Tuesday, December 15, 2009

ABC Wednesday: The Vagaries of Winter

Note to Garden Bloggers visiting today: My Bloom Day post can be found by scrolling below this one. But I do hope you'll take a moment to read my silly little poem here, since it describes the way my garden looks in December.


One of the things I've come to enjoy about ABC Wednesdays is the chance to meet some other bloggers around the world who I probably wouldn't encounter from reading primarily garden blogs. Each Wednesday I visit a few familiar "faces" from this group, but I usually meet a few new people each week as well. One of the more familiar bloggers in this group, Brenda at Rinkly Rimes, commented on my post last week that my photo of "frozen fennel" suggested a poem to her. Those of you who read Rinkly Rimes' posts know that Brenda is a poet extraordinaire with clever verses on a wide variety of topics. If she does write a poem about frozen fennel, I would be very honored. But in the meantime, she inspired me with the idea for today's V post . . . a little light Verse about my garden:




December 2008


My Garden in Winter

Winter winds have swept the prairie
Cold, ice, and snow have left their mark.
The garden is still—
Zero Zinnias and No Nasturtiums
To brighten each day.
Only Frozen Fennel
and Dill Dusted with snow,
Alongside Pummeled Phlox,
Icy Iris, and Arctic Asters.

Crumpled Coleus and Prone Pansies
Sit by the door.
Dormant Daffodils and Daylilies
wait for warmer weather
Along with
the Tulips under the Tundra.
Slumbering Salvia stand next to
Snowy Sedum and Congealed Coneflowers.

Rain turns to ice,
creating Sleety Susans
And Glacial Gaillardias.
In the shade garden
Hyperborean Hellebores shiver
Next to Hibernating Heucheras,
Hostas, and Hydrangeas,
all on Hold till the end of the season.
Frigid Ferns, Polar Primrose, and Bleak Brunnera
Hide under a light coverlet of leaves.

Quivering Quince and Cowering Clematis
Suffer the onslaught.
Lilacs and Lavender Languish
while the Roses Rest
Under a blanket of white.
Verbena and “Victoria Blues” bear the Vicissitudes
Of Winter’s wrath.

My garden sleeps—
dreaming of spring.



Editor's Full Disclosure--Please note the photo above was taken a year ago. I've taken some poetic license in the poem as well, because we haven't had any snow other than a few flurries. But I know that the snow will come eventually--probably with a vengeance--and a brown, muddy garden just doesn't sound very poetic, does it?





Thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt for hosting us once again; for other varied V posts, check out the ABC Blog.

37 comments:

  1. All those names of the flowers, how DO you remember them? I can get as far as pink flower, yellow flower or red flower. And that's only describing tulips!

    Liked the poem though...

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  2. Love your photo regardless of when it was taken and the poem is lovely We all do have to make changes now and then in all of our worlds so I guess poetic license is a part of life -- a good part!

    Have a great day! Stay warm!

    Sylvia

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  3. Hi Rose......Gosh amazing.....how on earth did you put that together.

    A very different and enjoyable ABC Wednesday.......

    Loved the photograph......

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  4. What a lovely poem Rose. I have to admit, a muddy garden doesn't sound very poetic.

    Hope you are staying warm.

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  5. Excellent poem - especially the last two lines.

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  6. I enjoyed your poem so much Rose. It had me shivering by the end due to feeling like I was in the deep freeze with them. I am glad to hear about the Riming blog. I will check out her blog. I love poetry.

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  7. I love your alliterative offering, Rose. Verily, a vivacious view of vinter! (Please excuse the German slip.)

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  8. I love it! Especially the tulips under the tundra!

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  9. Dear Rose,
    Your verse is very fun...Thanks for the shiver and the smiles.
    I think ACB Wednesday is delightful. I too have met so many different people with varied interests.
    We are nearing the end of this round too. It has been fun thinking of posts each week.
    Your V is so creative.
    Sherry

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  10. Fun verse on the winter garden. Love all the alliteration!
    Hope winter snow doesn't hit with too much vengeance.

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  11. Great poem, Rose. The congealed Coneflowers made me think of a jello salad. Sleety Susans and quivering Quince--it all make me feel quite chilly! My garden is sleeping too, dreaming of Spring--as I am--along with all the garden catalogs as I can get.

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  12. Poetic licence indeed! Lovely. Would love to see a little snow here soon, but only a little as I don't wish to be house bound!

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  13. Poems are like photos (or vice versa) - they last for a long time. A great V!

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  14. What a fun poem. And I learned a new word, hyperborean (living in a for northern region). Were you talking about me? ha

    When I look out at all our snow, I often think about the dormant daffodils and that helps keep me going until spring.

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  15. You have given me my first smile of the morning. Sleety Susans, quivering quince, cowering clematis...perfect.
    Marnie

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  16. Wow......... a very talented lady!

    I hope you don't have such a cold winter as we are having at present. I have never felt so cold and its raining again!

    Nuts in May

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  17. awesome alliteration. It has snowed in Albany, NY recently, and now it's just COLD.

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  18. You know a lot of flower names! Lovely poem, Rose! Thanks for your visit!

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  19. Amazing poems...(high five) it's beautiful poem..me can't even rhyme ^_^


    My ABC

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  20. That was fun! Odd as it sounds, I'd rather have snow blanketing the garden than bare ground that's really exposed to the vagaries of winter.

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  21. I love the poem because you go through all letters--so clever. And we don;t have snow either, which I wish we did!!!

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  22. Hello Rose,

    I just love your poem and photo. The picture perfectly describes your poem and vice versa.

    Thank you very much for your kind comments on my blog :0)

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  23. I love the picture and the poem that goes with it, irregardless of when it was takan. Thank you for sharing this with us.

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  24. No apologies needed! I don't think there are rules that state that photos need to be taken that week!
    It's a great photo, by the way. And the poem is too. Always fun and inspiring to stop by here.

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  25. Vicissitudes! Fabulous, Rose! What an inspiring poem, by that I mean thinking about all those plants in the spring and summer when they return to grace your lovely garden. Spring is showing its face here already, with bulbs poking their noses up. It seems early, but probably is right on schedule. It is I that am late. :-)
    Frances

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  26. Rose, I LOVE your poem (keep them coming)!

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  27. Lovely poem. I'll print it out and put it in my diary to remind my of beautiful winter days.

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  28. Wow -- your poem is amazing!!
    love the pics too!

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  29. Your poem is a delight of images! I love it. Crumbled coleus and prone Pansies...fantastic!! gail

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  30. Well it looks just like that outside here this morning after the first real snow of the winter.

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  31. It IS Your blog! ;-) great photo and fun poem. I hope to start the ABC sometime in January. Merry Christmas to you!!

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  32. I visited your blog and your kind remarks reminded me to write that fennel poem. So you'll find it at
    http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.com

    Happy Christmas! And thanks for following me!

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  33. Brava, Rose! How much fun. You thaw the chill of winter with your humorous verse. Have a Happy Christmas!

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  34. Oh, I love this poem! How very clever to come up with neat descriptors of all your frozen flowers.

    Happy Holidays!

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  35. Breath taking... even covered in snow.
    Happy Christmas to you - looking forward to what 2010 will hold in your garden.

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