Late Bloomers

Our Iris have finally bloomed.
It seems as though they are always late bloomers, long after most others in the neighborhood have put on their Spring show, ours slowly awaken.

They are from antique Iris stock, handed down from family member, to family member, these particular flowers being over a half a century old.
Tended with love and shared amongst the generations, from great grandmother, to great granddaughter.

The Tennessee State Flower

May your blooms be floriferous and in good form,
Distinctive, with good substance, flare, and airborne,
With standards and falls that endure, never torn.
May you display many buds and blooms sublime,
In graceful proportion on strong stalks each day,
Gently floating above the fans and the fray.
May you too reach toward the moon and stars,
Bloom after bloom, many seasons in the sun,
Enjoying your life, health, and each loved one,
Until your 'living days are artfully done.

~ Georgia Gudykunst