Friday Flowers: Hidden Flame

Red Hibiscus

Another lovely Summer weekend has arrived.

Let's celebrate the day with some verse by John Dryden, born on August 9 (in the Old Style dating), 1631.

"Hidden Flame"

Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Days of Wine and Roses

White dahlias

Vitae Summa Brevis

(By Ernest Dowson)

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,
Love and desire and hate;
I think they will have no portion in us after
We pass the gate.

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream

White Dahlia

After highlighting roses throughout the summer, I couldn't do it again. Instead, our focus is on the "Angel of August", the white dahlia. Symbolic of elegance and dedication, it's an auspicious beauty to start off the month.

So, why the title of this post? We're celebrating the birth date of Ernest Dowson, featuring one of his most famous phrases. Anyways, it's closer to our premise than "gone with the wind". ;-)

Friday Flowers: Again, Some Summer Roses

Roses at Heritage Court, Redondo Beach

And, to celebrate Mick Jagger's 70th birthday, here's a video:

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones

Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Rainbow's End

Roses: Rainbow's End

Yeah, I'm still on my rose kick. ;-)

"Rainbow's End" by Modern English

Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Old Port

Rose: Old Port

Summer is now upon us, long days and warm weather. It's time for travel and strolling the gardens, enjoying the great outdoors.

It's time for fun!!! ;-)

"Summer Dreams" by Mirami feat. LayZee

Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Tulips and Turtles

Yellow and orange tulips

The Turtle
(By Ogden Nash)

The turtle lives 'twixt plated decks
Which practically conceal its sex.
I think it clever of the turtle
In such a fix to be so fertile.

Pink tulips

It's been a rough couple of days, but I figured that we could have a bit of levity to round out the week, setting a positive mood for the weekend. And what makes for a smile and chuckle better than a pretty bouquet of tulips and the verse of Ogden Nash?

Moreover, how often do you see tulips and turtles thematically paired? ;-)

Behold This Day

Gnarled bark upon twisted branches

"Peace will come to the hearts of men when they realize their oneness with the universe. It is every where."
-- Black Elk

"The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff."
-- Carl Sagan

Rather than spend today focusing on fear and phobias, I figured that we would take a moment to look at the beauty around us, to cherish our world and our opportunity to live in it. Most importantly, let's rejoice in the company of those we love, present and past and future.

There are so many wonderful things that we may experience and learn. Let's take a day to live it.

Spring flowers, pink and bright

And another quote:

"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them."
-- Marcus Aurelius

Friday Flowers: Paschal White

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers (Poem 124)

(By Emily Dickinson)

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers -

Untouched by Morning - 

and untouched by noon -

Sleep the meek members of the Resurrection, 

Rafter of Satin and Roof of Stone - 

Grand go the Years, 

In the Crescent above them -

Worlds scoop their Arcs - 

and Firmaments - row -

Diadems - drop -

And Doges surrender -

Soundless as Dots, 

On a Disk of Snow.

Since today is Good Friday, I figured that we would celebrate the Easter festivities with some white flowers and poetry from Emily Dickinson. To be honest, this isn't one of my favorite from among her works, but, today, it feels right with me, more personally significant. I guess that I've been thinking of death a whole lot these past few months. ;-)

For Christian, this time of year is a reminder of the eternal life which we receive through God's grace and our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the early Church, the apocalyptic hopes of the faithful led them to believe that the End Times were upon them. As the years progressed, the Second Coming and Judgement Day started getting more remote into an unspecified future.

Sure, the Dead would rise to gain their final rewards, but the Son of Man left the believers waiting year upon year, century upon century. Grand go the years, without a peep from the Risen Lord. And still people wait, living their lives in preparation for a promised future life, losing opportunities in the Present with the hope of unimaginable treasures in the Future.

Friday Flowers: A Few Camellias

Camellia Japonica: C.M. Wilson

Happiness
(By Carl Sandburg)

I asked the professors who teach the meaning of life to tell
     me what is happiness.
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of
     thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though
     I was trying to fool with them
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along
     the Desplaines river
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with
     their women and children and a keg of beer and an
     accordion.

Camellia: Happy Holidays

Well, I couldn't find an appropriate poet's birth date to go with our lovely camellias. Therefore, I fell back on this Sandburg classic, simple but strong. And, with such gorgeous flowers to appreciate, how can one not be inspired towards happiness?

As for the camellias, I'm happy that I was finally able to share them with you. Again, they're from my trip to the Huntington. I was hoping to get around to one of the flower show, but that hasn't happened. Being so late in the season, it's unlikely that I'll get around to showcasing one this time. Oh well, there's always next year. ;-)

Friday Flowers: Echeveria

Echeveria Imbricata

History
(By Robert Lowell)


History has to live with what was here,
clutching and close to fumbling all we had--
it is so dull and gruesome how we die,
unlike writing, life never finishes.
Abel was finished; death is not remote,
a flash-in-the-pan electrifies the skeptic,
his cows crowding like skulls against high-voltage wire,
his baby crying all night like a new machine.
As in our Bibles, white-faced, predatory,
the beautiful, mist-drunken hunter's moon ascends--
a child could give it a face: two holes, two holes,
my eyes, my mouth, between them a skull's no-nose--
O there's a terrifying innocence in my face
drenched with the silver salvage of the mornfrost.

Echeveria Pulvinata "Frosty"

Since we started this cycle of posts with desert flora, I figured we would close it out with some as well. So, here are a few photos of lovely echeveria from the Huntington Botanic Gardens. Looking at the varieties of echevaria in the conservatory, I actually started to develop a liking for these plants, becoming beguiled by their understated beauty. In times past, I would simply stroll right by them, ignoring their subtle grace.

So, even with all of my experience at pausing and appraising the wonders that surround me, I can be oblivious. Although a practiced aesthete, I can overlook splendors that bloom before me. Therefore, it is always good to have a friend who will lead one to appreciate that which is overlooked.

Friday Flowers: Magnolias

Magnolia: San Jose

Sonnet I (from Renascence)
(By Edna St. Vincent Millay)


Thou art not lovelier than lilacs, -- no,
  Nor honeysuckle; thou art not more fair
  Than small white single poppies, -- I can bear
Thy beauty; though I bend before thee, though
From left to right, not knowing where to go,
  I turn my troubled eyes, nor here nor there
  Find any refuge from thee, yet I swear
So has it been with mist, -- with moonlight so.

Like him who day by day unto his draught
  Of delicate poison adds him one drop more
Till he may drink unharmed the death of ten,
Even so, inured to beauty, who have quaffed
  Each hour more deeply than the hour before,
I drink -- and live -- what has destroyed some men.

Magnolia: Brozzonii

Today, we celebrate two "old fashioned" beauties, magnolias and the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Both have a variety of culture connotations that might bring to mind bygone eras. Yet, when assessed for that which they are, free from bias or expectations, both the flowers and poems have undeniable beauty, as vibrant and charming today as they were generations ago.

So, let's wind up the week with these gentle beauties.

Magnolia: Verbanica

And, yes, these are photographs that I took during my trip to the Huntington. With so many gorgeous flowers in bloom, it'll be a few weeks before I can share them all.

Then, it'll be time for the Spring blossoms. ;-)

Friday Flowers: Orange

Clivia

Just a flower tonight. Maybe we'll have a poem and music next time. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Forget-Me-Not

Myosotis sylvatica: Victoria Blue

One Art

(By Elizabeth Bishop)

The art of losing isn't hard to master; 

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster,

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

places, and names, and where it was you meant

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or

next-to-last, of three loved houses went.

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.

I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

- Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident

the art of losing's not too hard to master

though it may look like (Write it!) like a disaster.

Forget-Me-Not

Another Friday. More flowers. ;-)

And today we're celebrating the birth date of one of my favorite poets, Elizabeth Bishop. With such beautiful words, such compelling verse, she is in no danger of being forgotten or lost.

Friday Flowers: Paradise

Strelitzia: Bird Of Paradise

Dreams

(By Langston Hughes)

Hold fast to dreams 

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

Crane flowers and a blue sky

Did you know that the Bird of Paradise is the official flower of the city of Los Angeles? Given the way that they thrive out here, it doesn't surprise me. Even in the midst of an unusually cold winter, these hardy plants are still thriving.

Well, it's certainly nice to see these bright colors. ;-)

Friday Flowers: White Winter

Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Among the Winter Roses

Rose: Honor

Sonnet 73


That time of year thou mayst in me behold 
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang 
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, 
Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. 
In me thou seest the twilight of such day 
As after sunset fadeth in the west, 
Which by and by black night doth take away, 
Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest. 
In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire 
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, 
As the death-bed whereon it must expire 
Consumed with that which it was nourish’d by. 
   This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, 
   To love that well which thou must leave ere long. 

---William Shakespeare

Rose: Olympiad

It's always a good time to feature a poem by Shakespeare, but, during this drab period in which so few flowers are in bloom, stunted by the unusually frigid weather, it seems especially appropriate. Though the blossoms are scarcely to be found, these elegant words bring color to the gardens of our minds.

Well, the icy days may be behind us now. Today was nice and warm, inspiring me to head outside and bask in the sunlight. Perhaps the flowers will be soon to follow. ;-)

Friday Flowers: A Plethora of Pretties

Fuchsias: Angel Earrings

Some, too fragile for winter winds

The thoughtful grave encloses —

Tenderly tucking them in from frost

Before their feet are cold.

Never the treasures in her nest

The cautious grave exposes,

Building where schoolboy dare not look,

And sportsman is not bold.

This covert have all the children

Early aged, and often cold,

Sparrow, unnoticed by the Father —

Lambs for whom time had not a fold.

--- Emily Dickinson

Winter-Blooming Bergenia

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. We have returned to featuring poems as a part of Friday Flowers. It used to be a favorite of my readers back in the good old days, but I got lazy. So, here we are with poetry and floral pretties.

Friday Flowers: New Year Orchids

Orchids: Phalaenopsis

Wow!!! Blogger is really acting up, making it a task just to put up a simple post like this. It will not allow me to directly upload photos. Even writing is buggy.

Yeah, Happy New Year, Google-kins. :-P

Well, here's a quickie post. Maybe things will be better tomorrow.

Orchids



Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Wet Roses

Pink roses, still in bloom at the Banning Museum


I don't want to skip our weekly celebration of floral delights. ;-)

There aren't very many roses to be found in the local gardens, but an occasional blossom here and there can catch the eye. These photos were taken last weekend, as I visited the Banning Museum to see their annual Christmas celebrations. The garden wasn't in high color, but that's to be expected, even out here with mild California winters.

The day wasn't very pretty, with dark skies constantly threatening rain. However, the little drops of moisture, having accumulated upon the petals and leaves, made for a nice sparkling accent, like liquid gems ornamenting the last roses in the final days of Autumn.

Very beautiful.

An orange rose, heavy with rain water


Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Lilac

Syringa Vulgaris: Common Lilac "Letha E. House"


Yeah, I have a whole bunch of flower photos to share with you all. This is one that I took last week while visiting the Descanso Gardens. There weren't many flowers in bloom, but this pretty little lilac was holding strong in the face of our California winter. ;-)

Purple is my favorite color. So, lilac has a special appeal for me.

Common Lilac


Very, very pretty.