Autumn hearts and roses for Nic's anniversary
by Diana Studer
- gardening for biodiversity
in Cape Town, South Africa
Our garden is poised at that moment when the autumn leaves blaze and fall, and the aloe torches catch fire for winter.
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| Plum and Pride of India |
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| Aloe blooming in May 2013 but still tightly furled buds today |
So many plants claim heart-shaped leaves, but Hibiscus tiliaceus succeeds. (Tropical and subtropical coast, worldwide). There are hearts at all stages of life, from youngsters bronzed glowing with health, to vigorous green ones, to the battered but still standing gold and crimson. Not a ‘for autumn’ display, as these leaves fade year round in glory. Joining Pam @ Digging in Texas for her Foliage Follow-up on the 16th of each month. (Yellow flowers which also turn thru autumn colours as they fade)
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| Hibiscus tiliaceus |
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| Hibiscus tiliaceus |
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| Hibiscus tiliaceus |
Do not go gentle into that good night
…
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
- from Dylan Thomas’ poem
The roses settle into their autumn flush.
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| Great North, Perfume Passion Black Prince, Anna's Red |
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| Casanova casa nova new house, new home - to the new yurt in New Mexico |
A year ago our family gathered in New Mexico, thoughts and prayers around my great-nephew Nic, lost to us then.
Stop all the clocks
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| Pink Dimorphotheca jucunda |
The third poem in my mind is from Christina Rossetti.
by Christina Rossetti
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
And this by Mary Frye 1905-2004
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there
From a poem written by Mary Frye in 1932 for a young German Jewish woman, who couldn't “stand by my mother’s grave and shed a tear”.
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| Nic skydiving |
RIP
Nic Clegg
1991-2013
On this first anniversary my heart goes out to Nic's mother, father, sister, his grandmother, his aunt and to his family and friends.
My May 2013 plants from our Porterville garden are worldwide commonorgarden. The aloe and the pink Dimorphotheca jucunda reach back to South Africa, where Nic was born.
of Elephant's Eye on False Bay
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Diana, your autumn garden looks really lovely -- all those roses and aloes. I'm enjoying the foliage choice too. The heart-shaped leaves remind me of a redbud's.
ReplyDeleteAnother heart-shaped leaf I will replace in the Fish Hoek garden is Pelargonium cordifolium. A much longer deeper heart with delicate silver-spangled pink flowers.
DeleteI don't know what to say except that I can totally relate to your loss.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite nature part of this time of the year is that the aloes are coming into flower
ReplyDeleteHow sad to lose one so young. Your garden and the poetry are both beautiful yet it is hard to imagine any solace at such a painful anniversary. My thoughts are with you and your family Diana.
ReplyDeleteLife is hard, and fast...may this autumn be the time to heal your family loss. It´s always hard to loose someone so young...
ReplyDeleteI remember the sad news of his death...such a wonderful memorial Diana. I find your autumn garden so much lovelier than mine especially the roses.
ReplyDelete