Saturday, December 4, 2010

Painterly Incas

Everything in creation has its appointed painter or poet and remains in bondage like the princess in the fairy tale 'til its appropriate liberator comes to set it free. 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~


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Nothing is more the child of art than a garden.
~ Sir Walter Scott ~


Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas.
~ Elizabeth Murray ~

The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass,
it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
~ Henry Miller ~


Alstroemerias (Inca lilies) grow very well in our area.  I have been intending to introduce a few more colours to my tiny selection, but somehow never seem to get this right.  Ridiculous, really, as we are fortunate to have a collector living right on our doorstep.  She has been expanding her own collection and actively producing plants from her mother stock, to sell, for many, many years.

She runs her tiny, specialist nursery from her home, but as she's retired and elderly, it means phoning ahead to make an appointment, and this is what trips me up every time.

I do not drive past her home.  She is not on my daily route.  On the rare occasion that I do, it always serves as a lightbulb moment - and I go, "Oh, yes!  I must remember to give her a call sometime!" and my husband goes, "Yes, you've been saying that for years.  I'll believe it when I see it!"

So the years keep clocking up.  Each year, when my Incas are at their best, I remind myself that I'd really, really like to grow more colours. After all, I only have three and now there's almost one for each colour of the rainbow!!

All I have to do is remember to make a phonecall to set up an appointment.  It's that simple.    

Maybe now that I've blogged about it, I'll finally get around to doing so...this year!  With a full 27 days left until 2010 ends, I guess there's still enough time for me to do so?   NOTE TO SELF: think on this....


If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.   

~Olin Miller ~

 


7 comments:

  1. Love that last quote, it is sooo true! And I'm amazed that you can grow these in your garden, the only place I've ever seen these here is as cut flowers in an exotic hothouse bouquet.

    Call that woman!

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  2. So nice to see that you have summer and beautiful garden plants and we have winter with lots and lots of snow today here in Holland.....happy weekend darling.....love Ria...

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  3. Hi Alison:

    Yes, we are lucky to be able to grow these charming flowers so easily. They basically just do their own thing and aren't prone to any diseases that I know of. Snails like them, but don't do much damage to mine, fortunately. And they last well in the vase, so they are true gems! I will definitely call the Inca lady this week ;)


    Hi Ria:

    We've been following the weather news on TV for Europe and the UK. I certainly don't envy the temperatures you're having right now, but it must be so special celebrating Christmas with snow and all the traditional trimmings to make it a magical occasion!

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  4. You really are a source of thought provoking quotations! That last quote is sooooo true. And, now that I've acknowledged that, I will stop putting off next week's lesson planning and do half an hour before I have to attend to dinner!

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  5. Good for you, H :)

    Have a good week!

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  6. I just came by to get caught up on what's going on in your garden. I needed a "flower fix".
    The Incas are so pretty! I've never heard them called that before. They really look pretty with the ferns!

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  7. So glad I was able to oblige with your need for a "flower fix," Catherine :)

    Yes, the Incas (Alstroemerias) are lovely teamed with ferns. They apparently originate from South America - I guess that might explain their common name?

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