Dee July 4th, 2008
And home of the Brave.
We celebrated with lots of yard work in the a.m. Look for the evidence in the background of the photo. Now, it’s time to kick back, eat brats, hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans and corn salad. Ice cream and a red, white & blue compote for dessert. Fireworks will begin at sundown.
Happy Independence Day America, and may God bless us all.
Dee July 1st, 2008
OVER the shoulders and slopes of the dune
I saw the white daisies go down to the sea,
A host in the sunshine, an army in June,
The people God sends us to set our hearts free.
The bobolinks rallied them up from the dell,
The orioles whistled them out of the wood;
And all of their singing was, “Earth, it is well!”
And all of their dancing was, “Life, thou art good!”
–Bliss Carman
April 15, 1861 - June 8, 1929
According to Wikipedia, Mr. Carman was a preeminent Canadian poet. He was born William Bliss Carman, but liked to publish under his mother’s maiden name of Bliss. I like that. We all need a little more bliss in our lives. One of the most wonderful things about Muse Day is that I’ve greatly expanded my knowledge of poetry. I’ve discovered poets I’ve never read, and that includes Mr. Carman. Thank you Carolyn Gail.
I know this poem mentions June, but it’s late in that month before my daisies bloom, so I’m including it for July. Happy Muse Day everyone!
Dee June 30th, 2008
I remember reading in a publication somewhere long ago that the most important color in the garden was green. I remember because, at that moment, the brakes in my mind came to a screeching halt, and I thought:
What!?!
This was early in my horticulture enthusiasm when I only thought about Bold Color All the Time. Around my three Hybrid Tea roses (’Tiffany,’ ‘Double Delight’ and ‘Chryslur Imperial’,) I planted hot pink begonias and periwinkles in straight rows like small soldiers on the march. My design capabilities were limited, and green foliage was simply a means to an end; literally the stick with leaves which held up the “perfect” rose.
In my defense, this was before I had any shade, and before I learned how great green looks in the garden; how soothing it is; how it helps one’s vision move from one part of the garden to the other.
In spite of all these prejudices, I read the rest of that article, and it made me think. I must have learned something because, now, foliage is one of the first things I look for in a plant.
What color is it? Green, black, purple, chartreuse, red? Are the leaves healthy? A blackspot covered rosebush isn’t pretty. It’s ugly. I know because my garden is filled with them right now. Diseased peony foliage is also ugly. If your vision is gliding along the garden and encounters peony leaves marked with Phytophthora blight, trust me, your mind will come to a full and complete stop.
At midsummer, during a heat wave, shades of green soften the landscape and provide relief from the white hot sunshine. Green, along with its friend, white, also makes shade more inviting.
Emma, from A Nice Green Leaf inspired this post when she requested blogs create a collage of their favorite green foliage for The Big Green Leaf day. Won’t you go visit her blog and the others listed in the comments section to see what’s growing in their gardens? Just think: you’ll be giving your mind a mini vacation.
Firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil. There are 100 Posts and 1,170 comments so far. Like neighbors chatting over the garden gate, I hope you continue the conversation. Thanks for stopping by.
Red Dirt Ramblings|
I am a |
