Blooming!

My beautiful white clematis burst into an outrageously abundant amount of blooms this year.

I remember the first year; it didn't bloom at all. My mom assured me not to worry. She told me it was spending its time growing deep roots and that was a good thing, and the flowers would come later. And they have.

Gardening offers many great metaphors for life. I hope I bloom just like this clematis. How about you?

A Tour of My Garden

I continue to be surprised by the passion and commitment I have to my garden. Some of it is definitely genetic. This week I was able to find a lavatera for my mom and the look of delight on her face when I handed it to her was awesome. And part of it is because of my deep love for transformation. It reminds me that magic exists right here right now and you can make it happen!

Here's what my garden looked like within the first few weeks of us moving into our house:



And here are some of the treasures I enjoy there now.



And this is where we sit and relax and enjoy all that we've done.

Mean Cat Lady

I absolutely never imagined myself as a mean cat lady. I love cats and have always made friends with the neighbourhood felines. I've got pictures of cats galore - mine and others. When I was in Holland, I took pictures of cats from Delft to Den Haag. But this summer these three little mites have moved into the hood and they are destroying my garden. And you know how I feel about my garden.

It was such a horrible feeling to get into the yard, exciting by sprouting tulips, crocus and hyacinth, only to discover that at least one corner of the garden is being entirely used as a litterbox for this neighbourhood gang of three! This picture is now all I have left of this beautiful, delicate "whirling butterfly."

And though I spent the day yesterday squirting them with water and shooing them away, how d you shoo away a face like this: