(
Via gardenauthor)
Posted by admin to Holiday for Gardeners, gifts for gardeners on 2007-12-20, 05:26:00
"Holiday for Gardeners" by Deb Lambert
Wrapped in snow, but not far from the mind,
Our gardens lie dormant, just biding their time.
Overlapping bud scales, tight against cold,
Protecting the burgeoning life they hold.
Rhododendron leaves in a downward curl,
We anticipate spring when their buds unfurl.
The flowering crab is festive, in berry,
A mockingbird dines, seeming quite merry.
While we’re warm indoors, the songbirds strive,
Seeking food and shelter, just to survive.
As cold winds blow, the snow drifts deep,
Yet never is heard a complaining peep.
We hang our feeders and scatter some seed,
For small, clinging birds and those that ground-feed.
The unyielding ground may stay frozen and bare,
We must provide water, if truly we care.
Yes, here we sit, all cozy and warm,
Ready to weather the winter storm.
Relieving our plants from the burden of snow,
Armed with a broom, outside we must go.
We stake and wrap and spray and tie,
Hoping that winter will pass us by.
Hoping our garden is spared the brunt
Of howling winds from the weather front.
For now, settle back with a good garden book,
As you give your landscape a close, second look.
As you sit by the window and peer through the glass,
You envision bright blooms and emerald-green grass.
But it’s time to relax, this holiday season,
A joy in giving, not needing a reason.
A trowel, a hat and maybe a book,
A sundial, a birdbath for some little nook.
A saw, some pruners to keep things in trim,
Flower seeds, gift certificates, all on a whim.
For a gardener, you see, is easy to please,
With gloves for her hands or a bench for his knees.
She envisions, she reads and sometimes she dreams,
Of gardens ‘midst rocks or by cool, shady streams.
The holiday gift, you so thoughtfully choose,
Generates joy that’s quite hard to lose.
So gather some goodies in a basket or pot,
A few select items, or maybe a lot.
Your favorite gardener will glow with delight,
Pondering your gift, well into the night.
May your backyard gardens stand upright and strong,
May your family and friends stay snug and warm.
As we rest from our labors, may we take the time
To enjoy our surroundings and let nature shine!
©Deb Lambert 2007
Photos ©2007: courtesy of
Corliss Bros. Nursery & Garden Center staff (Ipswich, MA).
I may seem pretty mild-mannered but we all have our limits, and let me tell you, this time the taxonomists have gone too far! I just learned on Ki's blog MucknMire that the taxonomists have moved our native sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) to the genus anemone. I went along with them when they lumped Hepatica americana, acutiloba, and japonica, all into Hepatica nobilis; I was very nice about it, and just changed all my labels. But now they've moved acutiloba, and are in the process of moving all of nobilis, into the anemones, with rumblings that they'll be back for the rest, so the genus hepatica will disappear. Well, I say, who asked them?? Why don't they go analyze some chick-peas or something, and leave the charming little hepaticas (who've never harmed anyone) alone? I'm NOT making up another set of labels.
