She Kept A Parrot
A Journal For Charlie
Life in the Garden
The Clematis blossoms dried
and remain on the vine
interesting still in the straw version of themselves
Romero sheared the Foxtail Ferns to the ground
As he promised, they sprang from the soil
into mounds of green Foxtail forests.
Β
The leaves of the Bromeliads turned brown
in the winter freeze and
I thought they were dead
Suddenly, a blossom appeared from the ruin
The Bird’s Nest Ferns
with their leather leaves
are spilling over their pots
in a kind of celebration of the coming summer
The Pintas are busy making new buds
and blossoms too
New leaves spring up like green Seahorses
from the centers of the ferns
And Miss Lily has returned
to make the garden her own.
56 Comments on “Life in the Garden”
Comments
She Kept A Parrot 
Sumptuous colour in this, George π
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Beautiful images π
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Miss Lily indeed – what a beauty she is, especially caught that way.
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And that was a snap in passing late one day. I have the habit of snapping her. It borders on obsession, I reckon. I prefer to call it “tradition” since she and I and the camera go way back, as they say. Chuckle… I kind of liked her mood that evening too. Thanks, Lynn.
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Wonderful colours .What a great series.
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Thank, Kilted. What the heck is your name? Chuckle… Actually, you don’t look like a “kilted” to me. I love the guy in the Gravatar. Such a fascinating expression. A benevolent and intelligent and thoughtful man who is slightly amused by what he sees. I’m happy that you like my garden photos. And, thanks for stopping by. π
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Hi George.
Thanks for the very kind words about my fizzog. It was actually taken by my daughter after a long day walking in the mountains..I was very tired to put it politely. Kilted yes I wear them a lot. Hence the name.
I like flower pictures you do a great job at that.
Have a great weekend…David ;0)
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It’s so nice to see the growth and changes after the winter. I especially like the shot of the bromeliad blossom–it looks so healthy and velvety. I discovered a couple of weeks ago that we had blossom in one of ours on the sunporch. I also love the shot of the Bird Nest fern–such wonderfully-shaped leaves.
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I was astounded to see the blossom since the plant leaves were brown. I had considered throwing the plant out. I like bird’s nest ferns too. These are a first for me. Yes, I am delighted to see the garden growing again. π
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Vibrant colours and great textures and details – the result is palpable beauty!!
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Thank you very much! I am happy you like the photos. I love everything that grows and constantly shifts and changes in the garden. I am especially happy to see the plants return since we had a bad winter. Growing plants make me optimistic, I suppose. And, I love sharing their pictures. Thank you for stopping by to visit me, Paula! π
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Beauty squared. The beauty of your garden made even more beautiful by your clever eye and skillful photography.
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Thank you, Linda! I do love the garden. I suppose I see it a bit differently because I spend so much time there and on the porch from where I can see it growing and changing. It reminds me constantly of the ever-changing world and the transience of life itself. I suppose it’s an old people thing, but I developed a love for it from my mother. I am happy when you share my feeling about it. π
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Gorgeous, optimistic shots. Lovely.
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Thank you, Richard. A pessimist never saw a flower bloom, I think. Chuckle…
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Its wonderful to catch up on your garden’s progress – and I like the way you are so personally involved with each plant. I hope you’re fine, George. Adrian
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Ah, I do love it when everything in the garden springs to life overnight, or so it seems. It’s hard to remain pessimistic in the face of such natural optimism, for sure! Thank you, Adrian. I am well. And so, I hope, are you! π
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So very pretty, George….makes me want a garden of my own. π
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Thanks, Scott. You should make a garden wherever it is that you are headed. With a little “mountain stream” right in the middle! Thank you for stopping by, it’s good to see you. π
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Lovely post!
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Thank you, Celestine! I just realized that it’s the beginning of winter in your part of the planet! Crafty Gran from South Africa reminded me that it’s the color of khaki there now. I thought that was a very descriptive word for it! Thanks for stopping by to visit me. I hope all is well with you and your babies! π
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Your photos are so full of life and fabulous variety!
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Thanks, Patti! I’m happy to share them with you. And, I’m delighted that you enjoy them. Thanks for stopping by! π
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Your lovely post was a gift this Sunday morning! Always I enjoy your way of seeing, my dear George. No worries about stopping by here and there. Your offerings are so generous in themselves. Blessing~ xxx
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I am so happy it was welcoming to you this morning, Adelaide! You are so very kind. Thank you. π
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You, my dear, are most welcome. Keep taking those gorgeous photos of yours. I adore them!
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As always, your photos are stunning George.
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Thank you, Colline. School is out, isn’t it? I have to stop by to see what you and the kids are doing for the summer vacation! π
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Not yet. Still have three more weeks to go π
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Reblogged this on Writing Out Loud and commented:
Wonderful!
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Thanks for the reblog, Fitz! I’m glad you enjoyed the flowers. π
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I always enjoy looking at your beautiful garden, George. Romero is a real treasure. π What a beautiful Bromeliad flower!
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I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, Sylvia. Yes, Romero is a skilled gardener and a fine person, too! I was sure the Bromeliad was dead and really shocked to see the flower emerge. π
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I love surprises like that. π
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As always, George dear, stunning photography! So welcome as over here, it is all khaki and dry as our winter sets in solidly
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I forget that our winters are opposite! Glad you enjoyed the photos, Charlene. How is baby cheeks doing? I know you’re one happy granny! π
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Dear George, she is gaining weight like a good girl! She is a lovely baby, loves to be cuddled, which mum loves to do. Some would say spoiled, but her mummy has the time, opportunity and enjoys it. When she is busy, I am only too happy to cuddle her. I did the same with my 3 babies, and don’t regret it at all. Yes is means very much more hands-on, but we enjoy it. I bought mum a pouch to keep hands free and baby close and they both love it. *very content sigh*
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beautiful images, George
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Thank you, Shimon! π
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The seahorse leaf is wonderful!
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Thanks, Ray. They amuse me when they pop up from the middle of the fern! π
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Amazing images, George. I love the image of the bird’s nest fern.
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Ah, Susan! I am delighted to see you! I haven’t visited in forever. Thanks for stopping by to visit me. I smile at the sight of the green seahorses too. π
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I do apologize ~ I have not had much time to filter through my favorite blogs lately…and then I see posts like yours and realize how much I am missing! π
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Thanks. I have the same problem with visiting my favorite blogs too. I have no idea where the days go. π
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Really lovely photos!
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Thanks, Sue Bee! I’m glad you liked the photos. I enjoy the flowers, too. π
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So beautiful!
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Hi, Ann! I’m happy that you enjoyed the photos. Thank you for stopping by to visit me and for leaving such a nice comment! π
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That monster of a winter extended it’s frosty fingers all the way down to you, George? How frightful! I’ve always imagined your climate was like mine here in south-east Queenslane, with the ferns, bromeliads, and pentas – and Miss Lily, of course (though she’s a very forgiving lass, adaptable to resettlement over almost the entire continent!) – until you told me about the clematis. There are certain painful forfeits to living in the tropics and sub-tropics, I’ve found – most of them revolving around missing certain plants – clematis being a sad inclusion. Gorgeous collection dear.
PS – I adore the effect of the fuzzy fly screen π
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Hi, Meredith. Yes, we had ice and freezing temperatures. I am not at all certain that the clematis will grow here. It’s in a pot. The nursery people said it would grow. It looks fine, but is not putting on new growth or blooming again. There are Texas varieties, but they aren’t very pretty. I know what you mean by missing plants. I love pines and cedars, but they don’t do well here. The Japanese Maple is another favorite of mine that we can’t grow. Our soil is very alkaline. Gardenias and acid-loving plants don’t do well. And, now, it seems that we will get the freezes that try their best to kill my palms! Chuckle… Everything survived this time, however. I photograph lots of stuff against the black cloth screen on the porch. It filters the light that is so harsh outside. Thanks for stopping by to chat! π
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Your photography never fails to take my breath away. Clematis is a favorite of mine..the most resilient of perennials.
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Do you grow them in Georgia? I have serious doubts about this one. It grows in the northeast. The nursery said that it would grow in a pot here. It looks fine, but it is not growing or blooming again. I think it doesn’t get enough hours of sunlight. We’ll see… It’s hard to believe that there is no sunlight all day in TEXAS. Usually, there is no shade! We’ve planted so many shade plants to shield the porch that I’m looking for sunny spots now. Chuckle… However, I still have the cursed heat and humidity. I have a surprise visit for you from Miss Trumpet. Yes. She survived Romero’s blade and is tearing up the sides of the pergola with a vengeance. She bloomed! I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw it. π Thanks, Elisa!
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These are lovely! I particularly like the linking colour tones of pinky-purple against the rich greens π
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Hi, Sarah! These are some of the flowers that I don’t have an entire post about, so I grouped them together. I’m happy that you enjoyed them. And, thanks for stopping in to visit me! π
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It’s a very harmonious post π
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