flowers – Starlight Writer

Watchful and Thankful

October 15, 2016 Diana B.1 Comment

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

-Colossians 4:2

On this beautiful October day, I am thanking God for all the evidence of His glory that surrounds us in nature and for the many gifts He’s given this past week.

I am thankful for a quiet hike through the woods.

I am thankful for the leaves above glowing all golden in the warm sunshine.

I am thankful for the leaves below that softly crunch as our boots shuffle through them.

I am thankful for the cute pair of just-the-right-size rain boots a dear friend gave to my youngest.

I am thankful for the cheerful Black-Eyed Susans still in bloom.

I am thankful for the fallen tree that makes a good resting spot.

I am thankful for the little collection of leaves my oldest carefully gathers up to treasure.

I am thankful for the lemon-verbena that smells oh-so delightful.

I am thankful for the dazzling dahlias in bloom.

Oh, the dahlias make me smile big!

I am thankful for bright orange pumpkins and bright-eyed girls with big smiles, too.

I am thankful for our annual family outing to the apple orchard.

I am thankful for the girls’ favorite wagon, Lacie, and all the memories it holds.

I am thankful for the delicious harvest of apples to fill our pies and dumplings.

I am thankful for the pumpkin patch nearby and determined pursuers of perfect pumpkins.

I am thankful for God’s amazing creation and how it points to His goodness and glory.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

Also Bloomin’ in My Yard

May 16, 2016 Diana B.Leave a comment

Besides the lovely blooming lilac, a Mother’s Day gift of that we planted outside my kitchen window, our yard boasts several other blooming beauties this week.

These tiny blue lobelias make me think of Mama because she adored this shade of blue and also greatly appreciated any hanging basket cascading with flowers.

Elsewhere in our yard, this sweet bleeding heart continues bloom.

And the rhododendron bush is suddenly blooming, too!

Coming soon are the peonies — another favorite scent. This year I am particularly looking forward to the peonies because last fall a friend split hers and gave me half a dozen new ones to grow in our front flower beds. I can hardly wait to smell them!

I Give You My Sprig of Lilac

May 10, 2016 Diana B.2 Comments

In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-wash’d palings,

Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,

With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love,

With every leaf a miracle—and from this bush in the dooryard,

With delicate-color’d blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,

A sprig with its flower I break.

…I give you my sprig of lilac.

from the poem “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” by Walt Whitman

A dear friend gave me this gorgeous bouquet of lilac sprigs this weekend. Oh, what a heaven-sent heavenly scent! Lilacs always remind me of my mama, who has been in heaven for 23 years now. And the bouquet reminded me how much I’ve missed having a common lilac bush the last three years since we moved into this house. And so, because it was Mother’s Day, we headed off to the farm supply store and found a lovely, blooming lilac bush all ready to plant.

Into the ground it went, just outside the kitchen window where I can see it and remember to set my mind on things above, not on earthly things, as I wash the dirty dishes.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” -Colossians 3:1-4 NIV

Thank You, God, for the lovely lilacs, for my dear friend who knew I needed them on Mother’s Day, and for the hope of heaven. Help me set my heart and mind on things above.

Beauty to Behold

May 1, 2016 Diana B.1 Comment

“I do believe that deeply rooted in every human heart is a longing for beauty. Why do we go to the Grand Canyon, the Boundary Waters, art exhibits, gardens? Why do we plant trees and flower beds? …Is it not because we long to behold and be a part of beauty? We crave to be moved by some rare glimpse of greatness. We yearn for a vision of glory.” -John Piper

Looking for beauty to behold, we made another trip to the arboretum last week. The big sister came along this time and had a turn capturing the gardens with the camera.

It was the tulips’ turn to shine.

This orange one was simply radiant in the spring sunshine.

Tulips long have been a favorite of mine because my mom grew a few of them along the front porch of the house where I grew up.

Also in bloom were the delicate bleeding hearts. These are another one of my favorites because they remind me of a garden my aunt once had.

And, speaking of memories, the delightful redbud trees reminded me of the tree my brother and I climbed frequently with the neighbor boys. When playing cops and robbers on our bikes, we pretended the redbud tree was the bank and every leaf was a dollar bill!

The captivating crabapples are almost blooming, and I’m looking forward to smelling the lilacs soon, too. Isn’t spring like a little glimpse of heaven?

“We should live every day of our life promoting the glory of God.” -John Calvin

Rhodies

April 25, 2016 Diana B.Leave a comment

Behold the purple rhododendron!

Sorry, we have no flower poems today. And yes, I really want to call these azaleas because azalea just sounds so much more lovely and floral-like. But according to the botany folks on Wikipedia, azaleas have only five anthers per flower, and these clearly have too many.

On this trip, my 10-year-old daughter discovered the joy of seeing the Arboretum close up through the lens of a digital SLR camera. Magical! She didn’t even have to share the camera because her sister was busy elsewhere. It was so fun to hear her say, “Oh, Mommy! I have to get a picture of these!”

Unfortunately, the pictures she took are still on that camera, waiting to be downloaded. Such is the problem with juggling two cameras. Someday, I’ll try to share them with you. But for now, here’s one more of my rhodie shots.

Daffodowndilly

April 24, 2016 Diana B.2 Comments

“Daffodowndilly” by A.A. Milne

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;

She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.

She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbor:
“Winter is dead.”

Let Heaven and Nature Sing!

December 23, 2015 Diana B.1 Comment

Joy to the world! The Lord has come

Let earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing!

Joy to you this Christmas!

Nature sang in 2015 as God blessed us with many memorable outdoor adventures like snowshoeing,

snow skiing,

ice skating,

boating,

swimming,

and hiking.

We delighted in God’s amazing creation while watching Trumpeter swans on the Mississippi River,

spotting dolphins in the wild in the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston,

feeding wood ducks in the backyard,

gazing at the gorgeous lilacs

and the dazzling dahlias at the Arboretum,

being wowed by a pair of red foxes up on the Gunflint Trail near the Boundary Waters,

and admiring some of the 18 baby snapping turtles that hatched in our front yard flower bed.

We tried to subdue some of God’s creatures during our too-close-for-comfort encounters with a snoozing nighthawk,

bandit raccoons,

a sleepy bat, an angry squirrel, a peeping goldfinch,

a topsy-turvey mama snapping turtle, a strong-minded chipmunk and a brave back-to-school mouse that trapped itself inside our basement wall! Eeeek!

We also marveled at God’s wondrous creativity while gazing at the brilliant autumn colors,

picking juicy apples,

and plump pumpkins,

and most recently, while picking a lovely-smelling balsam fir tree to decorate for Christmas.

Romans 1:20 says,“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Nature clearly points to its wise and powerful Creator. And that lighted Christmas tree in my living room, it points heavenward, toward the Light of the World.

It points to Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

May we all join heaven and nature in singing our praises to Him this Christmas and throughout 2016!

Merry Christmas!

Behold the Peony

June 8, 2015 Diana B.Leave a comment

“The fattest and most scrumptious of all flowers, a rare fusion of fluff and majesty, the peony is now coming into bloom.” –Henry Mitchell, American writer (1923-93)

I consider it no small grace that, in His wisdom, God ordained only a few days between the lovely lilacs losing their luster and the puffy pink peonies popping open and pouring out their powerful perfume. Glory!

Embracing the Lilacs

May 25, 2015 Diana B.1 Comment

It’s a family tradition to visit the arboretum’s lilac exhibit every spring, just to embrace the beautiful blooms and their lovely fragrance.

This year, great-grandma comes along, too.

She and my oldest daughter compare the various lilac blooms.

My youngest loves the white lilac blooms best.

Of course, the lilacs aren’t the only blooms at the arb. The tulips look incredible.

And the magical crabapples are dripping with blossoms.

The cheerful daffodils dance on the breezy hillside.

And a few magnolia blossoms still linger for our delight.

I’ll close with a throwback of me embracing my mama’s lovely lilacs a long time ago.

Now please close your computer or set down your device and go outside! Find something alive and blooming and beautiful to smell!

Just Remember in the Winter

January 28, 2015 Diana B.1 Comment

“Just remember in the winter, far beneath the winter snows, lies the seed that with the sun’s love in the spring becomes the rose.” -Amanda McBroom

“Won’t you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you.” ― Richard Brinsley Sheridan

“However many years she lived, Mary always felt that she should never forget that first morning when her garden began to grow’.” ― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” – Abraham Lincoln

“And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.” ― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

I’m just taking a moment to rejoice over the roses of last summer. I never got around to posting the pictures when the flowers were in bloom. But oh, seeing these now, I can almost smell the roses.

And my dear peonies!

It almost feels like a stroll through the garden.

Thanks for visiting!

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