March 11, 2012

First blooms out of the earthy dusk

Galanthus 'S. Arnott'

Evening and the flat land,
Rich and sombre and always silent;
The miles of fresh-plowed soil,
Heavy and black, full of strength and harshness;
The growing wheat, the growing weeds,
The toiling horses, the tired men;
The long empty roads,
Sullen fires of sunset, fading,
The eternal, unresponsive sky.
Against all this, Youth,

Helleborus Orientalis

Flaming like the wild Roses,
Singing like the larks over the plowed fields,
Flashing like a star out of the twilight;
Youth with its insupportable sweetness,
Its fierce necessity,
Its sharp desire,
Singing and singing,
Out of the lips of silence,
Out of the earthy dusk.

~ "Prairie Spring," by Willa Cather

18 comments:

  1. Nice to see these Beth...spring is here and I hope the warm weather stays...we are having May weather.

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    1. Yes, I'm sure we'll break some records this week! I have bizarre mixed feelings about this mild spring. Part of me worries about the effects on the plants and the beneficial and harmful insects. And part of me is cheering like crazy--we'll actually have a decent spring this year. Usually we skip from winter to summer so fast.

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  2. Love the poem by Cather--I'd never read this one before. So nice to see you finally have some spring bloomers emerging, too, Beth. Looking forward to seeing even more--it's supposed to be in the 70's here this week!

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    1. These babies were blooming under the leaves. Usually I would have kept the leaf mulch on longer, but with temps in the 60s and 70s all week--it's time for them to bloom! And I don't want to miss the show! I think my Crocuses bloomed in late April last year, and they're just about to pop this week!

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    1. Thank you, Mary! It's so liberating to see these new bloomers poking their way into the world, and the warm weather simply feels wonderful. Happy spring!

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  4. What a beautiful post, Beth! I enjoyed the quotes and the lovely photos.

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    1. Thank you, Michelle. It is an amazing stage of new growth, isn't it? I so enjoyed your related emergence post, too. Absolutely beautiful!

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  5. The first blooms are always so special. These are beautiful. I love the pic of the hellebore.

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    1. Thanks, Holley. There's just something about Hellebores for me. I'd start describing my thoughts but you'd probably think I'm a little "touched." They are magical plants to me--from the time they emerge to full bloom to their evergreen foliage. They're winners in my book. :)

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  6. It seems it's just overnight that spring has arrived. So happy to see you've got some pretty blooms too. Spent the whole day in the front trying to clean up the beds and get them ready for planting some new perennials. My back is going to be talking to me tomorrow!

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    1. Sounds wonderful, Cat! I'm so happy to have daylight before work and after work now! Plenty of time to tinker around in the garden and capture the spring blooms. I'm glad you're getting some rain, and it sounds like your plants are very happy, too.

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  7. Amo i bucaneve e gli ellebori! :) (In Italian this evening)

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    1. I'm glad to hear you enjoy Snowdrops and Hellebores, Dona! Bellissimi fiori!

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  8. I like that poem. How wonderful to see each of us getting our first blooms of the season!

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    1. Hi Sue: Yes, it's so unusual for us to have blooms now, not to mention the May-like weather. Usually March is a pretty miserable month with lots of gray skies, cold rain, and intermittent snow. Now I know what it feels like to have a nice spring (at least for this year). :)

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  9. Wow, you have blooms already? That's awesome. Nothing blooming here yet.

    Amy

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    1. Yes, they're coming fast now. I'll bet you'll have some in the next couple of days, too. The warm weather is bringing out lots of early blooms. Happy spring!

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