Bittersweet Bloom

One of the things I love about life here at Grassybranch is that we have all four seasons.

The winters here are, for the most part, pretty mild. We might have one small snow; just enough for us to take the dogs out and play. What I like about winter is seeing the "bones" of the trees, and the clean, cold air. I welcome the end of winter, though. We get a couple of pleasantly warm days that give us a taste of the season that's just around the corner.

Spring is just beautiful here. the trees all have a sheen of pale green, the grass starts growing, and I take to the greenhouse to start my summer veggie crops. I particularly enjoy that part of springtime where we can open the windows for fresh air before the the pollen blankets everything. The temps are warm with low humidity, and the daffodils celebrate the season with blooms everywhere!

Summer arrives and brings with it, lots of heat! Luckily, the humidity doesn't get uncomfortable until August. The veggie garden is full of plants promising to fill the pantry and freezer. The flowers are all starting to bloom; butterflies and bees are everywhere and we start watching the wild blackberry bushes for the perfect day to harvest. Summer is also the season where the daylily garden is in full bloom; seeing the garden is like watching fireworks in the night sky ~ each bloom is prettier than the last until everything is blooming at once, offering a dazzling array of color.

Fall is the most restful of all the seasons. It's much cooler, and the humidity eases. The leaves begin to change their colors, transforming the entire area into a picture perfect palette of reds, golds, oranges, and purples. Although I enjoy this season, it carries with it a sadness. I must bid farewell to all the beautiful flowers that have decorated our home for the summer.

This past week I witnessed the final bloom of the season on one of my daylillies. It's my favorite; a vibrant red that was named for my grandmother, Anne Bridwell. When she saw it, didn't really care for the color. She preferred pale pink and dusty rose to bold colors like orange and red. But I think the flower is perfect. Even though the color is bold, this daylily has the sweetest, most gentle fragrance ~ I honestly believe that this is why the flower was named for her. My grandmother was a vibrant woman; she was independent into her 90's. She drove her own car, paid her own bills, cleaned her own home, cooked for and entertained friends and family. She had a wonderful sense of humor, a quick wit and warm spirit. I miss her still; particularly her scent...sweet and gentle...kind of like her daylily.