Garden Spring Flowers

What gets me through my days? Lots of things, including the love and suppport of friends and family, my trust in the universe that everything will be okay as my life winds down, and the delight I feel in my garden.

My spring garden has lots of perennials and perennial bulbs, which means I have to do nothing except weed and perhaps water a little. And with little energy to do gardening this spring, I have appreciated the enthusiasm of my garden. I love watching new flowers open, and breathe in the fragrance of the flowers.

My poppy is a vibrant red that brightens up the whole garden.


The fish are active in the water garden, eating and laying eggs (I think). The greenery is water celery, whose roots survive even our hard New England winters, and which grow quickly once the weather warms.


This looks a little messy, as I favor the "cottage garden" look that lets things grow where they planted themselves when they seed themselves. I do plant the perennials and they don't move around the garden, but some will seed themselves from year to year. In the foreground are the peonies, with fat buds not quite open yet. Farther back is a bearded iris, and my red poppy.


This is my tree peony, with its enormous white blossom, It opened a little earlier than the others, and was stunningly beautiful. I planted the tree peony about six years ago, and it bloomed for the first time last year. I guess they are fairly exotic and can be hard to grow.



A white "traditional" (herbaceous) peony, incredibly fragrant.

My pink "traditional" peony, also very fragrant.

I also have bearded iris, and siberian iris blooming in the yard, profusely, and other flowers coming along. By the end of June, most of the show is over, except for any annuals that get planted, and any summer blooming bulbs I get into the ground (and I do have some ready for a friend to plant). My raspberries are full of flowers and newly developing fruit which we should be able to enjoy in a few weeks.

Life bubbles along in its new rhythm. I was pleased to hear the hospice nurse say on Monday that she thinks my energy and overall state have been pretty stable over the month she has been seeing me. I still wish I had more energy, but I'm grateful to make it through days when I can do some productive things and feel a part of my family. I send love and gratitude to each of you who reach out to me.