Images & Words: Seasons

© Photo: Riihele. All rights reserved

This week’s theme on the IMAGES & WORDS is SEASONS and as our season right now is SUMMER, hence this photo taken a couple summers ago. Tis the season of no night and endless sunlight … Aaaah.

JANE AUSTEN quote with my photograph suit so well together, methinks.

Picture Perfect: Intricate

Riihele. All rights reserved

I wrote these lines summer last year about this picture:

It is the final showtime, showdown
for the flowers and plants
before the onset of autumn…
Nostalgic? Yes, very much so.

I am looking forward to autumn
but tis the winter, the winter,
that chills me right down to me blonde bones
and even blonder marrow!!

Hydrangea flowers tinged with yellow and pink, looking like
the most intricate lace, methinks.

Have a super weekend. Take great care of your great selves. 🙂

P.S.
The photo is totally untouched, so tis as it was…

FRAGILE …

© Riihele. All rights reserved

Beauty is a fragile gift.
Ovid

***********

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)

Commonly known as the Lily of the Valley or Lily-of-the-Valley, is the only species in the genus Convallaria in the flowering plant family Ruscaceae, formerly placed in the lily family Liliaceae or in its own family called Convallariaceae.

Lily of the Valley is highly poisonous, by the way; but very beautiful, methinks. I took a series of photos on the LoV last summer and this is one of them. Fragile, to me it says. This flower is the national flower of FInland.

LILIES …

Remember
that the most beautiful things
in the world are
the most useless;
peacocks and lilies
for instance.

John Ruskin (1819-1900)

The genus Lilium are herbaceous flowering plants normally growing from bulbs, comprising a genus of about 110 species in the lily family, Liliaceae. They are important as large showy flowering garden plants, and in literature. Some of the bulbs have been consumed by people. The species in this genus are the true lilies, while other plants with lily in the common name are related to other groups of plants.

Some facts about Lilies:

• Lilies are one of the most beautiful, and graceful of all summer-blooming flowers.
• Lilies belong to the Lilium genus consisting of less than 100 known species, occurring in all parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
• Lilies are believed to have been under cultivation longer than any other ornamental flower, having existed in gardens 3,000 years ago.
• Floral designs, particularly of Lilies, made their appearance and became very popular in the 18th dynasty of Egypt.

All Photos: Riihele. © All rights reserved.

The oil extracted from lilies has healing and softening properties. Especially, when the lily fragrance oil is mixed with that of Calendula aka Pot Marigold works wonderful for very sensitive skin. One can use this oil for massage, in a bath, after a bath, for babies, dry cuticles, and elbows, as a facial moisturizer, under-eye oil and hot-oil treatment.

Some of the lilies are edible even such as Lilium bulbiferous ’Orange lily’ — its bulbs are edible tasting sweet and mealy; these lilies make very fair eating and can be used as a substitute to potato!! Other lilies have medicinal properties such as Lilium candidum ’Madonna lily’ — its bulb is employed for medicinal purposes, having highly demulcent and also astringent properties.

Lilium henryi ’Henry’s lily’ or as it is also known Tiger lily relieve congestion, and the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and also, Lilium japonicum ’Krameri’ is nourishing and useful in diseases of the chest. Lilium martagon ’Martagon lily’ or as it is also called, ’Turk’s cap lily’ their bulb has diuretic, emmenagogue, emollient and expectorant properties. They are used to relieve heart diseases, pain in the cardiac region and angina pectoris.

Kingdom Plantae
Division Magnoliophyta
Class Liliopsida
Order Liliales
Family Liliaceae
Genus Lilium

Fun Flower Quizz in ere for ye.

Lilies on the menu today, for the weather is only miserable over here in Finland these past few days, being more autumn-like than spring,
I so need to think of the time when these bright yellow lilies were in full bloom in July last summer.
Although, the rain came down in buckets, it did not stop their cheerful and vibrant colours showing off at their best!

Do take good care and good cheer. Rii :))
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily
http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/lilies
http://www.thelilygarden.com/pages_lilies/asiatic_yellow_2.html
http://www.thelilygarden.com/
The Lily Garden is a most marvellous site for all things Lilies.

Coming or Going …

Our weather does not know whether it is coming or going presently; that is to say if the winter is finally at its end as in the photo underneath

or if the spring has finally sprung on us and staying?!! Every other day it is winter and then the next day it is spring; and so it goes round and round week after week this year!

© Photos Riihele. All rights reserved

FOUR SEASONS: AUTUMN

Tis for now. Riihele xx

© Photos: By Riihele. All rights reserved.

My Frame of Mind – Autumn 2007

© Photos: By Riihele. All rights reserved.

Last year around this time this was my entry with the Autumn 2006 Photos- collage of mine. I am on the recovery after the gallbladder operation so have not – yet – got this year’s autumnal pictures. Wait Finnish Nature, this Paparazzi Blonde is about to strike!!

This was the second ever autumn in me life that I have liked and actually looked forward to after a relatively good summer and toasty August BUT THE WINTER, the winter, is so l-o-o-o-n-g here and COLD! Says the Frozen Finn turning the oh-so-in fashion this year- again purple which is me favourite colour, of course – thinking positively ere now like, you know…

Michelin-man look is Go!!

In Ireland there is the rainy season and the not so rainy season and in Israel the weather is only roasting, toasting still. I have survived -44*C in Lapland so suppose I will survive the days of -30*C to come!!!

Keep warm – if You are living in temperate climes;

Keep cool – if You are living in hot climes!

Rii xx

Last of the Summer Flowers

It is the final showtime, showdown
for the flowers and plants
before the onset of autumn…

Hydrangea with a tinge of Yellow & Pink

All Pinky!

LACE & GREEN

STILL PINK

VIBRANT GREEN with WHITE LACE

Nostalgic? Yes, very much so. I am looking forward to autumn but tis the winter, the winter, that chills me right down to me blonde bones and even blonder marrow!!

Tis for now. Rii xx

© Photos: By Riihele. All rights reserved.

More of My Photos on Flickr are in this link.

Favourite Photos: BOUQUETS of ROSES

The large white SIGN states:

RUUSU (Finnish) = ROSE
PUNTTI (colloquial Finnish) = Bouquet
The deal is 8€ for 20 roses – rather a great deal, I must say!

Here is the Currency Calculator to see how much that is in your money.The yellow SIGN behind the Campanula isophylla ‘Mayi’– “Star of Bethlehem”- gives the price of 5€ for the each pot – this particular shot does not show it but I have others that do. The white Roses price is 5€ as well. I did not catch the exact name of these white roses.

I was on a quick visit to Helsinki – the capital city of Finland – in June and after I got the other necessary items done, I had the time to have a good look at the Market Square right at the harbour in the city centre.

”The busy Market Square, with its orange stalls, between the sea and the impressive row of historical buildings is the first view to catch the eye of the visitor arriving by sea. On one side of the bay is the South Harbour, on the other the Katajanokka headland.

Facing out to sea are Helsinki City Hall, the Swedish Embassy and the Presidential Palace. One notable feature of the Market is the old Market Hall on the south shore, the first of its kind in Finland and opened in 1889.” Says the Virtual Helsinki online site. The link has a Panoramic Tour of Helsinki – very snazzy!

 

Tis for now. Riihele xx

© Photos: By Riihele. All rights reserved.

GREAT WEEKEND TO YE ALL.

 

Flower Power: ROSES ARE WHITE…

Do let your sight & soul rest on these pure beauties…

Tis light,
bright,
white
entry
for now
from Rii xx

© Photos by Riihele. All rights reserved

Common Name: Floribunda rose
Genus: Rosa
Cultivar: ‘Iceberg’
Skill Level: Beginner
Exposure: Full sun
Hardiness: Hardy
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Clay/heavy, Moist
Height: 80cm
Spread: 65cm
Flowering period: July to October
Iceberg should be pruned from late winter to early spring.
Introduced: in 1958

Source for the above iNFO: BBC Gardening