Reissuing Ferida's Wolff's Backyard: Home Farm Produce; Hibiscus Beauty and Wouldn't That Be Peachy?
Hibiscus Beauty
I was out grocery shopping today at my local Trader Joe's. As usual, the parking lot was crowded and the adjacent strip stores were also busy. As I approached my car, I noticed a hibiscus bush in full bloom alongside the parked cars. The brilliant white flowers were big and exuberant, stretching out past the bumpers, waving to the cars coming up the drive to the stores, almost defying the stop sign by growing bigger and fuller by the day.
I know that hibiscus plants are not native to the United States but the blossoms are so magnificent it is hard to discourage planting them. I have several at my house. They produce giant red flowers that make me stop to admire them every time I go outside. I actually enjoy the surprise of such elegance when I open my front door.
The hibiscus plant is a grand reminder that even in the most crowded environments, in places that seem to discourage nature, we can always find beauty if we look for it; a red maple at the curb of a city street, a lotus blooming in a polluted pond, a garden known as The High Line that was created on a stretch of unused railroad tracks in New York City. Who would expect such beauty there? In keeping ourselves open for what nature offers, we help ourselves to be open to beauty in other aspects of life, too. It is a meditation on the amazing experience of living.
Learn about hibiscus and view the varieties:
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b557
Wouldn't That Be Peachy?
We have a peach tree. The tree has lots of peaches though they are not yet ripe enough for people to eat. That doesn't stop the squirrels, however. The peaches that fall to the ground are fair game for munching. This young squirrel is nibbling away on an unripe peach. He decided that the table between two of our patio chairs was the perfect place for his snack.
I have seen this little one before. He hops right up even if I am sitting in there. I can tell it's the same one because he has a slightly dark stripe of hair across his cheeks. Sometimes I talk to him (I am just guessing it's male) and instead of running away, he stays on the table and seems to listen. I'll chat about the weather or maybe I'll tell him about the latest antics of my grandson who likes to make "peach soup" on the outdoor play kitchen with some of the fallen fruit. When we are finished playing, we usually put the peaches we collected into a container and place it where the squirrels can find it. Perhaps this squirrel thinks it's his personal dinner plate.
I know I complain about the squirrels eating everything we plant, the reason we constructed a screened-in vegetable garden, but in truth, I like them. They are inventive and extremely smart. They help me remember that 'different' is only an adjective, it does not mean inferior. And different is how we all are, from other life forms and from each other. If only we can learn to appreciate the value of differences within all of life, perhaps we would not be so quick to do harmful things to each other.
Wouldn't that be peachy?
©2016 Ferida Wolff for SeniorWomen.com
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