I thought I would leave you with one final glorious picture from this weekend. Our neighbor Margaret grows several patches of poppies along the west side of our yard. They are so ethereal and vibrant, flamboyant even, yet tissue thin. I adore them.
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We had a wonderful Sunday – shopping, gardening, cooking, dinner with neighbors (who brought a homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie warm from the oven!), lots of play time with Juliette and even enough time for some chores. Perfect, just perfect,
She’s been teasing us for days, threatening to open but not doing so. This morning when I walked into the kitchen to get my coffee I glanced out the window and this is what I saw. A lovely way to start a Saturday morning – iris “Beverly Sills.”
I was lucky enough to see two beautiful things tonight when we took Beaulah out after dinner. Pictures of both lovelies are below. The first one is a peony called Coral Seas. You know the second one.
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My best friend, Nancy, who lives in Washington now sent me these pictures last night of the tulip festival held in the Skagit Valley every year. I’ve been lucky enough to see the festival in person once, but these pictures do a pretty good job at relaying the magnificent beauty of the gardens that the tulips growers maintain and show off during the festival.
[album: http://www.fiberguy.com/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/Tulips2011/]… at the Macy’s downtown Christmas display earlier this morning …
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Thank you to my friend Roz in the UK for tuning me into this rendition of one of my very favorite Christmas hymns. For some reason, it makes me cry a little (but not out of sadness!) each time I hear it. This version is from the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, ca. 1993. It’s truly beautiful. I’ve posted lyrics below for those unfamiliar with it.
Jesus Christ The Apple Tree
From Divine Hymns or Spiritual Songs,
compiled by Joshua Smith, New Hampshire, 1784
Tune by Elizabeth Poston, 1905-1987
1. The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green:
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree.
2. His beauty doth all things excel:
By faith I know, but ne’er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree.
3. For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see
‘Tis found in Christ the apple tree.
4. I’m weary with my former toil,
Here I will sit and rest awhile:
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.
5. This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.
Morning Glories in Phyllis's yard
These simple, common white morning glories arrested my attention this morning. They are the very essence of beauty, are they not?
How can you not love this elegant beauty? It’s from a small bit of peony taken from the Hall family homestead up in Lutsen. It’s really taken off in our yard and this year is full of blooms. We don’t know exactly what type it is, but then again we haven’t done a whole lot of research to try and find out. Harald’s mom says it’s probably at least 50-60 years old. And best of all? It’s a fragrant variety with a sweet, old-fashioned rose scent. Heavenly!
Update: After checking out several peony farm web sites, this peony looks amazingly like one known as “Gay Paree.” How apropos.
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As Harald so rightfully challenged me last night, it’s time to get some pictures after promising two weeks ago to do so. Even though I’ve been gathering pictures for several weeks, I am going to start with a picture taken just this morning. Sorry it isn’t clearer, but these are among H’s most precious additions to the garden and they are blooming particularly beautifully this year. They are Martagon lilies, a very old type of lily. Now, if you aren’t familiar with them, you wouldn’t know that the blooms are impossibly small – probably no more than a couple of inches across. Click here to read a good primer on Martagons.
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I know most of you have been very patient with me over the last few months. Given the loss we experienced in early April, blogging just hasn’t been at the top of my list of things to get done. But spring has once again arrived in earnest in Minnesota and despite our near-total lack of rain in May, plants are busting out all over. Along with their beauty, hope itself has blossomed once again in my heart. I have been eagerly gathering pictures to share with you all. I’m not going to wait for August this time. I will post them with some frequency, but probably not everyday so as to avoid beauty-overload.
And thanks, really, for being patient with me. I do so appreciate it.
