" You've Got A Lovely Bush"

The Ceanothus 

I am presently making a soy and honey marinade for a chicken supper, only Mary is up watching me carefully from her seat at the dining table. The other dogs and Albert are all in bed. It's 9.30 already and they won't be up until at least 10.30.
I've just put goose eggs out on the garden wall in a covered bowl. I have a glut of them and need them sold, but already this morning two people have stopped for hen eggs, neither wanting the larger and richer goose eggs. Both visitors have commented on the  ceanothus bush in the front garden, which is almost in full bloom. " It's a lovely show" the woman said, and she's right!

May is the best time for flowers at the cottage, both inside and out and The Prof always seems mildly amused by the amount of  bloom filled vases dotted around the place. " ooooohhh very nice" he'll quip when faced with another display, but secretly he rather likes how the flowers lift the place.
I've always done it, even when we lived in the city.

So this morning we have white lilac in the window, ( I know it's supposed to be unlucky) , honeysuckle and buttercup on the mantle, aquilegia on the kitchen table and wallflower and white aubretia on the window ledges.

No wonder I enjoy the Flower Show so much







55 comments:

  1. Beautiful flowers. Love the Montana. We used to have one that scrambled all over our car port and fence, but it got chopped off by it's owner,( by mistake) who lived next door!

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  2. Wonderful flowers, fun what is in the details, a pound coin on the table, and what looks like a race number on the refrigerator - one of you is a runner?

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    1. The prof runs......the pound is mine....all mine

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  3. Anonymous10:27 am

    It is always nice to receive compliments about your bush, any bush you have really, whether it is well trimmed or not.

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    1. It's been a long time since anyone including the prof complimented me on my bush work

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  4. They loook great! Also, I seem to recall that goose eggs make a superior sponge to hen's eggs. :)

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    1. If you lived closer ypu could have one!

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  5. Ah, you are back on form with the titles, I see. I love that bush, btw - it is such a wonderful blue.

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    1. You took the words right out of my mouth, Tom.

      But the flowers really ARE nice!

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  6. White lilacs are bad luck??? I've never heard that. I guess I've been inviting bad luck to our home for years. That explains things. -Jenn

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  7. You have an artistic touch when it comes to flower arranging with an eye for composition and colour.

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  8. and that telephone connects to mine and the world. beautiful bouquets (and bush), john!

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  9. Are you suggesting the Prof is an egg head with your goose egg rendition of him? Living with you must be a laugh a minute!!

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  10. I don't think I've seen a phone like that in 20 years.

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    1. They sell them in john lewis...have a look on their website x

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  11. Love all the flowers...they brighten the day!

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  12. I adore the honeysuckle and buttercup arrangement. And the canine ornament next to it.

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    1. The terrier is one of two art deco denby dog bookends. My treasured possession

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  13. Lovely bushes abound at this time of year, apparently! :)

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  14. When I met my husband, many many years ago in NYC, every Monday he would take me with him to his favorite flower stand and buy flowers for the apt. All these years later, even though I live in Florida now where everywhere you look are flowers, I buy them for the house.
    Now I have to only consider what cats won't / can't eat.

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  15. PS*
    Your home must smell like the garden ! they are all so pretty .
    Do you have bee problems from all the flowers outside ?

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    1. Not having enough........
      Mind you william hates bees and will chase them around the garden like he did today

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  16. Lovely flower arrangements..

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  17. As you say, flowers lift the place. We also have a splendid spread of flowers in May, though we don't usually bring them indoors. We have several ceanothus bushes but none as spectacular as yours.

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  18. I love your house! And your flowers. I try to keep blooming things in my house too and I seriously doubt that my husband even notices. Oh well. I do it for me. That's enough.

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  19. Lovely flowers John, and that Clematis by the gate takes some beating ! Pity you can't enter it in the Flower Show.

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  20. Love that clematis by the gate John. Also the jar of buttercups - they really are the most beautiful flower. I like the sound of thay marinade - any chance of the recipe?

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    1. Easy...three tablespoons of veg oil, 3 of honey, 3 of soy
      One of sesame oil, 2 cloves of garlic, ginger lots of ground pepper ! Simples

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  21. I love flowers in the house. Your's are just beautiful

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  22. Phew, your flowers are stunning, John. And I love the telephone! You are artistic. I see the flowers outside and that's where they stay. Once a week in the three/four times I visit Grant's mum in her unit in the home, I take a couple of rosebuds and fern wrapped in foil. She loves it.

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    1. I do too ! "Love the telephone" ... it is perfect next to the computer :)

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  23. I have a lone grape hyacinth in a vase. You are just rubbing it in, aren't you?!

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    1. But it is probably a totally perfect grape hyacinth.

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    2. Ha! Well, it's the only one that I have so, naturally, it's my favorite.

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    3. Iris branch out more x

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  24. Such a wonderful perk for having your own flower garden. Everything looks heavenly ...

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  25. I am not sure how I survive the lack of flowers every winter. I come out at the end rather dull, and each new blossom brightens my world once more!

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  26. Beautiful blooms.... although I am slightly distracted by Norman Reedus on your sidebar *swoon*.
    Sx

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  27. Ceonothus ..or the buzzy bee bush as we call it , it always makes me realise that summer is here

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  28. It's interesting to see how your plants are not only a different schedule than ours here in California, but also that they appear to bloom at the same time. Lilacs bloomed here in late February, clematis not until late April. So I'd never be able to put a similar bouquet together here.

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  29. almost in full bloom? how much fuller can it get?

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  30. We too bring flowers indoors. Lots and lots of them. Ceanothus is known as Blue Pacific here and you have reminded me I need to get another.

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  31. The scent must be heavenly especially when the sun hits the lilac. My "bush" was full but a late frost killed the blooms. Sigh. Maybe next year....

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  32. What a stunning garden. No wonder you have flowers inside as well.

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  33. wow...they are all gorgeous!

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  34. Lovely, John! Ceanothus is a native perennial here in California but we, too, love it!

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  35. Lovely displays - you have "the touch". I don't, but wish I did. Lucky prof!

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  36. Lovely, we have Montana on the garden fence and a white lilac tree (this tree is known as the tree of death as it's where our dead pets are buried !!!) xx

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  37. Gorgeous, our Ceanothus is just in bud so you are a bit ahead of us here in Hampshire. Nothing cheers things up like flowers indoors xx

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  38. Your house IS a flower show. I had no idea white lilac was unlucky. Then again, an English expat here in town told another English expat here in town that it was unlucky to bring flowers to the home of a Spaniard, which made me wonder why there's a flower market on every corner. No Spaniard I know has ever heard of that superstition.

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  39. Very beautiful, John. I also have a lilac in the window..How can something that smells so wonderful be bad luck. I was reading an article about it the other day. Here is a link to the article. Not sure if it will post.. http://farmersalmanac.com/home-garden/2016/05/16/lilac-growing-tips-lore/

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