Savouring my Roses.

A few minutes gathering some roses from my garden leads to days of happiness.

I get very little time to spend in my garden these days, so I really savour my time out there, walking around very slowly, and just looking, observing, staring, enjoying.

I always, always say to myself that I must find more time to spend out gardening, I forget just how much I love my garden.

And I love to bring flowers in from the garden, to enjoy in the house.

There's never lots to pick, but it just takes one flower, and I'm happy as can be. Today I was quite extravagant, and took most of the roses blooming in the garden. I just fancied having a nice sized bunch in the house, where I can be closer to them, rather than gazing at them from inside the house.

I placed them amongst some of my 'things', in my studio. They smell like the most expensive rose perfume. I've never smelt an expensive rose perfume, but I imagine it smells just like the real scent of a rose.

I'm so out of touch with the plants in my garden, I'm starting to forget some of their names. That is a sign that I'm very, very out of touch with my garden, I usually know all the names and varieties. "Mrs. N. Thompson". Phew, that's the name of one of the Clematis I have in the garden, I haven't forgotten everything.

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the "doing", we forget about the things we've "done", don't you think?

For example, my blog. I started it on 13 October 2007, so I've been composing blog posts regularly for four years this October.

All those photographs, all those thoughts and words, thousands of hours, and I never really look back and mull over what I've been doing, it's always about moving on, the next thing, onwards and upwards, push, push, push.

I think it would be impossible to select a few photographs from the thousands I've taken, so I just did a few mosaics of randomly selected photos, not necessarily the best, not thought about much, just, "I like that, I'll pop that one in".

I haven't begun to touch the tip of the iceberg here, but it's been fun to stop and think for a moment about what I've observed and photographed.

A snippet of what's been on my blog over the years.

Years! Amazing, it doesn't feel like years I've been doing this blog. How has four years (almost) passed without me realising?

It's good to stop and take stock occasionally don't you think? Stop and smell the roses, sort of thing.

Vanessa xxx

Comments

[Liz W in Missouri, USA (With Lucy)]

And it's the color and the roses and the joy that keeps us coming back! Well - keeps ME coming back to the happy world you have created. Your blog, Vanessa, is like your garden - a place that we can come to and wander slowly around and absorb the sights and the colors and make friends with the people who live here - like Evangeline - and you. So whatever you do in your life, and whatever your day to day world may be for you and the people around you, I hope you know that you have accomplished something very precious here. You have given a special and charmed gift of yourself and your wee doggies, and your wonderful Hugo - and it is greatly cherished and appreciated.

[Alison]

I know my blog will be 4 in November and since I started it have taken so many pics - only a tiny amount have made their way on to the blog. I really need to organise them better at the moment they are all backed up by date on disc but not by subject - when I do get some time (ha ha) I will try and put them into categories so that I can find things more easily. Maybe I will try uploading things I want to store to Flickr from now on then I can tag them.

I do love reading your blog and think your pics are fabulous - love the flowers one especially and all the walks on the beach with dogs.

Alison x

[sarah-jane down the lane]

What a lovely smorgasbord of candy coloured treats~ those roses are heavenly. Having a rose savouring moment myself!
Lovely post,

Sarah x

[harmony and rosie]

Such lovely, colourful, pretty images and do you know something? I'm certain I can smell your roses from here .... aaah, gorgeous!!

Kate xx

PS thank you for your lovely comment, I really do appreciate that!! X

[Meredith]

Vaessa, your blog is one of my very favorites, I love your creations and your use of color. Thanks for including us on your journey,
Meredith

[Bobo Bun]

Lovely to see a catch up and a few pics that I remember too. Just gone back to read your last post too Vanessa. Love the gingham top part of your dress, completely agree with you about the rest of the shape. Not so great and I can't imagine you in it, but the top is so you, it really needs a solution of some sort. Afraid I have no inspiration today, if I do I'll pop back by.

X

[Kate]

Time just whizzes by...I'm trying to finish an embroidery I started before my daughter ( 22 ) was born. Somehow I kept finding other more exciting things to do...or other more mundane things.It needs finishing as I want to use the frame for something else,so I dug it out from its hiding place and I'm resolutely working on it every evening.Catching up on past things is good!

[Jennifer edwards]

I can totally relate to the "always moving on, pushing forward" thing. Somtimes I think I have creative ADD, and other times it's just not stopping to "smell the roses",as your post encourages me to do. Thanks Vanessa!

[Jenni at Baa-me Kniits]

Always good to stop and smell the roses :-) 4 years, well done!

[Alice and Raymond!!!]

Gorgeous photos! It would take a week to read your blog from first to last post I believe! Love them all and I have just had a wonderful colour injection that I needed very much!
Have an awesome week XXXXX

[Magic Cochin]

Oh gosh! I've been blogging since 14 March 2007... blimey!

Hope you continue to blog Vanessa - but take as much time between as you need, or even swap the blog time with time in your garden every now and again.

I couldn't live without a garden - I think I'd wither away. It's high on my priority list, in fact if someone said "garden or studio - you can't have both" I'd choose garden without a pause.

Enjoy your gorgeous scented roses.

Celia
x

PS I think I need to search out a copy of that book... you know the one I've got all excited about "Wild Flowers and how to name them at a glance without botany" :-)

[Gill]

Vanessa - your blog is one of my absolute favourites!
Your eye for colour is second to none and your posts are a joy to read! Here's to the next four years!
Gill xx

[kazzy]

this has to be one of my favourite posts, so inspiring and beautiful...i was wondering around my little court yard garden thinking just what you have said in your post- i dont get many flowers but the few i do have i sooo love and admire and cherish their pretty heads ;0) i soooo love the colours in your post...your sweet creations and tag art- how wonderful x enjoy x

[Barbara]

simply.adorable.photos.
we are the lucky ones, enjoying all the color and inspiration ... thanks so much, Vanessa.
Barbara x

[Mellissa]

Hi Vanessa, what a beautiful collection of photos from your posts over the years, you should be very proud of yourself and your work. I love your roses, they are one of my favourite flowers. I love my garden too, it is very small but I make the most of it. bee x

[nadège]

merci Vanessa pour votre blog. J'adore la culture anglo-saxonne et vous lire même si je ne suis pas totalement bilingue est un vrai délice. IL est vrai qu'il est bon de prendre son temps parfois et de savourer les plus petits instants. Bonne continuation Nadège

[Lois]

You certainly cheered up my eyes with your colours this morning! My kitties like my flowers when I bring them in, sigh, so they have to always be on a certain shelf in the kitchen. I will bring some roses into work tomorrow though, no cats here...

[Carole]

Hi again Vanessa,
Just thought i would comment again to let you know your name is in print again! I bought the knitting mag "Lets Knit"; and as i was reading an article written about Blogs. At the end of the article they listed three blogs they love. And low & behold your blog is mentioned in glowing terms( and quite right too). Isn`t that nice.
I just had to let you know, or maybe you already knew.
Love Carole from Rossendale xxxx

[Mia]

Oh the beauty of these pictures! I can smell the roses, and the colors... Thank you!

Here's to many more happy blogging-years to come, Vanessa!

Yours,
Mia

[Stephanie]

Dear Vanessa,

I first discovered your blog a year and a half ago and I recall my first impression when I clicked on your link and my computer came alive unfolding the kaleidoscope of colourful pictures: 'I've come home', I thought. I LOVE seeing the fragments of your world, and even more importantly, your imagination. I can relate to it all.

And what talent you have. Yes, you should certainly stop from time to time and take stock of all you have achieved.

[Florence]

They look stunning - and I can imagine the smell - as soon as you mentioned the rose perfume I was instantly transported back to the bottles of 'perfume' I used to make from their petals with my sister when we were children.

I just typed a very long reply to your comment on my blog before realising that Blogger has hidden your email address from me - but in essence - I can't wait to see your version of the Miz Mozelle - I finished mine yesterday and the pattern is wonderful.

Florence x