juneSCENE IN OUR GARDEN

Spring in the Extension Garden

It appeared that the Master Gardeners had been busy back in their OWN flower beds!

(But then, it IS early.)

In spite of some obvious maintenance still to be done,

there was enough to catch my interest.

I think every year the delicate blue flowers of the Bugloss catches my eye...

and every year I fail to add it to our personal collection!

I have NO idea what the purple flower above is..

and below Bugloss from another angle.

When I got home, I went to our flower bed to see if our iris were blooming yet.

They weren't.

All in all, a pleasurable way to spend an almost perfect spring morning!

Finally...

Finally dry enough to pad about in the flower beds,

dig out some very huge dandelions,

and enjoy a few early spring blooms...

Forsythia

I've always wanted one...

A few years ago, a friend gave me a forsythia twig!

Finally, this year it was recognizable as an actual bush.

Imagine my delight!

Hodge Podge

A hodge-podge of photos showing results of one man's labor

on the 8th of March 2016.

Pre-Spring Cleaning

He took advantage of the mild morning temperatures to clean out the two front flower beds.

What a difference!

....and THIS one...

Gearing up for the NEXT phase....

Stay tuned.

Before and After

Before

After

In spite of the cold and pretty hefty winds,

my husband accomplished a major pruning feat this afternoon.

The burn pile bears witness!

Nothing

A February roadside scene on the way to the city.

Nothing.

No snow really.

Cold, but nothing else..

Garden motivation?

None.

Just dreams.

And vague ones they are.

Nothing more.

Outside In

They caught my eye last week while walking...

and I couldn't resist bringing the outside in.

Velvety to the touch,

it holds on to its secret and promise

with rugged tenacity.

Bed Rest

"Bed Rest" occurred to me as a great title for a blog post

one day while backing out of the driveway.

This morning I remembered the idea

(again while backing out of the driveway, I believe).

The upper 60 degree temperatures today

were the impetus to be sure these photos got taken!

Thanks to my husband,

we have now documented

the status of our flower beds at rest.

Clearly, our gardening skills are not up to par with

REAL gardeners!

And clearly we ran out of steam

before autumn chores were complete.

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony. William Henry Channing 1810-1884

Irises come in many forms, shapes, colors and sizes and the sword-like foliage is attractive when the plant is not in bloom. The genus Iris is a large genus of bulbous and rhizomatous perennials.

The Iris was named after the goddess of the rainbow because of its many colors.
A flower on the Sphinx is considered to be an Iris, and another appears on a bas-relief of the 18th Egyptian dynasty.
Pliny also knew the Iris and praised its medicinal virtues.
The Iris was also a favourite flower of the Moslems, who took it to Spain after their conquest in the 8th century.

Bought at a local plant sale, Spring of 2009 Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium; syn. Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Pers., Pyrethrum parthenium Sm.) is a traditional medicinal herb which is found in many old gardens, and is also occasionally grown for ornament. The plant grows into a small bush up to around 18 inches high, with citrus-scented leaves and is covered by flowers reminiscent of daisies. It spreads rapidly, and they will cover a wide area after a few years. It is also commonly seen in the literature by its synonyms, Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Bernh. and Pyrethrum parthenium (L.) Sm.

I'D PICK MORE DAISIES
If I could live my life again
I'd be a little lazy
I'd stop this rushing to and fro
And stop and pick more daisies
Through all the lovely summer months
Though days be clear or hazy
No more to fret over tasks undone,
I'd stop to pick a daisy
Not so important what I did
This fact time now discloses
While running through life's garden green
I'd stop to smell the roses
If I could hold my little ones
The children in my care
I'd scold them less and love them more
With so much love to share
If I could pass this way again
Though folks might think I'm crazy
I'd work and worry less, but I'd
Take time to pick a daisy
The rush of life has passed me by
Now I have leisure hours
But time has taken such a toll
It's too late to pick the flowers.

Mildred F. Rowe

MEASURE YOUR HEALTH...by your sympathy with morning and spring. If there is no response in you to the awakening of nature, if the prospect of an early morning walk does not banish sleep, if the warble of the first bluebird does not thrill you--know that the morning and the spring of your life are past. Thus may you feel your pulse. (Thoreau)

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on the trees and flowers and clouds and stars." (Martin Luther)

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

The soul of a child is the loveliest flower
That grows in the garden of God
It's climb is from weakness to knowledge and power,
To the sky from the clay to the clod.
To beauty and sweetness it grows under care
Neglected, 'tis ragged and wild.
'Tis a plant that is tender, but wondrously rare,
The sweet wistfull soul of a child.

Be tender, O Gardener, and give it it's share
Of moisture, of warmth and of light,
And let it not lack for th painstaking care
To protect it from frost and from blight.
A glad day will come when it's bloom shall unfold,
It will seem that an angel has smiled,
Reflecting a beauty and sweetness untold
In the sensitive soul of a child.

...Author Unknown

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord,
With flowers bright and fair;
And every one who seeks may pluck
A lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine,
And jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths
For every searcher there.

Thy Word is like a starry host:
A thousand rays of light
Are seen to guard the traveler,
And make his pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory,
Where soldiers may repair,
And find, for life's long battle-day,
All needful weapons there.

Oh, may I love Thy precious Word,
May I explore the mine,
May I its fragrant flowers glen,
May light upon me shine!
Oh, may I find my armor there!
Thy Word my trusty sword,
I'll learn to fight with every foe
The battle of the Lord.

(Edwin Hodder, Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord)