What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade. - Gertrude Jekyll
I didn't know anything about Ms. Jekyll, other than I knew that roses had been named for her. According to Google and the link above, she looks like my Great Aunt Florence and was a phenomenal gardener of the English tradition.
The view from the porch today is June. In all its loveliness.
As I went for my walk last night, this quote gently came in and out of my thoughts... I had planted a garden of my own earlier in the day and the walk was to hopefully work out any sore muscles I might discover this morning. While I did enjoy other's lovely plantings and blooming flowers, there are no gardens that rival Ms. Gertrude's. But, we do what we can.
Iowa gardeners tend to be reserved. Gardens are plotted and landscaped. Flowers, like mine in my cutting garden, are planted in rows. Our gardens reflect our personalities. We line up well. We tend to be rather nice and don't draw a lot of attention to ourselves. There are some of us who will blaze the trail for the rest, try new plants and such, but by and large, we plant the gardens of our grandparents.
I know that I do. Pearl enjoyed her flowers regimented along the fence line. Peace roses and zinnias. Lester had a wonderful vegetable garden. I am certain that I planted the same things yesterday as he would have chosen, HE would have added a few things I did not. I have a few tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers...I doubt he had basil or any herbs that I love. He would have planted hills of potatoes back on Good Friday and all the onions they would need for the year. Maybe a muskmelon or watermelon...
This is the time of year when June is so lush with promise of things to come. How interesting that it also has the power to make me pause and remember people and moments of my childhood.
Margaret Atwood once said, "At the end of a spring day, one should smell of dirt." It is hugely satisfying.
1 comment:
If our gardens reflect our personalities, I wonder what the daisies that I let run rampant throughout mine say about me :-)
Having grown up in the desert where gardening was essentially not an option, I find the full spectrum of the growing season in Iowa provides utmost satisfaction for my soul. The rhythm of the seasons feeds my spirit and helps remind me that whatever stage I am going through in life is part of a larger cycle of all things, and that regardless spring will always come again!
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