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Welcome back to Flower Poetry Fridays with Mrs. Sigourney. Each Friday a new poem will be posted from her The Voice Of Flowers.

TRANSPLANTED FLOWERS.

THERE’S many a flower that proudly springs
Amid the gaudy world’s parterre,
Caress’d by Fashion’s painted wings,
                  To Folly dear.

Whose flaunting petals woo the sun,
Heedless of Beauty’s transient lot,
But wither ere the day is done,
                  Unwept, forgot.

Yet some there are that bloom apart,
With meekly consecrated charm,
Whose gifts of fragrance cheer the heart
                  Like healing balm.

O’er the blest spot, where erst they grew,
The eye of Love its tears shall shed,
And Pain and Penury bedew
                  Their funeral bed.

But, neath an everlasting beam
They smile, where no dark cloud descends ;
Theirs was that hallow’d incense stream,
                  Which heavenward tends.

Unfading, lo ! they live, they bloom—
Transplanted by His culturing hand,
Who bade them seek beyond the tomb
                  A better land.

This poem seems totally religious with its comparison of the proud, pretty flowers and the meek, charming ones to non-believers and believers, alike.

Gaudy flowers adorn the formal gardens for all to see and walk among. They live a proud, mortal and fleeting life where fashion and image is everything. With no eye toward their ultimate future, their life is folly. Outward beauty doesn’t last, does it?

The transplanted flowers represent believers who look forward to life after this earthly world. They believe in The Everlasting Beam and in a heavenly future for themselves where they will bloom again.

But, there is still something here we can learn about flowers.

I liked this phrase, “gifts of fragrance cheer the heart“. It spells out one of the things that draws me to flowers and that’s their fragrances. It’s so cool to think of a good smelling flower as giving you a gift!

When it comes time to pick out roses for your garden, choose them by scent first.

Above all, take time to smell the roses!

Come back next Friday for the next installment in our series of flower poems from Mrs. Sigourney’s The Voice of Flowers, “Wild Flowers Gathered for a Sick Friend”.

From what was the tiniest clump of plant with about 4 posies, bluets that were transplanted have grown into a mass over a foot in diameter with several little satellite plants a few feet away from the mother plant. I can see how these little bluets could colonize the whole field!

Now, in transplanting these plants to a new location, have I done a good thing or a bad thing?

I’d say good, or great, as to the purpose of the flowers being near the house which was to watch them grow (education) and provide smiles (entertainment). So, good for the people in the vicinity that give a crap about flowers.

Others would see it as a weed interrupting the monotony of their (non-sustainable) green lawns. I, myself, vote for the addition of color and interest to the place.

From an ecological perspective was taking a plant that grew in an open field at a location 10 miles from here a wise thing? I dunno. Is transplanting any plant a wise move?

People have moved and taken plants with them on their journeys since forever. It’s nothing new. Ecosystems adapt to new inhabitants and life goes on, albeit somewhat changed on a local level. Sometimes those changes are so profound that reverberations are felt in much wider circles than the localized habitat.

The little plant was moved from a sunny field, which used to be forest at one time and adjacent to a river, so the seeds that started the mother colony must have come from somewhere else. Were seeds blown on the wind? Did seeds get deposited via a small mammal or birds wandering by? Maybe rain water running to the river brought seeds to this spot many years ago.

The size of the plant makes worries of potential invasiveness moot. Bluets may attain a height of 8 inches at the most, the flowers typically rise 4-6 inches off the ground, and it’s not a climbing plant so it doesn’t seem to have the qualities that are typically of concern regarding invasives.

However, the fact that a new plant is now growing where other plants used to grow means that it has displaced the old plants. When this sort of displacement happens on a large scale we worry about the potential loss of those species that no longer grow there.

In this case the plants being displaced by the new bluets are other weeds, moss and some grass, I suppose. Nothing really lost there.

But, it does bring up a question in general. We all get the sense that it’s a good idea, ecologically speaking, to plant natives vs. non-native plants, both for the survival of the transplanted plant and the lesser disruption to the existing habitat by moving in plants that could adapt to the local environment.

But what about transplanting natives? Is there a proper way to judge when transplanting natives is a bad idea? Curious what y’all think about that!

The Trout Lily is a Spring Ephemeral plant that can still be found blooming in our neck of the woods, which is Central Pennsylvania.

The best place to look for them is near water in forested areas. Lowlands adjacent to creeks, lakes, and backwaters of rivers are the places where the trout lily makes its home. You’ll find Trout Lily blooming in the same habitat as the white-flowering Bloodroot.

(Photos taken 28 April 2015. Click on a photo to see a larger image.)

The right time to look for the yellow and maroon flowers of trout lilies is when the trees are just starting to make their new leaves for the year. The canopy will be mostly bare when these members of the Lily Family will be blooming.

At Little Buffalo State Park near Newport, PA you’ll find them along the Mill Race Trail where the trail is close to the creek. In some areas you’ll see a massive number of plants, like in the photo below. Trout Lily is one of the early spring-blooming plants that occurs in mass quantities.

The section of the trail that passes through the firebreak, where all the trees have been removed to protect the electricity right-of-way, is still near the creek but you won’t find the trout lily blooming there. The ecosystem has been radically changed by the tree removal so this location that receives full sun is now the wrong kind of habitat.

A close-up look at the yellow flowers shows maroon stripes on the back side of the sepals, which you can see looking down on the flowers. Also, the distinctive pair of mottled leaves tells us we’re looking at Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum.

Welcome back to Flower Poetry Fridays with Mrs. Sigourney. Each Friday a new poem will be posted from her The Voice Of Flowers.

KING FROST, AND THE
GARDEN BEAUTIES.

THE Dahlia call’d to the Mignionette,
And what do you think she said ?
" King Frost has been seen in the vale below,"
And she trembled and shook with dread.

" King Frost has been seen in the vale below,
A marshalling forth his train—
Captain Gladiolus told me so,
And brandish’d his sword in vain."

Then the Snow-Berry knock’d at the Wood-
bine’s bower,
Affrighted, and out of breath :
" Pray, give me a draught of water," said she;
" I am growing as pale as death."

"Ah me !" the gay Carnation cried,
" The Rose, on her dying day,
Bade me prepare for this solemn hour,
But I’ve trifled my time away."

The Poppy complain’d that her sleep was broke
By her neighbor’s noise and fright ;
And the Coxcomb said " ‘t was a burning shame
To disturb a belle so bright."

Lady Larkspur nodded her graceful head,
And beckon’d the fair Sweet-Pea,—
" Do you credit this terrible news, my dear ?"
" I think ‘t is but gossip," said she.

"Young Zephyr was here," said the Asters
proud,
" He made us a morning call,
And if there had been any truth in the tale
He must surely have known it all :

" For the daily papers he always reads,
As soon as they come from the press,
And if King Frost were at any hotel,
‘T would not be forgotten, we guess."

" ‘T is doubtless a hoax," said the Sun-Flower
tall,
" Don’t you think that the higher powers
Would have seen that I was appris’d, before
These pert little radical flowers ?"

Yet still, Mimosa was nervous and faint,
And Convolvolus feared to stir,
And the Mourning-Widow wept, though long
The world had been dark to her.

But Amaranth smil’d, with a changeless eye,
And the Constancy rose unbow’d,
For a deathless spirit of hope was theirs,
And their trust was above the cloud.

That night, King Frost to the garden came,
With all his legions dread,
And laid the might of the proudest low,
And left the fairest dead.

One thing I like about this poem is the idea that the flowers all talk amongst themselves. Whether they’re spreading gossip or the news doesn’t matter, it’s kind of neat to think about them communicating with each other.

I would really like to see a garden with all the flowers mentioned, namely the Dahlia, Mignionette, Gladiolus, Snow-Berry, Woodbine, Carnation, Rose, Poppy, Coxcomb, Lady Larkspur, Sweet-Pea, Asters, Sun-Flower, Mimosa, Convolvolus, Mourning-Widow and Amaranth. It must be stunning!

Convolvolus spp. are the bindweeds, like Morning Glory.

Mourning-Widow refers to Geranium phaeum, a perennial with very dark almost black flowers. This plant does well in dry shade, which means it will do well in woodland gardens or planted under trees and shrubs.

A lesson in the poem is that even though we know death is coming for us all…one day, many of us will be caught unaware. Until our day of frost arrives we should try to live our lives to the fullest.

When in doubt, just remember this line:

For a deathless spirit of hope was theirs, And their trust was above the cloud.

Come back next Friday for the next installment in our series of flower poems from Mrs. Sigourney’s The Voice of Flowers, “Transplanted Flowers”.

Yesterday we saw more than a dozen spring flowers in bloom at Little Buffalo State Park.

It’s a wonderful time to take the short walk on the Mill Race Trail at the Day Use Area. The Day Use Area at Little Buffalo has picnic tables, a playground, bathrooms, and access to a few trails.

On the way driving to the park we saw huge stands of Dutchman’s breeches blooming along the rocks on the north-east side of Juniata River in Perry County near Newport, PA.

Mill Race Trail – April 28, 2015

Flowers in Bloom

• trout lily
• bloodroot
• hepatica
• spring beauty
• coltsfoot
• spicebush
• corydalis
• miterwort
• cut-leaved toothwort
• common blue violet
• yellow violet
• light blue violet
• dandelion
• mouse-eared chickweed
• Pennsylvania bittercress
• ground ivy

I’m guessing that if you don’t make it to the park to see these pretty spring flowers by this weekend, you’ll miss the hepatica and spicebush. Probably won’t see but a few of the bloodroot in flower.

I saw only one cut-leaved toothwort flowering. It blended in well with a mass of spring beauties, so maybe there were lots of others that I didn’t see.

Flowers in Bud

Plants that had flower buds present but not yet open included:

• wild ginger
• mayapple
• Soloman’s seal
• stonecrop
• Japanese barberry
• garlic mustard

The only spring-flowering plant that’s already past the blooming stage is skunk cabbage. You can see its large oval leaves near the creek.

Other Flowers in Bloom

Near houses there were tons of ornamental trees and shrubs in bloom on the way to the park, especially:

• magnolias – white and pink
• ornamental pear – white
• weeping cherry – pinks
• crabapples – pinks
• dogwoods are just starting to bloom pink or white
• forsythia bushes are golden yellow everywhere

On a back road I stopped to see a patch of rue anemone reflecting white with their little green centers.

Our cherry and peach trees are blooming as is the Star Magnolia. Lilac flower buds promise more beauty to come!

Evidently, I planted these little cuties in an acceptable place for they are growing and multiplying each year.

A small sample of bluets was planted in the middle of the side yard with no special care in April 2010. I figured that they were already growing wild so the plants should do alright without fertilizing them.

The original plant colony was growing in a field pretty close to the river where they received full sun.

Their new location provides about 50% sun with shade from large trees in the morning and shade later in the day from the garage. Also, the location is on a rocky mountain ridge, not in a river bottom, so the quality of the soil is surely different.

I planned for the unexpected find that day when we were driving around looking for spring flowers. By carrying my trusty pocketknife in a front pocket and a plastic grocery sack in a rear jeans pocket, I was prepared. Thanks, Dad! Learning to Be Prepared! was one of the great things you taught me.

By the way those plastic bags are great for transporting plants and even for holding them temporarily. The bags without holes are keepers! They will help keep plants moist during transport and they cut down on the mess in your car, too. Always keep a few plastic bags stowed in a seat pocket for your outings.

I used the pocketknife to dig around a quarter-sized clump. The soil was moist and it was easy to lift out the clump and place it in the plastic bag for the quick trip home.

No fertilizing or real digging of the ground was done like I’d do for a transplanted annual. A hole just big enough for the roots was scooped out and the plant was sunk in there and the top soil put back and tamped down.

Each year the mass of bluets grows. The colony of little flowers now stretches over a foot across with many satellite plants extending the colony to new areas.

The mass of bluets do provide a lot of smiles. They will be blooming for another week at least and were a happy addition to the mountain top.

I’m curious though, does anyone else have these little blooms popping up in their yard? Or know where a field of them shine?

Welcome back to Flower Poetry Fridays with Mrs. Sigourney. Each Friday a new poem will be posted from her The Voice Of Flowers.

MINERVA’S PRIZE.

MINERVA, a visit to Flora once made,
When the flowers, in a body, their compliments
paid,
And, charmed with their manners, and elegant
dyes,
Desired she might give to the fairest a prize ;
Appointing a day, when herself should preside,
And on their pretensions to beauty decide.

Then the Rose bridled up, with a confident
air,
As if she would say,— Who with me shall com-
pare ?
While the Lily, but newly come out as a bride,
Whisper’d low to her sisters, and laugh’d at
such pride.
The Hyacinth studied her wardrobe with care,
Still puzzled to settle what colors to wear ;
The Poppy, ashamed of her dull, sleepy eyes,
Wore a new scarlet dress, with a view to the
prize.

Then flock’d the Anemones, fair to behold,
With the rich Polyanthus, in velvet, and gold ;
And the Tulip came flaunting, and waving her
fan,
And turned up her nose at the Daffodil clan.

The buds who were thought by their mothers
too young,
Round their sister’s toilettes discontentedly
hung ;
There was teazing, and dressing, and prinking
enough—
The pretty Quill-Daisies each bought a new
ruff;
The stately Carnations stood frizzing their hair,
And the tall London-pride, choosing feathers
to wear.
The Pink at her mirror was ready to drop,
And the Snow-ball bought rouge at a milliner’s
shop;
While in the same square, at a shoe-store so
neat,
The trim Lady-Slippers were pinching their
feet.
Thrifty Lilac acknowledg’d her robe was not
new,
But with turning and furbishing thought it
might do ;
While the queer Ragged-Lady, who pass’d for
a poet,
Sat darning her hose, and wish’d no one to
know it ;
And Fox-Glove, who sometimes had furnished
a sonnet,
Was tying new bows on a fanciful bonnet.
The green-house exotics, in chariots, went by,
For their delicate nerves feared each frown of
the sky,
While from her low cottage of moss on the
plain,
The Violet look’d up and admired the bright
train,
Not thinking to join in a circle so gay,
Or dreaming that she had a charm to display ;

Beside a sick bud she preferred to attend,
Which down to the dust its pale forehead would
bend.
But judge how this splendid conventicle stared,
When Minerva the prize to the Violet declar’d !
Remarking, though beauties and graces were
there,
That " Modesty ever to her was most fair. "
And distinctly pronounced, in the hearing of all,
That "the humble must rise, and the arrogant
fall."

The humble violet won the prize because of her modesty. She didn’t think she was fit to join in the parade of dazzling blooms and instead she performed the selfless act of caring for a dying friend.

There were a dozen other flowers who could have won the prize if it were only based on beauty. You know, the kind you see in a mirror.

Minerva equated arrogance with the flowers spending all their time and money to display their colorful robes. Instead, she chose modesty for her model of true beauty.

Modesty trumps beauty. Well, at least in poetry it can.

With air-brushed super models in every ad and Hollywood polluting our collective image of desirable qualities in people, we’re supposed to think that we too could look like that if we only tried their product. Yeah, right.

When you ask your mirror “Who is the fairest in the land?” are you seeking only outward beauty? Don’t worry, be happy! Beauty is only skin deep, as they say. The people who matter in your life will see you for the beauty you have that doesn’t reflect in a mirror.

Come back next Friday for the next installment in our series of flower poems from Mrs. Sigourney’s The Voice of Flowers, “King Frost and the Garden Beauties”.

Every Spring I venture into the woods looking for one of my favorite flowers, Hepatica. You have to be a good flower hunter to find it.

It’s a small plant so you need to be fairly close to it to see one. The leaves that have overwintered are typically hidden, at least in part, by the brown tree leaves on the ground.

If you’re close to a plant the bits of green can catch your eye among the browns and greys of the forest floor.

Of course, the easiest way to see hepatica is to remember where you’ve seen it last. Being a perennial the greenery can be seen in many seasons but the flowers are only out in April.

The flowers may attract your attention being a light purple and ranging from deep purple-blue to light bluish-white. It’s amazing how well colors can blend into the shadows, so don’t rely only on color to find hepatica.

It is easier to spot the flowers on a sunny day as the blooms will be open in the sunshine. Clouds and nighttime will see the petals closing up toward the center of the flower.

Take time looking around the base of large trees for hepatica. I’ve often found them in these protected spots. If you find one plant, look some more. There will be others so watch your step!

Their size is small, as that’s probably the biggest factor in locating hepatica. Flowers are about an inch across when full-sized and fully opened. Maybe they’re pea-sized when closing up.

Having said that, realize that once you have your “search pattern” down – like after you find that first one your brain knows what to look for – you’ll be able to see more hepatica blooming in the woods.

The good news is we still have a couple of weeks in Central Pennsylvania to go and seek Hepatica before their blooming period is done.