My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...
So that is an eggplant bloom - very pretty!
ReplyDeleteIt does seem too early for Magnolias
Love all your beautiful blooms
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Happy Easter!
And a happy Easter to you, Lea.
DeleteNot a spring flower to be seen! But some interesting and for us exotic plants.
ReplyDeleteSpring is almost past in these parts. We are now on the cusp of summer, our most trying season.
DeleteYou have joyous blooms, Dorothy. Far ahead of mine, but gives me something to look forward to. Happy Easter. P. x
ReplyDeleteBlooms always bring joy, don't they? Happy Easter.
DeleteVeggie blooms already. Wow... Happy GBBD.
ReplyDeleteYes, I started my veggie garden in February this year in order to get a head start on the bugs. So far, it has worked out well. Today I have my first ripe cherry tomatoes!
DeleteYou have so many wonderful blooms Dorothy and the color on those delphiniums is gorgeous! Wishing you a very happy spring and Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteI am especially pleased with the delphiniums. I do love that color.
DeleteYour garden has exploded! :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter to you and yours, Dorothy!
Well, the explosion is beginning anyway. The next several weeks will see the true explosion happening.
DeleteA stunning collection of blooms as always Dorothy. Your delphiniums are gorgeous and that pomegranate bloom is amazing. Never seen one of those before.
ReplyDeleteI like the pomegranate blooms as well as the fruit. The tree makes a nice addition to the garden.
DeleteMy plumbago started to bloom this week also. I must have been following your blog for about a year now because I recognize the season coming back around. I love that!
ReplyDeleteThe plumbago is just as dependable as the changing of the seasons.
DeleteThat magnolia is beautiful. I will crack magnolias, I must!
ReplyDeleteOurs is the old-fashioned variety and it is extremely messy at this time of year, although the blooms go a long way toward making up for the mess. I think the newer varieties have some of the mess bred out of them, which would be a good thing.
DeleteYour garden is beautiful! I went looking for magnolia Blooms today and couldn't find any here in north Alabama.
ReplyDeleteWell, there are plenty of them here in Southeast Texas! In fact, my tree is already a bit past its prime for blooming. It was at peak bloom about a week to ten days ago.
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