The kids and I have been having a great time on Grandma and Grandpa Mendenhall's farm in Oregon. Seeing all the old places where I grew up always brings back a lot of fond memories. This is the little river that we used to float down on inner tubes every summer.
Grass hay lies ripening in the sun, waiting to be bailed and hauled away. I have always loved the view from this lower field. The fir tree-lined ridges produce countless colors of green and blue depending on the time of day and type of light.
This is the view of the same ridges taken from the upper field, as I was walking down the lane between the house and the studio (which used to be the hay barn).
Little green pears are quietly maturing under the summer sun....
...and hydrangea blooms cluster together for glorious bouquets of icy blue and lavender.
Even the Queen Anne's Lace, typically considered a weed in these parts, is lovely. They remind me of snowflakes with their delicate white clusters of tiny flowers, and each blossom is entirely unique. Some are compact and convex, others are spidery and loosely organized.
My parents have a stunning arrangement of flowers and herbs in various planters and pots by their front door. I was especially drawn to Mom's herb pot, where sage, rue, basil, lemon thyme, and oregano coexist in a splendid array of scents, color, and texture.
The petunias and brilliant lobelia produce a riot of color that is just breathtaking.
My parents did a fabulous job of grouping the plant specimens, taking care to produce both harmony and contrast in each pot. I love the brilliant coleus leaves paired with the fuzzy pale green helichrysum.
I think this is a funky hybrid of fuschia, but I'm not positive. It is absolutely amazing how many lovely varieties of fuschias there are in the world.
One of my all-time favorite flowers is lavendar. A huge planter overflowing with this fragrant herb blows in the breeze in front of my parent's house.
It's especially lovely when contrasted with the cheery glow of California poppies.
Splendid violet clematis vines climb a post outside of my dad's studio (more on that later), popping with vibrant color.
My kids are jumping with joy at all the fun they're having here in Oregon, but the hour is late (or early, to be exact), the internet connection is slow (one of the drawbacks of living in a remote-ish place) and I have so much to share that I can't possibly fit this into one post. Besides, I still haven't even covered our trip to California for Steve's 20-year class reunion! So farewell for now, and stay tuned for the next installment of life on the family farm.
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