The linden feast

There is a big linden tree in the center of our yard – a source of shade and privacy, and a home for many creatures. The squirrels peel stripes of its bark to line their nests (when they peel a whole branch, it falls off eventually). The magpies raise their young there, the sounds they make remind me of the time when I lived next to a kindergarten. When the tree blooms, the sweet smell is all around, and swarms of bees gather to feast on it.

I remember one morning last summer, I went out on the porch and I heard a strange rumbling sound, like waves of splashing water. I was sleepy and I did not recognise it at first, but then I knew it was the buzzing of hundreds of bees around the tree.

The linden feast is late this time, because of the weather. Now it seems like it has almost started… but not exactly, as with many things this year. While we were walking around the neighbourhood, Boris noticed that most linden trees were already blooming (or overblown). Ours seems to be just starting, but just on the sunny side – and the bees only come when it is sunny, too.

Two of my friends posted beautiful pictures of their lupins, blooming abundantly. Both ladies live further North: the Netherlands (Vera) and Sweden (Elitsa). I am growing lupins from seeds for the first time – my plants are still very small and far from flowering, so it really seems a bit weird.
It looks like I will have to add them to my list of gardening fails. I still have some hope to see them flower, but actually they don’t seem in a very good shape (no idea why). And as far as I know, if something is not growing, it is on its way to withering (it applies to a lot of things).

At least the “Princess Margaret Rose” gladioli are growing wild. I made this photo on Wednesday morning, while having my coffee in our “Fantasy Garden” mug.

There was a big storm last weekend, with torrential rain and hail. Fortunately, it was not too bad here this time, so the plants suffered no damage – but our porch was covered with debris from the trees. We finally moved the greenhouse, so the space was open again and it was easier to clean.

Nick decided not to take the greenhouse down completely, as it would be too hard to assemble it again later. (It does not help that we can’t find the manual, and the thing consists of multiple parts.) So, he split it in two basic halves, and he somehow managed to squeeze them in his (already stuffed) workshop on the ground floor.

I am not sure if it was not a mistake though, as there are lower temperatures in the forecast for this weekend again. I don’t know when this strange weather is going to end… if it ever ends at all. Anyway, I am tired of moving the plants around every day, so I hope it would not be too cold after all. I could only move the most vulnerable ones inside the house for the night if needed.

Even though it is transparent, the greenhouse provided a bit more privacy. But anyway, our house is not too close to the street, and the street is not busy at all. Actually, it is so rough and steep, that hardly anyone ventures in it with their car, especially uphill (in winter it is even more unreasonable).

Actually, sometimes it is so quiet here that I can hear the footsteps, if someone walks on the gravel in front of our house. That is, if the neighbours’ dogs and kids are silent; occasionally there is loud music or construction work noise. But when I can only hear soft birdsongs, it is pure bliss. Before, I have always lived in crowded apartment buildings where there is constant noisy background, and I dreamed to live in a house somewhere quiet. We moved in here almost four years ago, and sometimes I still cannot believe my luck.

A few days ago, it was Shve’s birthday, and she did a garden photoshoot with the love beads necklaces that I made for her, and our “Fantasy Garden” boho mug. She is such an adorable creature… a real garden fairy.

Shve is wearing the love beads necklaces that I made for her all the time, with the dresses and accessories that I chose for her. Now she is enjoying her coffee with the mug that I designed. She is such an inspiration!

Last week, it was Lia’s birthday too. We made a special mug for her, based on my “Fantasy Garden” design, with an extra sugar skull to match her style. We also brought her the plants that I prepared for her, nasturtiums and fuchsia. They were already blooming, and she was happy to add them her to her small balcony garden. She even has some grown tomato plants, a part of a team-building project – I was impressed.

There were also some special treats – ice-cream cake for Nick and Boris, apricots for me.

Boris always likes to discover new places. I thought there were none left around in walking distance, but I was wrong. We found some streets in our neighbourhood that we missed somehow. There was even a small square with a big pastry shop – I did not even know such a place existed, and it is not so far away from our house. On our way back I noticed this funny little tent by the road, among the trees.