Spring 2012

On the other side of the world I hear of bombings, insurrections,and battles with fire arms. Here in American we are having a national battle with words to determine who will be top dog in the governing of us in Washington D.C.

Up on the hill where I live all of those events are dimly in the background as I peacefully water my two tomato plants. In the cool of the morning and the quiet of the day, I take inventory of what the plant world is fighting for. I see that the lilac has given up the lavender blooms (or some passing deer ate them). They were there last week. Wild blackberry is displaying many small, tight, white, buds waiting for blackberry winter. The red and also the pink camellia has done with blooming. My newly planted Mapleleaf viburnum has many prosperous looking leaves starting to dance up its many small branches.

Close to the house the white and pink blooms on the Indian Hawthorn are scattered about on the four bushes in front of the house. There would be more blooms but the deer favor the buds in winter. Nothing deters the pink Oxyllis on the east side near the azaleas in full bloom. Each year it seems larger and wider than the year before. Bugle plant is blooming bravely in and around the clover and periwinkle. You can hardly see the stepping stones being overtaken by the eager rising plants.

The 5 year rose bush is five feet tall and I counted 11 buds up and down its thorny limbs. The wild rose bush that I started from a cutting is struggling to keep up with the tea rose. Many of the oriental lilies have not appeared this year. Perhaps the voles found them. Many fall blooming, tall Stone Mountain daisies are spreading far from the mother plants further up the hill. The competition for water with the Leyland Cypress has caused this plant migration. Plants are smart that way.

All along the back side of the rock wall are paper white Narcissus giving the wall a "Kramer" like hair do as they stick close to each other. The Plumbago is not afraid of being crowded however. It is not a mighty plant but is faithful to return each year to this same spot and display its small blue blooms. On up the mound of earth, Moon Glow Liriope is coming back in all directions. They are a beautiful sight in the dark of night looking like skinny white fingers reaching up in little groups.

At the shadiest part of the back, near the back door, a thirty year old white Shamrock is perky and mounded along side some of its offspring. A lovely little plant as sturdy and reliable as the country it represents. It puts to shame the other perennials in front of the stone wall. As long as I can remember the fall blooming Chrysanthemum pacificum has stood guard at the center and both ends of this garden space, at the foot of the wall. The other old reliables there are Baths Pink Dianthus, Autumn Joy Sedum, Iris, Manarda, and not to be overlooked is Confederate Jasmine. Try as I may I cannot get that plant to move away. It has crept through cracks in the stone wall and made a natural green spot in several outcroppings. I will keep it trimmed and who knows maybe one day it will fool us all and put on blooms.

My wish this spring is that all those discontented people in far off places, have a quiet little place to commune with nature and escape for a while at least, the things that disturb their peace and compel them to make war.