'Tis Spring, the Calendar Says

In celebration of Springs coming, Celia Thaxter's Island garden on Appledore is featured. Mrs. Thaxter, her garden and garden writings have long been favorites.

Hers was a simple garden crammed with simple, old fashioned flowers. Only flowers she loved were found there. Poppies and sweet peas were at the top of her growing list.

This lady of wit and charm was hostess to many of the literati of her day. One of her frequent visitors was John Greenleaf Whittier. This is perhaps of interest only to me, Mr. Whittier being the first poet I fell in love with in my girlhood days.

American impressionist Childe Hassam too, not only visited the island garden, but immortalized it in his beautiful paintings.

So for today, it being Spring but too drear and wet to venture outside to that new crop of shining weeds, I shall sit inside making lists of gardening tasks to come and enjoy Childe's illuminations and Celia's writings.. with a pot of tea.

Mine is just a little old-fashioned garden

where the flowers come together to praise the Lord

and teach all who look upon them

to do likewise.

~Celia Thaxter, 1835-1894