the last day of May

lushness at the end of May

This was the gorgeous bouquet I brought home from the farmer's market

(2 doors away, lucky me!)

what a difference a day makes

It's been a day or two...were you wondering about the magnolia? I wish you could smell it over the blog, as well as having a peak inside one of these amazing blossoms.

And the peony...you can see why I love it so? Growing happily on the north side of the house in the shade, and only recently freed from ice and snow. Check back later in the season to see the seed pods. The first time I saw them, I wondered what hot pink bit of plastic was in the garden. Certainly a color which Barbie would wear.

gifts of the season

Are you getting tired of seeing this magnolia yet? It's new in our garden, and we love it so much!

First salad of the season, first asparagus, and first radish.

The first peony of the year will open soon.

as well as the first lilac.
This time of year we feel rich.

so much depends...

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

(William Carlos Williams)


I wish I had a photograph here for you, but try to picture it in your mind's eye...
A small red wheelbarrow which has been rattling around our yard with one broken handle, was revived by F. in honor of a two-year-old's birthday. A new handle was carved, shiny new fastenings were put in, and a yellow ribbon was tied cheerily to each handle. We arrived at the birthday party with the wheelbarrow tucked under F.'s arm, and immediately the prince of the day spied it and made a beeline toward us. F. set down the wheelbarrow, and off trundled the newly-two, complete with a floppy sunhat and a red ballon tied to his wrist and bobbing above his head, without a backward glance. So much depends upon a red wheel barrow.

hello yard...

...and more

some wonders of the world

Here's a peek at who rules the roost around here.

Yesterday as I passed through the kitchen, I saw a ruby-throated hummingbird hovering outside the window, just where the feeder was last year. What a delightful surprise! So I cooked up some nectar right away and filled the feeder, and now he's guzzling to his heart's content. He's not quite used to our movements around the kitchen yet, so we're walking slowly and carefully by the window.

Excuse me for a moment please, my husband is asking me vocabulary questions from the other room...do I know the words frigorific? fugacity? exuberate? obtund? We're in love with words around here.

The wonder of today was this ~ As part of my Master Gardener training, we had a tour of an arboretum near here. More than 250 acres, with some wonderful plantings. Here's what blew my mind: I should have known, but didn't really, that if you plant a seed from the apple you're eating, you won't grow a tree bearing apples just like it. You have to graft your kind of apple onto a root stock. The original apple came from Central Asia. The arborist at our arboretum was given seeds from Kazakhstan from the real deal apple tree. He planted the seeds here in Maine and the trees are now about two feet tall. Time will tell what the apples will be like. I am in love with this piece of information!

today in the garden

couch camouflage

Well, there's been way too much under-the-weather happening in this house, and then I noticed that I'm beginning to look like the couch! Ahhhh! But my fairygodmotherlibrarianfriend came to the rescue...books galore, a great movie, oodles of tea choices and fresh pineapple. I feel so lucky! Who wouldn't get better with that kind of treatment? My gratitude is overflowing.

and a few more glimpses...

a present for a wee friend

another homeschoolers handwork project

February to May...a few glimpses

first spring flowers...

puppets heading to New York, who sold as a sweet couple (!!)

an angel in my kitchen window

handwork with the homeschoolers

No end to the spirit of the season

I'm not sure how much of this blurry photo you can make out, but for the record it is: a Christmas tree on the porch with a timer to turn the lights on, to help us through the dark part of the year (put there in December by the "keeper of the spirit" in our home). Through the tree you may be able to make out tulips in bloom and my dear one mowing the lawn.