Tuesday, 15 February 2011
I’m guessing these are hyacinths, but I can’t remember where I put which bulbs last season when I moved them into this bed. I would have written, “Something in the lily family, most likely,” but then I read that molecular studies have the set on its ear (can you say that about plants?—I’m giddy; time to finish the split pea soup, and sup) the old-style taxonomy based on morphology, etc. of these species.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Sad to say, but the amaryllis’s lush petals are desiccating, and the cycle of life continues to unfurl.
And the snow is, pfft, liquified.
And I know that a certosa is the Italian term for a Carthusian monastery, which in English is a charterhouse. And the Carthusians are a Roman Catholic order who live like hermits. Their motto, apparently: Stat crux dum volvitur orbis, Latin for “The Cross is steady while the world is turning.”
The world turns, life unfurls—same thing, ¿no?
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Apparently winteriness has moved elsewhere, or at least departed our garden—although the last of the snow hasn’t quite yet melted in the deep shadow (tomorrow should wipe it out, though).
The party team descended on Buckhead–Sandy Springs (actually, I think it’s uphill—so: ascended?). “A good time was had by all.” Another octo commences a personal new year.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Flash attempt captures the amaryllis profile better than the facing bloom.
Started Frederick Grinnell’s Everyday Practice of Science: Where Intuition and Passion Meet Objectivity and Logic (2009) today—via the Kindle app on the iPad, that is, on Téo.
And, tada!, I discovered there’s a white-text-on-black-background option that I find much easier to peruse that the usual black-on-white presentation!
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Seems to me that certain colors in certain light situations just are not captured accurately by our (digital) cameras.* The “little” one, the Lumix, has a hard time with deep blues and purples. It looks like the “big” one, the Canon, struggles with the reds, although it’s pretty close (this is natural sunlight).
* Could also be that I don’t know what settings to use, and that the camera sensor systems are tip-top.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
…the well-tempered clavier—which in my extreme youth I thought had something to do with what a person would be described in Spanish as being pacifica…umm, we have a well-traveled fleur.
Now, with two open trumpet-blooms.
And no Bach involved.
I see that temperament in music has to do with fine-tuning to a different tuning, compromising the “pure” intervals of just intonation. I know KW, Jay, and others (I’m sure) can follow all this, but it’s over my head!
And, yes, I’m writing about flowers and music because I don’t want to contemplate missing the Brookwood Borders—although not the Borders closest to my house—everything but magazines 30% off—or more. After all, I remember Borders back when it was one fun store, and I think had an apostrophe.
Saturday, 29 January 2011
I couldn’t stand to miss the blossoms unfurling to their full-open position, so I managed to wrangle the amaryllis over many winter miles so I could keep watching its progress.
So, now with the snow deep outside (or not so deep, depending on your personal gauge of these things), I continue to monitor its progress.
Even morning to nightfall, I see the change.
So, this is a late-day snap, and I now think there will be four trumpet-blooms, or at least that’s all I see now.
Should I feel guilty that I have no bees to send to the blooms?
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Every once in a while you can be on the fast road, and the circumstances deliver something special. This is the pass by Jellico, and the storm that came through here yesterday, leaving the trees looking fresh-flocked.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
We’re in the first of the two most fascinating phases of winter bulb-forcing—when the bud is changing, even by the hour, I’m so glad I planted it! The second fun, fascinating phase is when the bloom is open and the poor plant is doing its best to attract insect helpers—otherwise known as botanical frustration….
You may recall that I planted this “amaryllis” bulb in mid-December.
As to the title, no card-play here tonight….
Friday, 7 January 2011
The paperwhites are full out,* a bit of an antidote to the wintery mix I keep hearing may well be headed our way—although various professional sources differ on how likely we are to get this in OUR neighborhood.
* Yes, I know I mentioned them yesterday, but they’re so luscious….