Friday 13 June 2008

My Quiet Place..........




This is part of my little garden. My retreat where I sit in the middle of the city but in total peace and calm. I read or think out new posts or just look at everything. The above photo is of a clematis which is growing amidst the passion flower plant, which has buds that are about to flower. 
Always watching me is this stone cat on a wall, surrounded by campanulas.




I put a small cutting of campanula from my Dad's garden many years ago into a crack in the wall and I can remember him saying that it would never take! I carefully watered it and it settled very well. Now it covers the whole wall and has to be trimmed back regularly. Some things just have to be tried out!




This is the place where I sit near to the bird feeders. You can see my chair in the corner. The ceanothus  (tall blue flowering shrub) has done really well this year and helps to make our garden private. I think every one needs a little place where they can sit and recharge their batteries! 
The garden was filled with butterflies a couple of weeks ago, but just because I wanted to take some photos, they seem to have disappeared. The butterflies were Skippers. I don't know what plants they live on but they come for a few weeks every year. Obviously I have missed them.


Well, now on to a meme!  Lady Thinker  who has a blog called "Who Cares..." has given me a book meme to do.
She asked me to pick up a book and open it at page 123 and read out the 5th sentence!  Well this is very simple but what book shall I choose?
I will pick up the last book I read, which happens to be" Vegemite Vindaloo" by David Mcmahon from authorblog
I found this book to be a really good read. In places it was sad, but in others very funny. A sort of bouncing between two countries and two different cultures. Anyway, I enjoyed the book, so recommend it. Here goes.........

"The next time Bablu and his grandmother appeared, he asked the old lady if she would pass on a message to the boy's parents."

Well, there we are. Doesn't mean much when its just a sentence. However, it is at a place in the book where there is a struggle for the extreme poor to get an education. A Catholic priest decides to give a gifted child a chance of learning to read. A child that would otherwise be doomed to a life of poverty. This child grows up to have a very privileged  job and inspires some one else to give another needy child a break. By breaking through the boundaries of a caste system, a whole series of events lead to a change in the circumstances of two families!

I am now supposed to tag someone! However, I am going to leave this open for any one who wants to do this meme  and let me know if you decide to and I will come over and read it. I know that many of you have already done this one. Here's hoping that some of you haven't!



25 comments:

softinthehead said...

Your garden looks gorgeous, a little wild which I how I like them. The book sounds intriguing - I will have to check it out. Have you read Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry? - that was a great read. One of those books you just don't want to end.

Laura Jane Williams said...

Me thinks I shall have to purchase that book...

Anonymous said...

Beautiful garden, you have really done it proud.

CJ xx

Robin said...

What a beautiful garden! I am really jealous of your stone cat.

Betsy Brock said...

Hi there...thanks for visiting my blog! You have a gorgeous garden! I especially love those blue climbing flowers...so nice!
Great to "meet" you!

aims said...

You know I was just looking to see if I could purchase David's book here in Alberta. And I can't. I guess I'm going to have to get in touch with him for my own signed copy!

Your garden is wonderful! How I wish I could sit there with you and just be quiet and enjoy. Sigh...

Unknown said...

Just beautiful! I wish I had that much space for that type of garden, but one day I will.

I have a clematis, but it gets one or blooms, and then dies. It's never been higher than about a foot tall and I don't know WHAT I'm doing wrong. Help???

Penny Pincher said...

Thank you Maggie, interesting = I'll have to keep aneye open for this book. May be good suggestion for our book group one day.

I also love the cat lurking in your campanulas.

Babaloo said...

Oh Maggie May, your garden is beautiful! And the cat is cute.
And I think I now finally know what the little blue/purple flowers are that so many people here have growing on their walls. Methinks they're campanulas! I will have to investigate.

RiverPoet said...

The cat among the campanulas is beautiful. I love it! Wish I could see it up close!

Peace - D

Cecily R said...

And what a beautiful quiet place it is!!!

Jeni said...

I've been meaning to ask David and keep forgetting to do this -but how do we Americans go about purchasing this book anyway? I'd love to find out that information and get a copy so if you -or anyone else reading this knows how or where to get a copy -Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders and the like -please let me know!

meggie said...

Your garden is lovely. That Passion flower is gorgeous.
I have done the book meme before & I usually have 4-6 books on the read at once.

Expat mum said...

Ah English gardens. Everyone here says mine looks lovely but nothing is flowering yet, and I know it pales in comparison to the 'real thing'.

Maggie May said...

Softinthehead..........Yeah......... It can be a bit wild in places ...... like me!

Girl with the mask ..... I would.

Chrystal & Robyn ...... that's kind of you to say.

Betsey ..... nice of you to come over.Thanks for your kind comment.

Aims ....... I think you'd better get in touch with David about the book. Mine was a present! I wish you could sit with me in my little garden.

Bina ..... My garden is extremely small. Clematus like to be planted deeply with a large stone or shelter over the roots. Heads in sun, tails under shade!

Lady thinker ..... thanks for the comment. Glad you like the cat.

Babaloo ... Glad you have identified the blue rock plant as Campanula.

Momma .... that's as close as I could get!

Thanks Cecily R, for popping over.

Jeni ........ about the book. Mine was a present and I don't think they are readily available in ordinary book stores. Get in touch with David, I should.

Meggie ......... glad you like my flowers. You DO read a lot!

Expatmum ......An English garden is an Englishman's castle. we like to have them secluded & private!

Salute said...

Lovely and I know that the garden bring you very relaxing moments...How swweet.

Irene said...

What a lovely garden you have, Maggie. I tried to grow campanula in California, but found the climate to dry for it and the ground to hard. You must have a very good time sitting and contemplating amongst all of your plants. I can just imagine you doing that and feeling peaceful.

Mima said...

Your garden is really lovely, and I totally agree that it should be a sanctuary from everyday life, and yours looks exactly like that!

I especially love the campanulas (now I am going to have spelt that wrong!) the colour is just gorgeous.

Liz Hinds said...

What a beautiful spot. I love your cat. He has a very ... um ... catlike face!

Dusty Spider said...

Love the pictures of your garden. I have places to sit in the garden too. I can move around to view whatever is looking best at the moment. This is a lovely time of year isn't it, so much in flower. Wonderful. Flick x

Maggie May said...

Thanks Mae.......

Nora ....... I should be digging instead!

Mima ..... Glad you like the companulas.

Liz ..... he is very much cat.

Flick ...... I have other seats too. Can follow the sun or the shade!

Gone Back South said...

Wow what a splendid garden. I bet it's a wonderful place for blog inspirations.

Skeeter said...

Hi! That's a great garden and quiet place. Thanks for stopping by my blog and saying "Hi!" Hope to see you there again. Thanks

david mcmahon said...

Oh, Maggie, I am so honoured that you picked my novel.

Thank you, too, for your kind words about the book.

Omykiss said...

Your garden is looking beautiful ... what fun with the book ... can i try?

I'm at work so .. let's see what my dictionary has on page 123. crab edible shellfish with ten legs, the first pair modified into pincers.

Ten legs! Wow!