Lacecap hydrangeas always remind me of shopping for bits of lace for doll clothes when I was little. Its name suits the flower. So pretty.

Hydrangeas always feel like a throwback to garden parties and ladies- in- waiting somewhere in time. Why is that? I love their longevity- their blooms emerge slowly, changing over time. Much appreciated in a garden.

Coming off a holiday weekend. Trying to get back to the grind. Failing miserably. I think you can relate. It’s summer! And to make things worse, shooting photos in natural light for that next Paola Pillow demands that I first pay attention to the garden when the plants need help. That happens early morning when the light is right for taking photos. Unfortunately, morning is also prime time for running numbers- which will have to wait. While tending garden on a weekday morning, I generally feel guilty the whole time and have this incessant mental battle – racing to the finish gardening and then back to my desk. Why is that??

In spite of all the anguish, I got a lot done. Weeding, picking off slugs, clipping back the dead peonies and clearing out space for the emerging astilbe and day lilies that are starting to bloom. We’re in the middle of a few kinds of hydrangea so pretty much I just shoot them and give them a dose of Slug Magic to manage their damp surroundings. And yuck! The lily leaf beetles have reemerged, demanding another round of Captain Jack’s brew that will have to wait till tonight. Just ordered up a ton of Nature’s Avenger to hopefully finish treating the gravel drive.

I am so grateful for this outdoor time. There is nothing so luxurious as observing and taking photos of the latest pretty that Mother Nature offers up. Think of this when you consider our pillows. They’re grown with love.

I gardened as a child, always a mix of things to eat with easy annuals from seed- like marigolds. Being in the garden always takes me back to that quieter time. A sense of familiarity that brings comfort- in the midst of the chaos that is today. I highly recommend it. Where do you find that comfort?

And then there’s music. Nothing says summer quite like Bruce Springstein. Performed in 2013- London. https://youtu.be/Bxut7e5I4yQ

Related Images: