Monday, June 9, 2014

Song of the Flower

Every evening I go outside to water the annuals...............

And every evening I check the peonies.
Closely.
Like a little girl really - sometimes I get down on my hands and knees to inspect them


They're oh so close now...............and every day I tell myself  " tomorrow "


I'm like a child who opens up Christmas gifts -


and though I love them all


and truly appreciate every single " gift " that blossoms





my eyes keep darting back to that " big " present behind the tree - the one that was highest on my
wish list


and then finally it happens -
I almost screamed out loud - seriously - I gasped and bit my tongue - but the excitement was palpable
the first blossom - only half opened and I'm beside myself with pure joy !!!
My favorite color of peony to boot!


7 large bushes - filled to the brim with peonies
Oh this is good
This is sooooo good !

My garden
My salvation


from this  ( I prefer the outdoors reality to the indoors one )  John worked his butt off this weekend - what a sickening job - and you wouldn't believe the stench that came off the " fur " he had to scrape off!


Maybe I'll paint peonies on the floor?

And for those of you that love poetry as much as I - enjoy ♥
Song of the Flower XXIII by Khalil Gibran
I am a kind word uttered and repeated
By the voice of Nature;
I am a star fallen from the
Blue tent upon the green carpet.
I am the daughter of the elements
With whom Winter conceived;
To whom Spring gave birth; I was
Reared in the lap of Summer and I
Slept in the bed of Autumn.


At dawn I unite with the breeze
To announce the coming of light;
At eventide I join the birds
In bidding the light farewell.


The plains are decorated with
My beautiful colors, and the air
Is scented with my fragrance.


As I embrace Slumber the eyes of
Night watch over me, and as I
Awaken I stare at the sun, which is
The only eye of the day.


I drink dew for wine, and hearken to
The voices of the birds, and dance
To the rhythmic swaying of the grass.


I am the lover's gift; I am the wedding wreath;
I am the memory of a moment of happiness;
I am the last gift of the living to the dead;
I am a part of joy and a part of sorrow.


But I look up high to see only the light,
And never look down to see my shadow.
This is wisdom which man must learn.

Have a wonderful Monday all ( or as wonderful as a Monday can actually be )


Partying here!!!
Between naps on the porch                           Sand & Sisal                       Stone Gable ( the Scoop )
A Stroll Thru Life                                          Kathe with an E                          An Extraordinary Day
Homestories A to Z                                      The Diy Dreamer                        Savvy Southern Style
DIY by Design                                             From my Front Porch to Yours   My Turn for Us
Katherine's Corner                                       French Country Cottage







36 comments:

  1. Love the nice sitting area, Suzan! And I'm waiting for my peonies to bloom too. I think I need to move them to a sunnier location. When I planted them years ago, they were in full sun. Then the maple tree nearby began to grow up. Lovely flower pics. What's the pink one? Liatris? That leaf is very familiar. Nicotiana?

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  2. I'm so jealous. Gardening is just such a challenge in Texas. Your peonies are gorgeous.

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  3. Beautiful... you're lucky your garden has such beautiful flowers!! Have a great week Suzan!! V

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  4. everything about this post is beautiful except the floor, but it will be beautiful,

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  5. That poem is every bit as beautiful as your peonies. Our peonies are almost there too. I love to cut a few and bring them inside. Their gorgeous scent fills the whole house. Mother's Nature's air fresheners are the best.

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  6. The poem is so wonderful and your peonies are going to be so gorgeous. I love the first opening. How pretty. Love your bench and watering can too. Very pretty.
    Kris

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  7. Beautiful flowers! You are so lucky to have all those gorgeous peonies ready to bloom. I hope you have them staked up or with the peony rings around them in case you get a heavy rainfall. They will be pelted down and dashed to the ground. :( I love your corner with the bench and I have the same little folding table I think. Sunny and about 30 here today, thunder storms predicted later on.

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  8. This is beautiful. I love your poem that you shared with us today.
    My son Attiucs loves peonies too. He is on the watch just like you, he checks them every day, sometimes twice a day. :-)

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  9. Oh, Suzan, I'm with you - your gardens are a salvation - for anyone! They're all beautiful, but those peonies are outstanding. I don't have them in my garden and I know I'm short-changing myself, but I know with my OCD tendencies, I'd want to use those staking rings, and I already do so much of that with my hibiscus, I think I'd rather pierce my eyeballs than do more staking. Can't imagine how you must feel when you go back to that to-do list on the inside. Soon. It'll all be over, fingers crossed. Maybe next winter you'll be able to linger over seed and garden catalogs and dream of how you'll tweak your beautiful garden in the years to come.

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  10. Pretty, pretty, pretty! Can't wait yo see them opened all the way! Love your sitting area. Such a beautiful garden.

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  11. I am so glad that your peonies are blooming. It's almost like watching a child take his first steps. So exciting and since this is your first summer in your new house you are going to experience so many beautiful flowers. Enjoy your garden.
    So glad that John jumped in and helped.
    Have a great week.
    Mary

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  12. Suffering serious garden envy here, not only do I only have a tiny courtyard but it has been redesigned by my cat Bob. You know some people have Japanese gardens, some have cottage gardens and some urban chic gardens, well we have a p*ss poo garden!!! He refuses to go more than 4 ft from the back door these days (God knows where he used to go - they are probably out celebrating with a BBQ even as I type). I was just about coping until it rained solidly for about 2 months and now it's going to take about 2 days and full body protective suits to clear up, did I mention we have a LOT of shingle out there? I also have to come up with some long term solution since he's obviously not going to :-0 Love the poem by the way....


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  13. So beautiful indeed. I too found some things budding up here (amongst the forest overgrowth and weeds). Our property was neglected due to age and circumstances by the previous owner. I await to see what blooms. Fingers crossed there are some peonies but we are still are at the tiny bud stage here on the coast. I feel the same coming inside the house too! Patty/NS

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  14. Such lovely clowers and so different from the flowers here in Florida. I have always dreamed of having a yard full of peonies as I think they are absolutely gorgeous, but we can't grow them here...:( Oh well, we have plenty of gorgeous flowers of our own and I can admire your lovely peonies in photos! Have a blessed week!

    Hugs, Vicky

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  15. Oh I love peonies too! A friend gave me a big bunch of cut blooms from her yard for my 40th birthday a couple weeks ago! I plan to get some planted in my yard as soon as my hubby gets the yard ready for them - we need to tear up all the grass and level it out before I can plant much more.

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  16. What great poem and beautiful peony. I love them and I love hydrangea. I have never had either and in the new house I was thinking hydrangea because I love the cuttings. Landscaping is on hold until the fall, not in the budget right now except for sod and sprinklers.

    Cynthia

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  17. So happy your flowers have made you so happy, and hurrah for blooms that actually bloom!! I love beautiful flowers, and all of yours are a delight.

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  18. Beautiful gardens, is it all a surprise to you, or did you see previous photos of the garden? Aren't peonies amazing, how tightly they are wrapped?

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  19. Gorgeous! This has to be one of the perks of leaving the city, hmm?

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  20. We had peonies for a long time and I really MISS them.

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  21. Although I'm a huge peony, this comment is for the gorgeous anemones!!!!

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  22. Peonies are my favorite! I had to move right before mine bloomed, so I'll enjoy yours! It's all lovely Suzan and I'm glad you have a place to get away to.

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  23. I absolutely LOVE peonies, Suzan. they are just one of my very favorites in the garden.

    I adored Kahlil Gibran when I was younger and read his writings aloud over and over to any of my friends that would listen. What a sweet memory stirrer- xo Diana

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  24. My peonies haven't bloomed yet and I'm watching them as closely as you did. I do so love them!

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  25. My mother's (actually my great grandmother's) peonies have been blooming for about a week. I love peonies and had I ever been a June bride, they would have comprised my bouquet. My mother had a large vase full of them when I stopped by to visit yesterday. I think I will snip a bundle of branches on my way home from work...keeping my fingers crossed that the giant ants will not accompany me home!

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  26. So pretty Suzan! I love this time of year too. My Hydrangea just bloomed... LOVE!
    Poor John! I can imagine the fur and the smell..... ewwwwww.

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  27. I can almost smell them from your pics. I am looking forward to my peonies in full bloom. They really are stunning! I have lots of beautiful little yellow flowers blooming all through my grass....I could send you seed if you like......You don't seem to have them in your lawn. What's up with that???

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  28. Your flowers are beautiful. It must smell wonderful in your garden.

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  29. I love Peonies, but Mr. C will not let me plant them. Mr. C says "too many ants"! We do have a problem with ants, but oh how I want a few. I like you have been spending so much time outdoors, there is nothing better, every time a flower blooms it's like gift! When I am out in my garden I feel like I am in spiritual heaven!

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  30. Ahhh! Peonies! Your going to have a great week. Cut copious amounts for indoors. You can also save unbloomed stems in the fridge for a while to delay blooming so you can have beautiful flowers for longer. your yard is gorgeous. I'm so glad you have a respite.

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  31. Ah peonies are my all time favorite. Have not stopped by in a while Suzan, my apologies!! Hope you are doing well? Great post. Take care Anu

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    1. Please - no apologies Anu - life is crazy - I GET that lol
      Thanks so much - much love,
      Moi

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  32. I find it very therapeutic to sit outside and look at all of my beautiful flowers. My peonies are just starting to open and I have them everywhere. I have not had time to set up cute little areas like you have, but in time. Your yard is looking so cute, and yes I love escaping from all the work that needs to be done inside too.

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  33. Poor John, the garden is so pretty it's just beautiful., I talk to my plants especially seedlings they're my babies and unlike the ones I birthed they dont talk back :)

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  34. This is my first visit. Your flowers are beautiful. My sister and I are compiling a devotion book for flower lovers. 50 common flower pictures and a devotion relating to each one. Since I haven't been here previously, did something die on that floor? The words fur and stench make me think that.

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    1. Hi Gloria - so nice to meet you !!!
      What a beautiful idea for a book :)
      Nothing died lol - except all hopes for this renovation being an easy job LOL
      We bought a fixer upper that was in amuch worse state then we could have ever imagined!
      Hugs xox

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Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
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xoxo