Sunday, February 1, 2009

Garden Muse Day: Patience is a Virtue

The title today was a favorite saying of a teacher of mine in high school and seems very fitting for this first day of February. No matter what the groundhog tells us tomorrow, we are in for another six weeks of winter, and as gardeners, it is difficult to be patient. While I often have a poem already in mind for Muse Day, sometimes I have to search for one as I did today. The poem I've chosen really struck a chord with me as it reminded me that spring will come eventually.
The Garden in Winter


Frosty-white and cold it lies
Underneath the fretful skies;
Snowflakes flutter where the red
Banners of the poppies spread,
And the drifts are wide and deep
Where the lilies fell asleep.


But the sunsets o'er it throw
Flame-like splendor, lucent glow,
And the moonshine makes it gleam
Like a wonderland of dream,
And the sharp winds all the day
Pipe and whistle shrilly gay.

Safe beneath the snowdrifts lie
Rainbow buds of by-and-by;
In the long, sweet days of spring
Music of bluebells shall ring,
And its faintly golden cup
Many a primrose will hold up.

Though the winds are keen and chill
Roses' hearts are beating still,
And the garden tranquilly
Dreams of happy hours to be­
In the summer days of blue
All its dreamings will come true.

by Lucy Maud Montgomery *




To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven...
--Ecclesiastes 3:1

*Many of you no doubt will recognize the poet, but I must sheepishly admit that I couldn't remember who she was. While not well-known for her poetry, Lucy Maud Montgomery was, of course, the beloved author of Anne of Green Gables.

Garden Muse Day is brought to you the first of each month by Carolyn Gail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago; visit her for other musings on February.

28 comments:

  1. Marvelous choice for you Rose. As your name is in the poem. I can just see you waiting for spring.

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  2. Love that line-"Roses hearts are beating still"- that's perfect!

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  3. Lovely Rose, thinking and dreaming of spring and the bluebells etc. is what is keeping us smiling here lately. Thank goodness for those photo files on the computer to be able to see the garden in full bloom. Winter is getting tiresome.
    Frances

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  4. I can see where it would strike a chord with you Rose. Won't be long now. And it is hard to believe another year is gone and past!

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  5. Beautiful poem Rose......it made me tingle......
    and
    spring is only a heartbeat away....we must be patient, for when she arrives, winter will be a distant memory......

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  6. Hi Rose,

    ! Loved the series~~Anne of Green Gables, really was the best!

    Maybe we will experience the frosty while and cold it lies this week! We are already dreaming of happy hours in the summer garden~~

    Keep warm and dreaming.

    gail

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  7. Sweet poem - I like it! I remember teachers telling us school children the same thing. Well I'm not very patient when it comes to winter. Hurry up Spring!!

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  8. Lisa and Joyce, I didn't even think about my name being in the poem:) I just like the image of flowerbuds just waiting under the snow to pop out!

    Frances, I've been thankful for the last month and a half that I had all these photos stored on my computer. Pictures of my driveway or trees covered in snow would get old pretty quick otherwise:)

    Tina, I'm not sure why I'm so impatient this year, Tina; maybe it's because we have no reprieves from the cold or bad weather this year or maybe it's because I have a plan for a new garden area and I'm itching to get started on it:)

    Cheryl, I have to remind myself that each season has its own beauty and benefits. Without the long winter I probably wouldn't appreciate spring nearly as much.

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  9. Gail, Would you believe I've never read Anne of Green Gables? Now there's a book I should put on my reading list!

    Wendy, We used to roll our eyes when she said that saying:) I'm definitely with you--spring can come any time!

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  10. Loved the poem Rose..so promising..
    "Music of bluebells shall ring"

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  11. I had read that poem before, and it's a favorite, as is Lucy Maud here in Atlantic Canada. It's a perfect selection for the first day of fickle February!

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  12. A fitting poem for February! Thanks for reminding me, I knew I recognized the name but didn't realize she was a poet too.

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  13. What a beautiful poem, Rose. I love the thought of the sleeping possibilities which are very well shown in your photos. And yes, Patience is a virtue. Thanks for sharing! :-)

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  14. I loved the poem. It brought such vivid images to mind. 'The drifts are wide and deep, where the lilies fell asleep' is so true in my garden and I know it is in yours too.

    I thought Montgomery's name sounded familiar, but would never have come up with Green Gables. It has been such a long time since I read those books.

    Soon we will be able to start our seeds indoors and that will tide us over til we can get outside. (I hope!)

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  15. I wish patience was one of my virtues:) I never read Green Gables but always watched it when it was on PBS. Loved it each time.

    I just started some Illumination Begonia seeds inside since they take so long to grow. Wish me luck.

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  16. Naturegirl, I liked the optimistic tone of this poem. I'm anxious to see all the bulbs I planted last fall finally popping up.

    Nancy, "Fickle February" is the perfect way to describe it! I knew my Canadian friends would recognize Lucy Montgomery's name:)

    Racquel, I was surprised when I learned who she was; I didn't know she wrote poetry either.

    Shady Gardener, It's hard to be patient this time of year, but I know spring will eventually arrive.

    Beckie, Hopefully all that snow--and the leaves--underneath are insulating all the flowers. I'm really excited about planting seeds this year--we may have to buy hundreds of those little pots:)

    Flydragon, Oh, I hope you'll show your begonias when they sprout! I bought an Illumination plant last year and just loved it.

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  17. I think the poem is very fitting Rose. As I read the name of the poet I knew she sounded familiar but couldn't recall who she was. I love the book Anne of Green Gables.

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  18. Wonderful poem for this day! Groundhog (General Beauregard Lee) did not see his shadow down here in GA but I know we are not out of the cold just yet. I must refrain from planting anything for now... Ho-hum, soon though, soon...

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  19. I never really got into the Green Gables books--the action moved a little slowly;) I am still a huge fan of the movies. Every now and again I watch the whole series again.

    I'm sure Lucy Maud understood snow, living on PEI she must have gotten a lot more than we are used to. It's a lovely poem.
    Marnie

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  20. Patience is indeed a Virtue but I must admit to liking this down time. A lovely poem and post, dear Rose ... I loved Anne of Green Gables.

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  21. I thought that name sounded familiar! I can relate to the poem, but I keep reminding myself, less than a month to Meteorological Spring.

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  22. Susie, I must admit I've never read Anne of Green Gables, though I've seen the movie version. One more great book that I've overlooked:)

    Skeeter, Maybe there is something to this groundhog theory after all:)

    Marnie, I thought, too, that she understood the meaning of REAL winter:)

    Joey, I know a little down time is nice, but I think I'm getting cabin fever this year.

    MMD, I'm trying to make myself patient, but it's hard:) Glad you are intrigued by the Potato Peel novel; reading is one way I pass these winter days.

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  23. Great choice, Rose and I was stunned on seeing the bouquets of heavenly blue!

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  24. I do feel a drip. That lovely poem brought tears to my eyes. I was beginning to think that I'd gone through the emotional phase of the menopause, but maybe not. Sigh.

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  25. Chandramouli, Thank you. The blue hyacinths are from last spring--hopefully, they are sleeping right now and will wake up in April.

    Mean Mom, It's ok to cry...I find myself getting too emotional quite often. I'm sure it can't be my age:)

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  26. Hang in there, Rose! You know, that cold wind from up your way is making its way down here. We'll return the favor next summer and send some Gulf breezes. I love the poem and the thought of the garden dreaming. Was that teacher of yours kind of slow about getting papers graded?

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  27. W2W, I'm ready for some warm Gulf breezes! No, our teacher wasn't slow about grading:) She was a home ec teacher, and I think she was trying to keep us from getting so frustrated with our efforts. She had a lot of patience to teach sewing to a room full of girls.

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  28. Rose, now I understand completely about the teacher. I'm probably the most unvirtuous seamstress who ever touched thread and needle! Few things raise my BP (and alter my vocabulary) more than sewing does.

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