Sundials . . . !!

Remember the clocks made of flowers that we discussed earlier this week? Well, let's continue that theme with a brief chat about sundials. We all know a few basic sundial facts: sundials tell time using the sun, they're often seen in gardens, and they're a really old technology (in fact, Wikipedia tells us they've been used since 700BC). But, what I wanted to share is the work of an incredibly talented British dialist - David Harber.

I've been a fan of David Harber's amazing sundials, armillaries, and fountains since seeing his work in a garden magazine five or six years ago. Periodically I visit his website to drool over the sundials and see what fabulous new items he has created.

How lovely to be able to envision and make sundials and statuary that are so beautiful, traditional, and yet innovative? Perhaps in my next life I can be an artistic dialist like David Harber.

Or perhaps I will awake one morning to find one of these in my garden - perhaps an armillary like the one above that can be customized for an anniversary or other special occasion.

Or perhaps a moondial like the one below. I could sit beside it on summer nights and read appropriate books - for some reason The Hound of the Baskervilles comes to mind!

I hope you like David Harber's work as much as I do. These few photos are just the tip of the gnomon* so rush over to his website and prepare to be dazzled!


*The gnomon is the straight edge that creates the shadow

Going Down the Wrong Path . . .

Wouldn't you love to be on this path - even if it turned out to be the wrong path? Well, tonight I'm on a different path and so must make this very brief. I started a new work project today which is great, but I underestimated how quickly it would gather steam . . . so hopefully a better post tomorrow when I have time to really chat about sun dials.

Until then, check out some other dreamy garden paths at Veranda (just because the magazine's gone doesn't mean we can't still enjoy it online!).

Does Your Garden Have a Clock?

Most gardens do not have clocks - in fact, that may be one of the best things about gardens. How can you relax and enjoy the flowers and butterflies and birds if you're watching the clock? But, alas, we aren't always at leisure to spend all day lollygagging, so if you're thinking of adding a timepiece to your garden to keep you on schedule, you'll find some inspiration below!

The most famous floral clock is likely the one in Geneva (above & below) - no surprise there, as Swiss watches are the best it follows that the best floral timepiece would also be Swiss. The plantings are routinely changed as these photos show. I love the varying heights and the giant hands. The second hand is the largest in the world at 2.5 meters (for the metrically-impaired, like myself, that's over 8 feet)!

Melbourne, Australia also boasts a stunning floral clock in the Queen Victoria Gardens. Interestingly, the clock was donated to the city by a group of Swiss watchmakers in 1966.

The floral clock in Canada's Niagara Parks is (according to the Park website) photographed almost as often as the Falls! Plantings are changed twice a year and the background design is altered as well.

Finally, if you're interested in growing your own clock, the Missouri Botanical Garden gives you an inside look at how theirs was created.

I love the plants on the hands. Check out their Behind the Scenes site for step-by-step photos.

If an 8-12' clock doesn't fit into your garden plans, stop by tomorrow and we'll look at some fabulous sun dials! I'm off to wind my watch . . .

The Lost Weekend: Boots, Blackmail, & Drugs!

Well, I'm back from an unexpected hiatus - at least back for a short post. A few days ago I woke up with a horrible cold - not the normal kind of cold (shall we say common cold) that lets you get on with your normal life even though you're not feeling your best. No, this was a flu-like cold that just zapped all my energy, made my head feel hot and heavy, and left me feeling quite sorry for myself. You know how it is, if you're really sick you just deal with it, but when you're just a little sick it can really bring out your mopey side - or maybe that's just me . . .

So, in the end I took OTC medicine that contains a large dose of pseudoephedrine and while it relieved the stuffy-hot-head, three days of it really made me feel jittery and strange - which is where the blackmail comes in. I had this weird dream - twice - where this relative of a friend of a friend was an evil blackmailer. She was known as the Wedding Blackmailer because she recorded wedding guests making snarky comments about the bride/groom/wedding/reception and then make them pay large sums to keep quiet. Isn't that bizarre?

But, here was the good thing about the weekend:

I had just found this great bath foam at Target - it's from Boots, the British drug store. I didn't even know Target carried Boots - perhaps I should check out their cosmetic section more often. This is the best bubble bath; it's scented with Bergamot, Sage, and Lavender . . . heavenly! A hot tub filled with this is just the thing for a tiresome cold. Especially when combined with a great magazine:

Luckily the latest issue of BBC Homes and Antiques arrived last week! So there's always a bright spot - and perhaps the bright spot here is that even though I fell asleep in the tub, I didn't slide under the water . . . that might have resulted in a longer hiatus!

Check back tomorrow for something less self-indulgent ~ cough, cough. Hope your week is off to a great start!

Voltaire's Three Evils & Why I'm Not Blogging Today!

Obviously, to say you're not blogging in a blog post is a bit of an untruth . . . what I mean is that I don't have time to blog 'properly' or time for anything this weekend! So, what's this have to do with Voltaire? This quote explains my week and weekend:

Work banishes those three great evils, boredom, vice, and poverty. ~ Voltaire

I love this quote and try to think of it when I'm feeling overwhelmed with work (which, as we all know, does not have to be in the '9 to 5' category to eat up your time and your good humor!). I'll be back in blogland in a day or so.

Hope your weekend is filled with the opposite of boredom, vice, and poverty (after all, it is the Best of All Possible Worlds)!