I always wonder about posting too soon after a post I still hope readers will look at. Once the post is “below the fold,” to use newspaper speak, does it disappear into the ether? Is it then seen only by those surprisingly numerous spammers who assure me that “I was suggested this website by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post was written by him as no one else seems to know such detailed [sic] about my trouble. You’re incredible! Thanks! Feel free to surf to my web site” — followed of course, by a link to a site advertising something or other.
And garden pictures. I suspect they might wear out their welcome. Some of you are kind enough to assure me that you enjoy peeking over my back fence, but perhaps legions are Unsubscribing even as I release more blooms into Cyberspace. . .
And yet. And yet. I can’t seem to resist. This Sambucus Nigra, in particular, with its dark purple foliage — almost black, hence the hort. name — complemented madly by the garishly lacy pink umbels. I’ve been snapping and snapping and I’ve posted several shots to Instagram, but because it’s been quite sunny here and I’m not clever enough with my camera (yet. I’m taking a weekend-long intensive course in a few weeks, my children’s generous retirement gift to me), the photos have generally been washed out, only suggestive of the near incandescence of this shrub.
But we had a couple of duller days this week, and I tried again, and I think I’ve got much closer to catching the colour chaos here.
And even at the risk of pushing yesterday’s post “below the fold,” even if some of you might be sighing “Surely not her garden again,” I just can’t resist sharing these.
After all, this combination only happens once a year, for two or three weeks at most.
Although there are other things happening in the garden, and I may have a few more flower photos to show you yet . . . Thanks for your patience. . .
Also on the agenda:
Another Seattle post
A few more Paris posts
A review of a blogging friend’s fabulous skincare line
A What I’m Wearing These Days post
Social Media and/in my Retirement
Oh, so much to chat with you about. Would be so much fun to do that in the garden, with a Limoncello and Soda, no?
Oh, don't worry so much! :0) Garden photos are also welcome, especially since your garden is so lovely. I did read yesterday's post, just no time to comment (there's pressure on our side too – I'd love to always write comments that are as interesting as your posts!)
Seattle looks like a cool place to visit, glad you finally made the trip with Pater!
You're too cheeky — an extra limoncello, just for you! And no, you should never feel pressure to comment. I'm often too busy to comment at blogs I visit myself — and sometimes it feels like that thing that happens with group birthday/condolences/congratulations/whatever cards where I often cringe because what I'm writing seems so visibly banal. . .;-)
You have so many places to visit within a few hours' drive — lucky!
It seems like a delicate balance…post too often or post infrequently? After writing for so many years we still wonder what the readers prefer….I say go with what your heart says. Garden images speak to me, but as you know I am a gardeners and love plants and glorious flowers!
I think you'll find now that you have retired you'll get into a rhythm and blogging will take on a life of its own!
It does seem like a balancing act — I like your solution! I'm looking forward to following my heart and getting into that rhythm.
I wouldn't worry about below the fold. Even if I didn't read it before you posted a new one Bloglovin saves it for me. I suspect many others have the same experience!
Thanks for the reassurance, LostRoses. Happy to have you here visiting and commenting.
I would never miss reading one of your posts, even if I came here and saw several new ones. Keep the garden photos coming. It's wonderful to see this lovely place through your lens!
Thanks, Marie. You're very kind.
It's all a balance this blog stuff, how often, what topics, what you want to write, what your readers enjoy, isn't it?! I imagine that now you've got the time you'll observe both your own preferences, and the readers', and also that large chunk of, "Who knows!?!? Guess I'll prepare myself for any outcome and just forge ahead;). Your color combination is sublime, and I'm envious of your camera course. That's one of my niggling thoughts, i.e. what's the best path to making my images better and better?
It is a balance, and an ever-changing array of items to juggle. It does stay fresh! Trying to rethink priorities over the next while, and the blog and the other social media will be part of that. . . It's been fun watching you shift over the last few years, and now I'll do some swerving (or not) of my own. . .
I love seeing the garden photos. As a fellow gardener, I can totally relate to the desire to catch it's fleeting beauty. I am obsessed with the combination of my new dawn roses and etoile violet clematis climbing my pergola intertwined.
I had a combination that I loved of a Clematis alpina twining through a pale pink rose, Awakening (a sport, I believe, of New Dawn) — sadly, when we had to move the plants for some garden hardscaping renos, we seem to have lots the clematis. But I can imagine your combo easily and I bet it's spectacular.
My posts are getting less frequent as I wonder "Is that interesting?" I always read your blog, Hostess', Sue's, Duchesse's and Janice's blogs. Some posts interest me more than others. When I write, I know that lots of blog readers like OOTD posts. Paris has more general appeal than Mexico. If I talk about books, philosophy or religion, I may lose so readers. I enjoy looking at garden photos and I enjoy bloggers' impressions of a destination. The question I am asking myself more and more is "why am I writing?" Writing prose or poetry has been a part of my life forever, having readers is a recent development. Retirement provides lots of time for contemplation.
I always enjoy your posts, but I know what you mean about the awareness of readers' interest. I want to tailor enough to keep an audience, but neither do I want to squander all my retirement time without any development of what really interests me. We'll see . . . btw, my Friday Five Things includes a French TV series you might like.
I for one have been enjoying your posts from your garden, loved the photo on Instagram of your garden too. Thanks! I have a new compact camera that I have been trying to master. Generally I snap away on my phone as I nearly always have that with me.
Cerena
Glad to here you enjoy the garden posts, Cerena. Instagram's fun, isn't it?!
Every camera seems to present a learning curve — every so often, even on the compact I've had for several years, I'll push some button and then can't figure out how to get back to "normal"!
wow, your sambucus is a bit more intensely colored than mine which I THINK was purchased under the same name, and which has been amazing for the last 3 weeks, blooms now going by. Mine is right out in the front garden and I am always amazed that people just drive/walk by like it was not one of the 7 wonders of the world. I've only ever seen one other one "in person" – don't seem to be very common around here, perhaps because they spend the winter looking like a bundle of dead sticks if not cut back, or like a bare place if wacked away (I'm never sure which to do……).
ANYWAY I love garden posts, your climate is so different than mine that it is an education.
ceci
It IS a Wonder, surely an 8th if not pushing aside one of the original 7. You're right that I might not tolerate mine as well if it didn't back against an area we've mostly left alone, all native shrubs and plants. . .
I find that aspect of garden blogging fun as well, seeing what happens in other climates. Thanks for encouraging me!
I like that purple shrub very much, never seen one before. I wonder if we have it here in England? Re Limoncello. Have you tried Stellacello, an orange version? Fab. You might like to look at my website, Stellacello.com….only joking. Garden strolling. Most soothing.
I do think you must have it, your climate being fairly similar to ours and you people being such a gardening nation. It's a cultivar of the elderberry, Sambucus Nigra, 'Black Beauty.'
I did check out Stellacello, even though I figured out you were joking (you gave me a big clue!;-) . . . haven't seen those here, but will keep my eyes peeled. Meanwhile, I'm going to try out a recipe today for a cordial made with my elderflowers. Now that's very British, no?
I enjoy your garden posts too. If someone is passionate about something it shows in their writing and some of that passion rubs off on the reader, I always think. So please don't stop telling us about what delights you.
Re Seattle – lovely city. I went there for a conference and also had a great reunion with an old friend now relocated to Vancouver. Seems it's the place to meet Canadians…
Thank you for the garden-post encouragement.
It's a good place for meeting up if the friend is fairly important, as you must have been to your old friend. It's enough of a drive and commitment that I wouldn't do it just for anyone, but it was such a treat.
I'm reading this a day late…had to read below the fold first:) I am not a garden person. I mean, I love them…for looking at and sitting in and maybe the occasional, once a month, assault on the weeds brought on by guilt because Hubby spends so much time working in the garden (flower and vegetable) while I do not. Your garden looks lovely…lots and lots of lilac and purple…gorgeous. Everything is blossoming here as well. It's a great time of year to come back from a trip away somewhere totally different from home…and just spend time appreciating home.
I wonder if you'll be seduced into the garden as your retirement progresses. My father-in-law refused it all his life, but then at around 70, he began building a magnificent garden. My mother-in-law resented this very much and then refused to help him in it at all, citing all the years she'd done the work without help (I think she very much minded as well how much praise he gleaned for his efforts against her earlier work which she felt got taken for granted).
Or not. You might just continue to function as a garden ornament, complementing its loveliness with yourself in a chair, with a book.
Enjoy your homecoming!
Oh my, a mature garden! How I miss it! How I love your photos. I seem to be coming to the conclusion that I will not be in this house long enough to see the garden grow up…. but then who knows.
Of course, as you know from doing it once already, a mature garden is a tough one to leave so there might be advantages to simply getting the groundwork (ha!) done and leaving the vision behind for someone else to see materialize. I suspect it's going to be wrenching to walk away from this garden after 20+ years of making and nurturing it.