kinders find magic in the japanese garden
seeing things change right before them.
—
‘change is a measure of time, and in the autumn, time seems speeded up.
what was, is not and never will be;
what is, is change.’
-edwin way teale
Sep27
Tag Archives: garden
Jun26
give what you have.
found this sweet surprise
waiting for me in my mailbox
a very old tiny sleigh with a handwritten letter
from a neighbor i’ve never met
who’s lived nearby for over 50 years
she left it for me to add to my fairy garden
when the season is right
she took the trouble to repaint the sleigh
and write me this lovely note
wanting to visit the garden
but too shy to stop by to see it up close
it was such a kind and thoughtful gesture
i wanted to thank her and figured out where she lived
then wrote her a long letter back
to let her know
how much i enjoyed her special gift
and what it meant to me
i really hope that we meet in person in my garden one day.
—
“give what you have. to someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”
― henry wadsworth longfellow
Jun12
peony.
one of my favorite places to hike can be found right in the center of ann arbor, a place where i always return, the nichols arboretum. it’s a lovely, quiet, sweeping park where there is natural beauty to be found in any season. one of the most stunning displays is the blooming of the peony garden. unlike any i have ever seen.
the nichols arboretum peony garden is the largest public collection of historic (pre-1950) herbaceous peony cultivars in north america. the university and botanical gardens are currently in the process of rebuilding this historic garden to be an internationally significant, scientifically-documented and culturally interpreted living reference collection.
the garden, open since 1927, boasts more than 270 historic varieties of peony, cultivated in the 19th and early 20th centuries. nearly 800 plants are arranged in 27 beds at the arboretum’s peony garden, drawing flower lovers from across the region when they bloom each spring.
- note – early morning and evening are when the peony fragrances are best.
—
“flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful;
they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”
-luther burbank
—
a project of
May22
light.
Oct23
pickaxe.
—
proud to have worked really hard
with my colleagues
on this chilly fall morning
to help to make the shelter
a better place for those who need it
by helping
put their garden
to bed this fall
and
by planting
new possibilities there
for them to awaken to next spring.
Sep24
antique.
“nature alone is antique and the oldest art a mushroom.”
– thomas carlyle
Sep8
“though she be but little, she is fierce!” – william shakespeare
behold the bounty that is my late summer harvest!
even if it is all miniature
it’s the first time
i’ve ever grown a vegetable
in my entire life
and so
it’s all perfect and i’m perfectly happy.
fairy-sized or not.
—
do not let your grand ambitions stand in the way
of small but meaningful accomplishments.
Aug2
the bee whisperer.
f visits the garden
by the lake
kneels down
to talk to the bumblebees
to see them up close
then befriends them
as they
learn more about each other
full of calm and peace
without fear
and after they make
a short visit to his place
gently
puts them back
where he found them
and says
goodbye for now.
the garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.
Michael Pollan
Jul22
“it’s summer and time for wandering…” ― kellie elmore
you never know
what beauties
you’ll
cross paths with
while wandering
on a warm summer’s day
Jul12
great art picks up where nature ends. ~ marc chagall
the artist’s world is limitless.
it can be found anywhere,
far from where he lives or a few feet away.
it is always on his doorstep.
~paul strand
I didn't have my glasses on.... 
