I have three graceful pale yellow tulips in the yard. They have the most wonderful scent. They’re particularly beautiful this year, but I can see they are starting their inevitable decline. This was shot yesterday, in between thunderstorms.
Nature is the best designer, don’t you think?
We had a doozy of a late-in-the-afternoon thunderstorm, by the way. Lights flickering, thunder, lightning, wind, torrential rain. We sat on the porch and watched it rage around us. That brings back memories of my childhood, where we often sought refuge from a storm on our porch. We’d sit there, with little drops of rain occasionally hitting us, watching the fireworks that are part of a thunderstorm, trying to see how long we could outlast the rain that would inevitably start to cover more and more of the porch until it was impossible to remain outside any longer.
I love a summer thunderstorm…though it’s not summer yet, officially. It felt like it yesterday.
The gorgeous bridal wreath spirea has blossomed.
Perfection.
I feel like a mom who is welcoming the return of her prodigal plants. “Welcome back,” I say. They’ve been gone for a long time. One by one, they return. The winter was especially tough. A mammoth tree limb fell in the middle of the large garden bed last September. Yet after all of that, here they are, willing to come back and be a part of the family once more.
I should be standing on the porch, my hair in a bun, an apron tied around my waist, eyes peeled on the horizon, waiting for any sign; a leaf, a bud, a blossom. It could be a painting in the style of Andrew Wyeth or Norman Rockwell.
Awaiting the Return of the Prodigal Plants. That’s the title.
Thank you for your kind words and wise advice yesterday. Treasures you are, all of you.
Happy Friday.
I’ve always loved bridal wreath! Our Spring has already come and gone here. Summer is creeping in little by little. I need to run up to your area to relive Springtime.
Spring was so late in coming. I hope we have a couple of weeks to enjoy it before summer hits!
Beautiful flowers. Always happy when things bloom again! Happy Weekend!
hugs,
Linda
Same to you, Linda!
Bridal Wreath spirea is so lovely. Your photos brought a flood of memories. In the front garden of the home I grew up in Seattle, were red rhododendrons, bluebells, and a beautiful Bridal Wreath spirea; all so appropriately in full bloom just in time for Memorial Day weekend. This was my mum’s favorite corner of her garden, and where I would so often find her on her knees, weeding and tucking in red geraniums, blue ageratum and white alyssum to keep the theme going. :)
That must have been a very pretty corner! Such lovely, old-fashioned flowers.
I love a summer thunderstorm too, especially when it helps clear the mind and wash away the grief. Remind yourself that it’s okay not to be perfect and I’ll tell myself the same. :)
I will, Louise. Thank you!
Oh how this brings back memories…… Our house had a very small front porch but we had a large back porch with two metal chairs where Mom & Dad sat after dinner reading the Detroit News. When it rained we would sit on the porch and count the number of seconds between the lightening flash and the clap of thunder. We’d ooooo and aaaaaa at the show mother nature produced for us. Our back porch was the gathering place for the kids in the neighborhood. There was nothing better than playing dolls on a hot afternoon, sitting in the shade on the cool cement, pretending to be the best mothers in the world. From the back porch you had a panoramic view of the back yard and the many flowers that Mom would cut and bring into the house. There were lilacs, peonies, spirea, iris, tulips you name it. Every room had a vase of flowers sitting on a table or shelve. Our house always smelled wonderful in the spring time.
Claudia, you have a way of transporting me back to the simpler time of my youth and I thank you for that.
Enjoy the day,
Vanessa
Porches, gardens, storms – what perfect summer memories, Vanessa!
Hi Claudia, and Happy Friday (and long weekend). Isn’t it fun to watch things re-appear each year? We were gone for two weeks and came home to find out we had missed our apple tree blooming, but our lilac was in bloom and yesterday I spotted the first columbines. We have spinach leaves the size of salad plates and the rhubarb is coming in fast and furious. I can’t wait to get home from work and plan some cooking for the weekend!
Ummmm – if I wasn’t on a diet, I’d be eating some rhubarb pie right about now!
Your bridal wreath is gorgeous! We had one…but the previous owners planted it in the wrong place…so you could not appreciate it. We attempted to move it…but we were unsuccessful. That was 30 years ago…maybe I should try again! ;)
This one was here when we moved in. Right down by the road. The past couple of years, the blooms have been gorgeous!
Your plants and photos are stunning, Claudia. We had quite a storm last week, and it had a lot of our blooms dragging the grounds.
I hope all is well with you. Please come celebrate six years of Pink Saturday with us this weekend.♥
My newest hydrangea was very close to the ground as well, Beverly. Happy Anniversary!
It is so wonderful to hear that someone else has such a connection to their plants & trees. I have felt that connection since I was a small child. It has enriched my life so much! ( I think that some of my friends & family think that I am “just this side of crazy,” but I don’t care.) Life is short and we need to enjoy our natural surroundings~
It’s a connection that came to me later in life, Susan. But now I can’t imagine NOT feeling that connection!
All you need is a great rendition of “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” playing in the background of the set you painted in my mind!!
Yes, our dear plants are truly welcomed home each year. Our Bridal Wreath is just getting ready to bloom, but it still needs a few more days. We are nearly done planting, and the yard looks so pretty. Planted the old rusted wheelbarrow yesterday and I can’t wait to see how it looks when it is all filled out w/ the Alyssum cascading around the edges. Our lilacs are still so pretty and the yard is filled with their scent. My peonies look to be at least 10-14 days behind yours. Such a strange spring. But we are to have a beautiful long weekend, and I do kind of feel we are entitled to it after the horrors of the season that just passed.
Have a wonderful day!!
I agree. I am basking in the beauty of the garden – even if it’s cloudy and about to rain again!
What is the name of that fantastic tulip?? It’s different to me, so vibrant and enthusiastic. And aroma! It seems so many flowers these days have been hybridized to the point of no scent at all, which seems like some kind of sensory amputation. Love your flower photos!!
And your tale of you and Don on the porch during the storm…very bucolic and sweet. Who needs TV? We didn’t grow up with a porch, but my grandma’s house near Portland, OR, had one, wooden, uneven, smelling of damp wood, old paint, dirt and clean laundry (the old wringer washer was housed out there–we were warned into terror about touching it). Lots of fun dolly play watching the hazelnuts from from the filbert tree and for a summer we had a pen of banty hens who made a big mess and a lot of racket. I hope someday to have a porch of my own. Meanwhile, thanks for letting us share yours.
You know, I don’t know the name. It was here when we moved in. It is beautiful, that’s for sure. This year it seems to be especially lovely.
Hi Claudia, I LOVED this post, you transported me as well, back to the day! Playing dolls( house) on the porch.
Thank-You, I needed that this AM. Please have a wonderful Summer weekend.
And BE SAFE! -Judy A-
Oh, I played dolls on the porch too, Judy!
I’ve been a list-keeper forever [have dozens of them] and thunderstorms are at the top of two: “Favorite Things to See” and “Favorite Things to Hear.” I think my parents treated storms as exciting events when we were little so wouldn’t be scared – and it worked! My siblings & I would sit on our porch watching black clouds approach across Lake Ontario, watching for lightning and listening to that rumble. Cozy and dramatic at the same time. The only family member who wasn’t a fan was Duchess, our German shepherd/water spaniel mix. Poor dolly girl would shake all over and try to get into the basement. Hope you have a soothing and beautiful weekend, Claudia…
Exactly! Cozy and dramatic at the same time! Have a good weekend, Janet!
I feel the same way. I go out each day to see which one of my “kids” has returned. I feel bad when one doesn’t come back. Winter has been tough on alot of our evergreens. I have a weeping hemlosk that I brought over from my house when we got married and I moved into my husbands house. She got hit the worst of all. But I am giving her time to recover. (not sure if she will). She will not look good at all this year….but she is going to get her chance. A rosebush that I got from a volunteer off a bush that was in my parents yard ( i remember this bush being there all of my childhood) has had it’s top canes killed by this winter weather. But luckily it is sprouting at the base. Now I am going to make sure that I start more this summer. I will not lose this plant as it means the world to me. Call me sentmental….but I get attached.
We don’t seem to get the thunderstorms that we use to. So when one does come around it is facinating!
Have a great day. Hugs, Teresa
Yes, winter was tough on my rose bushes and some of the evergreens, as well.
I remember playing with my dolls underneath the bridal wreath spirea in our back yard when I was a girl. I liked that it was secluded from my brothers! I’ve been busy planting and tending my little babes this week….such a nice time of year!
A good place to hide, Debbie!
As usual I love your post today. After a brutal winter and coolish spring here in Georgia, it has seemed to go straight to summer with temperatures near 90 and high humidity. Nevertheless, my garden is looking lovely even though I had my doubts about this winter’s cold temperatures. I have lost several plants including my beloved fig tree, but it seems to be coming back from the roots. We are about 5 inches below normal on our rainfall so I would really welcome a thunderstorm — I too love them. Have a good day, dear Claudia.
Thank goodness we’re not at 90 yet – though it’s supposed to be 81 on Monday!
Thank you thank you Claudia..now I know what that one big bush is that grows along the edge of the woods here..Bridal Wreath Spirea..so pretty..mine has blossomed too..I too am always checking my plants to see what is blooming come Spring..Nature is indeed an amazing designer..I love when she puts a new flower where there was none before!
I have that happening in a few places – such a pleasant surprise!
I LOVE thunderstorms. We haven’t had a good one in a long time…J
I hope you get one soon, Julie!
Living here in Florida now, I miss springtime in Western Pa. There was bridal wreath growing along the sidewalk to our kitchen door when I was a kid. My mother and grandmother loved all kinds of flowers. We had beds of Iris, Snow on the Mountain and Black Eyed Susans. Peonies hugged the foundation of our back porch and they were all colors from white to pale pink to bubble gum pink and variegated. I too love thunder storms. I used to sit on our front porch with my grandmother and count the time between thunder claps to see if we could predict how close the rain was. I have been writing my memoirs and this is one I haven’t written about yet. Thank your for jogging my memory.
When my daughter was young she used to go to bed and cover up and wait for the thunder to roll and the rain to start. She loved hearing the rain on the roof from the bed. Now she is to busy and the storms here can’t match the ones in the Northeast.
I love hearing rain on the roof, too. Especially a tin roof!
I am basking in this amazing season called spring, too. We both made it through a brutal, loong winter, but I think one positive aspect is that it helps us to appreciate the beauty all around us once again.
in regards yesterday’s post,do be gentle with yourself. And,indeed ,my vulnerabilties seem ever ready to step in,or even take over, Thanks for sharing Claudia.