| Thursday, April 6, 2006 |   Loading ... |
 
|
Outside the Back Door
The back door is flanked by Alberta spruces planted in whiskey barrels. Evergreens, a staple of Winter holiday decorating, are a symbol of the eternal promise of Summer. The bell, which my brother put up for me, is traditionally rung on the Winter Solstice, to signal the coming light and renewing sun. On a clear day, a farm bell can be heard five miles away.
.
|
Pots brimming with herbs stand at the ready right outside the door for convenient picking including lemon balm, a lemon-scented mint relative that’s a good insect repellent when rubbed on the skin. When asked what I got for Christmas in 2002, I said, “My mom gave me a pig!” Magical to shamans and sacred to the Celts as a symbol of life, death and rebirth, the pig is closely related to the boar.
“The boar’s head in hand bear I, bedecked with bays and rosemary. And I pray you, my masters, be merry…” (The Boar’s Head Carol, Trad. English 1521) |
 |
.
 |
The Three Sisters In Native American lore, The Three Sisters (corn, squash and beans), were planted together so that each aided the growth of the other. Companion planting, the practice of planting certain plants together aids growth and repels pests, such as planting corn, nasturtiums and melons together - the “three sisters” found in our edible garden patch. |
 |
 ‘Moon and Stars’ heirloom watermelon is named for its celestial-like markings. |
.
| Magic Garden Daffodils give way to coral bells who later shed their blooms when medicinal echinacea that lessens the severity of colds and flu bursts forth. Perhaps if you listen, the white echinacea may chuckle just as the daisies on ‘The Magic Garden’ do when jokes upon their leaves are read. “White coral bells upon a slender stalk, Lilies-of-the valley line the garden walk, Oh don’t you wish that you could hear them ring? That will happen only when the fairies sing.” (Anon. Trad.) |
|||||||
|
 |
||||||
.
 |
Dream Arbor The original 15-year-old arbor never fulfill our dreams of being an impressive structure for gourds. A new one with a balcony was built in its place after the trees were cut down. When the vines have matured in late Summer, bottle gourds hang from above and a trumpet vine draws hummingbirds. When dry, bottle gourds become hard and can be painted and turned into birdhouses. . 
|
 |
.
| The Celtic Year A coleus fills the corner behind the arbor gate that dons The Wheel of the Year, a calendar following the old ways of the Celtic year which consist of eight seasons divided into solar and agriculture festivals.
|
 |
Heliotrope.
Posted in: Gardening
Loading ...
Post a Comment