January 15, 2011

GBBD~Was It Something I Said?

Dear beautiful Spring weather, I miss you.  
Was it something I said?
                                                                                                          ~"Skipper" Kim Corbin




Winter has come at last to The Whimsical Gardener.  Temperatures of late have been colder than we're used to but there is no complaining as I know many of you are up to your unmentionables in snow and cold air. 

So this month for Garden Blogger Bloom Day I was really scratching my head because there really isn't much going on around here other than the paperwhites which have already made a couple of appearances on this blog.   And then, while taking a moments break, I espied the most wonderful surprise...

You may be unfamiliar with my word of the year.  Each year I choose a word to use as a marker to help me stay focused.  This year's word was really more about slowing down and really "seeing" things...opportunities, small miracles, anything that I might miss if not focused and present in the moment.   If you'd like, you can read about how my 2011 word was chosen here.

This year my word is espy (ih-sphy) which simply means to catch a glimpse of something.  Even in the grip of below freezing temperatures a small miracle was unfolding.   The whole yard is bleak right now with the exception of this one lone antique rose (Martha Gonzales - you gotta love her).



This picture was taken about a week or so ago... just beginning to unfurl her delicate petals.


And here she is today in all her winter glory...a bit tattered around the edges but shining brightly in the pale winter light.



The Martha Gonzales antique rose is a great choice for your garden (zone 7-10)...it doesn't require a lot of water, is disease resistant and is fairly compact and low growing.  It can even tolerate some shade which is why it is so welcome in my yard!  The dense foliage is a beautiful grayish-green and the new growth has a dark red tinge.   During the growing season the flowers are about 1 1/2" however, during the cooler months, the flowers are darker with a more velvety texture and are larger - 2 1/2 - 3" in size.  And how can you not love a rose bush that continues to bloom in the dreariest of circumstances?


I'm grateful to have paused long enough to "see" the small winter miracle unfolding in the garden this bloom day.   Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts Garden Blogger Bloom Day each month on the 15th giving us an opportunity to slow down and look around!  Be sure to stop by and see what others have espied this month.






44 comments:

  1. Beautiful photography..so creative! I love your choice for this year's word. Sometimes I know I'm going in so many different directions, I miss that glimpse.. Happy Bloom Day!

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  2. Looks like you received your beautiful present by being present.

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  3. Simply beautiful! What a wonderful idea to choose a word each year to help you stay focused and this year's word is perfect.

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  4. Oh my gosh! Austin girl talking gardens. I'm so happy.
    I have one little rosebud too. I will check this morning to see what became of it ...

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  5. I love your 2011 word as well. I love this post, it is full of thankfulness.

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  6. I was hoping to see a flower in your garden. You mentioned last week that the weather was changing, but I was confident you would have a flower and your little rose came through.

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  7. That's one thing I love about gardeners - they take the time to notice the one small bloom and are grateful for it. Beautiful post, beautiful photos...I'm so glad I stopped by!

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  8. Re: Diamond Frost Euphorbia, I have been growing it for several years now and have never planted it in the ground. I will be putting some in the ground this year. The one in the greenhouse was being overwintered on the front porch and had barely a stem of life left in it when my greenhouse was gifted to me at Christmas, just in the nick of time. I have seen/heard of people growing them in shade, I personally have only grown them in full sun, BUT will be experimenting with some shade this year. I know it's patented, I have read that it roots easily in water....shall see about that too.

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  9. Hello and Happy Bloom Day;
    What a treat to have found your blog! Love your writing style (and the fact that you like Poo :>) Hope the cold snap doesn't cause any problems for your tender perennials.

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  10. The antique rose is lovely, but it's that glistening drop in the first photo that grabbed my attention and made me sigh.

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  11. That's a beautiful rose, what a wonderful thing to find at this time of year.

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  12. My favorite is the lone rose bud. Beautiful even before it opens. Your word of the year takes "Stop and smell the roses" to the next level :-)

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  13. I love the creativity of your blogging! And your beautiful photographs. :) I'll have to try that rose in my garden! :)

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  14. Maybe it was something I said. :) I love how you posted your photos. They look very pretty with the background and collage. Also,I think you have started a new word (new to me) in the blogging world.

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  15. Excellent photos! Certainly captures the spirit that we feel right now waiting for our gardens to come back to us....

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  16. What a wonderful thing to espy! Beautiful photos.

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  17. I love espy~It's a fantastic word and perfect for a gardener to embrace~gail

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  18. Lovely post. Hold on. Spring is coming.

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  19. Great word. I was just thinking about what my word should be after watching "Eat,Pray,Love" last night! What a hardy rose too ~ good for you noticing it. I'm hoping it will warm up soon for all of us.

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  20. aloha,

    love your post and color manipulations on your photos.....beautiful

    have a great weekend

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  21. As a lover of words, I have to say that espy is definitely a keeper. About the photography... HOW do you make pictures like that? I recently filmed a short video masterpiece. My jeans pocket was the setting of an Oscar worthy performance by an old recipt and a piece of lint. Subtle but powerful.

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  22. Ok now I must have myself a "Martha!"

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  23. Your head scratchin' helped ... a beautiful creative post appeared!

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  24. Martha is a real trooper:-) For some reason I don't think she'd survive here in my VA zone 7-A; it's cold and the ground is hard and there is not a thing blooming. But maybe a little south of here, she would stand a better chance...as zone 7 covers a huge territory both in, and out, of VA. Funny how the same 'zone' can be so different depending on the location!

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  25. A beautiful rose. Your pictures are very creative!

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  26. I'm so glad that Martha was the bright spot in your bloom day. I fear her moment to shine was short lived. can you believe it rained all day. Almost unheard of! Happy Bloom Day

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  27. That's a great looking rose - will have to remember it and maybe give it a try here in Fla. Nice effects on the photos Cat !

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  28. Hey! Thanks for stoppin by my blog. I posted my suet recipe on today's post for you.

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  29. I like the idea of having a word for the year. And the color on Martha is lovely! A nice bright spot in an Austin garden, hard to find these days.

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  30. Any bloom looks pretty to me, even if it is experiencing difficulties of some kind, especially this time of year.

    I'm glad to have a reminder of your word of the year. It serves us well.

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  31. I love your word and your beautiful bloom that you carefully caught a glimpse of.

    I love the idea of a single word of the year. I'll have to think about it. I would like to word to be "no" - meaning it's ok some I say no, or ifsomeone says no to me, or no, I cannot take something on, or no, I do not need dessert every day, or no I will not be making dinner tonight, etc. but that's a little negative I think...

    I may need to consult dictionary.com.

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  32. Your photos are just beautiful and what a thoughtful and inspiring post for Bloom Day. I'm glad I found your blog!

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  33. Love the Martha hanging in there in spite of our weather the last two weeks. I do one little word, too, inspired by Ali Edwards, the consummate scrapbooker -- do you know her? I'm working on incorporating my word more into daily life to keep focused on it. Happy GBBD!

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  34. Very beautiful rose! It fits your word perfectly

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  35. What absolutely gorgeous pictures!

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  36. "Martha Gonzalez" rose-you gotta love the survivors! It's survival of the fittest in some gardens. Unfortunately it won't survive in my garden-zone 5. I like your new word-Espy "to catch a glimpse." Espy evergreens in my garden!

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  37. How inspiring! The rose bud to bloom and the word of the year. I must think of a word of the year as well - what a fantastic idea. You made a great choice with "espy."

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  38. Martha is certainly a lovely surprise and you've presented her so beautifully and creatively.
    So you've had a weekend of cold rain? Brrr. I'm sure your garden will appreciate the moisture but I hope the temps don't drop too far down.

    Espy...such a pretty word :)
    Happy espying for 2011!

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  39. I love the idea of choosing a new word each year.
    What a pretty rose, I just can not wait to see some here. It's so exciting to find something blooming when you least expect it.

    I love the quote you have above the comment box, one of my favorites. Just so sweet.

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  40. Your photos and blog are so amazingly creative, Cat. I just love stopping by. I know I'll always go away with something to truly think about. Thank you for sharing.

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  41. Delightful post.Looks like you have inspired all of us to go espying all year round, which is what we garden bloggers love to do.
    Rosie

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  42. Beautiful photos and post Cat! I am especially taken by your first one! Stunning. How lovely to have a rose blooming in the winter!

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  43. I've always been very attracted to the Martha Gonzalez. I don't know why I don't have one. But now that I have a new flower border, well, maybe now's the time.

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  44. I love the idea of having a word of the year. I may have to borrow the idea, coming up with my own word of course. I also love your wonderful photograpy.

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