another reason to love picniks

 While the original photo of the bleeding hearts is pretty, when you play a bit in picnik the result is really great.  Here is the same photo inverted and framed.  I think it deserves to be printed! Maybe this is the one to try out my new "Image Transfer Made Easy Kit" by Melanie Matthews. Check out the kit here.

These fern fronds emerging from dark earth are the perfect subject for picnik mirror image frame.  LOVE IT!

I can't remember which effect I tried on this photo of a tongue fern (great name isn't it!) .. I think it's "gritty" or something like that..... the frame really finishes it off nicely.

And lastly, just because I couldn't resist... this little stone guy is under 2" high, he's so small he's wearing a limpet shell for a hat. :)

Deer don't eat Rhodos

It's been a very trying spring here with deer eating all our favorite plants.  Sweetie and I have decided to stop buying deer lettuce and concentrate on plants they don't like.  So far rhododendrons are a good bet!

Here are a few of the 1000 or so species out there that flower in May.

While I am not a fan of red flowers (no idea why?) Sweetie really is.  So we have a few different red flowering rhodos.

This little beauty has a very delicate flower.  I will try to find the names of all these to add to this post.

Almost past prime but still pretty.

Plants I LOVE

This lovely little Epimedium is one of my favorite plants.  It's quite unassuming as it happily spreads (not in an obnoxious way) its wings. With it's heart shaped leaves and colorful foliage, it's a must have for anyone who loves to garden. 

A couple of weeks ago when Sweetie and I were in Victoria I picked up a new lavender.  Apparently I am becoming a collector.  I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 different types.  This latest addition is called anouk.  It has a gorgeous butterfly flower with an unusual prostrate sprawling growth habit.  It's a keeper!

Several years ago my sister had to remove a rather large white lilac plant.  I was the lucky recipient as she didn't have a spot for it.  It has flourished and I love it.

rhodo heart

I finally subscribed to Picnic premium. I have been playing with the freebie edition for quite some time now and I must say, they leave out all the really great effects. I think I am really going to have fun with this! Here is a before and after.

zero to three, all I ever seem to say

Sweetie has strict orders to lay low, in fact weeks zero to three, they don`t really want people to do much of anything.  Sit outside in the sun for a bit, a lazy stroll around your yard, some light crafts ??... you get the picture.  This is very hard for a guy who has two speeds, flat out vertically, and flat out horizontally (picture man laying on couch).  I am finding it difficult as well because any time I want to do something around the house, he feels like he should "help".  I am constantly saying "zero to three... remember what the book says"  

So here I sit on my couch (really, it's just a loveseat) taking photos of the most fab shadows on the wall.

The water globe in my plant is projecting an almost planetary shadow ~ isn't it lovely.  It looks like a storm trapped in a bubble.

I love the sunsets in our backyard.  The new maple leaves look like lace on the trees.

healthy hearts and rainbows

This time last year I was beside myself with excitement as I was just one week away from finally visiting New York City.  I so long for that feeling again! I believe the planning and researching and just plain anticipation of a vacation is a very large part of the joy I get from taking one.  This is an area that sweetie and I disagree on.  He would far rather just up and take off; the waiting is not fun for him, he hates to wait for anything.  Needless to say, this May when we found ourselves waiting for him to see a heart specialist in Victoria for angioplasty, there was much stress in our household.  We finally got the call for his May 3rd appointment.  We headed there with equal amounts of anticipation and dread.  To make a long story short, after a one day delay, he emerged from his surgery a new man (I am sure he thinks he`s invincible now). After more than a few sleepless nights and long days of waiting, things are definitely looking up.  How apropos that I look out the window of the hotel room and see this lovely rainbow !

I really enjoy the "askew" aspect of this photo.  You just never know what you are going to get when you lean out of your hotel window.

There is nothing more interesting to me than a city rooftop photo.  So much to look at.

I took a mega zoomed photo of the tree line across the bay and the grey overcast day really helped with the mood.