I woke up on Monday and it was as though every flowering tree in the neighborhood got the memo.
It is spring! A very, very dry, warm spring. I have begun to water the garden, praying for rain.
At the Farmer's Market I bought strawberries (already?) Strawberries as sweet as honey (variety, Monterey).
The ethereal quality of early spring blossoms is so particular. It makes my heart hurt with their beauty. A soft breeze blows them away. White, iridescent blooms on a neighbors plum tree make a beautiful sight from our living room window. A few days- a week and they are dried and done.
This little tree has a certain following. In a few months a large family/tribe of blonde haired children and adult women will come to check on the tree which overhangs the street. They flit about in excitement checking on the ripening small golden plums. It is not their tree, not their yard. I don't know where they live. They are like the seasonal migration of beautiful cedar wax wing birds, descending to ravage a bush and then darting away. But this tribe seems more bold than shy cedar wax wings, confident of their ownership of the oncoming plum bounty.
We who live a short distance away could easily get there first. I guess we are just not enamored with those plums. After 7 or so years, it really feels like "their" tree. And they are clearly so delighted, it's a joy to watch them (sneakily) from the window. The
owner is never around when the great harvest takes place. I don't know whether they have an arrangement
with him, or is he just relieved not to have to pick up the pulpy,
overripe mess they leave. A mystery.
And this year I can only hope that all of them will return.
I am still smiling when I think of all of you!
Sometimes there is group magic; making for a generous, adventurous spirit that lifts everyone up.
These newcomers made beautiful pieces and we all had a great time! Here is their work below.
I wasn't exactly in the mood for romance and a traditional Valentine palette this year. The day after V Day I took off for my home town of Baltimore to help my little brother after a minor surgery. The situation was compounded by the fact that his wife has ALS and now has limited mobility. She needed to go into a skilled care facility to be taken care of so we could take care of him. Their love is strong and I am praying for the best possible outcome.
I am increasingly interested in working with flowers in a way that digs a little deeper in meaning and mood.
So I offer a Blue Valentine, dedicated to my brother and his wife and their journey.
A Tale of accidental Cause and Effect:
The coyote appeared in our neighborhood two years ago during the late spring. He waltzed past our house every day, morning and evening for a few months. Then he vanished. Our young cat, Aurora Bell met him briefly during his occupation. Whew- I was lucky enough to get her away. His appearance changed her life -and mine. Now she is a mostly an indoor cat who goes on daily walks with me.
Walking this cat is somewhat like walking a dog, except in miniature. There is a smaller area of interest to explore- the garden and approximately half a block in any direction of the house. It involves similar interests: sitting, walking, sniffing, playing, flopping down and rolling around, with sudden bolts due to perceived danger, and maybe a little tree climbing thrown in.
The main difference is that the pace is often laboriously slow (until it's not), which gives me a very generous amount of time to look at every plant, every tree, every rock, every weed in the garden.
Mostly I appreciate this little routine that takes me outdoors. But what can I say? Like seeing dirty dishes in the sink, I often see garden tasks to be done. But because of Aurora Bells sudden bolting behavior, cat walking needs full attention now, so there is little to do but look.
On days I have a little time, I come back out and do something. My garden is loving this winter attention. The bulbs brought from England are planted, roses pruned, the winter veggies in and fertilized, the sour grass tamed by mowing...
Which brings me to Day Lilies! Day Lilies?
I appreciate their strappy clusters of green foliage this time of year (many are evergreen) while most perennials are dormant, the annual flowers just a twinkle in a seed packet.
Admittedly though, I'm not CRAZY for day lilies, like I'm crazy for, say -dahlias. I can't use them as cut flowers - because like the name, their blooms last just one day.
But I am appreciating and planting them more even because they love my garden- what this little micro habitat has, they respond to. They are easy going and mostly pest free, unlike the dahlias that I still struggle with. I already have
a number of day lilies. I have decided to switch their placement up and add more colors....So this spring I will do some day lily time.
About Day lillies:
They come in a variety of flower shapes that bloom different times of the year, so you can have something blooming through the summer. Some have scent. Some have blooms for a couple weeks, stop and later rebloom. They are tough and even somewhat drought resistant. I like to use them in small clumps mixed in with other flowers as background color with attractive foliage, rather than the large rows they are often planted in in medians.
Here are some sources:
https://www.daylilygarden.com
https://www.slightlydifferentnursery.com
https://www.oakesdaylilies.com
https://smokeysgardens.com
