Friday, June 7, 2013

lilacs, linens and lily-of-the-valley



The lilacs have almost finished their lovely spring show.
The blooms are still out, but looking a little more aged every day.
The Primrose lilac is still blooming and one of the late lilacs is just starting
so when you walk out into the garden, the air is still filled with their fragrance.
There is no other scent that transports me through time like the lilac.
I know this must be so with many of you. I think this is why I love this time
in the garden the most. I'm five years old again and my sister and I
are playing in my grandmother's garden.
~beautiful memories~










This particular lilac is called Glory and paired with a couple of stems of 
a soft pink one.






Not a great picture but it shows how huge the clusters are on it.










 
 In the photo below is Beauty of Moscow.





I love, love, love my lily of the valley, and especially the scent of them.
When they bloom, 
I fill every room with a little bunch of them.


When my daughter and her children were here, I had huge bouquets of lilacs in the house
and almost the minute my daughter walked in the house, her eyes and nose 
started running and she was sneezing.
So out went the lilacs onto the front patio! 



 I had so much fun with the grandchildren while they were here.
It was wonderful to catch up with my daughter and see baby Jace again.
Only my second time since he was born :(
He is now a year old and 
WOW!!! had I forgotten how much they get into at that age.
But...
 it will be in the blink of an eye and he will be the age 
of his seventeen year old brother before I know it.



I just figured out while writing this that I will be 74 when he turns the age 
of my oldest grandchild (his brother).
Crazy!!!


58 comments:

Trisha said...

I can almost smell those lilacs through the computer-heavenly! So glad you had a nice visit with your daughter and grandchildren. Hope you are staying cool in this June weather!

~Trisha

My name is Riet said...

Hi Dear June. What a beautiful post again. I am so glad you are showing us so much of your beautiful garden. When I see and read this I can smell your beautiful lilacs and li lies of the valley,
Have a nice weekend dear friend..

Claudia said...

Lilacs and lily of the valley take me right back to my childhood - to a gentler time.

Love your photos, my friend. My little lilac is growing, but for the past two years I have been away from home on a job when it bloomed!

xo
Claudia

Geli said...

Dear June!
Thanks for your lovely photos!
Your decoration with the lilas is very dreamy!
What a joy for you to have your family near you!
Love and family - that's what's important in our live ...
I wish you a happy weekend!
With love,
Geli

Jennifer said...

Your lilacs are stunning. My mother grew lovely ones as well... I can almost smell them now. So true about the smell transporting us back. I began wearing Muguet as a young lady then graduated to Diorissimo as I grew older. Both are lilac based perfumes, none as lovely as the real thing.
Have a lovely weekend,
Jennifer

chateau chic said...

Your photos are always so lovely, June! I love how dainty and delicate lily of the valley is, and your lilacs are absolutely stunning!
Mary Alice

NanaDiana said...

I know! I know! I just figured out I will be 80 when my baby grandson graduates! How in the world can that BE POSSIBLE???? Anyway, I am with you on lilacs. They are my very favorite Spring flower and rank right up there with roses. I absolutely love them. I have one bush that I was told was a French lilac...but not sure what it really is- it is gorgeous and blooms later than the others...super large heavy blooms and highly scented. It brings back childhood memories for me, too- xo Diana

Lady of the Woods said...

oh June how beautiful is every photo here. I love lilacs as much as anyone but cannot have them in Florida, yet my entire blog roll seems to be rolling in them now! :D
I will look through your flower photos, it is pouring raining here and beauty is the only way to pass the time. blessings, lady

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Dear June,
Whatever flower has opened it's petals in your garden, you always have such an abundance of blooms !!!! Your lilacs look so beautiful and fill me with pretty much the same memories as you have.
You muct have had such a wonderful time when your family visited ..... there is nothing better than quality time spent with ones children and grandchildren even if it's only a couple of times a year.
Enjoy your exquisite garden June in your namesake month !! XXXX

Junkchiccottage said...

Your lilacs are beautiful. Love all your pictures. Mine are still blooming too. I love the fragrance out in the backyard especially after a rain. Heavenly.
Kris

Home and Lifestyle said...

Dear June, your wonderful pictures of all this wonderful flowers always makes me so happy! You must have a wonderful garden!!

Sending hugs from Holland! Xxx Ingrid

One Shabby Old House said...

June,
If I fly to Idaho will you teach me how to take beautiful pictures like you and can we just sit in your garden and breath in all of it's beauty.
I think the pictures that you took are amazing my gifted friend!
I don't plan on ever becoming as old as the years try to make me and I am sure that you are the same. Our grandbabies will keep us young!

Bente said...

Hello June. The blue chair with the flowers, are just gorgeous. You always show such beautiful photos, June.

Wish you a great weekend

Hugs

Victorian1885 said...

What beautiful shots of your lilacs with your vintage pieces. I love the fragrance of the Lily of the Valley and when I see your garden I admire the hard work you put into it.
It sounds like you had a wonderful time with your Daughter and Grandchildren. I can't believe time is flying by so fast, I don't feel 55 but sure see it when I look in the mirror lol.
Take care & enjoy your beautiful garden, I know I do!
Hugs,
Wanda

Julie Marie said...

Hello June... gorgeous photos and lilacs!... you know how often I AM a little girl again!... so much fun to relive our childhood memories... brought to life once more by a special scent from a beautiful flower... sigh... and of course I adore Lily of the Valley... my birthmonth flower... so delicate and pretty... happy you had a wonderful time with your grandchildren... nothing better than time spent with family... much love to you... can't wait to see your roses!... xoxo Julie Marie

La Vie Quotidienne said...

The lilacs are beyond lovely as is the beautiful crochet lacework on the linens. It was so nice that you had a long visit with your daughter and grandchildren, what a special time this must have been.

Laura said...

everything is so lovely june! and the lilacs are just heavenly; i loooove them! beautiful post!

Diane said...

Time is funny - if you think that way you can get VERY old FAST! Your lilacs are so beautiful. This was a wonderful year for them, wasn't it? I miss them already. Very beautiful post, June. Diane

20 North Ora said...

Sweet memories!

Judy

Draffin Bears said...

Dear June,

Lily of the valley is one of my favourite flowers, my Mother used to grow it. I did have a little plant one time, and don't know what happened to it. The other day I actually got my garden center to order some for me.
The lilacs are gorgeous too.
So glad that you had a lovely time with your daughter and grandchildren and must be wonderful for them playing in your magical garden.

Thanks for visiting me and your kind birthday wishes for my husband.
Happy weekend
hugs
Carolyn

maría cecilia said...

I was inmersed in a magic place, it might be Paradise, it said it is called Grace Gardens...over there I felt the most exquisite sensations and the most beautiful thoughts came from around vibrating in pure Love and Joy. I left this heaven on earth knowing that my existence would be completely changed from now on...

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pictures,have a nice weekend,greetings Musje.

Beehive Needleworks said...

Fragrance hold such enchantment...and does indeed stir treasured memories long past. You are most gracious, June, for sharing memories of your Grandmother and her gardens. Surely your grandchildren shall tuck away the delights of your gardens (and the precious Grandmama-gardener) as well.
Wishing you much joy...
Judy x

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

June, you take my breath away far too much for me to be able to say anything! I am very excited because I think I am finally understanding how to take better photos. YOU and Jade out in Bavaria (from Shabby and White) are the two bloggers that have finally shown me how you get your effects. I am just finally "getting it."

LOVE EVERY SINGLE moment in your garden, with you. Have a glorious day! Anita

jill said...

June you always post such beautiful photos, love all your lovely pretty lace covers you have there. Love Jill xx

Anonymous said...

such a beautiful post, I enjoyed so much!

Lisa said...


June,June,June,
Oh the Lilacs, you know how I love them & how I can't have them here in the desert:) Yes the nursery tries to convince me Crepe Myrtles are a fine substitute...Not. I have Crepe Myrtles and they are okay but have you ever tried to smell one? Then comes the Lily of the Valley. Those are my birth flower. I love them so much I named my daughter for them:) I wanted to carry them in my wedding until I found out that they'd eat up my entire flower budget so I carried Calla Lily's. Sorry for the rambling comment but your gardens bring out the chatter in me.
Thanks for the beautiful pictures this morning. I hope you have a fantastic weekend sweet friend.
Love, Lisa

Katherine said...

I love the way the crochet piece in the first pictures mimics the lilacs. It all looks so delicate and inviting.
It's nice to hear you had some cuddle time with your Grandchildren. That's what it's all about.

hugs
Katherine

Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage said...

Such gorgeous abundance! I love all your beautiful photos, and it's such a lift visiting you. So glad you had a great visit with some of your kiddos. You just can never see enough of them when they're tiny!

Anne said...

June I try not to think about my age and the future...it scares me.My daughter is 13 and will be 14 this November that scares me where did the years go?
Always a special treat to see your lovely garden.Your flowers are beautiful.So glad we are not allergic to lilacs.I love the scent!
xx
Anne

Dorthe said...

Oh June, you think just like I, about aging with your grandkids, hoping we can be there,when they turns to young people, and maybe even when they gets their own child!!! That would be my biggest fream cvome through!! I think like many other womens!!
Your lovely lilac`s are just so beautiful, I love the Beauty of Moscow ..how wonderful!! By the way I asked a famous danish gardener about how to keep them fresh in a vase, and he told me to take ALL green leaves, and to hammer the stem hig up !! I tried just and they still stand beautiful after 3 dayes :-)
June I wish you a beautiful weekend- So happy for you ,you had some time with your daughter and grands!! I`m visiting mine next week for 4 dayes , :-)
Hugs,Dorthe

Anna said...

How wonderful your lilacs and lilies of the valley ... I love them! Thank you for the wonderful photos and a hug from grandmother to grandmother.
Anna

debi said...

Oh June, your home must smell like heaven. Your lilacs and lilies are just so beautiful!

flowersandhome said...

Dear June, I just saw the wonderful pictures of your garden here and on your other blog. So many lovely lilacs in different colours. It must be such a treat to spend time in the garden while they're blooming. Also love the many, many crabapple blooms you have. Thanks for sharing. And tulips of course. What a treat!
Have a lovely sunday,
Marian

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

You will be the most beautiful 74 year old this world has ever seen.
Amazing lilac pictures and like everyone else I can just smell them from these gorgeous pictures you shared with us.
I was over the moom happy when I found you came by to say hello to me. I have been a bad bad blogger but keep hoping I will get back into it because I miss my awesome friends like you.
Aren't we blessed to have our grand children. I hate you don't get to see yours that often because I know how the joy from our visits.
As always I am leaving here with a huge smile on my face because your post always bring me such happiness.
Love ya honey
Maggie

Mimi Sue said...

Those lilacs are so beautiful! I love them too but can't bring them in the house since they make my allergies go crazy too. So sad. So glad you had some time with your daughter and family. They do grow up too quickly. Mimi

Maryjane-The Beehive Cottage said...

Pretty, pretty June! So glad you had a wonderful time with your daughter and grandchildren...I know you cried when they left. I do the same thing.

Love,
Maryjane

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Hi June,
Thanks for giving me my daily dose of pretty! I can always count on you to have gorgeous flowers and amazing linens photographed to make us drool!
I'm glad that you enjoyed your grandchildren...hoping one of these days to have one! (Haven't given up yet).
I remember playing in my Grandmom's peonie garden and loving the fragrance. Such fond memories.

hugs
Sissie

awal.ny said...

Beautiful pictures June. I am looking at the gardens just wishing the blooms would last longer, but then we might not appreciate them as much. Glad you had a wonderful visit with your family. Alaina

Anonymous said...

Le tue foto trasmettono pace...sono bellissime
Sara

Shabby soul said...

Always a ray of sunshine visit you darling June! I've bought Beauty of Moscow too this year, I didn't know it became such a real wonderful plant!! So happy! And I saved a lot of Lily of the valley too when I arrived in the new (old) home where we are now. They were dying, but now alive in perfect health. Only... I still don't know where plant them.
Your garden is glorious, and the chair just the perfect color. Many many hugs my darling friend!
Silvia

Victoria said...

Oh June, absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous photo's! I hope it's okay if I pin a few:) I want to come and sit in your garden with some lemonade!

I've begged my boys not to make me a grandma for a really long time...not because I don't want to be one but I don't want them to rush like I did and end up in a failed first marriage. I always tell them take your time!!! So, with that said, I'll probably be really old when I become a grandma!

Nely said...

My dear June,
You have always beautiful flower and sunny pictures,like a dream,thank you for so much dose of pretty:)
Many hugs
Nely

Madelief said...

Beautiful photographs of you garden! Happy to hear you enjoyed it with your family :-)

Madelief x

wendy said...

Your garden much smell amazing.....all spring, summer long. I wish lilacs lasted longer. Ours just came out and I go around to my neighbors begging for handfuls to put in the house.

Heaven's Walk said...

June - your lilacs and lily of the valley are just amazing! Like you, the lilacs remind me of my mother and helping her hang laundry in the back yard next to the big old lilac bush. My grandmother comes to mind when I smell lily of the valley. She always wore the perfume. :) Thank you for the sweet,fragrant memories tonight, sweetie. :) Oh....and do you prune the tops off your lilac bushes to keep them bushy? My husband thinks we should do that, but I thought I read that you should never top them....?

xoxo laurie

Custom Comforts said...

Beautiful photos June as always. I too love lilac time and have 3 bushes that I am in the process of cutting back. They are overgrown and leaning tremendously from lack of sunlight. My yard is like a jungle with never-ending pruning. Hopefully the pruning will revive them and produce more blooms next year.
I love your aqua outdoor furniture. What a lovely soft shade it is.
If I gave you the impression from my last post's title that I was caught up, well ~ that will never happen. I could spend my whole summer just pruning and never be caught up on just that alone. I meant I was so busy trying to keep up that I hadn't had the time or energy to blog. Sometimes I miss blogging, but then sometimes I get tired of reading the same things over and over again. I'm down to just a few blogs that I always enjoy and yours is at the top of that list. Your beautiful photos and well-spoken words always inspire me and calm my weary soul.
Cindy

Deb said...

Beautiful!
Both the lilac & lily of the valley have faded in our garden. Always wish they lasted longer. Planted 1 tiny lily of the valley plant about 7 years ago. My son was going to be graduating from High school the following year and I knew that I would make the boutonniere for his suit. That 1 plant has now taken over a good sized patch in the garden & I always think of that memory when I see them ♥

erin's art and gardens said...

it is such a joy to visit your blog and all the goodness here! beautiful images, june! as usual your garden is giving you glorious gifts.
erin
xxoo

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos - so wish my lilacs had bloomed but the frost killed all the blooms this year. :( My lily of the valley didn't bloom this year either and I am not sure why- do you know if they need special care? The plants have been here since we moved in.

Miss blogging but always come over to spend some time in your lovely garden!

bee blessed
mary

Maison Beldecor said...

Hi June,
oh, I love your fantastic lilac photos! Hope you enjoying your wonderful garden.
Many hugs
Bine

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

June, Ilove your new post but there is nowhere to leave a comment! CONGRATES on being a contributer! Anita

Victorian1885 said...

Congratulations on being featured in the new magazine! I still think you should publish your own book like Carolyn did from PEI. I know I would treasure it!! Take care.

Hugs
Wanda

Alina said...

I come here to rest my soul,to fill my eyes with beauty and I thank You for it ! In your photographs I find traces of my childhood summers,the most cherished time of my life...
Hugs from sunny Florida !

Lisa said...

Oh June,
love love love, can't get my lilacs to bloom .
and congratulations on the the Inspiration Magazine. I will have to check this one out.
lots of hugs,
Lisa

Unknown said...

I didn't see where I could leave a comment on the other post.. So so happy for you! SO well deserved! Congrats to you on being featured in the magazine!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Darling JUNE!

Again, I can't leave a message on your newest post (love that magazine!), I am coming here to thank you for coming over to view my post. I'm learning to take better photos, and I am having a blast doing so! Thank you for entering into a slice of my home. I will be following everyone but just putting more time into the writing class for now.

HUGS MY DEAR (and Nancy MIGHT be coming to see me in July!!!!)

Cindy said...

The lilacs are heavenly. I don't have the scent of lilacs as a memory because there are very few of them in North Carolina... but i do have honeysuckle laden nights with the attic fan sucking in the scented air. It was the best time of all... and the gardenias are in full bloom right now and are wonderful too. Your photos are beautiful as always, and congratulations on being in a magazine. It looks so pretty! Are those your photos in the magazine!?

Cindy