Friday Fleurish: Bargain-villea Posy

I'm positive there's a little magic dust in our yard. Trees grow larger than usual and the garden constantly seeds itself, especially with mock oranges which spring up here, there and everywhere to my grateful delight. Every so often, it needs rather bold pruning to keep it at least one degree of separation away from a forest. For the last couple of days, we've bestowed its care to a lovely gardener who clearly knows his way around a hedge clipper and chain saw. He's tickled and carved things back ready for spring. This afternoon, I spied a small pile of fuchsia-coloured bougainvillea in the fresh clippings - just enough to tidy it, of course. This brings a touch of Francophile Friday to this post, because {according to Happy DIY Home, which also has marvellous tips for growing them} the bougainvillea was discovered in Brazil in 1768 by French botanist Philibert Commerçon who was accompanying French Navy admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville. French fingerprints seem to find their way everywhere! I salvaged its blooms and tucked them into a miniature ginger jar-inspired pot for a posy for your weekend that cost me nothing. The pot is only as tall as my pinkie, to give you an idea of how teensy it is... Happy Friday Fleurish to you!

 

27 comments

  1. "French fingerprints seem to find their way everywhere!" LMAO at this line.
    A lovely gardener, say you? Miam! Maybe he could be the subject for the next Friday Flourish? ;-)
    Until then, this painting will more than suffice.

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  2. shail2chouhan ~ hi - thank you!

    Cali ~ oh, now I've got myself in trouble. :) Should I have said he had a rake-ish charm rather than calling him 'lovely'? No, I'd be digging an even bigger hole for myself... {PS: drink some chamomilie tea and go to bed!}

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  3. I just like remembering that you are inching your way to Spring over there while we are still in the throes of summer hit. Nice.

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  4. Was your gardener wearing a shirt and did he look like Simon Baker? (Simon played a garden landscaper in Something New)

    The drawing is beautiful, as always. Have a gorgeous weekend, Shell!

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  5. Margaret ~ it's neat, isn't it! It's like early summer weather here at the moment - and it's still winter. Who'd want to be a weatherman!

    PCN ~ um, he did wear a shirt and he looks nothing like Simon Baker - but not unlike Javier Bardem. Not that I was paying any attention. ;) Thank you, and happy weekend to you, too!

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  6. Shell, please tell me how to have a garden like yours, that needs cutting back. I have a bougainvillea--two, actually. Everyone told me they grow like crazy, they're easy to grow, etc. Mine don't grow like crazy. They don't want to. They just don't care. And they were not bargain-villeas, either.

    If you can't tell me how to have a healthy garden, perhaps you can tell me how to have a gardener that looks like Simon Baker?

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  7. Petrea ~ My mum planted this garden and she kept it mulched and fertilised and regularly pruned. But since she moved out and we moved in, it's had a lot less TLC and still flourishes - hence the reason I think we have a bit of magic at work!

    As for the gardener - does Simon Baker live near Pasadena, I wonder? If you find him at a local surf beach, you could see if he'd like to freshen up his landscaping technique in your yard. If so, please promise you'll post a photo on Pasadena Daily Photo...

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  8. Sure, sure, I'll just give him a call.

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  9. Ah, what I wouldn't give to have my very own bougainvillea, or the need for a hunky gardener. I did press some in Greece and bring it back home (bougainvillea, not hunky gardeners). Well, you enjoy both, and I'll enjoy your very charming painting.

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  10. Petrea ~ hee hee - wait - are you kidding or not?!

    Alexa ~ LOL! Very sensible, too - a pressed gardener would be a lot harder to explain to customs.

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  11. I actually had a couple of lines on an episode of a TV series he starred in here. So in my checkered past, I have spoken to the man, briefly. But I didn't appear with him on screen and unfortunately I don't have his phone number.

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  12. Petrea, I think I just had a heart palpitation!! OMG, that would be The Guardian. Loved that show! I want them to play repeats here so I can catch your episode!

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  13. Dabney Coleman had a secretary in one episode, and that was me. I had about four lines.

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  14. Thank you ~ now I'll know when to look for you {and I will!}

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  15. You're sweet. That's what we call a "don't blinker!"

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  16. I'll apply some moisturising eye drops before each episode to be safe!

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  17. Nothing to add except I would LOVE to be able to make bouquets from my bougainvillea !
    But mine is in a pot, a big one but just a pot. It is feeezing here in Winter so I have to keep it indoor and this year, it simply decided not to bloom, leaves, leaves and only leaves !!!!!

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  18. Marylène ~ oh, my! Not to worry - maybe it just felt like a holiday this year. :)

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  19. oh, thank you very much shell sheree for droping love note on my blog...your paintings were also cute for me and i really love to see them everyday and I cant wait to see the latest one more and more everyday!

    keep up a good work!

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  20. Sometimes teensie is best. I do love bougainvillea and I do wish I had a gardener to do some pruning around my place. (Sigh)

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  21. MmeB ~ I wish you had a gardener too - I know you'd still be out there all the time, but it's nice to have the 'hard stuff' taken care of!

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  22. I love the vibrant colours of the bougainvillea - especially against a stone wall:) but oh those thorns - I would definitely need a gardener to keep mine in check.
    ~Dianne~

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  23. puddinglane ~ bougainvillea definitely needs heavy-duty gloves!

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