#orchard meadow

[haikuckuck]

[jaytoons7]

Bloodied Knife

Family Jewels Drabble! Aka: How Scottie got their scar in that AU

Warnings for violence and slight injury description

AU belongs to @smoresthehalloweenqueen

Rogue belongs to @smoresthehalloweenqueen and @mai-mai-lim

Stomping footprints could be heard clanging against the floor. Scottie could hear the voices of their friends begging them to stop, To not throw away their life like this. But they wouldn't, They couldn't. They refused to let the only family they had left get destroyed this way. They would make Henry rue the day he decided to even step foot on the airship.

Henry didn't even flinch when he heard the loud footsteps come closer. "STICKMIN, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!" Scottie yelled at the top of their lungs as they jumped up, Holding the sharpest butcher knife they had. "Maróidh mé thú féin!!!"

SLASH

A loud slash was heard as Jay, Ulle, and Eden finally caught up to Scottie. The butcher knife hit the floor with a clang as Scottie suddenly dropped to their hands and knees. There was now a large gash across Scottie's face, Blood dripping down steadily.

"SCOT!!" Ulle yelled in anguish. Henry looked down at Scottie in disgust. "You're just as fucking predictable as ever Anderson. Maybe if you weren't so weak you'd be an actual threat instead of just an angry chef with daddy issues."

Scottie just looked up at Henry with wide eyes, This was all too familiar to them. It was just like when they were stuck with... Henry looked at the horrified trio.

"Get them out of my sight, And let this be an example to you three to stay in line." Ulle and Eden quickly grabbed Scottie to take them to the medbay.

For a brief second, Jay's eyes glowed blue. He knew Henry couldn't be stopped in this state. All he could do now was be patient...

[widerhopf]

Europäische Gottesanbeterin (Mantis religiosa)

[fuzzypetal]

Enjoyed the beautiful green grounds surrounding Castle Alden-Biezen, 2023

[landschaftsmalerei]

Der Birnengarten, c. 1903 von Alfred Parsons (oil on canvas)

[aisling-saoirse]

Orcard Trail, Teetertown Park, NJ - September 21st 2024

[juliafromamsterdam]

[polycraftory]

Here we observe a wild Gabe in their natural habitat: in front of a large bookshelf telling you all about their favorite books from this year so far!

Featured in this video are: The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller, The Tithenai Chronicles by Foz Meadows, Witch King by Martha Wells, and Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher! Also an honorable mention for the Hollow Places also by T. Kingfisher. If you want to read Gabe's book reviews, you can check out their Storygraph account.

This video was too powerful to upload directly to Tumblr, so we've brought it over from Youtube so it'd still be play-able right here. If you'd rather watch on TikTok, click here!

[aisphotostuff]

Wild meadows, orchard @ Chartwell Kent by Adam Swaine Via Flickr: A wide variety of apple trees grow in the orchard, many of which are the same varieties that the Churchills would have also grown whilst living here at Chartwell. There's a selection of culinary, dessert, and crab apples including Bramley's Seedling, Kerry Pippin, John Downie, Newton Wonder, and Lord Derby.

[sanseterrer]

And the wind was sown by time

[bizarrelittlemew]

the gender euphoria of riding a lawn mower in my overalls and crop top listening to a mix of springsteen, the mountain goats, and a history podcast

[haikuckuck]

Streuobstwiese , September,25.

[jaytoons7]

OCs but Pony Town time!

The little plushies on Jay and Scottie's heads are Spot (Jay's puppy) and Basil (Scottie's cat)

[thorsenmark]

A Beautiful Day Under Blue Skies at the Peaks of Otter-Apple Orchard Area (Blue Ridge Parkway) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While walking around Abbott Lake in the Peaks of Otter-Apple Orchard area. The view is looking to the east to a nearby meadow and forest of trees with Flat Top Mountain as a backdrop. This is along the Blue Ridge Parkway. In composing this image, I went for more leveled-on view and wanted to include some blue skies above the mountain peak as I felt it was a color contrast to the earth-tones in the rest of the image.

[bethestaryouareradio]

Plant Poetry

“Once the relation between poetry and the soil is established in the mind, all growing things are endowed with more than material beauty.”  Elizabeth Lawrence

Have you ever wandered your garden and realized the growing landscape is poetry in motion? As you’ve read in my recent columns, I have been occupied with aggressive weeding on my land these past several months. Under the masses of foxtails, thistles, spurge, bindweed, black medic, pelargonium robertianum, hemlock, and wild grasses, fields of flowers awaited the sunshine. With only three garden rooms left in my quest to purge the pernicious invaders, my first round of weeding is almost at an end.

The plant poetry has begun. My orchard meadow is glorious with swaths of wildflowers, including golden poppies, sprouted seeds of calendula, nigella, seafoam statice, nasturtiums, blooming cornflowers, iris, geranium, roses, chamomile, lilies, acanthus, strawberry, bougainvillea, and more. My orchard is brimming with fruit trees that will ripen throughout the season. Apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, prunes, mulberries, apples, Asian Pears, elderberries, persimmons, pomegranates, guavas, loquats, figs, and vines of grapes provide edible delights for our household and the wildlife who frequent the meadow. I recently planted a banana tree and two avocadoes, keeping my fingers crossed that they will bear fruit in a few years. Footsteps away is my citrus grove with tangerines, oranges, tangelos, lemons, and cumquats. The hillside is a vibrant, pollinator paradise. 

Bees and bumblebees especially favor the blue nigella, buzzing from blossom to blossom, savoring the sweet nectar. Butterflies and birds flutter and fly through this heavenly fragrant celebration of color, scale, and texture. 

When I view photos from a month ago when this area was blanketed in suffocating weeds, I am grateful for the miracle of nature, this poetic painting abundant with stunning flowers.

The paths are filled with gravel and lined with recycled redwood planks rescued from a renewed deck, both a clever, sustainable, and frugal option. Like the balance of a colorful poem, this design is wild, yet civilized, celebrating the quirks of nature.

Another poetic surprise in my garden this week was the blooming of my cordyline, also known as the Ti plant. One day when I went out for my daily garden walk, iridescent shoots had sprung out of the top of this good-luck tree, glittering in the morning sun. It appears to change hues throughout the day and is impressive. 

I also harvested the first of my zucchini. This was exciting because last summer my plants were eaten by critters. This season I expect to enjoy plenty. 

Cascading over the raised bed in my vegetable garden, edible and tangy nasturtium in red, yellow, and orange shades reminds me of my Nonna’s garden.  Not to be outdone, my Bonica rose bush drapes over the mailbox with voluminous baby pink blooms flanked by fluorescent fuchsia corn flags creating a mesmerizing entrance.  

Each day promises something new and exciting. Plant poetry is indeed endowed with more than material beauty.

Cynthia Brian’s Goddess Gardener Guide for June

ü  It is time to remove the dried leaves from daffodils, naked ladies, woodland hyacinths, freesias, and other spring-blooming bulbs. A quick tug of the dried leaves is all you need to do. If you must pull hard, the leaves are not ready to be removed. I know they look unsightly in your garden, but if you remove the leaves before they have had the chance to provide nutrients to the bulb you won’t have any flowers next spring. Hang in there. You’ll thank me in a year!

ü  Apply snail bait to plants susceptible to snail and slug damage. They come out of hiding at night to nibble your new shoots and because of the rains are an abundant nuisance.

ü  Monitor water needs for your landscape. Water infrequently but deeply. Containers lose moisture more quickly and will need additional attention.

ü  Clean and arrange patio furniture, pads, and outdoor gear. With summer on the horizon, get prepared to party.

ü  Plant summer-blooming bulbs and scatter seeds to surprise you with their brilliance.

ü  If you haven’t finished cutting tall grass, clearing debris, maintaining a fuel break, and preparing for wildfires, do it this week. Be vigilant and a good neighbor!

ü  Deadhead rose blossoms as they fade to keep your bushes healthy and blooming until the end of the year. I have over 200 rose bushes and deadheading is a daily chore, albeit one that yields huge rewards. Wear protective gloves!

ü  Create a vibrant garden masterpiece in your backyard with prolonged performance perennials and annuals available at your favorite nursery.

ü  Celebrate graduations, birthdays, and more with a kaleidoscope of plant poetry.

For more gardening advice for all seasons, check out Growing with the Goddess Gardenerat https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 which was just honored as the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com. 

Her newest children’s picture book, Books in the Barnyard: Oh Deer!, from the series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures is available for discounted pre-sales at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store. Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com  

StarStyle® Empowerment is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

[landschaftsmalerei]

Der Obstgarten von Thomas Cooper Gotch (Öl auf Leinwand)