Aug 31, 2009

Kaupunkielämää - City life

Vietettyämme lähes neljän kuukauden kaikki viikonloput maalla, nyt oli aika jäädä kaupunkiin. Teimme sunnuntaina lasten kanssa pyöräretken Helsingin Viikkiin ja lopulta Lammassaareen. Tässä kuvakavalkadia, mukana muutama kasvikin :)

Since May we have stayed nearly all the weekends at the countryside, but now we spent the weekend in Helsinki. On Sunday we made a bicycle trip to Viikki and Lammassaari (Sheep Island). Here are some photos, flowers too :)


Dahlias, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Ensi pysäkki Viikin viljelypalstan reunassa. Daaliat pysättivät minut, auringonkukat hurmasivat perheen pienimmän. Meillä ei moneen vuoteen ole kasvanut kumpaakaan, olisi ehkä aika. Daaliat olivat nuorempana mielikasvejani.

First stop by the Viikki cultivation patches. The dahlias brought me to stop, the sunflowers charmed the youngest one. I haven't grown neither of them for years, maybe I should... I just adored dahlias when I was younger.



Frog, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Rantakalliolla pienen pieni sammakko pomppi reppuumme sisään kunnes jatkoi turvallisesti matkaa :)

On the bedrock a tiny frog jumped into our backpack until it jumped safely away :)


Bark boat, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Pojat tekivät kovaa kulkevan kaarnalaivan.

The boys made a fast bark boat.


Eastern Finncattle, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Kyytöt laitumella, taustalla siintää Helsingin keskusta.

Eastern Finncattle herding. The city centre on the background.



Canada Geese migrating, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Kanadanhanhet muuttavat.

Canada geese migrating.


Canada Geese and cows, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Kanadanhanhia mustanaan pellolla.

Canada geese on the field.


Duckboards, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Pyörät parkkiin ja pitkospuita pitkin Lammassaareen.

Walking on the duckboards towards the Sheep island.



fungi, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Sieniä matkalla, tuskinpa syötäviä :)

Mushrooms on the way, probably not suitable for eating.


on the rock, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Katinkultaa kalliolla.

"Cat's gold" (biotite) on the rock.




Cone curtain, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Lammassaaressa on paljon pieniä mökkejä. Tämä käpyverho ihastutti :)

There were lots of tiny cottages on the island. This cone curtain was lovely :)


Gate to the Sheep Island, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Uusien pitkospuiden päässä häämötti portti.

In the end of the new duckboards there was a gate.



Sheep in the forest, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Portin takana yllätys: lampaita. Lammassaaressa tietenkin :)

Behind the gate was a surprise: sheep. Well, it was called a sheep island :)


Summer cottage, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Pieni mökki, iso puu.

Small cottage, big tree.


Arabia, Helsinki, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Vastapäätä mökkiä, meren tuolla puolen on Arabia.

Opposite of the cottage, over the sea is Arabia.


Aster amellus, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Kotimatkalla pysähdyimme vielä lepotauolla Viikin Gardenian pihalla. Tässä muutamia ihanuuksia, kuten elokuunasteri.

On our way back home we had a break outside the tropical garden Gardenia. Here are some lovely flowers like this aster.


August in Helsinki, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Ihanat elokuun värit!

The lovely shades of August!


Globe thistle, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Echinops bannaticus

Sinipallo-ohdake

Globe thistle





Tämän ruusun luona oli nimikyltti Rosa floribunda 'Amber Queen', mutta eihän se voi ollakaan se koska tämä ei ole lähelläkään meripihkan väriä. Kaunis kylläkin :)

By this rose was a name label: Rosa floribunda 'Amber Queen', but it can't be, because the colour is not at all amber. It's beautiful though :)

Aug 29, 2009

Kuistilla - On the balcony




Crystal Palace Gem (1869) = "Palikaisten kartano"



Mårbacka

Tänä vuonna kuistille ei paljoa muuta mahtunutkaan kuin talvisäilössä muhevoituneet pelargonit. Keväällä ostin Annalan taimitorilta muutaman uuden lisää, kuten pitkään havittelemani valkoisen Mårbackan. Parvekelaatikoihin ostin riippapelargonit ja lumitähteä. Pelargonit on ihan mahtavan väriset, taidanpa yrittää niidenkin talvetusta, jos vain johonkin vielä mahtuu :)



This summer I only had pelargoniums on the balcony. They wintered surprisingly well again. I bought some new ones also, like the white Mårbacka, which has been on my wishlist for ages. I'm also going to try wintering the marvellously red climbing pelargoniums, if only there's some space left somewhere :)

End of August


Kesä alkaa olla ohitse ja taitaa olla aika palata koneen ääreen. Valokuvia on sadoittain odottamassa ja kynnenaluset yhä mustat :) Yritän tästä lähin kirjoittaa sekä suomeksi että englanniksi, koska lukijakuntaa on nyt kotimaassakin. Kiitos myös Huiskulalle blogikilpailuun pääsemisestä :)

Summer starts to be over and it might be the time to start blogging again. I've got hundreds of photos waiting :) Oh, I'll write both in Finnish and in English now, because there seem to be Finnish readers as well. Thanks to Huiskula for the blog award nomination :)

Jun 12, 2009

Papaver orientale


Papaver orientale, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

I'm going to spend some time with my flowers now. More photos later :)

My roses 6: Rosa pimpinellifolia 'Plena'


Finland's white rose, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Finnish midsummer rose. My Granny planted this about 50 years ago and it's just getting lovlier every year :)

On the road...


On the road..., originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Oh snail, where are you going? You are not going to eat my coleus' leaves, are you?

My roses 5: Rosa Pimpinellifolia 'Poppius'

Makes such a lovely couple with 'Linnanmäki'.

My roses 4: Rosa Pimpinellifolia 'Linnanmäki'

One of my loveliest roses. It has been found near the Linnanmäki amusement park in Helsinki. I've bought mine, though. It's two years old in the photo. Sadly it didn't like the wet weather much, so I didn't get a decent photo of it's flowers last summer...

My flowers 39: Iris sibirica


Iris sibirica, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

My flowers 38: Geranium phaeum


Geranium phaeum, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Has got tiny, dark flowers and spreads fast.

Midsummer...


Weeds?, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Probably the worst of my weeds has got many names: bishop's weed, ground-elder, snow-in-the-mountain.




Midsummer birch whisk, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.



These are not weeds at all. It's a lovely midsummer sauna birch whisk :)

My flowers 37: Primula denticulata


Primula denticulata, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Such a marvellous primrose...




Primula denticulata, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

My flowers 36: Primula vulgaris


Primroses, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

From T&M seeds. So beautiful!

My flowers 35: Primula


Primula, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Bought this lovely primrose from the flea market. I'm not sure if it is Primula Polyantha or Primula vulgaris...




Primula, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Bulbs: Tulipa x greigii "Red Riding Hood"

The foliage of these tulips is just stunning.






"But, grandmother, what big eyes you have," said Red Riding Hood.

Bulbs: Fritillaria meleagris


Fritillaria meleagris, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

I've got only two of them...

Bulbs: Narcissus


Morning sun, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

The old daffodils bath in morning sun.

My flowers 34: Hosta


Hosta flowers, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

I've got some different kind of hostas. Most of them I have bought from the local flea market and some of them I have swapped. Therefore I don't know most of the variety names. Here's one of them with a marvellous fresh green foliage, but the flowers aren't so dull looking either. I'll post a photo of the foliage later on.

My flowers 33: Hemerocallis fulva


Hemerocallis fulva, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Orange daylilies in August sunshine...




Hemerocallis fulva, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Jun 11, 2009

Is it as sharp as it looks like?

Yep, Miss Willmott's Ghost is even sharper than you thought. Ouch!

My flowers 32: Phlox paniculata


Phlox paniculata , originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

They are at least 35 year old :)

My flowers 31:Papaver oriental 'Coral Reef'


Poppy opens, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Poppy opens... or not. I bought the seeds couple of years ago from Thompson&Morgan. They were large enough to open last summer, but the constant rain rottened them before they opened. Maybe this year I'll be lucky enough to see the coral reef :)

Annuals: Lathyrus odoratus


Lathyrus odoratus, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

Sweet peas...

My flowers 30: Aquilegia vulgaris ´Woodside Strain´

Bought the seeds from Jelitto. Only one of them germinated, but the result was spectacular. Look at the foliage below! Sadly I haven't seen it anywhere this year...

My flowers 29: Campanula latifolia


Campanula latifolia, originally uploaded by Taiga the Fox.

These giant bellflowers and aquilegias are growing under the rose bushes.