Peony therapy

On a rainy day like this it seems unreal that there has been so much light and so much colour only 3 months ago. Looking through these photos is actually an inexpensive and effective antidepressant - it's peony therapy.

Women's magazines often have features about flowers. This used to baffle me. I got why you would want to read about fashion, food or celebrities but why would one want to look at pictures of flowers? But now I know. It's one of those things that you don't get until you're ready to take it all in. Another thing I never understood: why do people move perennial flowers from one place to another. Now I know that too. I moved a group of moon lilies five times this summer (I'm trusting google translate with the botanical vocabulary, hope it's going ok).

These pictures are from the allotment gardens in Vallila. It is a densely built area of small summer houses each with their own little garden. There are several of these allotment gardens in Helsinki and they are open to the public during the daytime in the summer months.  The one in Vallila was built in the 1930's. There is a strict policy on building and renovating so the houses look pretty much as they did 80 years ago. There is one house which has been kept as a museum and it gives visitors a chance at a closer look.

Best though is to befriend a person who has a house there and have them invite you to dinner. I can thoroughly recommend this alternative.

Sometimes it feels like it's all too cute for comfort. But sometimes excess of a good thing is ok.