Stripes, fringes and frills

Irresistible tulips. I succumbed to their charms during recent visits to the garden shop in March. One bouquet for me, one bouquet for my mom, and a small pot of three to keep the daffodils and crocuses company on the balcony.

Tulips for Easter

“Beauty is not caused. It is.”
― Emily Dickinson

Amaryllis

Amaryllis

By  CONNIE WANEK

A flower needs to be this size

to conceal the winter window,

and this color, the red

of a Fiat with the top down,

to impress us, dull as we've grown.

Months ago the gigantic onion of a bulb

half above the soil

stuck out its green tongue

and slowly, day by day,

the flower itself entered our world,

closed, like hands that captured a moth,

then open, as eyes open,

and the amaryllis, seeing us,

was somehow undiscouraged.

It stands before us now

as we eat our soup;

you pour a little of your drinking water

into its saucer, and a few crumbs

of fragrant earth fall

onto the tabletop.

Source: Poetry Foundation

Catching up, part 1

The big project is finished. Hurrah!

I'm on vacation. Double hurrah!!

I awoke super early this morning. To the sound of rain beating against the window. Washing away my plans to prep the community plot for warm weather crops. {Sigh}

The sun tried really hard today, I could tell. But it couldn't break through the clouds.

So I stayed dry on my covered balcony, rearranged the pots (it's a jungle out there), and planned where to place the tomatoes, peppers, beets, carrots and beans in the 12 empty squares in my community garden plot.

And rather than mope any more about the weather, I'll consider it a reason to pay more attention to this blog, and finish one of three catch-up posts.

A few balcony garden highlights from mid-April through late May

Earth Dog on Earth Day (April 22nd)

Lewisia cotyledon forma alba, late April

Viola 'Lemon Royale' has been blooming since mid-March.

The purple bracts of Lavandula stoechas 'Anouk' stretch toward blue sky and sunshine in mid-May.

Wordless Wednesday