He who plants a garden plants happiness.
If you want to be happy for a lifetime, plant a garden.
- Chinese Proverbs
In May, Peonies are the stars of the garden.
Gardens have been a big part of my life. My Mother has been an avid gardener for as long as I can remember. She has quite a large garden that she works in every day from March through October. I am convinced that her good health and strength are due to this daily activity.
Ken and I have left behind five gardens, that we tended with love and care. Each garden had a different personality and as our experience grew our garden became more special.
I never had a hard time leaving a house, it was always the garden I missed, until we started working on our new garden.
We have had many happy hours in the gazebo in my Mother's garden, enjoying the beauty of the garden as we listen to birds singing. In the heat of the summer, we love to watch the flicker of the lightning bugs.
If you want to be happy for a lifetime, plant a garden.
- Chinese Proverbs
In May, Peonies are the stars of the garden.
Gardens have been a big part of my life. My Mother has been an avid gardener for as long as I can remember. She has quite a large garden that she works in every day from March through October. I am convinced that her good health and strength are due to this daily activity.
Ken and I have left behind five gardens, that we tended with love and care. Each garden had a different personality and as our experience grew our garden became more special.
I never had a hard time leaving a house, it was always the garden I missed, until we started working on our new garden.
We have had many happy hours in the gazebo in my Mother's garden, enjoying the beauty of the garden as we listen to birds singing. In the heat of the summer, we love to watch the flicker of the lightning bugs.
24 Comments:
Oh my, I thought that was a park!! That is a gorgeous place. And did you say lightning bugs? I've only seen them once before, when I visited my sister in Arkansas. I stayed up late, braving the horrible mosquitos just to see them. It was worth it.
That peonie is incredible. I would so love to have them grow in my yard - but they don't like my soil or microclimate :-(
I owuld sooo love to have any flower variety :)
No, just kidding!
I miss gardens, flowers and trees a lot here. We do have them, but in so different forms and quantity. Your picture makes me wanna sit right there and enjoy it with you!
Beautiful flowers, I love them too. I myself am not much of a gardener and have never had a proper garden. Strange really, in the light of that my parents always did a lot of work in the many gardens they have had and my grandfather, Ragnar Ásgeirsson, was one of the first professional gardeners in Iceland.
Terry: The lightning bugs a beautiful and we are so lucky that the gazebo is screned.....they love the humid climate here.
Mother will love to hear that you thougt her garden was a park....her garden is amazing and she does most of the work by herself.
This is as far south as the peonies will grow....they like a cool climate....she is very proud of her peonies, most of them came from gardens Ken and I left behind.
Minka: When I was growing up in Iceland my Mother had a balcony garden.....my Icelandic father was the builder and he made the balconies to my Mother's specifications....we lived in Eskihlid....do you know that area?
I know some very spectacular gardens in Iceland.....however, they are all hiden gardens.
Come to the US and we will sit in the gazebo and have tea and strawberries :)
Bee-u-ta-full!!! One of the great discoveries when we moved back east was the lightning bugs or fireflies. Sometimes during the Summer we'll go out in our backyard as it gets dark and just watch the little flashes of light pop up throughout - simple pleasures.
Ooooh! You know? I don' think I have ever seen fireflies in my life!
And double oooooh! Can I come over with Monika? You can reconnect me with my Icelandic heritage and I will teach you some Danish! :-)
Your mother is definitely gifted! When I lived alone, all my plants and flowers thrived. Ever since I moved in with the Loverboy, he took over and I got lazy! *sigh* Sad but true! The little spurts of land we have in our backyard (it has mostly tile on it unfortunately) has been planted, by the sweet Loverboy, with fruit trees and we have a vegetable patch so now we have quite a few lemons, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and the like always ready to eat and a lot of other fruit in the making! At one point Loverboy wanted a goat, for fresh goat's milk as he says it is the best, but I had to draw the line somewhere!!!!!
What a beautiful garden your mother has! What a life giving gift! All my love to her, may her healing be going well as may yours and may you all be fine, strong and high in spirits! All my love to you my dear LovaMo'a!!!
wow, lovely garden. I like growing flowers too.
peonies are one of my all time favorite flowers! they reflect an age gone by... filled with grace and beauty! just gorgeous!
and these pictures are fabulous! the azaleas are beyond spectacular! (wish ours were this nice...) as joel said, we discovered & have enjoyed watching the magical "lights" flying about our yard over the past few years... delightful.
simple pleasures, indeed! : D
Joel: When we have company from Europe, we love to entertain them with a light show straight from nature.
Poor, poor MizBohemia....come over in July we will give you a good firefly show.
I am listening to my Danish lessons every day now....I would love to have someone to help me practice.....hurry on over.
One of my Mother's neighbors grows vegetables and there is alwys more that come up than she can use so we benefit from that. Where I live the soil is too acid and we have too musch shade to grow vegetables.
Mother will have her radiology treatment in July, after the Danish group have been here. She is strong and happy.
I am doing well, almost normal I walk faster, my stamina is greater and I am wearing normal shoes....life is good.....dancing in July, for sure:)
Tamar: I love that proverb. I am sure that gardening keeps you young and fit.....my Mother is 83 and can run rings around me.....I am sure gardening is the reason she has beat the big C four times.
Kyahgirl: I am sure your garden is beautiful....show photos on your blog....LOL I think I may have a garden blog here.....they call NJ the garden state.
Neva: I have lived in MA several times and there every established garden has peonies.....they last longer there than here, it is rather warm for them here in NJ. They are indeed graceful and such beauty and many have a wonderful fragrance.
Some of Mother's azaleas are at least 20 years old, they are amazing.
Neva come over and have some tea with us in the gazebo.....you are not so far away :)
Mo'a, if you were lost, I'd look for you in places like that.
And that is where you would find me Doug :)
Sounds like your mother is being the strong Pisces that she is! Good for her! And I am so happy to hear of your progress! Soon you will be putting on those dancin' shoes!
Come over? Fo' sho'! Coming right now! *sigh* if only...
Much love to you sweet LovaMo'a!
Mo'a, Happy Icelandic Independence Day.
yesterday it wa sthe 17th of June and I just cmae by to wish you a Happy Independence day, only to notice that an American dog has beaten me to it!
Life is harsh at times :)
Hope you are alright and kicking!
YES! HAPPY BELATED ICELANDIC INDEPENDENCE DAY! Although hmmm... what's wrong with being attached to a Dane? I have a tango of Iceland and Denmark going on and it's all good! ;-P
Hope all is well with you my dear, dear LovaMo'a!
Tee hee - I have the same Tango - I've got Danish roots, and my Sweetie is Icelandic. Go figure! We celebrated Independnce Day in our own twisted way :-D
you know, dear M'oa, i figured you've been busy these past several days... that said, i sure was glad to see your comment at doug's! trust me, you've been gone (sort of) but definitely NOT FORGOTTEN!
hope all is going well, and that we'll be hearing about your wonderful trip (not to mention the wedding) SOON!! i miss you! xox
Mo'a it was so nice to see you at WA today! Glad you hear evertything is ok with you :-)
Er du i Danmark nu? Jeg haber det gar godt! Jeg savner dig!
I thought I would test your Danish a bit!
Lady, we can't have all our Icelanders vacationing at once. Don't you have a wedding to report on or something?
Hi Moa! Thanks for the lovely comments you left on my coffee break faeries!!! I only published one since they were the same, hope you don't mind... I have my blog set so I have to approve messages before they show. It's easier than deleteing nasty things later after everyone has seen it, LOL!
Beautiful Flowers! -Paula
Hello all: Thank you for your comments....I am back and have much to tell.
Jeg har de got og jeg er ikke i Danmark. Jeg skal rejse til Danmark 23 July, min fodselsdag :) So how is my Danish MizBohemia?.....I know, I have a long way to go :)
How was the dancing? :-D
Terry: You are back......no dancing yet......July 29th is the date. Did lot's of walking.....love walking and without pain.....delightful :)
Post a Comment
Write, Speak, Create & take me back HOME!