“But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen.” ~ Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
Daffodil, Fortissimo
Good morning, sweet friends. Are you longing for spring? I so love to see spring dressed in her finest. She has such a stunning array of colors in her wardrobe. And, everything she wears is simply beautiful.
“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” ~ Ruth Stout
I am so happy to see you this morning. Please join me in Le Jardin, the blooms are eager to meet you. Once you meet them you will understand my ‘longing for spring.’ Although, one certainly does not have to be passionate about the garden to long for the beauty of spring. But, perhaps, the blooms will inspire you to create a garden, plant something you have not grown, or visit a public garden.
Even though many of you have possibly seen several of these photos in the past, maybe there are some you haven’t. Either way, I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do each spring. So, pour yourself a large coffee/tea and I will begin the introductions. Oh, if you are hearing a little chuckle, it is the blooms. They are so happy you are visiting. “A flower that blooms speaks to us of many things: beauty, hope, mystery, and miracles, but most of all, of LOVE.” ~ unknown
Just in case you didn’t already know, I have a deep love for peonies. I have adored them since I was a little girl. There are around sixty-two different varieties of these beauties tucked in our garden. Each and every one makes my heart pound.
Unknown Tree Peony gifted to me by my friend, Cathy. I named her ~ Princess Cathy.
Peony, Gardenia
Peony, Courage and a stem of Baptisia. Notice the speckles on her petals. My mom said, “God gave her special attention.”
Japanese Tree Peony, Suffruticosa~ Double Violet
Peony, Red Charm
Peony, Coral Sunset
Peony, Sunny Girl (butter yellow)
Sunny Girl in the vase.
Peonies, Sunny Girl (yellow), Paramount (pink), Coral Charm(darker pink) and Col. Owen Cousin (white), all waiting for a vase.
A treasure to me, my grandmother’s peony. I believe her to be Chestine Gowdy.
Peony, Chiffon Clouds
Peony, The Fawn
“I yearn for flowers that bend with the wind and rain.” ~ Tso Ssu
“Can we conceive what humanity would be if it did not know the flowers?” ~ Maurice Maeterlinck
Perhaps you are now on peony overload. So, we will move on to other blooms longing to meet you, the ‘Iris girls.’
Iris, Ruby Morning
Iris, Stairway to Heaven
Iris, Silverado, with a shaded unknown purple in the background.
Iris, Beverly Sills
Iris, Laced Cotton (white) and Violet. I love them together.
Iris, Pandora. Pandora and I share Mississippi roots. She is a true Crayola yellow.“Flowers really do intoxicate me.” ~ Vita Sackville-West
Cobalt Dreams Delphinium and Queen Elizabeth Rose.
Unlike Sackville-West, I couldn’t say “flowers intoxicate me.” However, some have made me giddy as a young school-girl. They bring me so much joy. And, as you will see, there are many beauties other than peonies which speak loudly to me.
Clematis, Rooguchi – her bell-shaped blooms are delightful.
Antique, red rose. She only has one showing a year, but it is magnificent and fragrant.
A close-up of the Antique rose.
Lilacs could come close to intoxicating someone with their lovely fragrance. I am so longing to see their blooms and smell their fragrance.
Lilac, Ludwig Spathe, raised by me from a tiny slip.
Lilac, Mme. Lemoine, also raised from a tiny slip. This is a beauty and a double, it was identified by a friend in Va.
“Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels…” ~ Lydia M. Child
Iris, Edith Wolford
Sweet friends, I feel you must now understand why I named our home “Maison de Jardin” (The Garden House) and you can see why I am longing for spring.
I hope you have enjoyed meeting the blooms. In addition to the blooming plants I have shared, the garden is supported by five different varieties of boxwood and summer bloomers, such as hydrangeas, lilies, and many annuals. It is amazing what can be tucked into a small garden. Should you have any questions regarding any of the plants, don’t hesitate to contact me. Many of these plants have been with me since the mid-1970’s and moved with us when we returned to West Virginia from coastal Virginia. Therefore, I know them well and would be happy to answer any and all questions.
Statuary in our garden. Photo merged by Andy Walker (see note at the end of this post).
The angels are blowing you kisses goodbye and Wishing you a beautiful day.
And…
As you go about your days,
Do listen carefully so you may hear,
The Laughter of The Flowering Spring.
Amour,
Sandra
“The earth has music for those who listen.” ~ William Shakespeare
Notes: All photos, Michael S. Lambiotte
A few years ago (before my blog) I wrote a home and garden column for an online newspaper, The Clarksburg Post.
Andy Walker was the owner and editor, he would do lovely and unusual things with our photos.
I am so in love with this post — I can practically smell the sweet fragrance of your garden. It must be a heady experience to be out there in full bloom time. I didn’t realize there were so many peonies. I love their fragrance. And the Iris always remind me of my aunt Iris. Lilacs are the only ones in my garden (I have one iris but last year it didn’t pop). Actually, the lilacs are on the property line and belong to my neighbor, which is probably good as I tend to kill things. But oh, how I love them. Please tell Michael every photo is a gem, a photo book in itself. I love your jardin sign and fence. Big love!
Many thanks, Jeanie. Yes, there are many varieties of peonies. I left over 200 of them in my garden in Virginia. I don’t have room for that many here and that is probably a good thing as I mature in age. ?I will try and show different ones as they explode this season. I love lilacs too and made sure there were a few in this garden as it was too hot for them in VA. They are a treasure for sure. I will tell Mike your compliments about his photos. That is one skill that is definitely not mine.
Happy day and week to you, Jeanie. And, know how much I appreciate you and your visits.
You have so many beautiful flowers in your garden!
Thanks, Penny. I love each and every one of them. Have a good day!
Dearest Sandra, it is pouring rain (3rd day in a row) and your stunning garden post has brought a sense of beauty to this gray and possibly stormy day. Your garden is beyond words with all the varieties of peonies. How could I possibly choose a favorite, but if forced to I would have to choose Chestine Gowdy, your grandmother’s peony…each one is equally breathtaking! The iris girls are beyond gorgeous. I am so hopeful that my “stairway to heaven” that you gifted me will bloom this year…what a beauty she is! Not to be outdone, Beverly Sills is singing in her beautiful voice in your garden! Clematis, roses, and delphiniums add their magic, but to smell the intoxicating lilac would be a bonus. We can’t grow lilacs here, but how I wish we could. Sandra, your garden is exquisite and thank you for sharing her beauty. You are a blessing dear friend, and spring will arrive in all of her glory!
Dear Pam, thank you so much for your kind and lovely words. My grandmother’s peony is a lovely and delicate peony and oh, my goodness she is fragrant. Many of the older varieties of peonies are the most fragrant. I do hope your iris blooms this year. If it does not, let me know and I will send you another start. The only thing that should keep it from blooming would be if it was not getting enough sun – they love full sun. But your garden looks as though it gets plenty of sun. Often it will take them 2 years to bloom, but I have never had one take longer – so do let me know.
I am wishing you sunny skies very soon – rain can become so dreary after a while. We have had quite a bit this year also. Wishing you a wonderful day. Know how much I treasure your friendship, sweet friend. ❤
Be still my heart!! What a joy it has been to stroll through your garden and beautiful arrangements from your garden this morning. Your blooms are gorgeous! I will be sharing with my daughter and a dear friend who loves flowers as we do.
You are such a gifted writer and your quotes and panache with the scrolls and font embellishments make your blog very elegant. Your husband’s photos are lovely. I hope you have done a coffee table photo book of these gorgeous photos. I also hope you have a spring garden tour for neighbors and friends.
Thank you for such beauty on a dreary rainy day!
I want to pin each photo.
Dear Bonnie, your very kind words truly touch my heart. They are appreciated more than you can imagine.
Mike is good with a camera, a skill that I certainly do not have. And, I also appreciate your thoughts of a book, but I believe I am far from such an endeavor.
When I was garden club president, we did an annual spring garden tour of local gardens. Our garden was one of them. It was fun and work, but it was wonderful to meet and talk with like-minded souls. I do have friends that enjoy visiting our garden, especially when the peonies are in bloom.
Bonnie, I put this post together when it was pouring rain, so I do understand that blooms can brighten a day. Once again, thank you for your lovely comments. Have a lovely day, my friend.❤
Dear Dolores, I am so pleased you enjoyed the post. There are so many different varieties of peonies, it is amazing. I do love spring and the photos in this post were from previous years. Our garden is just beginning to come to life with a few daffodils in bloom. We have had so much rain. The spring show really begins in late March to April.
I know your area must be beautiful in the Spring and with your cold temperatures the peonies are probably happy there.
Delores, I thank you so much for your visit and your lovely words. It is always such a treat to hear from you. Wishing you a lovely day and week, dear friend.❤
dear friend, your post is really great !!! I had never seen so many different peonies and each one of them was more beautiful. Everything you show us in a beautiful, beautiful way … I love it …
Spring has arrived before you and she looks proud with her best costumes and colors. I congratulate you…
In these lands of mine, spring has not yet arrived. I live in a city of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, about 20 km from the capital of Madrid. This town is big and the weather is good but it is very close to the Sierra de Guadarrama and that is why it is cold and still does not think about spring. The month of March does not have good weather, sometimes it snows.
But for that we have our friend Sandra who gives us a beginning of spring that is a true wonder.
All my affection
Dolores
dear friend, your post is really great !!! I had never seen so many different peonies and each one of them was more beautiful. Everything you show us in a beautiful, beautiful way … I love it …
Spring has arrived before you and she looks proud with her best costumes and colors. I congratulate you…
In these lands of mine, spring has not yet arrived. I live in a city of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, about 20 km from the capital of Madrid. This town is big and the weather is good but it is very close to the Sierra de Guadarrama and that is why it is cold and still does not think about spring. The month of March does not have good weather, sometimes it snows.
But for that we have our friend Sandra who gives us a beginning of spring that is a true wonder.
All my affection
I’m looking forward to your garden also…stunning photos and so many varieties…nature at her very best. I almost could smell the peonies, and the lilacs. Thanks, again! Sandi
Many thanks for your visit, Sandi. I am happy you enjoyed the blooms – they are so much to look forward to each year. Happy March to you!
So, so beautiful, Sandra. The coral sunset peony and ALL of the irises (but especially the Stairway to Heaven) are my favorites. Now THIS could make me pine for my garden. Mother’s Day was always one of the most spectacular times in mine, and I cannot wait to see what grew of transplants in my daughter’s garden. Thank you for the post.
Many thanks, Rita. May is a lovely time in our garden also. Visiting your daughter’s garden will make you happy to visit your old friends. I’ve been thinking of you and was wondering about Mr. P. Hope all went well with his procedure. Keep us posted. Have a good weekend – snow is on the way.
Sandra, what a stunning assortment of gorgeous blooms! Your collection of peonies is both beautiful and impressive. I need for you to come to my house and help me with my garden. You have quite the green thumb. I’m so sorry I’m so late commenting. It has been a hectic week. I always enjoy my visits to your lovely blog. Have a wonderful and blessed week, sweet friend!!!
Dear Shannon, I am happy to see you whenever you can visit. Life can seem to be in charge and sometimes too often. I do love the garden, but I think I remember you have a lovely garden as well. Seems I remember you have a good bit of shade, something I do not have. Wishing you a lovely week as well, spring is almost with us.