07 October 2012

Hortus vitae

.
 it is beautiful in the garden-if one looks beyond some of summer's dying best.

there are hangers on-an overgrown stand of dahlias that did nothing last year when I thought them full of promise.

now in september they decided they live- and set out to show up their faded summer neighbors.
purple and pink exclusively.






pulling up a weed here and there-more should have been done-but oh the back tires easily.

I relish even the weed pulling-there's something about hands to soil that connects me in a flash to my father. he was an outdoors man-not the hunting kind-but the nature kind.
he belonged to the breeze- whether he was walking a new sown field surveying-or simply sitting in the grass surveying his fine green fescue.


 "Laborare est Orare"

portrait of my father



the passion flower carries on-making its presence known and still it climbs up and up.

I call the one at the gate-Mrs. Delany.


Mrs. Delany's flower cutting








Passiflora incarnata "Delany"




it grows like a weed, Mrs.Delany does-as does the creeping Fig,
now grasping hold of the rough brickwork on the house. it typically dies as colder nights creep in-but who knows-the dahlias surprised. 


Dahlia "Revinio"







 Ficus pumila "Ascendere"
 (with Agave americana)









as I turn the corner -the last of morning glory.









Convolvulaceae "Kate"





the weather is turning and there will soon be colder nights and blessed cooler days.

I have plans to broaden a bed or two and add some Italian Cypress.
perhaps I'll call them Vincent & Theo.


Cupressus sempervirens "van Gogh"


"Cypresses"- VVG





brush up on your  LATIN  here


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3 comments:

  1. Oh! I keep thinking you are in New Orleans! No! New York!

    Love these images!

    ReplyDelete
  2. similar selections here....looking forward to cool weekends during which I don't have to trim the creeping fig, whew. At least my agave in my similar urns requires less labor.

    Love the juxtaposition of Tim Walker and Mary Delaney, too of my favorites. What a treasured piece of your Father...so relaxed

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, Vincent and Theo are perfect names. Have a great week.
    Mary

    ReplyDelete

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