that time should be
So rich yet fugitive a pageantry.

forsake it then and with us fly
Into the past where nothing now can die:
Where even the young and lovely, old and staid
Live on unchanged - of purest fantasy made.

Prologue - W. de la Mare

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

May CSI entry, such a beautiful Spring palette!!

Norah Through The Appleblossoms #70

INorah Through The Appleblossoms  #70
#70, used all colors
Evidence: flowers, wood, something woven, circles, distressing
Testimony: Documented Spring with the poem excerpt on the page. Then I chose to use the "roll-role-the roles you play" prompt. With this I've written about the role of women in the garden throughout time, and then about my role as a gardener. I wrote my words on the little "sc-rolls" and tucked them into the little basket.

The photo shows my garden "mascot" Norah, named after an inspirational woman gardener. Photo shows her through the frame of the blossoming apple trees.

Testimony: "Throughout the ages, gardening has always been an accepted form of self expression for women. From the humblest cottage gardens to the grandest estates of splendor, women have left their mark!
Oftentimes, the garden offered the only delight in the lives of hardworking poor women. And conversely offered solitude and peace to the ladies of the upper classes. Gardens fed the soul.
Over the years, many women recorded, painted, designed,stitched, and wrote about their private paradise. So many remain unknown to us. And then there are the more famous women who courageously established their place and made a name and a career for themselves. The greats such as Gertrude Jekyll, the illusive Norah Lindsay, the bold and quirky Vita Sackville-West, the sweet and earthy Elizabeth Lawrence, the refined Edith Wharton, and many, many more, still inspire and instruct.
My role as a gardener began at a very young age, poking around in the dirt as a child! When I finally had a piece of land to call my own, the real work began! I read as much as I could, learning about plant lore, design, soil and site conditions, organic methods,etc.,....so much to learn. I drew inspiration from the greats as well as the humble. I dug, planted, hauled barrows of manure, built walls, carved out paths...learning as I went along, editing as needed, always learning from my mistakes, there were plenty of those! To use the words of Miss Jekyll - " a garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness, it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust."
So I am the gardener, I have the calluses, the broken fingernails and cranky knees to prove it. But I am also the recipient of much delight, and every year when the fresh and lovely Spring makes its eternal reappearance, I feel blessed beyond measure."

1 comment:

  1. Stunning layout by one of my favorite scrapbooking artists! Beautiful design and embellishment choices. The basket leaves me puzzled as to what it is and how you included it.The explanation is lovely and I can't help but admire your experience in gardening. I am a beginner by most standards.

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