And summer's lease hath all too short a date
This quotation from one of Shakespeare's Sonnets kept flashing through my mind, as I toiled to bring the country garden up to scratch for the Open Garden Weekend. The Spring display has been so beautiful this year. The Magnolias and the Camellias have never flaunted their grace so proudly and the daffodils have been very busy, unseen by my prying eyes, in the warm, deep earth and have increased their colonies by many golden beacons. The delicate new leaves are coming to the bare branches that give the Winter trees their own special beauty, with the charm of all new things in the world of nature.
Well, William Shakespeare, we have had the "rough winds", a few strong gales in fact, and the trees that are now maturing, have withstood the shaking and the trembling of the fickle winds of May [September]. The flower buds were attacked by the native birds, particularly the Magnolias, but, the "Maggies" were so prolific in their blooming that I just picked these damaged buds off and enjoyed the perfection of their pristine sisters.
"Summer's lease had all too short a date". This is made so true for Kees and myself because of our peculiar circumstances. Under normal routine, we only spend three days of the week in our country Spring garden. Many times I find myself thinking, "That doesn't stay in bloom for very long" and then I remember that I am only standing in awe for half its prime time! It is just as well that I love all four seasons in the garden, believing that every month gives me its own special "gold medal" appearance.
Australia is involved in the greatest sporting show on Earth, the Olympic Games. The athletes have been priming their skills for years and in the last weeks they have been involved with peaking their talents. I cannot help feeling that Kees and I are going through the same process. Our gardens represent years of love and work and, in the last weeks, we too, have been weeding, cleaning, urging and 'peaking" our garden beds, plants and paths. I wonder if the general public will think we deserve a gold medal? I will be happy for a silver or bronze or nothing, just as long as they experience peace and delight as they walk our garden paths.
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