Photos, text and artwork are property of Vanessa Valencia. All rights reserved. If you would like to use any of my blog content/photos, please make sure you give me proper credit and link back to me. Content of this site may not be reproduced in any other manner without written permission. Simply contact me via e-mail. Thank you.
There are a few places where you might find me on these beautiful spring days...
But undoubtedly, all those places are most likely different nooks in the garden.
Painting outside, at the height of spring, is some kind of dream.
With roses and poppies unfurling at the speed of light, you simply do not want to miss a drop of time in the garden.
Bees and pollen and beautiful light are sure to be found in abundance.
But nothing can prepare you for the intoxicatingly glorious scent of the air.
Fragrant dizzying rose scent wafts about, only to be outdone by the ridiculously aromatic honeysuckle.
It's no wonder that I have been enticed to complete my giant flower painting outside.
If you think about it, the flowers are actually this big in bee land.
Imagine, how gigantic the insects must find all the blossoms?!
And so, because I can not fathom the idea of not being a part of the magical garden days...
I find the perfect spot at golden hour, when evening light is the best for painting in.
I grab a cup of peppermint tea and situate myself at the top of the hill, in front of the first blue arbor (as there are two), just above the citrus grove.
The mixture of Pierre de Ronsard and Pearly Gates roses are just blooming over the arbor, and I wished someone could just pinch me to remind me it's all real.
I am sure you feel the same way, when the roses start to bloom?
I inspect them, admiring the layers of petals in sheer disbelief and awe.
After all these years of gardening, you'd think I'd be used to them.
But no, every flush of blooms takes my breath away as though I had never seen them before.
Funny how that happens.
The lavender ones below are the most fragrant, completely knocking your socks off.
So, I set them by my side as I put the finishing touches on my painting.
Giant hydrangeas are my favorite to paint, I think.
Although, I do love painting bees...
Or perhaps it's the flicking of the pollen onto the canvas at the end that feels so dangerous and exciting?
Imagine, standing before a fully completed painting, and then flicking paint wildly at it.
How wonderfully exhilarating.
Good thing it all went okay :-)
I take breaks to visit the Collette's...
I sit to admire the neon pink paint brush wash potion, sitting next to exquisite petals.
The last glow of golden hour flickers through the trees...
Sending flashes of light through, to illuminate my painting here and there.
In truth, the painting was made for my sister, to hang above the bed she sleeps in when she visits me.
I love having her over, it's so much fun to have a sister that you enjoy.
We laugh and sing and speak with different accents.
Probably keeping certain accents going for too long, but we just continue as though we have morphed into different people.
We jump onto each other's nonsense bandwagon, different British accents flying around.
Then we turn up the music and sing.
Or we could be silently sitting in the conservatory, and I start humming a certain tune, and then we both begin belting out the tune together.
It's just a hoot.
We bake, we cook, we go shopping for books and plants and a new pool for Teddy.
I made her a custom Blythe doll.
Two grown women, washing doll hair in the sink, because it is our norm.
We stroll through the garden in the morning, watching poppies unfurl and admiring all the birds.
Cardinals chasing each other, and a mama hummingbird sitting on two eggs in a thimble sized nest.
I could go on and on about out tea parties and trimming hair and making elderflower cocktails.
But the best part is how she loves my dogs and wanted to spend time with Matisse (Matty) as he is entering the end of his journey.
It's heart wrenching to be certain, but then there is Teddy making us all laugh and insisting on sitting on your lap.
We let him get away with all manner of insanity and laugh about it.
It's where we are in life, when you arrive at the knowing place, of what matters and what doesn't.
Of what is important and what isn't.
My sister lost her dog of 16 years in 2020 when I lost Miles.
When you arrive at a certain age, with certain wisdom and life-happenings, everything looks different.
Everything matters, everything is more beautiful, everything is everything.
You understand life differently.
And so, you let a 90lb Teddy sit on your lap and smother you with love.
We took turns of course, but Teddy is enamored beyond compare with my sister.
They were attached the whole time.
Enjoying my garden and painting is my sanity, Matty is by my side today.
Every day counts more than ever right now.
That is the tale I have for you today, as I write from where the desert meets the forest.
I hope you are doing exceedingly well in your neck of the woods.
What I mean by that is, perhaps you are eating a cupcake under an apple tree.
Kick up your feet and prepare for the longest post ever, perhaps with a warm drink and a treat.
The last time we met, we had a wonderful snowfall for a couple of days in February.
It was becoming spring green all around with warmer days.
The apple trees began to bloom...
The arugula had beckoned the bees, and everything was happening just as it should.
Might I add that, allowing the arugula to flower at the end of winter as it does, is a wonderful way to get bees into your garden for the early fruit tree pollination.
The bonus is that it's a lovely treat to eat fresh arugula leaves and flowers on the coldest days.
February came to a lovely close...
And then, on the first day of March, things began to change rapidly.
The craziest wind barreled through, which made me fear the roof would be torn clear off of our country house.
A big storm was on the horizon.
It always snows here at least once in February, and March can be fickle for certain, with sun and wind and rain and cold gusts in no proper order -
But, we rarely have March snow.
And so began the incredible dreamland of white fluff on the first day of March.
The wind I mentioned above was roaring for a whole afternoon, evening and night, bringing us the winter storm.
We hunkered down at the country house because the chance of more snow always happens here.
(I call the country house, house 1)
But it did in fact snow at both house 1 and house 2.
At midnight the wind and rain stopped in one fell swoop and an incredible silence began.
That magical wonderful silence of snow falling.
At that wee hour I dressed up for the cold, with boots and gloves and snow coat and all, and I headed outside.
The sky had turned pink, and I spent two hours walking in the heavy falling snow.
Mesmerized by the stunning silence and pink snow sky that is as close to a living dream as I have ever experienced.
I had in fact experienced the pink night snow many years ago, and so I knew the importance of being out there in that 2 a.m. snow, when the sky turns pink, and the silence cocoons you in a way that is indescribable, unless you have lived it.
Which I am sure you have, if you live in a region where it snows.
I finally went to bed and woke up as the sun was starting to shine in the morning, on our winter wonderland.
We had nine inches of snow in some places, and it was astoundingly beautiful.
Teddy loved every single second of it.
Our entire country house property had become Narnia.
I ate snow off branches and walked around and around our garden paths.
I know people are always amazed that it snows in Arizona.
But we have huge mountains here, and the high elevations make for snowy areas.
Northern Arizona is an actual forest, and they get tons of snow and have ski resorts.
Arizona is a very interesting state, with cacti and forests meeting up here and there.
It's not all just barren desert, there are so many varied landscapes here.
That's why I always say that I live where the desert meets the forest.
On a ridge of the Santa Catalina mountains, with Mt. Lemmon way up there, but in perfect view from my garden.
The cottage is especially charming in the snow.
Matty stood around a lot just absorbing every second of it.
As soon as that morning sun came through the clouds, it all started to melt.
Which absolutely made it feel like a dream we had simply made up.
And so, whilst it was rapidly melting, I basked in the sights and sounds.
Admiring my little tree below, which is now gigantic...
Who I planted 22 years ago or so, from a tiny little bucket holiday tree.
My Christmas tree on my first Christmas at the country house, now standing so tall.
I love love love him so!
He lives right at the front gate, and watches over us all, gifting the most perfect pinecone zinnias, and keeping a look out on the goings on of the mountain.
Why is everything more beautiful with snow?
Mister Matty also had dental surgery after the snow and is cozy and healing well now<3
My little buildings of peeling paint are meant for the snow I think, don't you?
Delightful paths, with tufts of snow plunking on your head as it melts.
Becoming blindingly white in the sun.
And all the while, I wondered about the apple blossoms that had exploded open just a few days before the second snowstorm.
No sooner had I begun to fret, when I heard the comforting hum of bee wings in flight.
All my worries went right out the window.
Snow melted at the speed of light, revealing perfectly fine apple blossoms at house 2.
Turning their lovely pink to white as they do.
Unscathed, looking extra lovely from all the moisture of rain and snow.
And now, spring is officially springing up all around.
There is a soft rain happening now...
Poppies growing big and strong, snapdragons that have been blooming year-round are healthier than ever...
And all the bulb flowers are just beginning to bloom.
It is a lovely time in the garden.
When winter hands the torch to spring, not wanting to go, but knowing it should and must.
When apple blossom petals go from pink to white, to confetti on the garden floor.
Lemons and grapefruits are beyond plentiful, with limes and oranges all gobbled up.
And a couple of Fairytale pumpkins somehow weathered all the storms and are waiting to be roasted.
The birds are chirping, the pups are happy...
The girl is marveling at all the little green pushing up through the earth.
Once again, the warm sunshine is returning, with garden tea-times and reading in a cozy chair and big hat resuming.
Teddy is exploring everything, as he plunges deep into the super tall arugula, with flowers and bees and all!
In he goes and disappears instantly...
Only to explode out of the arugula, like a dolphin, seconds later.
I'm only lucky I was holding my camera right at that very moment.
Oh spring, you wonderful thing!
It's so gooooood to see you.
You hold such promise and joy in your basket of petals.
Making us all giddy, skipping instead of walking.
Dreaming, stretching our chilly limbs in the warm sunlight.
I know some of you are still in the snow and cold, but don't fret, the warmth will be there to you once again.
And it's the perfect time to start your seeds indoors and plan your garden happenings.
We are on the downward slope of winter and headed into a new season.
If your winter will linger, don't worry, I'll share my spring with you, until yours arrives.
Thank you for being here for this ridiculously long post.
How I long to get here more often, alas, life happens all around me and I'm jumping from carousel horse to carousel horse.
Going round and round.
So happy to write today, share my photos, and just say Hello to YOU!
I hope you are very well in your neck of the woods.
I would love to hear what you are up to, if you fancy sharing with me.
I hope to see you again soon.
Lots of love from that place where the desert meets the forest,
Vanessa
PS: Some lovely music I've been listening to whilst writing to you...
Hello, my name is Vanessa Valencia and I am an artist living in a lovely part of Arizona. I make all kinds of art, from painting to clay sculpting. I love tending my gardens and cuddling my dogs. This blog is about art, lifestyle, gardening, cooking, crafting & every single little magical thing in between ♥
