Flower for the Day Rose of Sharon 7-20-26

> > Our Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) was a gift from a friend who is a master gardener. Since it can grow 14 feet tall and ten feet wide we prune it in the late fall after the first freeze. It is resilient to draught but as you can plainly see not to deer. They have pruned the base symmetrically. >  > > Ours is a mixture of three multi-stemmed woody stems each producing subtly different color flowers. >  >  > > The tree is right outside the living room window. We really enjoyed watching the robins as the built > a nest well inside the base. > > There is no modern poem about the Rose of Sharon. Here is some information about the Poet SR Griffin that I > found interesting. Griffin founded his imprint, Rose of Sharon press in1989. He published and edited underground poetry journals. In his attempts to bring poetry to a wider audience, outside of publishing broadsides, chapbooks, and periodicals, Griffin has placed poems on billboards and beer bottles. In 2010 Griffin adapted a 1970 240-MK Vietnam War -era practice bomb to house poetry instead of explosives, gathering over 900 poems from around the world. American pinstripe artist and fabricator Skratch pinstriped the bomb, which Griffin named Elsie in honor of his paternal grandmother. Between April and June 2010, Griffin toured with Elsie the Poetry Bomb across the c <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States>ountry, appearing at 30 different venues, and inviting people to put their poems inside. Of the inspiration behind the project, he said: > "War, the art, artifact and artifice of war were created to invent and enforce agreements. Hopefully by transforming this piece I have created something that will inspire disagreements. The democratic process depends upon disagreement in order to function.... The Poetry Bomb is a weapon of mass discussion." > > > > > >

Flower for the Day Rose of Sharon 7-20-26

Our Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) was a gift from a friend who is a master gardener. Since it can grow 14 feet tall and ten feet wide we prune it in the late fall after the first freeze. It is resilient to draught but as you can plainly see not to deer. They have pruned the base symmetrically.  Ours is a mixture of three multi-stemmed woody stems each producing subtly different color flowers.   The tree is right outside the living room window. We really enjoyed watching the robins as the built a nest well inside the base. There is no modern poem about the Rose of Sharon. Here is some information about the Poet SR Griffin that I found interesting. Griffin founded his imprint, Rose of Sharon press in1989. He published and edited underground poetry journals. In his attempts to bring poetry to a wider audience, outside of publishing broadsides, chapbooks, and periodicals, Griffin has placed poems on billboards and beer bottles. In 2010 Griffin adapted a 1970 240-MK Vietnam War -era practice bomb to house poetry instead of explosives, gathering over 900 poems from around the world. American pinstripe artist and fabricator Skratch pinstriped the bomb, which Griffin named Elsie in honor of his paternal grandmother. Between April and June 2010, Griffin toured with Elsie the Poetry Bomb across the c <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States>ountry, appearing at 30 different venues, and inviting people to put their poems inside. Of the inspiration behind the project, he said: "War, the art, artifact and artifice of war were created to invent and enforce agreements. Hopefully by transforming this piece I have created something that will inspire disagreements. The democratic process depends upon disagreement in order to function.... The Poetry Bomb is a weapon of mass discussion."

Flower for the Day Garden in a Heat Alert 7-19-26

> > We are in the second day of a 4 day heat alert. Temps in the 90’s and feels like in the low hundreds. > I have been able to water some and until the last few days it has rained a little each day. Here is how > some of the grow'ies are doing. > > The verbena (Verbena officianalis) is thriving. It is in multiple places. >

> > > > The beebalm (Monad fistula) is just beginning by the meadow. >

> > > The heat has been hard on the Concord grapes and they are sour. >

> > > And you may remember the Cuckoo Pint (Arum maculatum). It is now > maturing into a colorful fruit. >

> > > Even so I do not expect us to beat the heat. We shall see. > > Here is how I will feel if they go. >

> > Yes that is Miley singing one of my Bob Dylan favorites.

Flower for the Day Garden in a Heat Alert 7-19-26

We are in the second day of a 4 day heat alert. Temps in the 90’s and feels like in the low hundreds. I have been able to water some and until the last few days it has rained a little each day. Here is how some of the grow'ies are doing. The verbena (Verbena officianalis) is thriving. It is in multiple places.

The beebalm (Monad fistula) is just beginning by the meadow.

The heat has been hard on the Concord grapes and they are sour.

And you may remember the Cuckoo Pint (Arum maculatum). It is now maturing into a colorful fruit.

Even so I do not expect us to beat the heat. We shall see. Here is how I will feel if they go.

Yes that is Miley singing one of my Bob Dylan favorites.

Flower for the Day What's growing now? 7-13-26

> > Here are some flowers that are surviving if not flourishing in our ongoing heat. The frequent rain is helping. > > Here’s a surprise oriental lily. Another final lily. >  > > Multiple black-eyed susan >  > > Coreopsis >  > > Cleome >  > > Cone flower >  > > and abundant elegant zinnias in many colors. >  > > We are blessed. > > And here is a classic poem which asks what is beyond the bounds of what you can see. > > The Infinite > > This solitary hill has always been dear to me > And this hedge, which prevents me from seeing most of > The endless horizon. > But when I sit and gaze, I imagine, in my thoughts > Endless spaces beyond the hedge, > An all encompassing silence and a deeply profound quiet, > To the point that my heart is almost overwhelmed. > And when I hear the wind rustling through the trees > I compare its voice to the infinite silence. > And eternity occurs to me, and all the ages past, > And the present time, and its sound. > Amidst this immensity my thought drowns: > And to flounder in this sea is sweet to me. > > Giacomo Leopardi > > >

Flower for the Day What's growing now? 7-13-26

> > Here are some flowers that are surviving if not flourishing in our ongoing heat. The frequent rain is helping. > > Here’s a surprise oriental lily. Another final lily. >  > > Multiple black-eyed susan >  > > Coreopsis >  > > Cleome >  > > Cone flower >  > > and abundant elegant zinnias in many colors. >  > > We are blessed. > > And here is a classic poem which asks what is beyond the bounds of what you can see. > > The Infinite > > This solitary hill has always been dear to me > And this hedge, which prevents me from seeing most of > The endless horizon. > But when I sit and gaze, I imagine, in my thoughts > Endless spaces beyond the hedge, > An all encompassing silence and a deeply profound quiet, > To the point that my heart is almost overwhelmed. > And when I hear the wind rustling through the trees > I compare its voice to the infinite silence. > And eternity occurs to me, and all the ages past, > And the present time, and its sound. > Amidst this immensity my thought drowns: > And to flounder in this sea is sweet to me. > > Giacomo Leopardi > > >

Flower for the Day What's growing now? 7-13-26

Here are some flowers that are surviving if not flourishing in our ongoing heat. The frequent rain is helping. Here’s a surprise oriental lily. Another final lily.  Multiple black-eyed susan  Coreopsis  Cleome  Cone flower  and abundant elegant zinnias in many colors.  We are blessed. And here is a classic poem which asks what is beyond the bounds of what you can see. The Infinite This solitary hill has always been dear to me And this hedge, which prevents me from seeing most of The endless horizon. But when I sit and gaze, I imagine, in my thoughts Endless spaces beyond the hedge, An all encompassing silence and a deeply profound quiet, To the point that my heart is almost overwhelmed. And when I hear the wind rustling through the trees I compare its voice to the infinite silence. And eternity occurs to me, and all the ages past, And the present time, and its sound. Amidst this immensity my thought drowns: And to flounder in this sea is sweet to me. Giacomo Leopardi

Flower for the Day American Wood Sage

> > At the edge of the woods west of the meadow grows American wood sage (Teucrium canadense) in abundance. > Commonly known as American or Canada germander it is a perennial herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is a robust > native which grows in clumps with a fibrous root system, and upright squarish stems with opposite leaves. The terminal inflorescence has scentless flowers which bloom from the bottom of the raceme upward. > >  > > There are numerous pale lilac-pink lipped flowers with large shelf like lower lips. >  > > For those with a need to know the genus name is related to Teucus, the first King of Troy. Try that on your neighbor. > > > > Here is an unrelated poem by a friend. > > Wave Theory > > > Channel Lake, Illinois > > Without fail, through the dawn > > and the long summer days, > > a myriad of waves cross > > and re-cross Channel Lake. > > They fall apart, regroup, > > intersect and pay respect > > to superiors along the way. > > Together they capture and refract > > morning, noon, and night. > > Observing this complex dance, > > this perceived chaos, I ask > > what confluence of wave > > upon wave upon wave > > produced my family and me? > > Doug Twells

Flower for the Day American Wood Sage

At the edge of the woods west of the meadow grows American wood sage (Teucrium canadense) in abundance. Commonly known as American or Canada germander it is a perennial herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is a robust native which grows in clumps with a fibrous root system, and upright squarish stems with opposite leaves. The terminal inflorescence has scentless flowers which bloom from the bottom of the raceme upward.  There are numerous pale lilac-pink lipped flowers with large shelf like lower lips.  For those with a need to know the genus name is related to Teucus, the first King of Troy. Try that on your neighbor. Here is an unrelated poem by a friend. Wave Theory Channel Lake, Illinois Without fail, through the dawn and the long summer days, a myriad of waves cross and re-cross Channel Lake. They fall apart, regroup, intersect and pay respect to superiors along the way. Together they capture and refract morning, noon, and night. Observing this complex dance, this perceived chaos, I ask what confluence of wave upon wave upon wave produced my family and me? Doug Twells

Flower for the Day Last of the Oriental Lilies 7-1-26

Do you believe that half of the year is gone - in a blink - an Augenblick. Here are the last of the oriental lilies (Lilium). You may remember that in distinction to asiatic lilies, the orientals bloom later on tall sturdy stems featuring massive, heavily scented downward facing flowers. They are a feast for the eyes. These lilies survived the Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer) because of their geographic placement in the center of areas with multiple flowers surrounding it.      And here is tiger lily which is distinct from its day lily namesake (also known as a ditch lily). Jan started this process in the 1970’s and we have multiple stands of both.  The Tiger-Lily ….. O thou wast from life’s weltering ore Breathed by enchanting mind before Man was in his own shape. Far, far Thou seemest as the evening star! Yet movest me like that lone light Fetched through the ages of the night Into this breathing garden--close; Or like the things that no man knows In a child's eyes; or like, for one Watching a seaward--sinking sun, Beyond cold wastes of water pale The dim communion of a sail. Ah! though I know not what thou art, Yet in the fastness of my heart How shall I tell what lies unwrought Into the figured films of thought, Uncoloured yet by sharp or sweet, Or what forge of transforming heat Threatens this world of use and fact Wherewith the busy brain is packed? Thou art of me, O Flower of Flame, What is not uttered, has no name, The springing of a want unmated, A joy no fallen hour has dated. Some of my mystery thou holdest, Secretly, splendidly unfoldest. Robert Lawrence Binyon