Small gifts
by Elouise
Small gifts grace my eyes
Bursting with life and color
They command the scene
Announcing their calm presence
in the garden of my life
It’s difficult to think of my life as a garden. But that’s just what it is, isn’t it? A small patch of earth populated by new growth, the occasional stunning blossom, weeds, trampling of feet, the stench of manure, and all the rest that goes into the pot.
It seems nature, aided and abetted by a Master Gardener, combines the good, the bad and the ugly within one spectacular display. Seen from afar the garden glimmers almost like a desert mirage.
The photos above are from Chanticleer Garden. It’s a magical place. Even so, weather happens. People happen. Bird poop, poison ivy, weeds, and predatory mosquitoes happen. It takes a team of gardeners to keep up with pests, damage and overgrowth on the ground.
As for my life, I’m at peace with my past. Still, I can’t dispense with a team of gardeners, much less the Master Gardener. There’s work yet to be done beyond my limited eyesight and capacities.
Above all else, I want to keep the ability to see and appreciate small gifts sent via nature. Gifts that arrive unannounced, just when I need them. Like the photos in this post.
Happy Monday!
Elouise♥
© Elouise Renich Fraser, 8 October 2018
Photos taken by DAFraser, July 2017, at Chanticleer Garden.
I always enjoy taking a walk around Chanticleer! Thank you for reminding me that it’s about time to do that again! Happy Monday to you, too!
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Thanks, Debbie — for the Happy Monday. My happiness quotient definitely goes up when I look at some of our not-so-old garden pix. Better yet is being there! 🙂
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One recent Sunday I was on the Haverford College campus & spotted a great blue heron at the edge of the school’s pond. Completely unexpected; a wonderful gift. Keep posting these beautiful pictures of creation!
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Oh…what a wonderful experience. They do command the space in a regal fashion!
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The War Office is a top gardener my question is does that make her a Mistress Gardener?
We have a very small front garden, as happens when living very close to the big cities in Oz, but and without doubt, we have the nicest one in our suburb, people walking by stop to admire her work.
As I’ve told her; you have to be good for something:twisted:
She’s the gardener I’m the cook, kind of works well
That butterfly ; is it a red admiral? I seem to recall we had them in England and that picture of yours kind of hit me with “That’s a RED ADMIRAL:”
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Good for the WO! I wish she could come and take care of my garden–but you probably wouldn’t be willing to part with her. 🙂
As for the butterfly, it’s a Monarch. I looked at some photos of red admirals. Very colorful, though I don’t remember seeing any around here.
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Yes I would; trouble is she doesn’t like the USA very much; she’s at odds with Emma and me, she and Sarah and Nathan our eldest much prefer England, second to Australia.
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my gift yesterday in our not so pretty almost dying tree was a beautiful red cardinal, just watching us watching it ❤
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What a lovely surprise! I wonder what it thought about you watching it. 🙂
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Perhaps it was showing off its finery to gift us with a spot of beauty😊💕💜
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