Gwendolyn Brooks

Born today in 1917 in Topeka, Kansas, she grew up and remained in Bronzeville, Chicago. An award-winning poet she won the Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for her collection Annie Allen. She died in 2000 after a life of inspiring many others with her productivity and encouragement. Writing about the southside of Chicago and what it meant to be black and a woman of her time.

Black Swans

I am very fond of Black Swans and imagine a pond with only black swans and their cygnets. Cygnus atratus they breed mainly in Southwestern and Southeastern Australia. The male is a cob, female a pen and offspring a cygnet. They pair and bond for life raising their young, and like flamingoes or penguins they also have male couples who raise cygnets and bond for life.
(In the UK The Swan is one of the most common names for a Pub along with The Hollybush and The Bluebell, there are also a lot of Bulls!)
I just love black swans and white peacocks.
I imagine a large clear pond with swans and a green field with peacocks.
The black and white ball.

Markus Raetz

Today is Markus Raetz birthday and above are some of his art works. He is a fascinating Swiss artist and I highly recommend looking up his work. He is also a wonderful man.

Happy Birthday!

Into the rockery went...

a Euphorbia

lots of Chives

and a Curry plant. The greygreen leaves smell of curry when they are touched!

The sun is shining on the rock garden this afternoon with my tea time. Do come and visit!

Two friends Richard and Domenico

Domenico de Clario

Richard Dindo

They are both born today in different years and in different places but both are of course Gemini. I have not seen either of them in quite a few years and I miss them. Richard is a filmmaker/cineaste and Domenico is an artist. I wish you Happy Birthday and send you good energy!

To be present to the present

The planting and weeding and digging and planning has proved to be a God's end to me.
In the last 9 months of living under quite severe stress I have found such solace in the yarden, as I call it, since it lies somewhere between a yard and a garden in its existence.
As a self-appointed guardian of Jean the former gardener I take care of the shrubs she planted. White lilacs, barberry, species roses, forsythia, rhododendron, japanese quince, clematis, rosa rugosa and New Dawn, black currants, three ancient fruit trees, and a beech hedge against the prevalent wind. I mainly renovate them i.e. cutting away dead branches to help them breathe and get air and light.
And I also have cleared space and planted a herb garden, opened up the former rockery, and I am preparing an area to be a wildflower meadow.
Eventually when the weather gets a wee bit more summery we will actually be able to sit outside and enjoy the view of the fells. There are two garden benches and a hammock waiting to be strung up.
I have found that when in duress going outside and being in the outdoors is so healing and makes the situation much less frantic. Serenity creeps in with the distraction of all the life around me, the insects, frogs, bunnies, sheep and lambs, and birds lots of birds.
There is a blue tit nesting in the slate birdhouse near the door.
Mainly I suppose it is a place to be in the present.
To be present to the present. The present being the yarden at present.

Todays plantings

Solomon's Seal

Cowslip in the primrose/primula family.

Buddleia Davidii Black Knight a shrub which attracts butterflies!

I like these for several reasons; A very easy to grow and low maintenance B they are beautiful, and graceful C the cowslip is a wildflower which is endangered D I really like them a lot!

Solomon's Seal is excellent in the shade and starts blooming in April and goes on through May at least. The Cowslip is happy in high grass a meadow flower. The Buddleia seems to be able to grow anywhere, you often see it as a sole urban shrub which will not be deterred!

So I am adding them to "Jean's" garden.