This plant, also known as Cinquefoil (five leaves) has special memories for me, on this Flower a Day. It was one that formed a hedge in front of the first house I lived in as a young wife and mother in a lovely seaside town in England. I loved the bright blooms that covered it, cheering up even the most miserable rainy day. I hadn’t paid much attention to flowers growing in gardens until they grew in my own and this mature, thick hedge was a legacy from someone who must have had a love of beauty a long time before I lived there. I think the hedge is now gone, along with the lovely flowering cherries that flanked the front door behind these beauties. But they are still blooming in my memory. Somewhere in our memories there are always flowers blooming. We just have to look for them.
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We have moved indoors (only temporarily, don’t worry) today for our Flower a Day feature. Some of you know that I am married to a man with a green violet thumb. Our house has been filled with these wonderful flowers for a few years now, thanks entirely to Steven’s care and nurturing (and propagating) of these beautiful plants. There are so many different varieties of this species and I know we only have a few (so far), but I am going to feature the ones we have from time to time. They give me so much joy when I see them and I always think of my mother when I see these as she loved her own small collection. I know she would have been impressed with how many we have and just how prolific they are. For today I am thankful for small pots of gorgeous colour. I hope you have some such where you live and, if not, that this will help to fill that void for you. To view the info and gallery…

This Queen Anne’s Lace was an early catch in my Flower a Day project, but a favourite flower of mine, as it is a complete bouquet of tiny flowers sprayed out like a bridal bouquet in white. This is not my first share of this lovely flower in this project and maybe not the last. But I am happy to bring it to you today all to remind myself (and you, my viewers) of these tall, light and airy plants that grace the verges and fields in the warm and drowsy summer. Those days will return (though they seem a lifetime away from this deep freeze we find ourselves in). Keep the faith everyone! We will see summer again! (If you have missed any posts, you can see all the project posts here: Flower a Day). To view the info and gallery…

Today’s Flower a Day had to be cheeky ones because… Just because I felt like it. And what can be cheekier than Johnny Jump-Ups? The name itself did the job for me today! Also known rather sedately as Viola (and previously featured on this project as a single flower by that name) this lovely little grouping of dark faces with their bright centres can only serve to cheer us all up! As the power is about to go out from a snowstorm I am rushing to finish this post and get it out to you, my friends. With it comes my wish for a day with some fun and joy in it for you all. To view the info and gallery…

It’s time for a burst of cheerful sunshine in our Flower a Day! This lovely Asiatic Lily was photographed last summer at the home of a particularly green fingered friend. His garden is a delight and has provided more than one of the subjects for my project, from that single visit. I remember that day being terribly anti-social (easy these days, with ‘anti-social distancing’ requirements) and spent the whole time with my eye to the viewfinder in front of such beautiful specimens. It was as if they were just waiting for me and my camera. I hope these bring light to everyone’s day and remind us all of the brighter days to come. Soon, we all hope. To view the info and gallery…

I remember taking some photographs on my 2020 Flower a Day project really well. This lone Sweet William is one of those. As I post my first photograph with 2021 marked on it, this lonely but beautiful little Dianthus seems appropriate. I had seen a picture of him on a friend’s IG feed and asked if I could go over to his property to see what other flowers were there for me to photograph. He said he would not be there but gave me (very vague) directions as to where to find the different ones in his neighbour’s field. I found a few, notably and the most exciting for me was the pearly everlasting one I posted in October. But I searched high and low for this little one. I went over that field time and again and finally came across it, hidden deep in some grasses. When I put in extra effort to find something, I always feel a great sense of achievement, no matter how small the triumph! So here is my start to the new calendar year. A small triumph. May your day and the months ahead be full of such small triumphs. To view the info and gallery…