside and enjoyed... God's beautiful creation never disappoints. The lavender sweet William in the vase is a wonderful accent and smells heavenly along with the fruity fragrance of the Tiffany roses and the color is perfect with my smaller pink knockout roses!

 

 

 

Encouragement Post – Day #37 (Tuesday) All creation sings of His majesty…

Psalm 104:1-3, 10-12, 19, 31-33
“Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak,
Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain. 
He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters;
He makes the clouds His chariot;
He walks upon the wings of the wind…

He sends forth springs in the valleys;
They flow between the mountains;
They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
They lift up their voices among the branches…

He made the moon for the seasons;
The sun knows the place of its setting…

Let the glory of the Lord endure forever;
Let the Lord be glad in His works;
He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”

Unselfish Flowers

This beautiful snowflake hydrangea hangs its head so elegantly...



These Asiatic lilies have the most wonderful scent, very light and clean...




Is there a more unselfish flowering plant than a daylily? They require so little, yet give so much.







And now, most everything in my yard is green. Just green. Which is not so bad really. But, oh how I appreciate the generous flowers (that don't have to be sprayed, watered constantly, pruned, and generally tended) that bloom and bring such beauty and color to my home and yard.

Fresh From the Garden... errr, Drawing Board

I will post the artwork from the show in future posts, but thought I would post this piece I just finished yesterday. I have begun experimenting with pastels and love the way they worked for the soft petals of this rose:



I pray that you are all having a blessed week!

Fruitful Fridays...

Lots of projects going on these days... I am trying very hard to be fruitful and disciplined with my time (for those of you who don't know me well, that means turning over a new leaf.)

This is a favorite spot on the campus of the college from which I graduated.

This is a pencil drawing inspired by a picture from Victoria Magazine.

This is a local botanical garden which I have wanted to draw for a while...

An oil painting...

And a little advertising design...

Yes, it's a fruit-filled Friday, all right!

Rose Day!

From a local botanical garden:

Grace for the Journey...

"The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun
to the place where it sets.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth."

- Psalm 50:1-2

Along the Garden Path...

I wanted to share some loveliness with you from my mother-in-love's beautiful garden. She has the most amazing green thumb ...along with plenty of gardener's elbow grease! These are some of the fruits of her labor. This gorgeous lantana has returned for the past 3 years.


This beautiful coral/orange rose (below) was a gift from one of her coworkers, and she has done wonders with it. It is very prolific blooming throughout the summer, and the color is stunning.

This rose (below), called Barbara Bush after the former First Lady, could possibly be one of the most beautiful roses I have ever seen. The color you see in the photograph doesn't begin to do it justice. Whether you claim to be Democrat, Republican, or neither, this is one that begs to be experienced IN PERSON! There just aren't words to describe it.

I am not sure what the name of this rose (below) is, but it is a lovely swirl of red and white reminiscent of peppermint candy.

The Rose Family

The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose -
But were always a rose.

by Robert Frost