Peony

" Generally symbolic of love, honor, happiness wealth, romance, and beauty, the peony is traditionally given on special occasions as an expression of goodwill, best wishes, and joy."

 

 

A peony getting ready to bloom in my garden this very morning.

 Greek mythology says that peonies stood for healing and were often put on burial sights. 

Peonies come in different shapes, sizes and colors.

My tree peony bloomed a month ago. Regular peonies are blooming now. All but the top flower were photographed at Adelman Peony Gardens near Salem, Oregon. It is quite a beautiful place to visit, even on a rainy day.

 

I came home with a bouquet of coral ones similar to these two. They lasted about a week in a vase and just sang to my soul. Fascinating that the last couples days they turned a soft yellow. They lost the sunshine in the color, but still shown beautifully.

The rain was coming down in buckets, but I just had to run to the field for a quick shot. It was magnificent, but very wet.

 

In the display gardens they married the peonies with both lupines and iris; quite a spectacular sight.

Hoping you have moments to stop and savor the glorious spring flowers around you.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Words of Kindness and Joy

Dogwood in my garden is blooming.

“Kind hearts are the gardens. Kind thoughts are the roots. Kind words are the blossoms. Kind deeds are the fruits.”  Kirpal Singh

My rose garden.

Below are calla lilies from my sister's garden years ago. She dug them out of her garden when I was visiting and I brought them home in my car - ants and all. They have flourished here.

I love the peachy colored roses.

The rhododendron is still blooming.

And the Mountain Laurel is now in full bloom.

 I love sharing my garden with others. I hadn't really thought of it as a kindness, but it is. It is flourishing at the moment. What I love most about Springtime. All the colors and textures sing to my heart. May kindness grow in your garden and flourish in your heart.

 Sending love,

Marilyn

Schreiner's Iris Garden - Oregon

 What does an iris flower symbolize?

"The most common meanings include hope, wisdom, trust and valour, making it a great flower to have around the house. The iris has also been known to mean nobility as it's been long associated with royalty all throughout history - especially in France and Italy."

It may be strange to you, but iris is not a flower I particularly like in my garden. I am not sure if it is the scent or the fact that it doesn't hold up well when picked and brought inside. I do appreciate them in other gardens and they are quite beautiful. So off this week to visit the Scheiner's Iris Gardens near Salem, Oregon. I absolutely love how they have combined the iris with lupines in some of the beds. Lupines bring fond memories to me of walking on a trail on Mt. Cook in New Zealand many years ago. As I walked the trail took me through a large field of lupines in colors I had never seen before. I tucked a few seeds in my pocket and brought them home. For several years they grew in my own garden and I loved remembering that walk.

The iris is one of the more easy to grow perennials. Though I prefer seeing them in other gardens I do have one beauty in my own garden. It surprises me each year that it is still there, as I don't give it any attention.

"In the springtime, the heart regrows hope." Angie Weiland-Crosby

Do you love irises?

Walking this week in the Schreiner's Iris Garden I was truly amazed at all the varieties of color and styles. Some were black or had touches of bright orange, some were soft lavenders and blues, some were full of ruffles like a ballerinas skirt and some were quite simple and said "notice me too".

There were many artists sitting in the garden painting, for they were noticing too.

 

Here's a bit of a photo dump:

 

Even clematis in the garden were beautiful.

Places to sit and enjoy the beauty.

There were a few sprinkles of rain, but the beauty ruled.

I thought this artist fit in with the colors of the rainbow in front of her.

 Surrounded by beauty delights the soul.

Have a beautiful day, dear ones!

 

Sending love,

Marilyn

Words of Kindness and Joy

 

The rose is called Just Joey. Isn't it gorgeous, one of my all time favorites!!

A gift of beauty in your inbox.

 Just a few days ago I listened to an excerpt from a graduation speech at the University of Michigan given by Brad Meltzer. On his Instagram page he says "I believe ordinary people change the world".

This quote just blew me away: "If you really want to shock the world, unleash your kindness." He talked about putting us in another one's shoes and to not shut down. The solution is to have empathy for others, to hug one another to help put the pieces back together. What a perfect message for graduates.

And YES! What I am focusing on this year is unleashing our kindness.

A perfect rose makes my heart sing. The same rose found in the garden and picked for the above vase inside the house.

And another perfect orange marmalade cat named Joey for Joy to make us smile. He was enjoying the sunshine coming in through the window. The sweet quilt was made for my daughter when she was born by her great-grandmother, now Joey enjoys it.
 

All it takes is a simple word, a hug or a smile to make someone's day.

Sending love,

Marilyn

 

Mother's Day - 2024

 It was a lovely Mother's Day last Sunday.

That being said, most often I don't like Mother's Day. I always thought it was because I must have high expectations for what I thought should happen. This year my son slept in and we went ahead with plans to walk in the Crystal Spring Rhododendron Gardens and have a picnic at a local park with my daughter and grandson. My son is not good at celebrations; so letting him sleep made the day extra special. That might not sound caring or loving, but it actually worked very well. He was happy to sleep and I was happy to spend time with my daughter and grandson and celebrate a special day.

It was a gorgeous, sunshiny day.

The flowers were in full bloom.

We even came across a little princess frolicking in the garden.

A patch of primula.

Aren't the flowers beautiful? I seem to be partial to pinks, my daughter loved the white with the purple center.

Sort of a silly picture of the two of us, but I like it just the same.

There were a few iris sprinkled in the garden.

D is so loving toward his family. Here he is with his mama.

 It was a perfect day to celebrate family and a beautiful garden.

My "live-in gardener" put together the picnic of cheeses, cold cuts, fruits and a lemon cake.

Hope your Mother's Day was extra special even if you are not a mother, but still celebrate the day with someone special.

Sending love,

Marilyn