Not much has been happening in the Glover Gardens blog, because so much is happening at Glover Gardens. Spring keeps us busy! Not one to shuck a heavy load, Spring is busy, herself. Look at what she’s done with the jasmine. Our whole yard smells heavenly.
You can almost smell it in the picture!Our gate is covered with flowers from a couple of enthusiastic jasmine bushes far to its right
I did a little research on the smell of jasmine and it turns out that Glover Gardens is an aromatherapy district! The Telegraph, a venerable UK publication, said in a 2010 article,
The sweet smell of jasmine is as good as valium at calming the nerves with none of the side effects, according to new research.
These pages have been silent for a short while; so much has been going on at Glover Gardens that there hasn’t been time to stop and chat with you. I miss that! Once I get a handle on things, I’ll be back.
But I don’t want to miss the chance to wish you a Happy Easter. It was a vivid, verdant and temperate spring day here in Southeast Texas. After church, we were surrounded by family, enjoying a meal together here at Glover Gardens, reminiscing, missing our loved ones who were at this table at Easters past, and still, making plans and looking to the future. Easter is like that, with its theme of rebirth, second chances, faith in things you can’t see. Whatever your beliefs, I wish you the peace that comes from living in accordance with them.
For your visual Easter basket, here’s a photo of a Glover Gardens rose that the Grill-Meister texted to me while I was at work the other day. (I love it when he does that.)
Again, Happy Easter. I hope your spring of 2018 is wonderful.
When I travel, the Grill-Meister keeps me posted on happenings at home. I love it when he sends flower photos – they make me feel so connected to Glover Gardens. This week was no exception. I was in Washington, where it was cold and rainy all week (although I was almost never outside because I was attending a conference), and these pics with the Grill-Meister’s cheery messages provided all the sunshine I needed.
“….So is Mahogany Splendor aka Hollywood Video….” (The Grill-Meister gives nicknames to many things, and calls this unusual hibiscus with the red foliage and velvety maroon flowers Hollywood Video.)
“And Yuletide Camellia sez ‘Don’t Forget About Me!'” (This winter beauty is blooming early this year.)
I love how the Grill-Meister’s shadow is in the photo above, and how he keeps me grounded in the flora of Glover Gardens when I’m away.
Going straight from vacation at Little House in the Rockies to work in Europe (I’m not complaining!), I was a little worried about the patio-side plants at Glover Gardens.
The Grill-Meister got home late last night from the post-vacation flight as my flight to Europe was about halfway there. My nagging met him before he landed: “Plants OK?”
A dutiful husband, he not only reassured me, but also sent a picture. The message?
Mother Nature watered your plants for me. Look at all that blue….plumbago looking awesome!”
A couple of days ago, I shared a lovely hibiscus haiku written by my cousin’s wife in the wake of my Dad’s death, which accompanied a hibiscus. We named it “Frank-biscus” to honor him.
We have an abundance of hibiscus at Glover Gardens, and I used some of them in the post instead of highlighting Frank-biscus, which hadn’t yet bloomed after being re-potted.
A red Texas Star Hibiscus
Hawaiian Hibiscus (I think)
A white Texas Star Hibiscus
Yesterday, as Hurricane Harvey was sending advance rainstorms to herald his impending arrival, Frank-biscus opened up a beautiful, bright pink blossom!
To me, this was a reminder from God – during all of the fearsome ravaging brought by the hurricane – that nature is also beauty.
Here’s the haiku again, now properly paired with Frank-biscus.
your much-beloved dad
like this hibiscus flower
blossomed love and life
Family gathers ’round when a loved one dies, sharing memories and telling stories, all a reminder both of the value of the life of the lost one and the interconnectedness of those who remain. We experienced this at Glover Gardens recently when my Dad died, rejoicing in the togetherness of family and friends even while we mourned together. In addition to their continual prayers and love, my cousin’s wife brought a gift to our informal celebration of Dad’s life, a live and blooming hibiscus, with a heartfelt haiku.
your much-beloved dad
like this hibiscus flower
blossomed love and life
Lucy, my Aunt-Mom and Dad’s widow, took this beautiful picture
I’ve posted before about how we lovelove loveboth hibiscus and haiku here at Glover Gardens; this gift was as appropriate and welcome as a hug to smooth a hardship – and so life-affirming! A quick little poem, at the second grade level (I couldn’t resist):
I have a wonderful cousin who has a wonderful wife. She wrote a hibiscus haiku to celebrate Dad’s life.
A white Texas Star hibiscus, blooming for the first time on Dad’s death day
I love hibiscus! And hibiscus seem to love Glover Gardens. Here are a few of my favorite Glover Gardens hibiscus pics, a late-summer garden digital postcard.
I love the bright yellow
A white Texas Star Hibiscus
A red Texas Star Hibiscus
Mahogany Splendor Hibiscus; it’s relatively rare and hard to find
Another Mahogany Splendor
Hawaiian Hibiscus (I think)
A beautiful pink double-bloomer
Tall and leggy Lord Baltimores; that’s Godfrey on the left
A Lord Baltimore, close up
Lord Baltimore Hibiscus, blooms as big as dinner plates
I don’t know the name of this beauty
The red bud to the left is the newest hibiscus, with an interesting shaped-bloom (pics to come)
See the bee?Another white Texas Star, which bloomed for the first time on Dad’s death day
A rose peeking through the hibiscus bush
A double bloom, in the midst of opening
Copyright 2017, Glover Gardens Cookbook (feel free to share with attribution and links)
Happy Sunday from Glover Gardens! This brilliant red rose is too pretty not to share, standing out amidst its neighbors of purple heart and plumbago. The name of the rose variety is Don Juan, and I guess it does look a little seductive. I can’t decide whether to cut it and enjoy its beauty and fragrance inside the house, or to leave it where it is as a star in the landscape.
The Grill-Meister and I have spent an enjoyable few days with friends in the Temecula Valley, which sports over 50 wineries. There is much to share from this “Wine for No Reason” outing, but this post is just a few photos emphasizing the special relationship between wine and roses.
Many of the vineyards feature healthy, mature, blossom-covered rose bushes, some scattered across the property, and some smack-dab at the ends of the rows of vines. The “why” behind this, we learned, is that roses and grape vines are susceptible to the same types of fungal diseases. The roses function as an early warning system for the vines when they display signs of illness, sort of like the canary in the coal mine. They also attract beneficial insects that attack bugs that prey on vines.
Finally, they’re just beautiful, providing a riot of color amongst the greenery that is both vine and grape.
Yours truly admiring the riot of color at Hart Winery
