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Autumn

10/20/2014

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Autumn is like an old book:
Marred spines turn mean yellow,
staples rust red-orange.

Every stained page is stressed
by a splat of color. Rough-red,
like an old tavern,

we become hungry birds
and prepare for fall.
Shape and shadow are candied citron

as lanterns turn bitter yellow. Autumn
is a red fox, a goblet filled with dark wine,
a hot chilli pepper with smoky eyes.

Pressed leaves take in the colors
of seafood paella and saffron; these leaves
are like death, climaxing with a smile.

Autumn: Her dress is a net of mussels;
dark shelled, it covers up
summer’s weatherbeaten body.

So pull out your boots
and stand on an aged, wood floor
like an evergreen.
                                    Mary Hamrick : "Autumn"


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Rubaiyat of Rumi

7/24/2014

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Flowers every night
Blossom in the sky;
Peace in the Infinite;
At peace am I.

Sighs a hundredfold
From my heart arise;
My heart, dark and cold,
Flames with my sighs.


The Rubaiyat of Jalal Al-Din Rumi
Select translations into English Verse' by A.J. Arberry, 1949.





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Horned Thoughts

4/14/2014

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Despite the menacing element of their anatomy (observed almost only in the wild individuals), horned pansies are truly benevolent creatures and do not pose any threat to anybody.  With one exception though: you can fall head over heels in love  with their most colourful  and cheerful flowers. Do not forget about the warning before going to the nearest shopping centre, where the little jewels are currently on sale, or... do it and enjoy the freshness of spring infatuation horned pansies are able to stir even in the most confirmed cool-headed people. Fortunately, such folks do not visit garden centres. So, you are in for a lovely trouble!

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Just Before Very Important Resolutions

12/29/2013

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Do not go to the garden of flowers!
O Friend! go not there;
In your body is the garden of flowers.
Take your seat on the thousand petals of the lotus, and there
gaze on the Infinite Beauty.



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Red Sun Infusion

12/18/2013

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The shortest days  in the year have come- at least in the Northern Hemisphere- bringing along a lot of bleak and gloomy moments. Unfortunately, the so called  "moments"  seem to  last far too long, which is sheer torture leading to physical and emotional deprivation. We all need extra energy to endure the dark, merciless  hibernation and finally survive.  Hoping for  lighter and longer days, how about a sip of healthy infusion of red petals and fruit? Why red? You will know the moment you have finish watching the slideshow below. Just give it a go...

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Song For Nobody

12/3/2013

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A yellow flower
(Light and spirit)
Sings by itself
For nobody.

A golden spirit
(Light and emptiness)
Sings without a word
By itself

Let no one touch this gentle sun
In whose dark eye
Someone is awake.

(No light, no gold, no name, no colour
And no thought:
O, wide awake!)

A golden heaven
Sings by itself
A song for nobody.
                 Thomas Merton

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The Silky Trap

9/15/2013

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I am positive that even the silky touch of a trap does not make the experience of being trapped enjoyable. Every garden is full of hardworking spiders building their  silky webs non-stop. And they catch whatever can be caught crating new  surprising dimensions in the architecture of a plant and garden as well.  Wilted flowers  or dry leaves caught in mid-air not to mention poor insects.  Some spider webs show a striking resemblance to the  wooly or hairy  flower structures we can now observe while having a walk in the country side.  The source of inspiration seems to be the same although the objectives are totally different. Among the pictures  in the slideshow presenting spider webs are six illustrations of innocent plants. Try to find them while listening to one of the best - if not the best- Queen of the Night sung by Zdzisława Donat. The queen is trying to catch her own daughter in the trap of  vicious feelings and her voice is pure silk!


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Foxgloves - beautiful and treacherous

7/31/2013

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Foxglove - a funny name for a plant, isn't it? However, its Latin equivalent- Digitalis purpurea- implies murky fingers, and dark red ones. Fortunately, it does not say a word about how much toxic they are. Leaves of foxglove plants contain potent chemicals used in pharmacy to prepare medicine helpful to control the heart rate. Of course, no-one can do it on their own by simply eating the leaves,  it is too dangerous (by the way,  they must taste awful).  But everyone can and should have several foxglove plants in their garden to admire the tall stalks adored with hanging tubular flowers looking like thimbles. Their colour vary from pure white to pink and purple hues. And the "throat" of each thimble can be nicely spotted like the skin of an exotic reptile. Foxglove flowers open in late May, June, July and continue flowering until August (depending on the geographical region). What a shame they last one season and are gone. But the numerous seeds produced in capsules make it sure  that new foxgloves will germinate the next spring. The trick is, we have to wait for the seedlings to bloom another long year. 


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Sweet William 

6/28/2013

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No one knows why this ornamental plant became sweet william. There are legends which try to relate the common name  name of Dianthus barbatus to different famous or unknown people, but none of them seem to be credible. Sweet william is sweet indeed. Cultivated for centuries for the beauty and strong smell of its flowers,  it has acquired a very characteristic flair related to  a slightly old-fashioned style which now belongs to the  time of our great grandmothers and their gardens . Well, being old enough I could say, it belongs to our childhood filled with unforgettable aromas of vacation, country gardens, sunny and carefree days. Enjoying popularity for many many years, today sweet william has become a little less important than it was  in the past. I hope, it will not fade into oblivion and I count on more famous people to hype this graceful plant the way Catherine Middleton did. She included sweet william in her wedding bouquet and it is not a legend. 


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    I was destined to be born gardener. In order to become a professional  one I had to enjoy years of studying at various  schools and  universities...  read more

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