Crocuses – Valerie's Voice

The Donkey

With Spring officially here the weather has been a mix of cold and windy, or warm and sunny – which is what I experienced when I visited the farm this week. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the country side, to help feed the animals, to groom Abigail the miniature horse, and groom the two donkeys, Zacchaeus and Barnabas.

I had a deeper appreciation for the two donkeys this Holy Week as I thought about the poem by Mary Oliver, “The Poet thinks About the Donkey.”

Barnabas and Zacchaeus, the two resident donkeys.

This poem was read at our church on Palm Sunday. It focuses on the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem – how the donkey waited, not knowing what for, then let himself be led and mounted. He was obedient as he placed one hoof in front of the other, and stepped into the crowd.

An excerpt:

But the donkey, tied to a tree as usual, waited.
Then he let himself be led away.
Then he let the stranger mount.

Never had he seen such crowds!
And I wonder if he at all imagined what was to happen.
Still, he was what he had always been: small, dark, obedient.

Here is a link to the entire poem: “The Poet Thinks About the Donkey“. I enjoyed the poet’s interesting perspective.

I had to include this photo of the newest additions to the farm… Jonathan and David.
I call them, large dryer balls.

As I was leaving the farm, I spotted my first crocus in bloom this season. Its simple elegance stood out against the backdrop of dried grass and twigs.

A beautiful spring sighting. Photo Credit: S. Holm

Have a blessed Holy Week.

An Alien Has Landed

In addition to cleaning up my flower gardens in the fall, I also clean up my fairy garden. I remove the fairies and paraphernalia, wash them up, then store everything away until spring.

Then I place a winter scene in the garden, with a single component; a fairy sitting next to a snowy tree. Even though, in “normal” winters, snow covers it up for most of the season, it’s fun to place this ornament outside to have a winter fairy scene too.

Of course, this non-snowy winter the garden has not been covered in snow, and you can see the fairy and tree easily.

However, it has been invaded by an alien.

The other day as I was walking by, I noticed a small figure next to some glass mushrooms I forgot to put away last fall. When I picked it up, it looked like an alien. I trust it’s a friendly one.

I will add him to my ever-changing and expanding fairy garden this spring.

It’s fun to know others notice this whimsical little world, tucked away under a rose bush in my back yard.

On a walk recently, I noticed these yellow crocuses already popping out of the ground these early days of March (3/7/24).

Olbrich Gardens – Revisited

Visiting Olbrich Gardens has become a tradition for me and my friend from Indiana, every time we meet in Madison, Wisconsin.

An overview of Lake Monona in the distance, from the climbing tower in Olbrich Gardens.

This botanical garden has an indoor, tropical conservatory, 16 acres of gardens in the outdoor area, and an interesting gift shop. The admission is free if you stay outside, and that is where we always want to be! Some years, when we have visited Olbrich in late October, there has been snow on the ground, but even then, it’s a pleasant walk.

A stone pot with overflowing green grass and a wooden stick ball in the center makes for a beautiful visual display.

This year when we visited, there was no snow, an above normal temperature, and the sky was a beautiful blue with bright sunshine. Although it was later in the season, we did find a few lingering blooms before winter brings it to a halt.

The sunlight on this pink rose blossom made it even more stunning.

A couple years ago we discovered an interesting tree called the Full Moon Maple. We enjoy its fringed leaves and the vibrant red/orange color it turns at this time of year…and we like the name!

Frances and me near the Full Moon Maple. 2021

There is a permanent display with a kaleidoscope to look through onto a pot of colorful greens and flowers you can spin around. I always enjoy looking at the geometric patterns through a kaleidoscope, especially when focusing on plants at botanical gardens. I’ve seen these displays at other gardens. What a creative idea someone had.

The kaleidoscope focused on a pot of grasses and flowers.

The gardens are open to enjoy all year. There is a special event in December, “Holiday Express” that would be fun to go back and see…model trains, poinsettias and fresh greens.

It’s an easy drive to Madison from Northfield, and Madison always feels welcoming and is easy to get around. It seems to have many interesting things to do and see, including many bike trails. We have more exploring to do!

Another trio of fall blooming crocuses. I saw these for the first time a couple weeks ago. It was interesting to see more in another place, never having seen them before this year.

But, it’s good to know we can revisit Olbrich Gardens to find respite, and a peaceful place to enjoy nature, every time.

Confused Crocuses?

As I was on a walk this week I noticed something out of the ordinary…

beautiful, blooming purple crocuses. It was a surprise to see, what I thought were, confused crocuses because they were blooming in the fall.

After taking a picture of theses perky blooms, I looked on Google and learned there are some crocuses that do bloom in the fall…only they have no leaves.

Autumn blooming crocuses with no leaves.

This was a pleasant sight to see while walking on a beautiful, unusually warm, fall day.