Bay Shore NY
4-11-2023 7:12pm

April Showers Bring May Flowers

SKYLARK'S ARTICLE OF THE WEEK - APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS

Once April 1st comes around, it’s time to take out your rain boots and umbrellas and, of course, vases for your spring flowers. I just cut some forsythia today and put them in twin cobalt blue vases I found at a yard sale a few years ago. You can see these yellow bushes everywhere in early Spring. The age-old saying “April Showers Bring May Flowers” still holds true today. But just how did this fun saying originate? 

The poem as we know it today originated all the way back in 1157 in the form of a short poem written by Thomas Tusser. The poem can be found in the April section of a collection of his writings titled, “A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry.” 

While this poem is clearly a direct ancestor to the version we know today, let’s travel back in time a bit further to the end of the Fourteenth Century, where legendary poet Geoffrey Chaucer had his own say on the month of April in his famous collection of stories titled, “The Canterbury Tales.” 

Original:

“Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour.”

Translation:

“When in April the sweet showers fall
That pierce March’s drought to the root and all
And bathed every vein in liquor that has power
To generate therein and sire the flower.”

While Chaucer speaks of April in relation to March rather than April, it could certainly be said that while Thomas Tusser may be the father of this saying, Geoffrey Chaucer is certainly the grandfather.

I worked in my garden today for the first time this season. As I write this, the sky is a golden yellow and the air is mild. It was a good evening to begin clearing out the dead growth to make way for new. Some of my flowering plants have spread, and I've noticed some new things sprouting. The birds have been busy. They are great pollinators. Pollination carried out by birds is known as ornithophily. Nectar-eating birds, such as hummingbirds, honey-eaters, and sunbirds are crucial to the ornithophily process. As a bird feeds on nectar from a flower, pollen sticks to its beak as well as feathers around its head and back. This pollen is carried to the next flower it visits where it rubs off and pollination takes place. Mother nature knows how to do her thing.

Gardening is a wonderful way to reduce stress. To dig your hands in the earth is about as natural as it gets. Each year, I look forward to working the earth as I think about what I want to plant. I like to add to my garden each year. There's always room for more flowers. Flowering perennials are my favorite. They require little care, and they come back each year. Some things die through the harsh, cold winter, but most make it through. Over time, a garden can grow in size. You have to have good soil and the right sunlight, and you need to cut them back so the new growth can form. Make sure to read about what each flowering plant needs to ensure it will thrill you each season. Around Mother's Day is a great time to plant. By then, the frost is gone, and the weather is perfect for cultivating. 

Gardening is also a great workout. Bending and stretching are requirements of gardening. It's a full-body ordeal. Make sure you have the right tools: a shovel, a rake, clippers, gloves, and I always have a supply of Miracle Grow. A nice watering can make it easy to lightly water in between the raindrops that inevitably come in April. As we get ready for a new flowering season, make sure to take time each day to see how your garden is progressing. To me, it's like watching a child grow. They change each day. Spring is a beautiful time of year as we say goodbye to winter and anticipate a new season filled with wonder, newness, and hope. Buon Primavera! Happy Spring!

Peace and Love, 

Skylark

At 60 and Beyond, gardening is one of the healthiest pastimes. It stimulates our senses!

SKYLARK'S PICK OF THE WEEK - LANDCRAFT GARDEN FOUNDATION

Located in the heart of the North Fork’s wine region on Long Island’s East End, the Landcraft Gardens were established in 1992 by founders Dennis Schrader and Bill Smith when they purchased 17 acres of land surrounding an 1840’s-era farmhouse. Their initial goals were to create an exuberant garden of unusual or little-known plants, featuring them within a framework of innovative design while also providing an environment for trialing new and exotic plant material. They wanted it to be an American garden; to be a conglomeration of different styles and influences blending seamlessly to create a garden of unique interests. The garden would exemplify the synthesis of structure, color, distinctive plant material and composition.

Situated on a narrow spit of land, nestled between the Long Island Sound, Mattituck Creek and the Peconic Bay, the site itself provides an unusually long, moderate growing season – perfectly suited for the development of the Landcraft Gardens. Work on the gardens began immediately, with the first year being dedicated solely to land-clearing, soil remediation and the planting of cover crops.

The initial design consisted of many perennial and mixed borders accessed by numerous winding paths, and these borders are evaluated and reimagined on a yearly basis. Some of the borders and plantings blend gently into the surrounding meadows, providing a seamless transition into the natural landscape. Other planting beds are more traditional in their appearance, paying homage to classic perennial borders but often contain unconventional and rarely seen plants. There are a series of garden rooms hedged by hornbeam and boxwood that feature a variety of themed gardens. Expansive terraces surrounding the residence display hundreds of container plantings and are changed periodically throughout the seasons. The woodland shade garden – resplendent with early season ephemerals – also contains a diversity of shrubs, ferns and ground covers. Throughout the garden, low stone walls, benches and chairs provide opportunities to sit and experience the garden’s design and plant diversity. Surrounding the four acres of garden are almost 10 acres of natural but maintained meadows with mowed paths providing access to view native plants and abundant wildlife.

The Landcraft Gardens are a unique resource and living laboratory exhibiting extensive plant collections, celebrating the diversity of horticulture and design, and providing a place to explore human connection with the natural world.

For more information, visit www.landcraftgardenfoundation.org

SKYLARK'S INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockleshells
And pretty maids all in a row.

-Mother Goose

SKYLARK'S SONG OF THE WEEK - WILDFLOWER by SKYLARK

<!-- EMBEDDED YOUTUBE URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ8n_Esop5I -->

Lyrics

She's faced the hardest times you could imagine
And many times, her eyes fought back the tears
And when her youthful world was about to fall in
Each time her slender shoulders bore the weight of all her fears
And a sorrow no one hears
Still rings in midnight silence in her ears
Let her cry, for she's a lady (she's a lady)
Let her dream, for she's a child (child)
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower growing wild
And if by chance I should hold her (if by chance that I should hold her)
Let me hold her for a time (let me hold her for a time)
But if allowed just one possession
I would pick her from the garden to be mine (I would pick her from the garden to be mine)
Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm
Be careful how you touch her, for she'll awaken
And sleep's the only freedom that she knows
And when you walk into her eyes, you won't believe
The way she's always payin' for a debt she never owes
And a silent wind still blows
That only she can hear, and so she goes
Let her cry, for she's a lady
Let her dream, for she's a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower growing wild
Let her cry, for she's a lady (she's a lady)
Let her dream, for she's a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower growing wild
She's a flower growing wild
She's free!


Con Amore e Gratitudine. With Love and Gratitude

Hello and welcome to my weekly newsletter, Skylark Live Town News, representing Bay Shore and towns beyond. My articles are about human interest, nature, general observations, inspiration, music, and places I've been. There is also a calendar of upcoming events. Please consider becoming a subscriber. There are several levels, and it’s easy to do. Just open the newsletter and the subscribe button is there. As a subscriber, you will receive a copy of my newsletter each Wednesday morning in your email. You can also advertise your business or event here as well. You can do it yourself or email me to discuss this at christineskylark@aol.com. You can also PM me. Please follow me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn under my brand, Skylark Live.

I also have an inspirational vlog, 60 and Beyond with Skylark, on the first Monday-of-the-month on my YouTube Channel, Skylark Live. This is designed to inspire people 60 and beyond to continue to thrive through knowledge and self-awareness. Please take a moment to subscribe and click the bell to get notified when I upload a new video.

Thank you for your love and support. Molto Gracie!
1
I'm interested
I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive