I hope you had a meaningful and enjoyable Memorial Day.
Like many people, I’m guessing, I spent part of the weekend planting flowers. Where I live in Minnesota (the upper Midwest US), Memorial Day is often considered the earliest “safe” time to plant flowers. While I transplanted my simple pots of geraniums, petunias, and marigolds, I found myself thinking of the beautiful eighteenth-century gardens we visited at Hartland Abbey, during our recent trip to North Devon, England.
I hope you will enjoy these few photos of our time there.
I believe the garden will be a great delight…”
—Elizabeth Gaskell, letter
I must have flowers, always, and always.”
—Claude Monet, painter
What about you? Have you done any gardening or planted flowers this year?
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JULIE KLASSEN loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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Such beautiful gardens! Makes me want to visit England in May next time! Here in Missouri, we’re able to plant much earlier. I usually have my flower pots full late March or early April. Our biggest fight is with the deer that want to make snacks of my flowers. I’d have a much bigger variety of flowers if I did’t have to consider what the deer consider “dessert.” 🙁
Yes, deer can be a problem here, too. And squirrels tend to dig up the flowers in my pots to hide their nuts!
Gardening is one of my favorite things to do. I feel God’s presence in the soil, the flowers, the hummingbirds, the other birds visiting the feeders, and the wisp of air on my face. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos. Have a blessed day! 🙂
You are very welcome, Melissa. I enjoyed your poetic reply! Well said.
“Oh, to be in England…” – I love those photos of the North Devon garden, Julie. I’m an addict to “Gardener’s World” (on BritBox) so I can get my “English garden fix” regularly. And like you, here in Eastern Washington, we’re Memorial Day planters. Sometimes we get by starting around Mother’s Day but not often. This year was quite warm, so the pots are finished. I think you should post some pictures of your efforts – I bet they’re lovely!