Saturday, August 29, 2020

Leaves and Flowers


It's only August (well, OK, almost September) and I'm already finding autumn leaves lying around! Of course that bottom one is totally fake, but I thought it made an interesting contrast. I feel like there's something wrong with a world where we have factories churning out fake autumn leaves, when nature will make plenty of them for us -- and better.

Some of you expressed skepticism yesterday about my wearing gloves at work. What's the point when the gloves get dirty anyway and I'm just spreading contamination with my gloves rather than my hands? I understand those questions, believe me. I think the idea is, the gloves protect books from my own germs. I then wash my gloved hands with soap and water between tasks (or sanitize them), to remove whatever contamination they may have picked up from other surfaces. It's not a perfect system, but it's what we've promised people.



Despite hints of coming autumn -- it's a cloudy 55ยบ F this morning -- we do still have some flowers blooming in the garden. Some of the dahlias are still plugging away.


I'm not 100 percent sure what this is. It looks like a purple nicotiana -- maybe a dwarf variety, because it's only about six inches tall. I found two of these discarded on the sidewalk while I was out walking Olga. Someone had recently pulled them up and thrown them over their garden wall. I thought they might be weeds but they looked unusual, so I brought them home and stuck them in some soil, and this is what they've turned into. Hopefully they're not man-eating carnivorous triffids!


And finally, this is our newest orchid. We've never seen this one bloom before. I also retrieved it from some street trash several months ago. I love its dark purple-red color.

We have a three-day weekend here in England -- Monday is a bank holiday. Dave and I aren't doing anything special, but maybe I can get a good walk in or something. I also really want to finish the book I'm currently reading, "The Likeness," which I'm enjoying but feel like I've been reading forever. It's good to have goals, however modest!

17 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Why stop at gloves and face mask? You should go the whole hog and wear a spacesuit when working in the library. After all don't the little darlings at The American School deserve that? If you go for an urban ramble this weekend, you will probably spot a discarded spacesuit in a skip (American: dumpster).

Frances said...

Don't you do well with your random plant finds? Beautiful orchid. Of my 10 orchids I only have one single flower at the moment, though another one will be flowering shortly. Do you feed them? What with? I probably should feed mine and might get some more flower stalks!

Anonymous said...

I tried to find out but I've no idea why you have a bank holiday this Monday.

Ursula said...

Well, to the sceptics, wearing gloves you won't leave fingerprints. I know this because I am currently watching some Finnish crime noir the starring role blue latex gloves.

Last December, before Corona was but a distant future, I bought some leather gloves. Love at first sight. Yellow with a hint of orange. I am partial to yellow. Sunflowers, the child within me. The inspiration inspired, the practicality not so much. On putting them on again, back home, I was transported into the kitchen, doing the washing up with my Marigolds. Can one dye leather? Say, purple.

U

Edna B said...

Your flowers are beautiful. You do have a magical gift when it comes to pampering and restoring plants. You're sort like a plant whisperer. (that's a compliment) You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Your treasures ... and flowers ... from street trash make me want to start scouring the street myself. I got the thinking on the gloves for you.

37paddington said...

love the red color of that orchid. enjoy your slow weekend.

Red said...

Covid has certainly changed long week end activities.

Ms. Moon said...

The orchid is one of the prettiest I've ever seen.
I'm finally reading "A Land Remembered" which is supposedly THE book of fiction to read about Florida and its history from 1858 to 1968. I'd started it several times and the writing was rather dreadful. IS rather dreadful. And I've never been able to not compare it to Marjorie Kinnan Rawling's works which it does not begin to compare with. BUT I'm slogging through it and it has given me an insight on the wild cattle and droving going on back in the late 1800's. So there is that.
Why have I just written a book report?
No idea.
Enjoy your three day weekend.

ellen abbott said...

Steve the plant whisperer strikes again. that is a beautiful orchid. seems I remember when you first moved into that place you were a little annoyed with Dave because he kept buying stuff to plant in the garden.

Linda Sue said...

sorry to sound so bossy about the gloves, I understand the rational now, thank you. Have a lovely week end, probably one of the last before you are into the school year full swing! Autumn leaves already...here we go! Stay well!

Catalyst said...

I've only worn gloves once and I did not like the feeling of them. Plus I rarely go into stores or see people so I guess it's okay. I still take my mask, though, and wear it whenever I'm going where I come into contact with people. New reality, new normal, new rules. Last night I dreamt about the good old days and actually shopping in stores.

Sharon said...

I've wondered about the gloves too. However, I wonder even more about the thin plastic that stores have put over the key pad on the credit card machines. I'm not sure what good it does. I'm touching the plastic right after all the people ahead of me have touched it. I can't see that it protects anything except the key pad itself and it won't get sick.
The flowers are looking good still and that orchid is very impressive.

Michael said...

Enjoy your long weekend. Your flowers are always so nice to view.

Anonymous said...

Love that fake autumn leaf. Nicely done.
Beautiful flowers there at summer's end.
Enjoy your three-day weekend.

Steve Reed said...

YP: It may come to that!

Frances: We bought some orchid food in a small bottle but I've only given it to them once or twice. We usually just water them once a week and keep them on a windowsill that gets filtered morning sun or bright indirect light. I repotted some of them using orchid bark, but they seem happiest when they stay in the containers they were grown in.

Andrew: I don't think it has any special significance, other than "farewell to summer."

Ursula: Blue latex -- that's what I'm wearing! It makes me feel very surgical. I can see how yellow gloves would bring memories of soap suds.

Edna: I will indeed take that as a compliment -- thanks! :)

Mitchell: It's AMAZING what people throw away!

37P: Isn't it an interesting color? I love it when I find an orchid with no flowers and coax it to bloom. I never know what I'm going to get!

Red: Covid has changed everything!

Ms Moon: I just looked up "A Land Remembered." I can't believe I have NEVER HEARD of this book. You'll have to tell me what you think when you've finished it. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle a badly written tome, even if it's about my beloved home state.

Ellen: I've learned that we really CAN find space for almost anything!

Linda Sue: No, it's a good question! I always think gloves are sort of stupid myself. But there is a rationale behind wearing them.

Catalyst: Yeah, I hate the way the gloves feel. My hands always feel so compressed.

Sharon: Maybe that plastic is just easier to clean more thoroughly than a keypad?

Michael: Thank you! They definitely keep my spirits up in these crazy times.

Robin: The real leaf looks so much better, though, doesn't it?!

The Bug said...

I would not be at ALL surprised if you ended up with Triffids!