February's magic is all around.
The early apple trees have blossomed and taken our breath away.
I have a mixture of Dorsett Golden apple trees and Anna apple trees, as they work together for best pollination.
These trees are also meant for a warmer climate, so that is how I am able to have apple trees in the high desert.
They also are ready for picking in the summer and not autumn, which makes for the nicest summer treat.
I love seeing the bees go wild with excitement, they hardly sit still in their frenzy.
The weather has been sublime, sunny in the 60's and 70's.
But there has also been quite a lot of rain, which has turned the garden into a cottagecore dream.
I wish it would stay like this all year, that would be the most unreal thing.
With such perfect weather, what better to do than...
Pack a basket of crafts, treats and stories to read.
With a big huge quilt under one of the apple trees, exactly where we need to be.
Bluest skies and decadent breeze, with my Theodore Laurence.
An afternoon made for the memory books.
Looking up at the clouds and the trees...
Birds, blossoms and the humming of bee wings.
Teddy and me, delighted beyond measure.
Tin of sewing notions...
Bluest blue imaginable.
Time to sip and nibble.
We chose the absolute most perfectest day to have a picnic together.
Teddy adored the quilt and rolled around, stopping to nap and slowly opening one eye to watch a huge hawk fly right above us.
I just gaze up at the beauty of the blossoms.
How can they be so beautiful?
I choose a little book to page through and read.
Garden sounds almost lull me to sleep.
Teddy's coziness is contagious.
We enjoyed a couple of hours in the sunshine, and then the most unexpected thing happened.
I looked around at all the poppies that self-seeded from last year and thought about watering them.
It had been so rainy, that wildflowers popped up everywhere.
No sooner had I thought about their need for water, when grey clouds rolled in.
The clouds added a wonderful moodiness to our picnic.
I started to pack up my little tid-bits in my favorite tin from my sister.
She gave it to me a few years ago...
And I decided to paint it into one of my paintings.
I finished this painting a while back, but I brought it out to add some details in the sun.
I giggled when I realized I had the tin with me too, and so I took a photo of them together.
We were feeling ready to pack up our picnic when a huge clap of thunder roared.
Perfect timing, as we were just about to go inside.
The air changed as the giant clouds seemed to drop lower, to where you could almost touch them.
The change in the weather changed the entire mood of the garden.
It too was magical in its own way.
The bees worked feverishly, knowing that they would have to take cover soon.
I snapped one last photo of another apple tree as we walked out of the garden.
As soon as we went inside it started raining torrentially.
How could our timing have been so perfect?
So much rain came down that the wildflowers seem to have doubled in size overnight.
February has been such a full month for me.
My sister came to visit for a couple of weeks, which I always look forward to.
We have such a wonderful time together and Teddy is crazy about her.
We do all sorts of things and spend time at both houses.
We watch Teddy run at the speed of light around the country house garden paths.
Teddy insists on sitting on my sister's lap whilst she is embroidering.
We do dollhouse projects and bake lovely things.
I loved taking this month to refuel after the holidays and enjoy so much time with my sister.
Now spring is beckoning us into the garden at first light.
Every morning I am eager to jump out of bed and go out to see what new things have happened.
I put in many many hours of garden work this month as well.
I must have made 8 gigantic piles of brush from last summer and autumn.
Did a huge clear out and pruned all of the roses.
I am ready for what is to come and swoon when I see little tiny clusters of leaves start to pop out of rose canes.
The loveliest of days are embracing us, I am so grateful.
I wonder how you are in your neck of the woods?
Do you have snow?
It did not snow here in February as it usually does.
Although last year it snowed on March 1st and melted the next day.
The apple trees had bloomed but handled the snow like nothing had ever happened.
Here is a link to that snow last year.
It was just amazing, and of course, our dear Matty was still with us.
Ah life, such a strange little place.
I am off to plant a few seeds today.
I am starting my tomatoes and pumpkins inside the house, as well as popping a few others right into the garden.
I hope to see you very soon!
Thank you for visiting us where the desert meets the forest.
All my best.
Love, Vanessa
I'll leave you with a little video on YouTube of Teddy and me in the garden.
ps: This is what I listened to whilst writing this post.
