Enjoying the neighbours’ gardens…

…Very distant neighbours’ front-yard gardens, 5 blocks south and 3 blocks west of my own home and garden. Gardens thoughtfully designed and carefully tended by neighbours I’ve never met and probably never will — but would like to live next door to.  Whoever you are, thank you for planting these particular flowers on the public-viewing side of the fence. They turned my inner frown (I’m ashamed to admit I spent most of today in _that_ kind of mood) upside down.

The end is near…

That is, the end of cherry blossom season in Vancouver. I was completely captivated by sakura this Spring — you may have noticed. One last, lingering look:

This is either Kanzan or Pink Perfection, I think. As I learned this evening, cultivar identification is truly a spectator sport.

And now, on to the apple blossoms.

Simple pleasures of an April morning walk…

…through the woods on Little Mountain:

Delicate white and pale-purple Trillium ovatum (Western trillium),

Pretty-in-pink blossoms that will become summer’s sweet and juicy berries,

A cerulean blue sky.

Pink umbrella

Pink Umbrella

Respite from the rain,
under a pink canopy;
gray skies — go away!

So how am I spending the second week of my vacation? Enjoying the pink Spring, despite the rain. Writing haikus about the weather. Going for walks until I’m cold, wet and droopy — like these cherry blossoms but not nearly as young or pretty. Most of all, longing to be in these gardens. Maybe tomorrow.

Magnolia stellata

White frills and ruffles,
tangled and tousled by wind,
raindrops wash you clean.

- A haiku and a prayer of gratitude for Spring’s gifts on this Sacred Sunday.

Sakura at sunset

A coral pink reef against the sky.

It’s raining today…

…and although I’d prefer sunshine on my stay-at-home vacation, my spirits aren’t too damp because of….

Raindrops on butter-yellow hyacinths — now one of my favourite things.

Cycle of life

Last year’s flowers dry, decompose to compost and nurture this spring’s blossoms: Top photo: Hydrangea.
Bottom photo: Primula.

Taken during an early spring afternoon walk in the Quarry Garden at Queen Elizabeth Park.

Here comes the sun — unexpectedly — Monday morning

I expected to wake up to cold rain this morning — especially because it’s the first day of my vacation — but instead was greeted by a clear, blue sky and an orange orb rising in the east. My response: to follow wise advice and take a picture. I moved my indoor source of sunshine (my nontraditional “Easter Lily”) to the garden and took this photo. A convergence of old Sol in the sky meeting this fresh young sunspot on the ground.

I hope you find and share “sunshine” this week, even on dull, cold days. Because of these bloggers who wrote such courageous, beautiful, loving posts last week, I’m going to try to be a brighter light.

Between Good Friday & Easter

A chilly, bright morning in my part of the world. Sharp, clear and quiet. Ideal conditions for contemplating sorrow and joy, fear and courage, death and life — events and emotions that are not always distinct and sequential, but often occur so closely together, they seem to co-exist. And then one feels a bit mixed-up — or maybe it’s just me. This is the {gardener’s} difficulty when the Spring Equinox and the Paschal Triduum occur within the same week.

Despite the photos below — I cannot ignore Spring’s gifts completely today; maybe I’m wrong but for me this would be dishonest and wasteful — I’m not ready for Easter celebration. My mind needs to dwell here, here and here for part of today. A necessary change of focus.