I planted one poppy plant a few years ago
and now I have a family of poppies.
They are crowded together and fighting for space.
I have pulled out the volunteers that are encroaching on
or
invading on the territory of plants
that are in the vicinity.
While they are blooming they are beautiful and make quite a nice display.
after the blooms fade and the petals drop
the greenery turns a sad shade of brown
and I yank them out
still
year after year
they come back and announce their resilience
Mother Nature has her own ideas about what grows and where
and I have learned not to fight with her!
Foxgloves are another example of volunteers
they come back yearly with vigor
and the fact that they are considered to be biennials
this is somewhat amusing!
They stand tall like decorated soldiers for several months
until they flop over and decay
rather than see their wilted stems slumbering on the soil
I shake the seeds out of the pods and scatter them
wherever I want a new forest of foxgloves.
Have you seen an flower fairies in your garden?
when I was young I had a book about flower fairies...
illustrated in colour by Cicely Mary Barker
of fairies wearing flowers!
the book was one of my favourites
the spine shows it's age
well loved
Meet the Poppy Fairy
It was a gift from my grandmother
a woman of great importance in my life
a wonderful role model
a woman of high moral standards
whose life was rich and full
she had her share of sadness
she was a busy gal on the domestic scene
bread making
jams
preserving
cooking
dish washing
laundry
ironing
sweeping
marketing
parenting
and
when I stayed with her she wrapped an apron around me
and I "helped" with her daily chores
she made me feel very grown up
and never minded about any mess that I made!
I have so many sweet memories of my grandmother that I hold close to my heart.
I miss her and think of her often.
There is a foxglove fairy too but she is not in my book...
Fairies and Grannies added much richness to my childhood
what or whom do you remember that made an impact on shaping the person that you are today?
11 comments:
The poppies are so beautiful, I have planted them three times and they just won't take for me.
Hmm I think my school made most impact on who I am. My mum has tried hard to make me tougher and less sensitive, but she us just a very strong woman and I'm quite shy and retiring in real life.
In our family I'm the poppy that didnt take !
Oh the illustrations are beautiful too
Oh I love your poppy flowers and the Poppy fairy is beautiful - but I would say that as I have my own Poppy Fairy - my daughter, Poppy xx
I love your photos today, but your sentiment touched my heart. This week is the anniversary of my grandmothers death. She lived an incredibly long and rich life, and used to tell me she was my biggest fan. As a teenager she gave me a my gold charm bracelet with it's first charm.... a gold fan.
I was incredibly blessed to have been able to share my life with her until the very end.
Thank you for your post today.
I love those poppies, but they don't do as well here. The foxgloves either, and they are one of my favorites. Such a beautiful fairy book, and beautiful memories of your Grandmother. Thanks for sharing these with us. I'll be thinking about my Grandmother today.
Ah poppies,fox gloves & Grandmothers' that has made my Sunday.....I have loads of yellow 'Welsh poppies' they grow wild around the hedgerows.Ida
Very lovely post, Hostess. Quite special. The flowers, the book, the tribute to your grandmother, all.
You are so in your element in the garden!
My mother´s side grandfather, was a person I appreciated most.
I would love to have Foxgloves reseed in my garden, here it is so hot that they can be a bit tricky to grow...my favorites are the tall Excelsior variety. I love the idea of garden fairies and your beautiful hommage to you Grancmother.
I too had a beloved fairy book.Many girls love fairies, the benevolent sweetness, the tininess speaks to our just-forming nurturing persona.
Such a touching story about your grandmother...I can see why you cherish that book.
Your poppies are gorgeous! I don't ever see them here in no. California.
There is a shop about an hour from me that is filled with gorgeous French items and it's called Coquelicot. I had to google the name and guess what? Coquelicot is French for poppy.
I need a hydrangea fairy right about now...my poor girl is getting roasted in our 100+ degree weather.
Lovely post. Foxgloves do well in our garden -- we've not tried poppies.
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