remember, nothing lasts
NOTHING LASTS. Need I say more to a bunch of gardeners? Not winter, nor spring, nor any other season; not Narcissus nor magnolias. Not us. The Japanese celebrate this very fact (instead of fearing it) in the form of the Sakura Matsuri, or Cherry Blossom Festival, which honors the ephemeral nature of all things. I like to celebrate it at every passing in the garden, like today when the magnolia flowers shattered in the warm breeze and fell from heaven to earth, like snow…speaking of things that are transient.
Funny, Gina, I don’t know–just know I am attracted to them. In so many cultures round things are about eternity, and are feminine, but I don’t know anything except that I saw them and adopted them.
Now you will have me doing some searching…good question!
About those stone orbs. Do you know the history of those ornaments? One sees them in Mexican gardens and I’ve always assumed that they originated as some Aztec pyramid something, but I’ve never been able to confirm.
Welcome, Carol.
The Amelanchier just came into bloom the last two or three days, and will soon be gone, and I await the crabapples, which are showing color today as the buds swell.
And yes, those weeds…I am particularly insane about garlic mustard, which seems to have no end to its energy or abundance here. I suppose it is my destined spiritual practice to bend and pull, bend and pull, bend and pull.
Margaret
I like the sentiment expressed here. My magnolia flowers have also shattered and fallen, too soon to be followed by serviceberry and crabapple blossoms. And how can it already be time to dead-head the daffodils?
One thing that seems to last in the garden are the weeds…
I never know whether to be saddened or amused when I receive questions from people who buy plants in full bloom (nearly past bloom) only to discover that a few days later they are no longer flowering. They seem surprised to learn that a Lady Banks rose or an Indian hawthorn flowers only once a year…and that they’ll have to wait another 50 weeks to see them in their glory again.
As the Japanese proverb goes, “The flowers that bloom so sweetly wither and fall. Our human life, too, is fleeting. Today, again, I will cross the mountain pass of this uncertain world, and will not entertain shallow dreams or give away to drunkenness.” Well, I don’t know about the latter!
Bittersweet, transient beauty. I’m always sorry to see the pink crabapple blossoms that line my street fall to the ground, and yet I know I wouldn’t love them so much if they were *always* in bloom.
Indeed, a thought to keep in mind.. nothing lasts. After two weeks of above normal temperatures that brought the gardens to life, we’re returning to a cold snap on Monday (watch out Margaret, you get our weather a day later or so!). It’s been so beautiful, I seemed to have forgotten it’s only April. (82 degrees here today!) Reality can be harsh.. but we’ll bounce back nicely in a few days.
The thing I keep thinking when I read about frost coming after 80ish the last week is this: Do I have enough old sheets and Reemay garden fabric to really cover up EVERYTHING that has tender baby leaves? Don’t think so. Oh, well, we shall see what really comes to pass…
M.
Thank you, Frances, and welcome to A Way to Garden. I am having such fun, me and my Nikon and my Mac. See you here again soon!
Margaret
How wonderful to be able to spend time in your garden after wonderful years in the big time. I look forward to reading your thoughts and viewing your lovely pictures.
What a beautiful sentiment! I think you magnificiently captured the transient nature of spring.
It looked like snow earlier this week when I left work and the blossoms were falling from the trees in the blustery wind. How I wish I had had my camera with me at that very moment!
Welcome, Nancy, to A Way to Garden. I am glad we share similar interests, and hope you will visit again soon and find more such connections.
M.
How beautiful, and what a wonderful sentiment…to celebrate the passage of each transient step of the garden. I collect round beach stones and am smitten by yours!
Beautiful woo-woo! And those spherical ornaments you have are gorgeous. They weren’t there last time. New additions! They look perfect there.