I solemnly swear...

Today I just took the Handmade Pledge.

I, Jennifer, do solemnly swear that I make everything with my own two hands. I'm proud of my workmanship and proud to be handmade in Canada.

Gosh, that felt really good.

At last...the Peonies

Last...but surely not least...are the Peonies at the Laking Garden. I think I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.

My favorite. The blooms are so beautiful and delicate. The long floppy petals and the long yellow stamens gives this peony such a wonderful whimsical personality. I just love it's whimsical beauty. I believe this Peony is called "Seashell"...but I could be mistaken. Seashell or not...it's still very beautiful.

The bud of a Peony is so remarkable. All those petals are all tightly nestled in a perfect little bud, ready to blossom into the most perfection that man could never re-create. This is the beautiful hand of Mother Nature.

Yes, and some of those neat little balls of petals can turn into the largest flower. This one was literally the size of my face.

I hope you enjoyed the flowers! Remember to take time out of your day to connect with a piece of Mother Nature. Stop and smell a flower today, or give a nod of hello to a tree. They will smile right back at you.

Have a great day!

Irises at the Laking Garden

Seeing the Irises and Peonies all in bloom at the Laking Garden is so magical! Once we walked onto the terrace that overlooks the Iris and Peony garden, I instantly had goose bumps and I was as giddy as a little girl. I hung off my sweethearts arm and kept whispering to him "oh my gosh, it's so beautiful...look at all the flowers and colours! Isn't it amazing!"

I must mention that last Saturday was our 5th anniversary...so this turned out to be a very magical and romantic day.

I could've easily taken hundreds more pictures then I did. In fact, I ended up handing over the camera to my sweetie so I could enjoy the flowers instead of constantly snapping pictures.

The Iris blossoms remind of pretty silk chiffon dresses with lots of flowing layers and ruffles!

I will save the Peonies for tomorrow. Have a great day!

Wish List

There are a few plants that I fell in love with at the RBG...well, more than a few. Here is my wish list:

1. Prairie Smoke, Geum Triflorum, Family: Rosaceae

This is one of the most interesting plants I have ever seen and it sure does make me smile. Praire Smoke is a perennial wildflower that is native to the North American woodland and prairie environments. It likes full sun, and is drought tolerant.

2. Foxglove Beard-Tongue, Penstemon digitalis, 'Husker Red', Family: Scrophulariaceae

3. Little Blue-Eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium montanum, Family: Iridaceae

I love the little blue flowers that stand atop the grass. This grass is native to Ontario and the flower is a very important nectar source for pollinators.

4. Wood Sage, Salvia nemorosa, 'Caradonna', Family: Lamiaceae

Nice vibrant colours from blue, purple to mauve.

5. Golden Japanese Forest Grass, Hakonechloa macra, 'Aureola'

6. Japanese Blood Grass, Imperata cylindrica, 'Red Baron'

7. Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, Family: Magnoliaceae

I love this tree. I love the colour, shape and size of the leaves. The top of the leaf is a deeper green then the underside, which is more of a chartreuse green (my favorite green!).

Tomorrow I will take you through the Laking Garden at the RBG. This is where all the Irises and Peonies are in bloom. I have many more pictures to share with you. Have a great day!

Royal Botanical Gardens

My honey and I spent the day last Saturday at the Royal Botanical Gardens. As you may already know, this is one of my favorite places to visit and spend the day. I took well over 200 pictures. I could've easily taken more...EASILY.

We began our day at the Hendrie Park. Hendrie Park consists many many gardens. We visited the Rose Garden, and the Morrison Woodland Garden. The roses were absolutely magnificent and I found a few gems from the Woodland Garden to add to my wish list.

My favorite rose of the day (oh I hate choosing, but this one spoke to me that day) was the Floribunda Rose, "Escapade".

Tomorrow I will post my wish list I created from visiting Hendrie. Have a great day!

peek-a-boo!