Thursday, July 21, 2011

The enchantment of the butterflies

Sunshine, shade, fruits, flowers, leaves; myriads of petals, feathers, birds and buttercups… all of my senses are aroused.

I love the feel in the air, the syrupy smell around the honeysuckle vine, the colors to behold and the sounds of summer winds, reminding me that this is where my heart lives...

It feels like a dream... it feels as if I’m walking on green lush seas and cotton candy clouds. But of course, that’s just because it is summer around here. And I've been enchanted by summer an eternity ago.

So here I am sitting on my porch on a perfect summer day thinking how this time of year reminds me of sea-foam blues... blues and yellows softened with a tinting of pink. Can seasons be associated with textile? Or how textile feel, or maybe with a taste, like the taste of ripe strawberries and guavas and mangoes? Oh I think so!

One is always embraced by a warm, magical feeling whenever out here. And oh how I want those happy days of frolicking in the garden to never never never end! And now is the time of the Buddleias; the season of enchanting purple profusion when the Butterfly bushes have waken up, and the air is sweet with fragrances and twinkling gems... or is it more like butterflies?

Ah yes, with the butterfly bushes the butterflies have arrived! Even their names are lovely: Swallowtail, Sleepy Orange, Dainty Sulphur, Tailed Copper, Fritillaries and Fairies. Doesn’t it sound dreamy? Pure enchantment... like fairies fluttering in the breezes—those butterflies!

Perhaps you have seen the myriads of small, yellow butterflies that have been quite abundant the past few weeks. They're everywhere in my garden. I think this Swallowtail lives here year around.
I must have charmed her with my charm bracelet... isn’t it pretty! At least that’s what I’d like to think...
Goodness me, I need a new spell! “Twisted trees, whistling leaves and ugly hands... bring a gardener my way! SOON!” Phew! Look at those hands!

Ah yes, I need a gardener who would do all the dirty chores in my garden for me. Do you do your gardening with or without gloves? Whenever I’m in the garden I don’t care about beauty at all... I just don’t! So I practically go out devoid of protection from the sun, and that means few clothe, no sunscreen for wrinkles, not even a hat! And gloves? It’s amazing how much more reliable my actions are without gloves. And I don’t worry about scratches, about soil under my fingertips, about thorns, and that broaden my movements and my capacity to love the earth...

At the end of the day my hands are a total mess; schafed and scratched, and few more wrinkles are added to my skin, but my wild heart is always fully content. ;)

May you all have a day filled with laughter and sunshine my sweet friends!

24 comments:

  1. This is a gorgeous and enchanting post, Cielo! I wish you would come visit me sometime!

    xoxoxo,
    Ricki Jill

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  2. You truly have a magical garden! Love the butterfly photos! I am lucky enough to have a gardener to do the dirty work...and I pay him in home cooked meals and kisses...wink!
    Best Wishes and Blessings,
    Amanda

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  3. Your photos are so lovely. How did you get the butterfly to stand still while snapping photos? That was unreal!
    I am about 50/50 with gloves on or off while gardening. I hate my nails and cuticles after pulling weeds and gardening, but on the flip side, there is nothing like holding handfuls of Mother Earth in your bare hands.

    Contentment for sure, Cielo.
    xx
    Alison

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  4. Còmo disfrutas querida Cielo!!! me encanta!!!
    yo no puedo usar guantes, son una molestia y tampoco bloqueadores ni cremas especiales ni sombreros (bueno, a veces) y mis manos están àsperas y llenas de rasguños y en estos momentos con litre porque los estuve podando y hasta la cara me pica... jaja!!!
    cariños

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  5. I can't believe the beautiful photos you got of the butterfly. I live for the moment I can catch a butterfly in a photo.

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  6. Good Morning Cielo,
    What an enchanting post. It made me want to close my eyes and picture my gardens looking as wonderful as yours. I love the photo's of your hands with the butterfly. Your hands have a lot of character and they show that you're not afraid to work hard with them. There is beauty in that. Enjoy your day and your garden!
    Maura :)

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  7. What a beautiful post. The butterfly just coming to sit there is amazing. Wonderful photo's.

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  8. Gorgeous photos, I am the same as you in the garden. I usually start with gloves but they get thrown by the wayside after about 15 minutes. Smiles. have a great weekend.

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  9. Rigtig gode billeder.
    Jeg kan godt li` sommerfuglen. Den er så flot.
    Tak for kiget.

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  10. Dear Cielo,

    Your garden looks beautiful! So special to have a butterfly touching you! You know what they say about butterflies.....Maybe it's someone dear you have known from the past.

    I had one sitting on my head recently :-)! Such a funny feeling.

    Wish you a happy weekend.

    Lieve groet, Madelief x

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  11. You are so lucky !
    They just blessed you ,because butterflies are Angels!
    Love,
    Claudia

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  12. Hi Cielo... you photos are just stunning... I too love butterflies and especially when they light on my hand... I am like you, I never wear gloves in the garden... I love the feel of moist soil on my hands and the smell of the earth... my nails are short and I am not fussy about how I look in the garden, I am too busy taking in all the beauty Nature has to offer... Butterfly kisses to you... xoxo Julie Marie

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  13. How amazing, you are a butterfly charmer! I understand about the gloves, I always end up pulling mine off as well and getting my arms scratched up and look like I got in a fight with a wild cat!

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  14. What a beautiful post. You have enchanted me once again! Your gardens are just perfect...perfect for you..and I, too, love digging in the earth. xo Diana

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  15. Ola cielo que lindo tu jardin ,somos iguale en ese sentido yo no uso guantes cuando estoy en mi jardin no sombr4eo meto mis manos en la tierra pero abese ahy que tener cuidado con los insectos aqui en Florida no tanto pero en California ahy muchchas aranas benenosa y existe la viuda negra que yo repeto mucho
    pero ya no tengo que preocuparme ya estoy en mi querida Florida
    me encanta tu angel entre rosas yo estoy esperando que las mia grescan ya que yo las traje de California ya estan retonando bueno recibes muchas bendiciones
    y difruta tu precioso jardin
    Dios te cuide amiga.

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  16. What a beautiful gift you received! Such a gorgeous butterfly who trusted you so much. We often see swallowtails around our yard - they are intoxicated with the butterfly bush that we planted just for them. Thank you for sharing!

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  17. oh my gosh. I just love butterflies. We dont see the swallowtail here in the UK. She loved you. I always thing of fairies and angels when I see butterflies. I just adore that song on your blog. Hugs Sara

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  18. What a really lovely post and such gorgeous pictures too of your pretty garden. I have a fondness for Butterfly's, there are many here at the moment on the Bhudlia bush.

    Love the song to your blog.

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  19. CIELITO QUE LAS MARIPOCITAS BESEN TU HERMOZA CABELLERA,DISFRUTALAS SON BELLAS...BENDICIONES...SANDRA

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  20. I love your blog...everytime I visit,I leave feeling wonderful! Thank you for the walk in your rose garden and your beautiful butterflies! A beautiful place to rest!
    Blessings My Friend,

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  21. Hello Cielo,
    I am enchanted by all the butterflies, bees and birds in my garden - they float, buzz and sing the beauty of summer! Lovely, lovely post!
    Hope you have a marvelous week,
    Kathy

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  22. Carissima, Cielo, ho appena visitato il tuo nuovo aggiornamento; come sempre mi
    perdo nell'estasi delle tue immagini.
    Ma sei forse una fata? Ti chiedo questo perchè non conosco nessuna come te.
    Sto prendendo spunto dalle tue foto per abbellire la mia nuova casa; essico le
    rose, le ortensie e mi sembra che l'ambiente diventi sempre più gradevole e
    roanticamente retrò.
    La mia casa è in stile liberty, magari potessi acquistare anche una lampada
    Tiffany....sarebbe perfetta!
    Intanto rubo tante idee dalle tue immagini.
    Si, penso proprio tu sia una fata. Grazie della tua gentilezza, se magari mi
    puoi dare qualche consiglio per la mia casa...
    Adoro il tuo stile e poi come ti ho già detto la volta scorsa adoro la tua
    meravigliosa cascata di capelli. Ma come fai ad averli così splendenti.
    Spero di non essere inopportuna.
    Grazie della gentilezza. Antonia


    Dear Cielo, just I visited the yours new updating; like always I lose myself in the ecstasy of your images. But you are perhaps a fairy? I wonder this because I do not know no like you. I am taking cue from your photograph to embellish the mine new house; I dry the roses, the
    hydrangeas and seems myself that the environment you become more agreeable and roanticamente retrò. My house is in art nouveau style, even if was able to gain also a light Tiffany. ...sarebbe perfect! Meanwhile I steal much ideas from your images. Itself, I think actual you are a fairy.
    Thanks of your courtesy, if even if you can give me some advice for my house... I adore your style and then like you already I said the past time I adore the yours wonderful waterfall of hair. But how you do to have them so shining. It hope to is not untimely. Thanks of the courtesy.
    Antonia

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  23. The butterfly is indeed wonderful..who knows maybe you did charm her with your bracelet. I don't most of the time use anything in the garden cause it just don't feel rite to touch everything with cover hands... I love to feel everything as well...your garden is indeed wonderfully beautiful...I can't wait till my garden is finish and divine as yours...I have set tiny fairy about... and today I will bring home two wrought iron pieces to hold my sugar snap peas tiny vines...

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