Ted Hughes - The Swift's Return
Behind elms.
They’ve made it again,
Which means the globe’s still working, the Creation’s
Still waking refreshed, our summer’s
Still all to come —
And here they are, here they are again
Erupting across yard stones
Shrapnel-scatter terror. Frog-gapers,
Speedway goggles, international mobsters
Found this one verse in The Times yesterday in Nature Notebook by Miriam Darlington and came across the idea of eco-churches, in other words turning those grave yards into places of wild flowers and not cutting the grass. Paul said the other day, that the unnatural vegetative growth of grass found on the verges of our lanes and roads, is not only caused by the nitrogen sprayed on the fields but also by diesel fuels as well.
When we feel down and blue it is best to look outward at the blossoming world around us, not that I feel down, just walked round the garden photographing the rain drops on the plants. Capturing the plum harvest, and the beans doing their Giant Beanstalk for Jack to climb up;) The doves followed me around plaintively calling for their seed but it is too early, I still have my own breakfast to eat.
I bought an iris from Jill the other day, and it made me think of the 'fleur de lis' motif. Symbol I suppose of the Norman invasion in this country, Catholic and French. But which iris would it have been? Well it is the communal flag iris that you find in your pond, the extravagant coloured plants we have today are but hybrids. I love the yellow iris, rising from a garden pond ready for the damsel fly and dragonfly to climb up it, shed its pupae skin and emerge into the light a radiant colourful insect perfectly formed.
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| Photo: Myrabella https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19482170 |
You can read all the long history on the Wiki, but if you are ever in an Abbey, look down on the floor and see if there are any encaustic medieval tiles with the fleur de lis and see those three petals representing so much, whether religious or part of a statement.....
Grigson mentions it as well, also that a black dye and ink can be made with the rhizomes. Came across another wild iris, though one not seen much. This is the Gladdon - Stinking Iris - Iris Foetidissima. I remember it in the old Bath garden, most striking for its seed cases that spilled its seed in the capsule.
Looking at its flower a pale purple and white and I can see where the iris I bought came from.
Interesting Thelma. I have a clump of the yellow iris because there was a bit of my garden where there used to be a pond. The previous owners filled in the pond but left the iris. It looks a bit incongruous with no water there, but I shall leave it this year and think about it. It is just coming into bloom.
ReplyDeleteForgot to say I love the 'secret path' through the woods in your header
ReplyDeleteThink the stream must be in Wales, it is very pretty.
ReplyDeleteThat yellow iris might be the invasive that we are fighting here in the Mid-Atlantic. Odd how one person's garden has another person's invasives!!
ReplyDeleteThink thats the tale of the dandelion here, kill, kill, kill whereas in America it is a flower. Our 'invasives' are Japanese knotweed and the pretty policeman's helmet or himalayan balsam, which ramps along our rivers furiously.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago I researched the connection of the flag to the fleur de lis as a symbol of battle flags and honor in battle and death. I remember almost nothing, so I think I'll go look it up again. Thanks for the noodge.
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting subject, symbolism I suppose and how it is carried through the ages.
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