I salute Earth day by focusing on a beautiful early flowering shrub... Daphne, that has given us and anyone who is within range of it... Joy... every year since we found it...
I relate Daphne to Earth day as it was presented to me by Nature itself... the seed of which was either blown by the wind or deposited by a bird to a lonely gravel roadside... where it had managed... against all odds, to take root... survive... and grow... to the point at which we discovered it.
We found it 15 years ago when we were going for a walk along a quiet country road after supper as the sun was going down...
it was only a single small twig... approx. 12" tall completely covered with deep rose colored blossoms... there was simply no ignoring it... not just because of its brilliance but even more emphatic... was its fragrance.... Intoxicating...
At the time we did not know what it was... just that it was a beautiful gift from nature... We saw it again on our way back... we could not resist it... we hurried home ... came right back ... carefully dug it up and planted it by our door in our new garden... just where the sun shines... when it rises in the morning...
We took care of it and to our most happy surprise it flourished...
When we moved to St.Martins in 2000 we could not leave it behind... it represented Spring itself!
We brought it with us... planted it by our door... again...
It has flourished even more than we had ever hoped... It doesn't look like much yet... when this picture was taken this morning... but in a few days with our warmer temperatures.... it will burst forth...
At this time of year it is just beginning to flower ... these blooms just opened today... when it is in full bloom it is covered top to bottom in blooms...
...when the screen door or window is open nearby the fragrance floats into the house... when you pass by... it hits you like a wake up call... to stop and enjoy the beauty that nature has given us....
Thank you little bird or gentle breezes... You have made my Earth Day!
Daphne, daphne mezereum... spread 2-4'... height 3-4'... hardy... needs little pruning, I never do... can also be propagated by root cuttings
......a single cut branch fills an entire room with its heady scent...
10 comments:
What a lucky little girl, Daphne is to be so blessed and appreciated by you. You recognized her beauty as she recognizes yours and blooms so prettily for you.
sandy
Wow, this is a wonderful shrub! To have been with you for 15 years, to delight you with it's aroma and even moved with you. It's like an old friend...I would love one of these for my doorstep:)
Happy Earth Day Gwen!
Gorgeous! I don't think I've ever seen one before. Wish we could smell it!!!
Your "Daphne" is very lovely. This season has so many gifts that teach us to love our earth... Thank you, Roxanne
Thanks Anet and Sandy, I smile every time I look at that sweet little bush...
the bees like it too... max took some really great macro shots of our first big bumble bee sipping nectar... they turned out great and he posted them on his blog...
the bee just stayed there for the longest time... didn't want to leave... guess he knew when he found a good thing!!
Sharon... I wish we had a little smell feature we could post on our blog so you could push the button and this beautiful fragrance would burst out... even if anyone didn't like smelly things I bet they would love this!
Roxanne, you are so right... I just went over to your blog and those snow geese were breath-taking!!
you are so lucky to have had that experience! glad you shared it!!
Oh, I was admiring my Daphne today, too! It's always been so small I never considered bringing a branch or two in. How silly! I'm going to do it -- thanks for the tip!
Thanks, I learned about a new shrub today. It looks so exotic and tropical to me! Like bouganvilla. The vibrant fuschia color just doesn't look like New Brunswick!
This is a heart-warming story of Daphne finding you. It reminds me of reincarnation stories, that a soul looks for its parents, chooses them. As Sandy says, she found you, how lucky you both are.
It's a great post for Earth Day, because you aren't just nodding to it, but you're sharing a glimpse of how you take a deeper interest in a particular member of our Nature family, you've actually got a relationship with this shrub. It's inspiring. I just love coming here.
Now I'm going over to Max's to see the bee . . . bzzzzz
Oh, I meant to say, that's a brilliant idea about having smell available through the computer.
Nice to hear you have some Daphne too, Diane...
I know what you mean ... for the longest time I considered the little shrub so precious that I wouldn't snip anything off it at all... for fear I would injure it...
But seeing how hardy it is
I occasionally indulge myself and bring some precious inside now.
Hi Ruth, Funny how little happenstance things have such ties to our emotions...
I have often wondered why "Smell-a vision" never came around when television did.. well I understand why but it would be an interesting concept... might not want to have a whiff of some things though...
come to think about it, we might get sensory overload!!!
What a beautiful shrub--such a gorgeous color, like raspberry sherbet. I've never seen one before, but I do like plants with women's names: Veronica, Andromeda ...
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