Soon the delphinium rises tall, listening to the robin in the pear tree,Silken pansies nestled near the ground hear the flutter of lady bugs flying free,Wildflowers dancing in gorgeous chaos, love the sound of rain best of all,But, Her Majesty the Rose opens her fabulous blooms only at the Goddess’ call. — © 2008, The … Read more
Beauteous flowers why do we spreadUpon the monuments of the dead?Nothing they but dust can show,Or bones that hasten to be so.Crown me with roses whilst I live —Now your wines and ointments give;After death I nothing crave,Let me alive my pleasures have!All are Stoics in the grave. — Anacreaon (554 – 469 B.C.E.) Roses … Read more
One may live without bread, not without roses. — Jean Richepin The Grace Thalia guides us onward, as we tour the magical garden. We are deepening our friendship with the Queen of the Garden, the rose. For millennia, the rose has been woven into the fabric of myth and legend in nearly every civilization. An … Read more
If Zeus had willed it soThat o’er the flowersOne flower should reign a queenI know, ah, well I know,The rose, the rose, that royal flower had been.— Sappho Since ancient times dating back to records from Mesopotamia, the “cradle of civilization,” the rose has been a treasured companion and central to our most enduring myths. … Read more
Dark of the MoonNew beginningsDark of the MoonPlant a seed tonightDark of the MoonWhat we envisionWill come to be by the Full Moon’s light. The month of July’s flower is the larkspur. It can be a little confusing, because the larkspur shares its common name with the delphinium, its close relative. Both are in the … Read more
Were we like the Fays That sweetly nestle in the foxglove bell. — H. Coleridge (1796-1849) From Beltane to Midsummer, the Faery Kingdom celebrates the intense, growing delight of Spring. With the guidance of Thalia, we are exploring the relationships between the Faery realms and flowers. Although I have warned you that the faeries are … Read more
Wild Iris at Dawn – © Galen RowellIn your neat garden iris growsBright yellow, mauve – in stately rows.This one you’ve picked is a lovely thing,I know it brightens up our spring. But in the forest, springtime’s child,A purple iris growing wild,Can melt my heart as spring melts snow,It’s spoilt me for the sort you … Read more
Today is the day when bold kites fly,When cumulus clouds roar across the sky.When robins return, when children cheer,When light rain beckons spring to appear. Today is the day when daffodils bloom,Which children pick to fill the room,Today is the day when grasses green,When leaves burst forth for spring to be seen. — Robert McCracken, … Read more
Narcissus so himself himself forsook,And died to kiss his shadow in the brook. — William Shakespeare Narcissus (another name for the daffodil), is the word from which we get “narcissism“, which is in reference to the tragic story of the haughty Narcissus in Greek myth. In the tale told by Ovid, one day when the … Read more
ITHAKAby Constantine P. Cavafy (1911) When you set out on your journey to Ithaka,pray that the road is long,full of adventure, full of knowledge.The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,the angry Poseidon — do not fear them:You will never find such as these on your path,if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fineemotion touches your spirit and … Read more