garden in the woods

6.3.20 ~ Connecticut College Arboretum, New London, Connecticut

This walk was from June 3rd. Still catching up!

I have the impression that Emily Dickinson enjoyed the companionship of her large dog, Carlo, while she tended her garden. I used to discuss things with Larisa’s tabby cat, Mary, while I was planting and weeding my little plot. She was always interested in what I was up to and what I thought about this or that. Emily’s poetic musings…

buttercup

Within my Garden, rides a Bird
Opon a single Wheel —
Whose spokes a dizzy music make
As ’twere a travelling Mill —

?

He never stops, but slackens
Above the Ripest Rose —
Partakes without alighting
And praises as he goes,

peaceful paths

Till every spice is tasted —
And then his Fairy Gig
Reels in remoter atmospheres —
And I rejoin my Dog,

burl

And He and I, perplex us
If positive, ’twere we —
Or bore the Garden in the Brain
This Curiosity —

rhododendron

But He, the best Logician,
Refers my clumsy eye —
To just vibrating Blossoms!
An exquisite Reply!

~ Emily Dickinson
(The Poems of Emily Dickinson, #370)

arboretum pond
flower and fern carpeting
sassafras sapling

So everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow cycles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.
~ May Sarton
(Journal of a Solitude)

cinnamon fern
rhododendron
andromeda aka lily-of-the-valley bush

My mother’s favorite flower was lily of the valley. She also had an andromeda shrub planted in the front yard, right near the dining room window.

wild geranium
rhododendron
shady spot
celandine poppy

A garden isn’t meant to be useful. It’s for joy.
~ Rumer Godden
(China Court: A Novel)

12 thoughts on “garden in the woods”

  1. Thank you for this walk, it is a breath of fresh air – at least virtually! The flowers are lovely. My favorite is the unknown one. I also liked the ferns. I have been thinking a lot about them because I want to add some to our bathroom.

    1. Since the cinnamon fern loves swamps a bathroom might be the perfect environment for it. But these are about 4 feet high (1.2 meters) so it would need a pretty large bathroom to spread out in. 🙂 What kinds of ferns do you have in your part of the world?

  2. “Gardening is an instrument of grace.” That’s a lovely thought. The orange rhododendron is beautiful in its simplicity. I like your walk. Thanks for sharing it here.

    1. You’re welcome, Ally. Blossoms and flowers are some of the few gifts summer offers that I honestly appreciate, a welcome and lovely distraction from the heat, humidity and bugs!

  3. A simple but beautiful and peaceful walk. Flowers are especially beautiful at this time of year–so vibrant and full of life.

    1. Simple pleasures are so appreciated these days! Now that I’ve visited this arboretum at the beginning of May and beginning of June I plan to take another walk in July to see what new flowers will be showing off their colors. ♡

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