Friday, May 6, 2016

Enjoy Them While You Can

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

When the poet John Keats wrote this line, I'm pretty sure he was thinking of art.  I do know he wasn't talking about spring flowers, because the beauty of spring flowers certainly doesn't last forever.  We admire and write about spring ephemerals, those short-lived woodland beauties, but really, everything about spring seems ephemeral.  Spring brings me so much joy, but if I have one complaint, it's that it simply doesn't last long enough.


For example, this was the view from my front porch just two weeks ago--the scene in my header gives an even longer view of the flowering crabapples lining my driveway.


I look forward to this sight every year and enjoy every moment of it I can.  We were lucky to have a few nice days of sunshine to enjoy them, but the rain and strong winds can make short work of all these beautiful blossoms.


The redbuds, too, show off their glowing pink blooms for only a short time before they begin to leaf out and turn a pleasant, but ordinary green.


The tulips have also been short-lived this spring.  A week or more of unusually warm weather in April--in the 70's and even reaching 80 F some days--put the tulips into overdrive with all of them blooming about the same time and fading quickly in the heat.


In my last post I lamented that all I seemed to have were yellow tulips, but I needn't have worried.  After the early yellow blooms, other tulips opened up revealing that I had indeed planted a multitude of colors.  There was the delicate pink of 'Angelique,' one of the latest to bloom.


Shades of peachy-pink in the new 'Marit.'


Darker shades of pink in the new 'Mata Hari.'  This is an interesting tulip--
the petals get darker as they age.


There were orange tulips, too, including the 'Princess Irene' which bloomed just in time for my mother's birthday.


There were even pink tulips that opened to a near white bloom--'Lady Jane,' a species tulip.  And, of course, what would spring be, without a few dandelions--one bloom that sticks around for a long, long time.


Deep dark purple 'Queen of the Night' and the white of 'Marguerite' added even more colors.


And to add even more, there were several bi-colored tulips as well.


No, my garden wasn't just a monotone of yellow this spring after all.


There are still a few tulips blooming this first week in May, but most have disappeared, and the few remaining are fading fast.  This is the first year that I can remember when the tulip display didn't last until at least mid-May.


There were other fleeting blooms as well.  The Pulmonaria bloomed before I even had a chance to get a decent photo of it, but I did manage to capture the tiny blooms of the Epimedeum above before they, too, faded.


While I am sad to see some of my favorite blossoms leave so soon, there is an upside to spring, of course.  Later blooms appear to take the place of that early show of color.  Camassia is the perfect late spring bloom, tall enough to command attention amongst all the green foliage.


And then there are bluebells.  I was so excited to see these this week, nearly hidden among the Solomon's Seal and emerging hostas.  The reason I was so happy about these bluebells is that I've planted them before, and they've always been a no-show.  I'm pretty sure these were some I planted two or three years ago, and I'd forgotten their name.  These are Spanish bluebells, Hyacinthoides hispanica, not the native Virginia bluebells.


Spring is such a busy season in the garden, but its blooms remind us to slow down every now and then and just enjoy the moment.  A "thing of beauty" may not last forever, but we can delight in it for as long as it is here.  We can also take joy in knowing that there is more--much more--yet to come!








22 comments:

  1. What lovely tulips! I love 'Angelique'. I planted a few of them right next to the house, but the buds are usually nibbled on by deer and the flowers end up looking rather strange and stunted. Your line of flowering crabapples is so gorgeous! It's been such an odd winter and spring this year. I have two young crabapple trees, one of which didn't bloom at all this year, probably due to the late freeze. Spring is such a fleeting season, but I guess that makes it all the more special to us!

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    1. I agree, Indie, you never know what spring is going to bring. My crabapples looked beautiful this year, but my lilac looked pretty pathetic. I think it might have been hit by a late freeze. 'Angelique' is such a beauty, isn't she?

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  2. Your spring flowers are beautiful! I'm glad the other tulips besides the yellow bloomed too. lol I always enjoy seeing your crabapple trees.

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    1. At the beginning of spring, Sweetbay, I was beginning to wonder about all those yellow tulips:) I was happy every time a purple or pink or red one opened up!

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  3. You have so many pretties in your garden. I love the epimedium blooms. I have the yellow ones. I have tried to plant the pink ones but they turn yellow. Actually they were probably mismarked in the nursery. I like those Spanish Bluebells too. They are so perky. Happy Spring.

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    1. I've only had the two epimedeums for two years in my garden--I don't know how I missed knowing about these sweet little plants for so long!

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  4. I suppose if they lasted forever these blooms would not inspire so much excitement.I do know what you mean as far as the crabapples go. I was glorying in the thick tresses of blossom until yesterday's rain and wind knocked most of them to the ground.

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    1. You're right, Jason, if the tulips lasted until July, we would probably get bored with them...well, maybe not:)

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  5. Seasons come, seasons go ...
    My most favourite are Spring and Autumn (the Fall) ... I just love all your photo's and seeing the different plants, flowers and blooms. What is extra specially nice is that you now have all these wonderful photo's to remember the seasons by.

    Hope your weekend is going well.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Spring and Autumn are my favorites, too, Jan, but I think spring is extra special after the long winter's wait. Seeing everything emerge is such a delight.

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  6. So true, a short time of enjoyment. My crabapple is now in bloom and soon will be petals on the ground. Same with the tulips. I really love the bloom along your driveway. I wish I could have more than one. I bet the birds do too. The little apples get stripped clean.

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    1. We do have a lot of birds here, Donna. Nothing too exotic, but it's a busy place with cardinals, robins, and sparrows especially. We also have barn swallows that spend the evening swooping down everywhere, gathering insects.

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  7. My goodness what stunning views you have there Rose...we had many freezes and a cold May so the blooming shrubs and trees are very delayed. Tulips just up and now flowering trees yet.

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    1. Thank you, Donna. My friend and I drove to a nursery and hour and a half north of us yesterday and saw the most beautiful display of tulips. Temperatures and location certainly can make a difference in when they bloom. Enjoy your spring show!

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  8. Hi Rose,
    What a lovely display of blossom and tulips. Lady Jane is sweet and I love the deep purple.
    I grew Angelique again this year, it has a place in my heart and will always be in the garden.
    These moments are but fleeting, we must enjoy them while we can.

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    1. I love 'Angelique,' too, Cheryl. I didn't have as many this year, so I need to add them to my list for fall ordering. It's been really rainy here the past week, so I haven't been able to get out and enjoy the garden for very long--there may be some surprises awaiting me when the sun finally does come out.

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  9. Stunningly gorgeous! I look forward to this time of year on your blog. Next week we are throwing a traditional cherry blossom viewing party for my husband's colleagues in Asian Studies and Government. Please tell me that our pink buds will open in 10 days. It's finally sunny and 60s in Maine. You should throw a garden party too!

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  10. Your spring flowers are so beautiful !!
    Lovely photos !!
    Greetings

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  11. Stunning blossoms Rose! The spring is not long season (all of these except winter :D) Therefore I always enjoy every moment of it as you. I love your 'Mata Hari and bi-colored tulips, as well as blue bells.
    Have a nice weekend!

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  12. Aah, those flowering trees are spectacular, Rose! What a wonderful spring vista! Lady Jane is by far my most favorite tulip. It has self-seeded itself all over the place, and it never fails to make me smile! Queen of the Night and Princess Irene are other favorites, but if I could only have one, it would be Lady Jane. Just can't get enough of her... :)

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  13. I think the wonderful thing about Spring is that just as you are mourning the loss of your current favourite blooms a new set of plants burst into flower and become the new favourites. Delighted to see your tulips rewarding you with swathes of different colours. 'Queen of the Night' is a favourite of mine, slightly ousted by the more delicate 'Havran' which seems to like the garden more. Enjoy all that transitional beauty, I really must add camassias to my autumn bulb list.

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  14. Beautiful! I love those crabapples and the Princess Irene' tulips! :o)

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