Silent Sunday

One Hundred Years Ago, Dorothy H. Holley was Born

Tribute to a Friend. Poem below by Liane Norman

Dorothy’s Iris planted by poet Liane Norman

Dorothy H. Holley. May 15, 1923 – June 6, 2010

I Dug Up the Iris

in Dorothy’s garden
to plant in the soaked

soil of mine, memorial
to her each spring

when they’ll open
complicated ruffles

and flourishes, purple
or blue with speckled

throats. They’ll rise
out of rhizomes

sprawling at soil’s
surface like the joints

of my old  hands
anchoring the tall

stalks and frilly petals.
This morning

in the brief breath
of cool I dug shallow

trenches for this legacy,
this pantry of pollens

the bees prospect,
insects with lives

beyond what the mere
gardener knows.

Liane Ellison Norman, a Madwoman in the Attic, has published two books of poetry, The Duration of Grief andKeep (www.smokeandmirrorspress.com). She has published poems in 5AM, Kestrel, North American Review, Grasslimb, Rune, Voices from the Attic anthologies and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Her poem “What There’d Been” won the Wisteria Prize in 2006 from Paper Journey Press.

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http://rutheh.com/tag/dorothy-holley-poet/

DOROTHY H. HOLLEY – POET, FRIEND.

May 15, 1923 – June 6, 2010

(Click link to see slideshow)

A slideshow, remembering Dorothy. Blackberries on Greek yogurt. Roses, iris and tulips from her garden. The back porch where we’d sit, have tea, watch birds feed and bathe. She wrote poems after viewing the photos of the Mill at Night and The Cider Press. She baked fresh bread and gave me some to take home for Steve. She’d slice tomatoes and make summer sandwiches to share. She contributed many comments on the blog. She showed us how to live life with courage, grace and love. for Pittsburgh Post Gazette obituary click here

Wordless Wednesday

Lenten Roses in bloom
these plants are from my friend Joan’s Garden

“Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus) is not a rose; it’s a perennial hybrid hellebore belonging to the buttercup family”

Milkweed Pod

Ready for take off.
Where will these seeds go?

Still Blooming in November

This post is made with my Pittsburgh friend Tookie in mind, as she grows beautiful geraniums.

Here’s a link to the blog post about her magical geraniums

What is still blooming in Samobor, Croatia?

Geraniums

Pelargonium peltatum Ivyleaf geranium

Last Year it was Knuckleheads

A year ago, I saw Knucklehead pumpkins for the first time when I was with friends at the Idylwilde Market in Acton Massachusetts. (Click link to see post)

Fall 2022: I spotted this display at the Bryant Street Market. An image search found American Turks Turban Squash Gourd (Cucurbita Maxima) and you can get ten seeds @$17 to grow your own.

Says they are edible and here’s a recipe link for Turban Squash soup

“ Turban squash encompasses a group of winter squashes known for their turban-like cap or acorn on the blossom end, and these squashes are predominately used as an ornamental to showcase its bright colors, patterns, and unusual shape. There are many varieties of Turban squash inclu Turk’s Turban, French Turban, Mexican hat, Turk’s Cap, American Turban, and Marina di Chioggia.” From the Specialty Produce website

A Turban Squash resting on top of white squash of some sort I don’t know

So this happened after I posted the lone tomato pic

A knitting friend saw my lone cherry tomato harvest post with the accompanying nickel photo . She’d had an abundant harvest. There was a box of raspberries too but I ate them before I thought to take a pic.

Here’s what she brought me and I threw them into olive oil and garlic (thanks David) and turned them into a fresh tomato sauce.

Thank you Joanna.
Freshly grated Parmesan

The Rose of Sharon is Now Unfurled *

Rose of Sharon is NOW unfurled* see below

Thanks to a comment by Yvette of Priorhouse blog I looked up Rose of Sharon in Grapes of Wrath click to read of the symbolism of her name and character. It’s been a long time since I read it.

I’d mentioned the Bible reference before from the Song of Solomon

*I’d posted a Rose of Sharon blossom recently and declared it unfurled but it was truly furled and had only become unfurled now . “transitive verb. : to release from a furled state. intransitive verb. : to open out from or as if from a furled state : unfold.”

I was incorrect although I haven’t edited the post. Yet.

Rose of Sharon, Unfurled

“One plant commonly called “rose of Sharon” in the US is Hibiscus syriacus…….”

It’s not really a rose at all

There are Biblical Origins but scholars can’t agree

After the rain

Silent Sunday

Swallowtail on Phlox in Highland Park