Thursday, June 27, 2013

Guilt Trip


It's hard to believe that I found this weed/flower so offensive
that I spent a good part of the spring
pulling it out of my garden

It seeds itself here and there
and everywhere


And I discovered that once it takes hold
it shades out any nearby perennials

A few managed
to avoid my
pull-happy fingers


The remaining plants set out
on a mission,
sending up the few flowers left,
to make me see
how badly I had misjudged them

Beacons of their Beauty



While wandering around my all-green garden
looking for something to photograph


I was stopped by the soothing sight
of their lilac hues


Each shift in light encouraged a different shade of mauve
from their delicate petals

Their beauty sent me on a downward spiralling guilt trip
for all the plants that would not flower this year
because of me



These photos capture the happiness they gave me
and I made a fresh vow to be less pull-happy next spring :)


Monday, June 24, 2013

Sly As A Fox


Oh Foxglove
You make a fool out of me every year


I smartly plant you at the back of my perennial garden

Where you languish and *fake* die


I search through my gardening books
trying to find
what I'm doing
wrong


Next year
there you are
appearing in the front of the border
where you tower over the
other plants


When I raise my finger in your direction
to issue a stern reprimand


You lower your head
sorrowfully,
eyes filled with tears


You know your way
around my rules
around my garden
around my heart



Friday, June 21, 2013

Transformation


You rise from the grass
on tall slender stems


Decorating the borders of my pond
with your carefully wrapped secrets


I could never imagine,


From what you present
to the outside world,


The beauty you hide inside


Like a mirage
you transform before my eyes

Looking back,


It was all there for me to see,
the blueprint
of your beauty


In full bloom
I can barely remember
your previous form





That's the power of
Transformation


Siberian Iris

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

When Times Are Dark



When times are dark
When illness strikes
Our spirits falter
And fears collide

I look to my garden
Continuing on without me
As if I don't matter at all

But that's not it
It continues on
Shining its light
To show me the way
Out of the dark



One of my daughters
A beacon of laughter and light
Has been diagnosed with leukaemia

We are devastated and frightened
But gather round her
With hope and love
With science and faith
And a magical lamp
Provided by my garden
To show me a way
Out of the dark

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Razzle Dazzle 'Em


When nature puts on a show
She holds nothing back


The curtains go up
The lights flick on


The stars appear,
"Ta Da!"
Center stage in full costume


Or peel off layer after layer
In a tantalizing
Slow reveal

Colours are chosen for maximun pow!


The result is spellbinding,
magical...

You do believe in magic don't you?


This is a perennial cornflower
Or as I like to call it:
The Razzle Dazzler



Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Breathe


If there was one plant whose fragrance defines Spring
It would have to be Lilac


Its perfume is light enough
to catch a ride on a spring breeze

Yet so potent it fills the room
as it floats in through my open window


It is my Zen flower
with a scent that makes me stop what I'm doing
close my eyes
and slowly inhale


In that moment I am transported to another place

A smell both spicy and sweet
New, yet filled with a thousand memories
~ Heavenly ~



I missed taking photos of my large lilac trees this year

Luckily my miniature lilacs bloom a couple of weeks later
allowing me this last moment of appreciation before they disappear


Monday, June 10, 2013

Mid-Morning Pond Heron


This is supposed to be a Black Crowned Night Heron but...
I have re-named it to:
A Mid-Morning Pond Heron
(according to its behaviour at my fish pond)


I've had to re-name my fish pond as well.
It is now known as Fort Knox.
It is reinforced,
barb-wire barricaded
and tie-wrapped to a ridiculous level.


But getting back to the heron.
Here it is watching me with that oh-so-piercing red gaze.


It sends an anguished look below at the shimmering, juicy goldfish.


Followed by a calculation of its exit route through the trees.


With one flap of its long, powerful wings it shoots straight up,
right out of my camera's view.
All you see is a rather frightening view of its two clawed feet.

I manage to get one clear shot before it is gone.


You can just make out its silhouette through the leaves,
a shadowy, mystical figure,
a ghostly pond raider.


Friday, June 7, 2013

Never Forgotten


Memories blur together
Some fade away

Like the changing weather
None are here to stay...



That's the way memories go for me,
until I see Forget-Me-Nots.



How appropriate that each time I see these flowers
I think of my Mother.


They were one of her favourites.



I love their delicate, simple petals,
painted in an ever-changing
array of soft pastels.




They wander through my garden,
appearing not where I planted them
but where I most need them.



Beautiful, dependable, strong,
each center adorned with
a heart of gold;

They always put a smile on my face.

The same way my mother did.



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