What's Bloomin: Wild Honeysuckle

This is the wild honeysuckle i wrote about here that i collected from the cottage at Cape Cod

It smells like Heaven...a similar scent to jasmine or lilies

I love this vine....

Bees, butterflies and hummers love it too!

What's Bloomin! ~ Rosa Rugusa

When my girls were small, my husband and i used to take them to Cape Cod every Summer and stay at a little cottage owned by my boss and friend, June. The cottage was in Eastham, near the bay, and we loved it there very much.

It was surrounded by these little wild rose bushes and honeysuckle, and it always looked so pretty and smelled so nice there. On one of our last stays there, my boss told me if i wanted to take some of the roses and honeysuckle, to go ahead because she was having the cottage re done, and the thorny bushes and honeysuckle draped all over the little house would be removed.

So, just before we left for the year, i dug up a little piece of the rose bush and the honeysuckle, and transplanted it here. It has thrived here ever since

(the honeysuckle should be bloomin soon too!)

That was over 20 years ago....

Time flies.....

Visitor in the Shade Garden

I stepped out for a moment and was enjoying my morning coffee on the deck this morning, and brought my camera along to get some pictures of the shade garden's progress....

The statue of Mary that belonged to my Aunt Joey is now encircled with honeysuckle blooms. The hummingbirds just love this stuff!

And the columbine is still blooming in places

here's a closer view of the soft pink and cream flowers... But then i noticed some movement under the hosta along the border of the garden....

and out popped this little guy! He is a constant visitor to the shade garden bird feeders.

He does what he can to keep the seeds from piling up on the mulched garden floor back there.He certainly looks healthy enough with that beautiful glossy coat and those bright shiny eyes!

And look at him pack those seeds into the pouches in his cheeks! He reminds me of the little hamsters i used to have and love so much as a girl....

I love that these little ones can find food and security on my little piece of land here.