May Flowers

We've been experiencing hotter than normal weather for this time of the year, record-breaking weather to be exact.

The flowers need to be watered every afternoon, since the rainfall has been slight to none.

There is hope of a late evening shower, thanks to the remnants of tropical storm Beryl, I'm keeping my fingers crossed ! 

" Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which it's loveliness arises."

~Pedro Calderon De La Barca: 17th Century Spanish Playwright

The Balloon Flowers opening

Coreopsis and Lantana

Would you care to sit awhile ?

Mrs. Wren in her nest-box

Delphiniums in bloom



Lest We Forget

"Your silent tents of green We deck with fragrant flowers;

Yours has the suffering been, The memory shall be ours."

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

~ Laurence Binyon: For the Fallen 1911

For The Birds

The garden is a flurry of activity lately, between the birds, and butterflies, lightening bugs, and bees, there's always something to watch or marvel at.

Despite all the nesting boxes being full of twigs, flora, and even Oliver the cat's ginger hair poking out, we've yet to see any signs of babies, I can only hope the squirrels have not stolen the eggs, they are so naughty.

Several Christmas's ago, my husband gifted me with a gorgeous hand-painted piece of glass, featuring all native Tennessee birds, and a Morning Glory vine weaving it's way through an old weathered rail-fence.
Just perfect !
It's as if I had commissioned the piece myself, everything so near and dear to my heart.

click to enlarge

May Poem

Impatiens, petunias and vinca adorn the windowsill.

Cascades of colorful blooms rise up, lean over and spill

out of window boxes competing for the prize,

blue ribbon winning beauty stimulates the eyes.

Honeysuckle perfumes the air with sweet pleasant smells.

Garden paths are dotted with purple coral bells.

The days are warm and balmy, the nights quiet, serene.

Fireflies' flashed timed brilliance creates a picturesque scene.

The stars all cry out in unison, "Look up, behold and dine

upon our banquet of splendor; a feast of sparkle and shine."

Fledglings adorned with plumage peed out of tiny holes,

waiting for mama's signal as one by one they go,

passing the test of courage, soaring through the sky

experiencing firsthand that they were born to fly.

Baby rabbits cautiously hop, hiding under cover

alert, listening and watching, careful to discover

all that now awaits them as their journey begins.

Instincts honed and sharp will be their closest friends.

The gorgeous month of May unfolds with colorful design,

a month where cold and dreary are forced out to resign.

~Sherry Machen, Dexter, Missouri

May Blossoms

"It was the month of May, the month when the foliage of herbs and trees is most freshly green, when buds ripened and blossoms appear in their fragrance and loveliness.

And the month when lovers, subject to the same force which reawakens the plants, feel their hearts open again, recall past trysts and past vows, and moments of tenderness, and yearn for a renewal of the magical awareness which is love."

~ Sir Thomas Malory, La Morte d'Arthur
 

To Our Wonderful Mothers

This post is dedicated to all of our wonderful mothers, without whose unselfish, love and devotion, our lives would be forever changed.
"Happy Mother's Day", I hope your day is filled with much loveliness.

"A Mother holds her children's hands for a while.......their hearts forever."

You Were There

You were there when we took our first steps,

And went unsteadily across the floor.

You pushed and prodded: encouraged and guided,

Until our steps took us out the door...

You worry now "Are they ok?"

Is there more you could have done?

As we walk the paths of our unknown

You wonder"Where have my children gone?"

Where we are is where you have led us,

With your special love you showed us a way,

To believe in ourselves and the decisions we make,

Taking on the challenge of life day-to-day.

And where we go you can be sure,
In spirit you shall never be alone,
For where you are is what matters most to us,
Because to us that will always be home...

- Author Unknown.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

The gentle rains we had in April, stirred the flowers beneath the hardened soil.

So many flowers, a virtual orchestra, all blooming their individual colors, shapes and sizes at the same time.

It's lovely to see color once again in the garden.

"Winter is many months of the year

But now at last Maytime is here;

And birds sing from a leafy screen

In the trees and hedgerow freshly green;

And the wood-anemone is out in the shade,

With its blushing petals which too soon fade;

Once more the bracken is unfurling there,

And bluebells gently perfume the damp air."

~ Veronica Ann Twells, Maytime

Cottage Dreaming

The cottage homes of England/By thousands on her plains."

        ~ Felicia Hermans

The Little Home

The little house is not too small
To shelter friends who come to call.
Though low the roof and small its space
It holds the Lord's abounding grace,
And every simple room may be
Endowed with happy memory.

The little house, severely plain,
A wealth of beauty may contain.
Within it those who dwell may find
High faith which makes for peace of mind,
And that sweet understanding which
Can make the poorest cottage rich.

The little house can hold all things
From which the soul's contentment springs.
'Tis not too small for love to grow,
For all the joys that mortals know,
For mirth and song and that delight
Which make the humblest dwelling bright.

~Edgar A Guest

A Simple Life

To find the universal elements enough;

to find the air and the water exhilarating;

to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter;

to be thrilled by the stars at night;

to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring —

these are some of the rewards of the simple life.

~ John Burroughs

May Day Cometh

The First Sergeant and I spent time in the garden over the weekend, fluffing and cutting, digging and potting.

It's the time of the year, when everything is blooming at once, the time of year, when it can be enjoyed before the hot and humid days of Summer arrive.

The bicycle gets a new basket of flowers.

"Sweet May hath come to love us,

Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;

And through the blue heavens above us

The very clouds move on."

- Heinrich Heine, Book of Song

We created a pot person. I named her Beatrix Potter.

She's taking a break from gardening right now, and enjoying a nice cup of tea.