Friday 19 June 2015

Signs of Summer

Peonies in my garden, June 2015



Signs of summer. Well, it is June and I still have the heating on, so that’s not such a good sign. But in my garden! The daily changes in the plants are the signs of summer for me. Take the strawberry plants: from a delicate white flower to a little ball in its centre, to slowly growing into a real recognisable strawberry fruit, although still yellowish. Is that not a little miracle in itself?  To see the bright yellow flowers appear on the zucchini, the swelling of the blackberries, the pink and lilac roses… and as a highlight to see the many peonies open and be present in all their majesty. I love it! 

Signs of summer

Slowly appearing in the garden
Sensual
Radiant red
Ravishing Titian red
Rebellious red
Beetroot, blood and radishes,
Nevertheless sweet, as strawberries
Slowly appearing in the garden
With generosity, like the smile of a lover.
And a longing heart
Heated, redder than red, helpless suddenly
When She appeared in my garden.
Signs of summer
Bewildering peonies: the Paeoniaceae
Gorgeous poppies: the Papaverus orientalis and rhoeas
Zinging zestful zinnias: the Zinnea peruviana
To name but a few of them.

Blog 38, text and photo © Adriana Sjan Bijman, June 2015