The phrase is from Romeo and Juliet and the full quote is: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet.” Basically, what it means is that what matters is what something is, not what it is called.
It Wednesday – Life is hectic, dievca is offering a moment of Peace with a photo from the Portuguese EcoFarm. she was focusing on the waterlily and ended up with three adorable frogs.
dievca’s friend had a delivery from her Father – new potatisar (potatoes) and jordgubbar (strawberries) from their Summer House garden. We have a dill plant, chives in the garden, sour cream and pickled herring. Lamb will be on the grill.
The traditional accompaniment is a cold beer and schnapps.
As dievca made her way to the composting area along the Hudson River there was a double blossom rosebush that gave off the most delightful of smells:
The composting guy has a passion for what he does and he explained the various plants grown by the volunteers to the Hudson Riverway Park. In return, dievca was able to share the breakdown of corn starch packing materials via composting –> Carbon Dioxide and Water…
“We roamed the fields and river sides,
When we are young and gay;
We chased the bees and plucked the flowers,
In the merry, merry month of May.”
―Stephen Foster
The crocuses, blue lily of the valley, hyacinth, daffidils, and tulips have blossomed in NYC — their timelines have blurred and it is creating a lovely burst of color along the Hudson River Pathway.
So, dievca has stayed at The Standard, The TWA Terminal Hotel JFK and is now heading to Roosevelt Island for a stay at The Graduate hotel. she’s never been to the Island and hasn’t taken the tram — it should be something different from work, the apartments and her Mother’s. That’s the point of a Staycation, right? Something different without heavy travel.
Until she heads out on the 7 train, she is going to admire the Peonies Master bought for His dievca:
From the train
it’s a city of roses
and rose keepers,
bald men in spectacles
and torn shirts.
There are miles of roses
in Elizabeth, New Jersey,
backyard arbors
shadowed by refineries
and the turnpike,
jungles of scrap,
still brown water, and poisoned marsh.
None of this matters
to the rose keepers of Elizabeth.
From the backyards of row houses
they bring forth pink roses, yellow roses
and around a house on its own
green plot, a hedge of roses, in red and white.
Surely faith and charity
are fine, but the greatest of these
is roses.
— "Hope in Elizabeth" by Kathleen Norris, for more see Little Girls in Church
Photos: dievca, Hudson River Park 05/2021
It’s hard to know when the blossoms burst and you cannot smell them because of your mask. Normally, dievca can smell them while riding her bike past the Hudson River Walk.
If you make a point of stopping and take off your mask – they smell divine!
The final week of April will kick off with a full moon, known this month as the Pink Moon. It’s also a “supermoon”.
The moon will officially become full at 11:32 p.m. ET Monday, April 26, but will look plenty full when it rises above the eastern horizon Monday evening. The moon will be its usual golden color near the horizon and look white as it moves overhead.
So why is it called the pink moon?
Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) or moss phlox on flowerbed
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, April’s full moon often corresponded with the early springtime blooms of a certain pink wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulata – commonly called creeping phlox or moss phlox – which also went by the name ‘moss pink’.
This spring flowering bulb was first brought to Europe from its native Middle East in the 1500s. It was mostly grown for the fall blooming species used for making an expensive cooking spice. However, most gardeners know it for the early blooming varieties that herald spring. It’s the crocus.
This iris family corm (a rounded underground storage organ present in plants such as crocuses, gladioli, and cyclamens, consisting of a swollen stem base covered with scale leaves) produces tube-shaped flowers in abundance in colors such as mauve, lavender, white, and yellow.
Crocus chrysanthus varieties bloom early, often while there’s still snow on the ground.
Crocus are fall planted, like daffodils and tulips. Even with winter hanging on through March, look to see the crocus blooming in warm spots or protected areas.
A crocus is often the first sign of Spring in NYC.
‘TIS the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone ;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone ;
No flower of her kindred,
No rose-bud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.
I’ll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the stem ;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I scatter
Thy leaves o’er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.
So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
And from Love’s shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie wither’d,
And fond ones are flown,
Oh ! who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?
Thomas Moore (1779-1852)
‘TIS THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER
Spring flowers don’t realize that COVID-19 is a problem. They are in full bloom around the City.
April Showers have brought those Flowers and Myla Lingerie is willing to help celebrate!
Photo: dievca 05/2018 crabapple blossoms by the Hudson River
There is no glory in star or blossom till looked upon by a loving eye; There is no fragrance in April breezes till breathed with joy as they wander by.
William Cullen Bryant
Redolence is the way something smells.
dievca always pauses on her way to work to enjoy the redolence of the flowering crabapple trees. The trees are in blossom earlier this year than last.
The word redolence almost always refers to the very best odors and scents.
He saw the first “Snowdrops” of the Season in the Shakespeare Garden, Central Park NYC. They saw these Snowdrops together on the High Line: dievca spotted the Crocus’ first! On the High Line, in the rain:
The first flowers of Spring always bring a little bit of competition and a lot of Joy.
Flowers.
A lovely gift to bring someone. Male or Female. A very Dutch gift.
Do you bring flowers that you love? Especially if you don’t know what flowers the giftee loves?
Do you try to guess what they might like?
Or would you think about the flower’s meanings? Send a message?
In dievca’s High School, clubs would sell Carnations on Valentine’s Day to raise money for their activities:
A White Carnation meant “Friends”
Red meant “Lovers”
Pink meant “Secret Admirer”
For 50 cents, you would pre-order and send the flowers with a message to the classroom where you knew your “target” was sitting. The pink carnations were quite desirable.
Hmm, fun to remember that~wonder if they still do it.
dievca received three sets of flowers for her Birthday.
Which bouquet of flowers do you think is her?
White rose: purity, innocence, reverence, a new beginning, a fresh start.
Red rose: love, I love you
Deep, dark crimson rose: mourning Pink roses: grace, happiness, gentleness
Yellow rose: joy, friendship, the promise of a new beginning
Orange rose: desire and enthusiasm
Lavender rose: love at first sight
Coral rose: friendship, modesty, sympathy
Celosia (Cockscomb) – Boldness/Courage or Affection, Singularity, Silliness.
Gerber Daisy (Gerbera): Innocence, Purity Carnation (red): Love, Admiration, Friendship, Pride, Passion Carnation (yellow): Disappointment, Rejection, Disdain Hydrangea (foliage and flowers): Thank You for Understanding, sometimes Heartlessness Rose (red): love, I love you Mums (yellow): Happiness, also Slighted Love, Dejection Mums (white): Truth, Hope, Loyal Love, Pure & True Affections
More importantly, which flowers are you?
Farmer’s Almanac Symbolic Meanings of Herbs, Flowers and Other Plants
Yesterday, the Swedish Consulate in NYC hosted a Midsommar Celebration in Battery Park City, downtown Manhattan. dievca biked down after work to see the chaos. According to her friend, it was quite similar to what goes on in Sweden for Midsommar. Singing, dancing, eating, drinking while wearing floral crowns. A celebration of the Earth, topped off with the raising of the phallic Maypole (something about balls and a cock piercing Mother Earth. etc.)
It was too crazy to try to get food, so a bodega further uptown offered simple fair and the Hudson River offered a spectacular view.
Today, dievca is working and then heading out to watch the Germany/Sweden World Cup game. Afterward. dievca is hosting a small cocktail party for her visiting friend.
Have a fabulous, close to Midsommar Saturday. 🥂🥃🍸🍺
Master bought His dievca peonies. A Midwestern treat in the City. Don’t have to shake off the ants. $12.00 per three buds.
dievca’s Mom asked the Home Aid to take and send a photo of the Iris’ in their garden. Purple. Beautiful. Lovely to be thought of. dievca’s favorite flower.
The sun finally came out at the end of the day, yesterday. And today is supposed to be nice. dievca will be taking a nap on the rooftop.
Master can’t make it…
“We roamed the fields and river sides,
Photos: dievca, Hudson River Park 05/2021
The final week of April will kick off with a full moon, known this month as the Pink Moon. It’s also a “supermoon”.
Spring flowers don’t realize that COVID-19 is a problem. They are in full bloom around the City.
Summer hasn’t quite finished in NYC.
In dievca’s High School, clubs would sell Carnations on Valentine’s Day to raise money for their activities:
Photo: dievca NYC 05/2018
Master bought His dievca peonies.
Join her?
dievca 