Plant a Rose...

She who stoops to plant a rose

whose fragrance wafts toward the sky.

Plants splendor not for self alone,

but shares with strangers passing by.

She who plants a rose plants friends,

unknowingly though it may be.

The language of the blossoms weaves

a mystic spell of harmony.

For those who pause beside the bush

are strangely somehow richly blessed.

By language only flowers know...

and roses seem to speak it best!

(Helen Phelps)

The climbing roses are blooming and they are beautiful. I often have a "visitor" on them as this is one of her favorite perches. Did you see her in the 2nd photo before I zoomed in for the third?

Good Times...

Thank you for the good times,

The day you filled with pleasure.

Thank you for fond memories,

And for feelings we will always treasure.
(Karl Fuchs)

I had a busy weekend of fun and family so haven't posted for a few days. On Saturday, Jayme's wonderful aunts and cousins hosted a beautiful bridal shower for her and mom thoroughly enjoyed it too! We can't thank you enough for all the time and effort put into the day...it was perfect.

The garden is still very wet so I am working on keeping all my newly purchased plants alive while I wait for perfect planting conditions. Looks like I get a couple more days to be in "wedding planning mode" :-)

Decisions, Decisions...

What's a girl to do?

I went plant shopping yesterday on a search for all my favorite annuals. I kind of felt like a starving person at a buffet - so many choices and I wanted them all.

I found my favorites like lisanthus, kent beauty oregano and lantana but picked up some new (to me) ones like poppies and stocks. Of course, the car was filled to the brim and I look forward to getting them in the ground and showing you a whole summer of blooms in future posts.

I took a quick walk outside this morning to see if the ground was dry enough to plant (sadly it's not) and though I do not have much blooming right now I found much to admire.

These current blooms all led me to think about Heidi and my request for prayers on Monday. I want to say a huge Thank You for the responses via email and comments. Just as the allium is made up of 100's of small star shaped flowers to make up one beautiful globe and it takes many petals to make a beautiful bloom all of us together will make a beautiful prayer network for her.

I love my family...

As you can see I've been slack in my "life in the garden" postings and I will get back to them tomorrow. But the "Garden of Life" is taking a priority over everything for me these days. I don't have grandchildren of my own but Alexis and Benjamin feel like they are mine. Postings of them always bring the most comments to me personally from the people I know. Two of my favorite postings are little Alexis in the garden and the two of them wishing Grandpa Steve a Happy Birthday last fall.

I love their parents like my own children and am asking all my faithful readers to say a prayer for this young family. Heidi was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma last November and just a few days before her 12th and final chemo treatment she found out it is back. She has begun a more intense chemotherapy treatment and will be facing a stem cell transplant in July. Pray for complete healing for her and strength for the whole family as they go through this tough period in their lives. I believe in the power of prayer and the more lifted on their behalf the better.

Indigo blues...

I love the indigo buntings...one of the shyest birds in the garden but lucky for me they like to take a bath like everyone else.

I did a little reading on them and they are the bluest of all our blue birds and they are known for their sweet songs.

Edward Howe Forbush, a famous New England ornithologist in the early twentieth century, effused: "The male seems to delight in singing during the hottest part of the summer days, when other birds are resting in the shade. He will sing his way from the bottom of a tree to the top, going up branch by branch until he has reached the topmost spire, and there, fully exposed to the blazing sun, he will sing and sing and sing."

Indeed! A male indigo bunting will utter as many as 680 songs an hour if he's looking for a mate. That's one amazing fact!

Love is in the air...part 2

Love is in the air, Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air, Every sight and every sound...

Love was in the air last August when Ashley & Cory got engaged and again this weekend when we attended their wonderful wedding!

I wish them a lifetime filled with love & happiness!

Natural beauties...

"The beauty in
nature is God's
greeting card."
(posted on sign outside of a local church)

I'm continuing to enjoy the emerging spring garden though I do not have much "color" right now except in the bird population and these 2 are brights spots of color in today's garden.

Wings...

"Be like the bird that, passing on her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings."
Victor Hugo


a smile for today...

Flowers...

"Flowers are love's
truest language."
P. Benjamin


The last of the tulips opened up so I am slightly disappointed that I only had 2 1/2 weeks of bloom time this year. We had unusual May temps in the 90's the last several days which brought new blooms on many other plants so I still have lots to enjoy. The lilacs are scenting the whole yard and I am enjoying their short bloom time as well as the fern peonies and bleeding hearts.

East, West, North, South...

Such a busy weekend...I don't know what direction I'm heading in today but took time to post a few photos for my Monday morning viewers :-)

It's bathtime...

Mr. Robin takes a bath...

and he does lots of splashing...




















Do you think I got under my wings clean enough?

It's not...

It's not Capistrano Mission but the faithful tree swallows are back. I have been privileged to host a pair in my garden for the last several years and they have arrived for 2007. This morning I sat on the patio and watched this pair check out all the various housing options. For the last 2 seasons they have chosen a house high in the pine tree but it seems they have taken a "liking" to one of the bluebird houses I painted this winter.

Briefly, they checked out the house holding my chickadee family but were quickly discouraged from going back there. Mr. Wren has also arrived and I am a little more worried about my chickadees with him around as wrens can be quite deadly to eggs/baby birds in houses they desire. I have not seen the baby chickadees yet but the parents are faithly bringing small insects and little green worms into the house so they must be hatched. I look forward to sharing photos when I finally spot them.

Another sign of spring...

Cropdusters...now, I know spring is here. The dogs and I were out relaxing in the garden trying to photograph one of the resident kestrels when we were driven inside because the farm field across the road was being sprayed. Not only did I not want to breathe anything they might be spraying but it is incredibly loud...luckily it only happens this close to me a few times a season.

Nothing says spring to me like a droplet covered blossom and these yellow tulips were two of the many I photographed yesterday.


"The soul needs laughter like flowers need rain."

Look Ryan....even this robin prefers to rest surrounded by pink. Your mommy's post brought laughter to my soul today...

Sight, sound and smell...

"Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty, never grows old." Kafka

The crabapple tree is blooming and with it I see beauty in the pink blooms, hear the wonderful song of the goldfinch and the smell...if only I could post that.

McDreamy...

Wow, two posts in one day but I just had to show you Mr. Grosbeak isn't he just "McDreamy"?




The girls just can't keep their eyes off of him :-)

Hope

"Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul,
and sings the tune without words,
and never stops at all..."
Emily Dickinson

It's raining but these bright spots of yellow & blue make me smile today along with yesterday's first sightings of the rose breasted grosbeaks.

For 2 days I have been trying to photograph the beautiful male but he has got to be the most camera shy bird in my garden. This female was much more cooperative in having her photo taken and I hope to show you her beautiful mate soon.

These bring me joy...

"The way to know life is to love many things."
Vincent Van Gogh





There are so many photos I take that I would love to show you but most of the time I can't find a poem :-) So I have decided to take Marsha's Garden in a new direction and post photos of things I love and that bring me joy. I'll still use the occasional poem and lots of quotes but in my busy "garden of life" I will not feel the "need" to find a quote/poem just so I can post a photo.
Last night I found joy in watching a white throated sparrow busy splashing away and this mornings walk through the garden found beautiful daffodils blooming along side the pond. Spring is wonderful!

To red tulips...

I saw you first this morning
While all was calm and still
Bright red tulips blooming
Beneath my window sill.

Gay cups of captured sunbeams,
Bright golden rays of cheer,
That winter long is ended!
Springtime, at last is here!
(Georgia Adams)

With wonderful warm temps reaching 80 this weekend lots of tulips opened up - while the greenery looks pretty rabbit ravaged and frost bitten the blooms managed to straggle through. What a wonderful spring sight they are to behold. Last fall, I was full of anticipation of what spring would bring from all those bulbs I planted and the six month wait is over. Yet, thanks to no snow cover, squirrels and rabbits there is far from 233 blooms out there but that is one of the joys of gardening - you never know what to expect :-) The first tulip blooms were on April 28 and I'll let you know when I see the last ones. Enjoy my little taste of spring!

I'm fortunate...

I'm fortunate to have a daughter
who is also my friend.

She was the prettiest thing in the garden back then and still is.

Today is my baby girl's birthday only she's not a baby anymore. She's all grown up and in just 10 short weeks will be getting married and become Mrs. B.

I'm thankful that she is not only my daughter but my best friend. The following poem says my sentiments exactly...Happy Birthday...I love you!

Beauty of Spring...

The whole wide world is so beautiful
In the fresh, warm days of spring...
Calling like a cheerful lark
To join in nature's happy fling.
(Nellie Stokes)

My early spring garden may only have a few 2-3" tall flowers in it but don't feel sorry for me...there is still lots of "COLOR" to enjoy :-) Yesterday brought the first goldfinches in summer plumage and I have a pair of purple finches come to feed regularly. Wonder why they are called purple finches when they are red?