Desert Roses & Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks are in bloom all over the city of Albuquerque in June. But I can always depend on finding their cheery color on Church Street in Old Town this time of year and wanted to share them with you. The shady garden walls on the north side of the historic church protect this lovely patch of flowers from the hot desert sun.

They bloom amid the cactus just outside the dooryard of a popular cafe on the street. A hint at just how hardy hollyhocks can be.

The pink hues are my favorite. . . .

But white is second in line.

Gorgeous against the blue window frames popular in New Mexico. 

Whatever the color, I love to see their stalks growing in masses along the smooth adobe walls surrounding the buildings.

A few rose varieties thrive here too where they are a bit more shaded from the afternoon sun.

A little less attractive, perhaps, is the bloom of this prickly pear cactus. A number of varieties are in bloom now as well.

I have always found hollyhocks a challenge to grow, but they often seem to grow right out of the sidewalk in the most unlikely places!

Another hardy bloom is this simple but reliable desert rose with it's sweet pale pink color.

A beautiful nameless rose of vibrant color.

Hollyhocks and roses are such a natural together. How often have you seen them pictured beside each other in scenes of a quintessential cottage garden?

This is one of my favorite spots to visit on a summer day in the city.

I hope you enjoyed coming along for the stroll!

Have a lovely week ahead, my friends!

Jacqueline

Join me at

Between Naps on the Porch~Metamorphosis Monday

My Romantic Home~Show & Tell

French Country Cottage~Feathered Nest Friday

The Charm of Home~Home Sweet Home

White Inspirations~On A Blogger's Table In Summer

 I  have a lot on my table these days. There's the shop. And my blog. Friends and family. And life. These are not separate things for me. Priorities shift each day right alongside whatever creative pursuit is most dominant for me at the moment. And it really is about the moments.

I can hardly keep indoors these days. So on this day I take my plans and projects right outside with me. This involves just a few basics. A pleasing surface, a few creature comforts, and my usual inspirations in the form of an Internet connection, books and magazines. Even the IRS counts these as legitimate business expenses! Just how lucky can you get?  

A canopy overhead blocks the sun, lets in the breeze, and creates a natural stage for thought or relaxation. Yard birds and the occasional crowing rooster adds to the ambiance. I can barely tear myself away from this phase of summer.

My commute is just steps outside the door, while the outdoor rooms free us from the confinement of four walls and become an extension of home this time of year.

Nature becomes part of the decor.

A notebook and calender. My specs and a hand lens. A few tools of my trade.

Small painted terracotta saucers anchor the cloth in the breeze. I came across a set of six at the thrift store and planned to use them as drink coasters knowing that I might find more creative use for them along the way. What could be more perfect?

A gorgeous special publication by Victoria magazine. Right where my head is lately.

And a beautiful new book of White Inspirations.

In terms of new ideas, the sky is the limit. But after a time, a roll of thunder and the lift of the breeze tells me the session is coming to an end.

 The changing light enhances the surrounding beauty. 

I take a few quick shots of images that please me and move on.

 My tea is nearly finished anyway. . . .

What's on the table for you this summer?

Whatever it is I hope you're finding lots of inspiration.

Thanks for sharing a part of your day with me!

Jacqueline

Join Me At

Common Ground~Share Your Style

French Country Cottage~Feathered Nest Friday

The Charm of Home~Home Sweet Home

Shabby Art Boutique~Shabbilicious Friday

A Page From June

What happened on the first day of June before I kept a log online? I couldn't tell you. Did I stop to celebrate? To appreciate its beauty?

But I have a vivid memory of my tenth year and the happiness of June as I sat on the curb in front of our house. It was early morning on the final day of school. I was thrilled to be wearing new summer clothes, feeling the cool morning, and doing nothing more than sitting alone and watching the shadow of a tree mark time across the pavement until time to leave. The sense of freedom was exhilarating. Enough to cross the expanse of decades of hours since that hour and touch another day in June. . . .

This summer month seems made for youth and beauty. And besides a page from my personal past there are these wonderful pages from June recorded by Edith Holden in her Nature Notes of 1905. This volume is lesser known than The Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady which, though published earlier, was originally crafted one year later than this journal.

Edith never meant these drawings for publication. They were a teaching tool for the students she trained at the turn of the last century when drawing and watercolor was part of every genteel young woman's education. I would have been thrilled to have learned from her!

My copy is an American first edition, and one of my prized possessions. The perfect thing to share under a bower at the turning of time into June. It calls for the cool summer cottons reminiscent of an Edwardian lady from the English countryside. For fresh roses and laces. And for the memory of a season of youthful freedom under a shade tree. . . .

Happy first day of June!!!

Wishing you many lovely summer days ahead!

Jacqueline

Join me at

Between Naps on the Porch~Metamorphosis Monday

Coastal Charm~Show & Share

Savvy Southern Style~Wow Us Wednesday

My Romantic Home~Show & Tell