spring flowers – Dear Liza

Colors of Spring

Dear Liza,

We all went out for a walk Saturday, and since it is spring, we wore overcoats and boots and carried umbrellas…. Just in case.

But even though there were some massive clouds, we didn’t get a drop of rain! Just oodles and oodles of flowers. Wisteria has draped itself over arbors….

The cherry trees have dropped their pink snow drifts all over Ladd’s Addition…

Dogwoods are just too pretty to be believed…

And the lilacs were being lovely and smelling fabulous!

I’ll tell you about where we were headed…. Tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Rainbow Season

Dear Liza,

The world has exploded with color here in Portland! We are still getting some rain, but temperatures are up and it looks like I will be able to get some things planted in my garden plot early next week.

Meanwhile, here is a song, written by dear Laurel Bloombaum years ago, about rainbows.

When sun shines through raindrops,

an arc of hope is seen.

Red on top, orange , yellow

and green.

Indigo blue

and violet too.

Down come the colors of promise to you.

Happy birthday, dear Liza, and happy spring!

Love,

Grandma Judy

From Pink into Orange

Dear Liza,

As our spring has moved toward summer (with several bright days interspersed with soaking rains), a whole new batch of flowers are showing themselves. The pinks of early spring, the cherry blossoms and dogwoods, are giving way to oranges and reds.

This clover is over a foot tall and is growing in a parkway near our house. Clover is usually only a few inches tall! The soft, fluffy blooms are about four inches long and very popular with bees.

Thanks to my good friend and French teacher, Shawn Quiane, I found out that this lovely plant is called Helianthemum nummalarium. It is a type of common rock rose.

And the best thing about it is that each individual petal looks like a piece of candy corn!!! Love it!!

So, it is May, and we are still having chilly mornings and some wet days. I’m getting a bit impatient for some solid sunshine. Of course, I know that In July I will complain that it’s “just too hot!” but I guess that’s human nature.

Love,

Grandma Judy