We had the hottest and driest April on record this spring, and the first half of May was just as warm, producing only a few passing showers. This sort of weather is absolutely wonderful… unless you are a gardener! Still, the garden has soldiered on and produced glorious flowers once again. Here are the Moon Daisies in our meadow…
And a view from the top of the rockery shows how my Man of Many Talents has mowed even fewer of them away this spring 🙂
From the bottom of the rockery I can still look across the top of the giant Miscanthus and see the early deep reddish pink peony. Today the first white ones opened too. And the ferns in the foreground have taken off since we got more rain.
Recently my thoughts have often returned to this ‘prayer’ I found some years ago in ‘The Gardener’s Year’ by Karel Čapek. His wit is sometimes charming, but occasionally beyond me! However this prayer says it all perfectly, so I shall share!
“If it were of any use, every day the gardener would fall on his knees and pray somehow like this:
‘O Lord, grant that in some way it may rain every day, say from about midnight until three o’clock in the morning, but, you see, it must be gentle and warm so that it can soak in; grant that at the same time it would not rain on campion, alyssum, helianthemum, lavender, and others which you in your infinite wisdom know are drought-loving plants – I will write their names on a bit of paper if you like – and grant that the sun may shine the whole day long, but not everywhere (not, for instance, on spiraea, or on gentian, plaintain lily, and rhododendron), and not too much; that there may be plenty of dew and little wind, enough worms, no plant-lice and snails, no mildew, and that once a week thin liquid manure and guano may fall from heaven. Amen.’ ”
😀
Now is definitely a good gardener’s prayer. Thanks for sharing and happy weekend to you, Cathy!
Thanjs Eliza. It’s another holiday today, so the weekend is a nice long one. 🙂 Have a good week!
Thank you!
Such wise words Cathy! Still smiling…I think I have a copy of The Gardener’s Year somewhere. Must look for it. Enjoyed seeing your meadow with the Moon Daisies. Such a happy moment in a garden.
The Moon Daisies are better than ever this year. They clearly like all the sunshine we have had!
I like that prayer, Cathy, but would be grateful for any rain I could get. Your meadow looks wonderful.
🙂 Thanks Jane. Hope you get some rain soon.
A great prayer. If only…
😉 We can dream!
We have also had a horrible spring. Those few blooms should give you hope. Hope for the answer to your prayers. Have a great weekend.
Thanks Lisa!
I love that gardener’s prayer. I read the book by Capek, but I don’t remember the prayer.
I think I actually bought that book just to look for the ‘prayer’, which I had seen online somewhere. 🙂
Cathy wonderful prayer of Karel Capek: just what we want the gardeners said charmingly. Your meadow full of Margaritas de la Luna is divine. The ferns are beautiful. The giant Miscanthus I like a lot. The reddish pink peony I love. Your rockery looks divine. Happy weekend. Greetings from Margarita.
Yes, these white flowers are your flower Margarita! Thanks, and have a good week!
Oh my goodness! Such beauty there. I hope you will get some needed rain, but only overnight and only enough to nurture the plants without flooding–no plant lice, no snails, no mildew. 😉
🙂 As soon as it rains the slugs and snails return… I am amazed at the number after such a dry period!
Your garden is just looking lovely. Such natural beauty. I love the prayer!
Thanks Ali!
Beautiful, both your garden and the prayer!
Thank you Anca!
Amen to that Cathy! Your garden is looking most colourful and lush despite the lack of the wet stuff. We have been having a dry spell too this month and I’ve already been out with the watering can this morning to give some a drink to some new arrivals.
I have refrained from doing any planting this spring so far as the watering would just get on top of me! Hope your new plants settle in Anna, with some gentle rain overnight perhaps!
Our spring has been the coldest and wettest in most peoples memory. We had more rain and hail near by not not in the garden, thank goodness.
And we are getting summer thunder storms in May! Crazy weather!
I’ve never known a spring like it!
The Moon Daisy Meadow looks amazing! And I’m adding The Gardener’s prayer into rotation 🙂 Cheers, Ben
🙂 Thanks Ben!
I get all these stipulations. It has rained too much here. My garden and all my shoes and gloves are muddy messes.
Oh no. Too much of any weather is bad for the gardener as well as the garden! Hope you get a dry spell soon!
That guy needs to be happier with what he gets, or find a more predictable hobby.
😉 He was an artist I suppose, and had that Eastern European melancholy that some find endearing!
Wow absolutely amazing! I’ve never seen Daisys growing that thick before. Your yard is beautiful.
Thanks Karen! We let different bits of the meadow grow each year now and the moon daisies seem to enjoy being given freedom to flower every so often! 🙂