Friday, October 15, 2010

A Garden in the Wild



I’ve never met a garden I didn’t like, although some I’ve taken to more than others. Growing up, we always had a huge vegetable patch, which we had to toil in, so on hot, sweaty days I didn’t favor that kind.

There is another variety, though, I’ve never minded working; the flowery, delicate garden. Even better are those brazen sweeps of color erupting in lonely fields, nothing but Mother Nature cradling and kissing them. They are wild and raw and turn your head affairs. If your car windows are down, you can sometimes detect the smell of cherry licorice or cloves, the air thick with scent. They shock and awe us. Rattle us awake. Like a little kid they shout, “Look at me! I made this just for you.” And we are left gaping.

I’m never more alive when I discover a field bursting with Indian paintbrush, like millions of ragged orange tubes of lipstick smearing the landscape. Or purple Popsicle bluebonnets, tinged with vanilla on top. And a dirt floor of Queen Anne’s lace, winter white fancy skirts on long, scrawny legs, dancing real slow as far as the eye can see.

Recently, in Vermont, I happened upon these amazing trees, decorating old cemeteries, limbs screaming with creamy white and pink buds. They look like lilacs, but not quite. Maybe someone will recognize this lovely thing by the picture I took.



Today I discovered a wild patch of black-eyed Susan’s, mingled with cedar, along a busy roadside, putting on a lavish butter yellow show. Tall and regal, they exploded in the sun. These tickets were all free. Joy comes in all kinds of packages, but I prefer my gifts from a Garden in the Wild.

17 comments:

  1. I love flowers! they are so much more fun to care for than brussel sprouts and cauliflower!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, I agree! Flowers smile up the world. Thanks for your comment!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dorraine, it looks to me as if you're back. I know you've been going through a rough patch lately and have been taking a break from writing but this post here tells me that you're back and in top form. Hooray!

    Jai

    ReplyDelete
  4. You should have seen them, Jingle! I crossed a busy road to capture those pictures.:-)

    Hey there, Jai!! Great to hear from you, and thanks for your encouraging words, always. Yes, I'm back. I just needed a break. We all do from time to time. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely images Dorraine...I can almost smell the blossoms :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your descriptive writing is incredible Raine! I could see all of these flowers (without ever looking at the photos) and smell their wonderful fragrances.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Shan! Thanks for stopping by the flower patch! And for your kind words. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, Bec, fancy meeting you here! So happy to see you. And to drop off such words that bloom, too. Very sweet. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love black-eyed Susan and the name. The second photo is hydrangea, isn't it? Such a feminine color!

    ReplyDelete
  10. It does look like a hydrangea, Keiko, in tree form. Maybe from the same family? Good observation. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. nice. love flowers as well...and i do like mine wild, found on the side of a mountain, by the stream...where no one has seen them but you...nice pics...

    ReplyDelete
  12. I like flowers only in their natural settings. I don't like them in vases.
    I wish I could describe the beauty of flowers the way you do, But unfortunately I lack your language and writing abilities.
    Anyway, thanks for the lovely descriptions and pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  13. You are a fabulous writer, Duta! I always enjoy the stories you whip up.

    Thanks, and it's great to see you around again.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your opening remark reminds me of a conversation I had soon after leaving school. Arguing with my boss about nature/art or something of the sort, I mentioned an attractive flower. He asked if I'd ever seen an unattractive one. I don't think I ever have. Great post.

    ReplyDelete