Who are you?

Squirrels have developed a bizarre appetite for certain compounds not found in nature. Fiberglass, which is used to create molded decorative elements impervious to weather, has become one of their favorite fast foods. I don't know if the squirrels die after such a diet, but the lovely statue of Budha, a gift to the garden by Cristina and Freddy de Castro, succumbed under the rodents' newfangled passion. After disposing of what was left of Budha, the space where he had stood for several years looked desolate but the idea of replacing him with just any old pot was unthinkable. On a shopping foray at Ross [dress for less, uhuh] I spied this blue, perfectly coiffed and bejweled entity. He smiled at me from high atop a shelf. I reached to touch him and realized he was pottery... squirrel-proof though most probably not frost-proof. Love at first sight. I looked up the price - since our trip to China I've been rather thrifty- oh baby, the price was right. He came home with me. Again there is a focal point on that crucial axis. He is not cobalt blue like everything else at Furball Cottage. Instead he is a turquoise color that brightens up the shady spot. As I'm a crazy lover of turquoise jewelry, this was a double mitzvah. Now I'd like to ask... who are you? What deity do you represent? Are you a young Gautama? Were you copied from some ancient temple in India? Will I ever discover your identity? Or are you just a melange of symbols made in China to feed the insatiable hunger for consumer goods of the American public?

How Sweet is This?

The ladies from the National Cathedral Flower Guild charmed us all at the Harvest Festival celebrated this Saturday at the magnificent Methodist Church in Haddonfield. In the morning they gave us a demonstration on how to do fabulous church flowers in what seemed no time at all. In one and a half hours they made four enormous designs plus three smaller ones. What talent! After lunch there was a hands-on workshop where we made these adorable topiaries. Although the plant material was the same, no two came out the same. And that, in a nutshell, is the joy of flowers.

AD MAJOREM GLORIA DEI

What could be more rewarding than giving flowers to the glory of God? After all, He is the creator of all our wealth. All we're doing is giving it back to HIM. Everything but the little gourds in this arrangement and its twin came from the gardens at Furball Cottage and went to adorn the sanctuary at Saint Matthew Lutheran Church in Moorestown. Let us give thanks for the bounty His generosity has bestowed upon us. All Glory to Him now and forever. Amen.

ON FIRE!

Fall arrived in all its glory. The fire bush [euonymus alata] looked magnificent. Call the firemen, my garden is on fire! Well, that was exactly one year ago. This year the drought has destroyed its beauty, branches have cracked and several of its neighbors, including a spectacular cryptomeria japonica which will have to be cut down. I'll have to enjoy pictures from years past because this summer was a bummer.