ser·en·dip·i·ty [ser-uhn-dip-i-tee]
noun
1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident
2. good fortune; luck
This
sweet, little, completely unexpected volunteer sunflower reaches
valiantly for the dappled sunlight as it lives amongst the foliage of
Turk's cap and a sticker vine. A beacon of bright yellow in a sea of
shady green!
im-pulse [im-puhls]
noun
1. the influence of a particular feeling
2. sudden, involuntary inclination prompting to action
3. a psychic drive or instinctual urge
adjective
4. marked by or acting on impulse
5. bought or acquired on impulse 
While walking around Zilkerfest, (a local spring festival for all things gardening) I spotted a booth with beautiful glass twinkling in the sunshine. Then I noticed this specific piece and immediately knew it would have a home in my garden. The Canyon Lake artist uses found driftwood along with wine and liquor bottles to create the sculptures. I love how it constantly changes as it catches the shifting light throughout the day.
I'm seeing a trend here in re-purposed, organic art in the garden! The new sculpture complements the carved coffee root nicely.
This plant is sometimes confused with Brugmansia. The blooms of datura are upright and the fruit usually spiny whereas the Brugmansia's flower hangs on the branch and the fruit is spineless.
Joy [joi]
noun
1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying
2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight
Although not completely joyous about the photograph, the subject makes me giddy! Do you see the monarch on the milkweed? Look closely at the center of the shot...there she is. I watched her for a few minutes as she flitted about the plant and I'm ever hopeful that she was depositing eggs. She attached herself to the underside of leaves a couple of times before sipping the nectar. Please, please, please let there be caterpillars!
I just love a garden - there is always so much to discover! What are your discoveries of late? Any impulses, serendipitous moments or joyful sightings? Ah, that's a silly question; I know you have them all!
yay for the monarch! like your additions to the garden, too.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI need to add some sort of mobile or hanging art to my garden I think -- love the colored glass!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with keeping datura seeds in check. What species is it? My D. inoxia can ripen new seed pods in the time it takes me to walk back into the house with the pruners it seems. I've already found four growing in the driveway cracks!
Love your new garden art. So pretty. Congrats on your Monarch. I'm still trying to get my Milkweed established.
ReplyDeleteSteph, me too. The drought has really zapped them. The one in front, in the photo, is a new plant. The older plants are in back and are still pretty small and just starting to bloom.
ReplyDeleteMy vote is the sunflower, the Datura, and that wonderful sculpture to be your mascot of the yard space. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteHermosas imágenes, me encantan los girasoles!Y la captura de la mariposa, Monarca, !. un abrazo grande.
ReplyDeleteStunning color on the datura. Lucky impulse buy! And the monarch on the milkweed is definitely a joyous sight.
ReplyDeleteVery nice, Cat. And how wonderful to see a Monarch! The art show find is awesome!
ReplyDeleteI really like your repurposed art...very tastefully done!
ReplyDeleteAnd after seeing that purple datura, I am inspired to try one in my garden. Brugs do well in my garden, and hopefully a datura would be happy there , too.
Love the new additions to your garden! I hope you find Monarch eggs! I just went to a class where I learned how to tag the Monarch butterflies and enter the data to track migration. I add more milkweed each year but it is hit or miss. They tend to get infested with aphids and the drought is hard on them during the heat of the summer.
ReplyDeleteLovely re-purposed garden ornaments.
ReplyDeleteKarin, that is so cool! Looking forward to your posts about the monarchs that you tag! I'm also glad you shared that milkweed can be hit or miss in your garden as well. They've struggled in my garden the last couple of years with the freeze/drought cycle we've had. I keep planting more for the Monarchs and hoping that they'll get a foothold eventually.
ReplyDeleteLove that purple datura! I only have the common white one.
ReplyDeleteI just added more milkweed to my garden hoping to provide food for future monarchs. I'll cross my fingers that your monarch laid some eggs.
ReplyDeleteLove how the garden looks, you have a real sense of holistic design. Inspiring post:~)
ReplyDeleteWhat a joyous moment finding the monarch...and the sculpture...oh yes that will find a wonderful home in your garden...
ReplyDeleteLove the datura, what colour! This was a very serendipitous, joyful and impulsive stop in the blog world today. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou have really captured all the important elements of gardening with your beautiful photographs and words.
ReplyDeleteGreat garden art. I was just on another blog and complaining about the choices I have locally. I like your glass mobile.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently away and missing my garden. So serendipity, impulse and joy will have to wait a few more days.
Oh, love the wood and glass piece!!! Kind of a hanging version of a bottle tree, right :-) I ended up pulling up my datura because it got 9 feet across and started killing the shrubs below it! It did reseed, though, and I don't have the heart to rip out all of the seedlings. I love the large white fragrant blooms. Last year my datura had about 200 blooms on it at once and the bees were all over it! I just can't let it get that big anymore. And yes, JOY on the monarch account! I've been seeing bazillions of butterflies and moths this year, but so far only one monarch. I'm sure more will come through in the fall.
ReplyDelete