on friendship

okay, so this is going to sound a little somber, but this photo reminds me of some friendships. the ones where there are years of easy shared interests and temperaments, and then, one day, one of the two decides to go off in a new direction, and one person stays exactly who they have always been, and the effortless camaraderie is gone. personally, i am okay with this. not all friendships need to be lifelong friendships. some friends are perfect for the short and sweet time your lives commingled. these two vines were besties for at least two months–april and may. now one of them is heading off in a new direction. but they will always be bound by their shared history.

blue in nature

true blue in nature is rare. so when i see it, i must capture it. these nodding clematis grow as an upright bush, not in a vine, which is more typical of clematis. it grows in zones 3-7, and is long blooming. taht;s a perennial winner to me.

‘stand by me’ clematis

starbursts are joyful

i interrupted this allium mid-explosion

purple allium

the leaf, the stem, the flower

the three elements of this image are in perfect conversation.

pink peony flower

all of peony season in one week

peonies usually bloom over a three week season (depending on varieties) here in the twin cities. but we’ve been having a week of high-ninety degree weather, not typical this early in the summer, and all the plants are rightly confused. so this year, all varietals of peonies bloomed this week. weird. but kind of interesting, a little worrisome, and a big bummer for all the wedding florists, hoping to get three weeks or more of fresh blooms. in any case, it is a peony bonanza up here in the north. grab ’em while you can, they’ll only last a week.

peony flower