Clematis

As the blessing of Easter approaches I find this single flower and its accompanying bud embody the power of the message of spring. Beauty is upon us and promise beckons.

Listen, everyone has a chance.
Is it spring, is it morning? ~Mary Oliver

I need not search far for beauty. It is on every corner, every doorstep, every heart.

first rose of the season

No need to call out to the bees. They naturally hearken to spring.

borage

Steep me in green. I will drink deeply from its well.

hosta
Let the delicate beauty of the coral bells ring in concert with my heart.

heuchera
Iris, where hast thou been? Speak to us of your travels under the Earth and beyond.

iris

How do I stay in the moment of the bud, knowing full well the flower that comes will satisfy beyond measure? It’s a yoga.

snapdragon

It is with easy grace I embrace the lacy joy of the spirea.

spirea
A smirk upon my face knowing this is an unadorned geranium.

geranium
At a safe distance I treasure the euphorbia, never forgetting its power to do me ill. Oh, yes.

euphorbia

lady bank roses
honeysuckle

clematis

when faces called flowers float out of the ground
and breathing is wishing and wishing is having-
but keeping is downward and doubting and never
-it’s april (yes, april, my darling) it’s spring! ~ e.e. cummings

lavender

Delirious, I give thanks for the glorious beauty in which I find myself. Go out into your gardens, dear readers, into your parks, your meadows, beaches and forests and draw from the grace you find there on Easter Sunday. It is your gift from our Creator, who has created all of that–and you.

Love and Easter blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Book News: Rhododendron lovers, please join me as I serve as Celebrity Guest Judge April 30th at the John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show and Plant Sale on the coast of Mendocino. Info here.

Posted on April 23rd, 2011 by Kathryn
Filed under: Plants | 6 Comments »

Ha! Celebrated my birthday this year a bit belatedly to be able to share with my dear friend Eta and also so lovely daughter Antonia could join us once her grad school classes were complete for the semester. That’s our beautiful Princess Cake above. Yum.

What I had not anticipated was that my dearest friend Cornelia would bless me with 106 bulbs as a birthday present! Fabulous, glorious and intimidating!

She gave me 36 lilies (a mix of Casablanca, Rio Negro, and Dizzy–what I’m going to be after planting so many bulbs!) and 70 gladiolus (Espresso and Fiorentina). The bags say Sun/Soleil on the front, so the folks in France are going to be joining me in finding sunny spots for our new beauty endeavors! Now. In spite of having lived in Holland for three full years do I know zip about bulbs? Not really. So this is not only a gift of bulbs; it’s an opportunity for me to finally get over the mystery in my head about bulbs in general and learn to Do This Right!

So off I go to John, the nurseryman, to ask for his kind guidance in bulb schooling…

[Here you imagine my getting into my truck and going off to the nursery. BUT!]

A funny thing happened on the way to the nursery. There’s a woman who has been remodeling a house in the neighborhood who happens to have a lot of gorgeous new tulips out front. And she was there in the front yard as I drove past. Screeching halt. Pull into her driveway. Hi! I’m your neighbor!

As it happens this woman is a very experienced garden with professional credentials. No need to go all the way to the nursery. At all.

“I’m noticing all your lovely tulips out front. My friend gave me bulbs for my birthday.”

“Too late.”

“For tulips?”

“Yep.”

“They aren’t tulips. They are glads. And lilies.”

“Oh! Well, perfect timing.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

And this is why I believe her.

delicious orange tulips!

lovely creamy yellow tulip

OMG, BIG red tulips

“Uh, what kind of tulips are these?”

“Normal.”

“Normal? I’ve never seen tulips that big.”

“They’re normal. They’re just open.”

“Open? Those are BIG tulips!”

“Huh. Maybe they are empires.”

LOL!

So talking to my new friend Lois, I guess all I really have to do is plant these bulbs soon, in the sun, about 6-8″ deep in the ground. And here’s the best part! Because I live in California, I don’t have to do anything much else except enjoy them! Because apparently all that early programming I absorbed about bulbs being mysterious only applies to other regions. Not here. Isn’t that fantastic?? I can’t wait.

Love and gardening blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Oh! Book News!: Ode Magazine is publishing one of the stories from Plant Whatever Brings You Joy in their June issue! It’s the story of when Antonia and I created a garden in front of our flat in Amsterdam, thereby transforming our connection with the whole neighborhood! Happy about that! 🙂

Posted on March 31st, 2011 by Kathryn
Filed under: People at Life | 8 Comments »