We went to Galleria’s floral experience with Bachman’s annual show last week.
This year’s theme is Escape to Paradise. Bachman’s fills the mall with beautiful plants and colorful flowers in wonderful designs, and it’s always a delight to see.
Especially this time of year when we are waiting for spring to arrive here in Minnesota. The landscapes are pretty drab outside right now. We can all use a bit of color.
The day we ventured to Galleria was our anniversary. We arrived early to look at the flowers (and search for a frog hidden in each display) and then we ate lunch at The Good Earth. It was lovely.
A sweet story: On our honeymoon, we bought a framed-in-box of preserved iridescent blue butterflies in Puerto Rico. We have always had it hanging in our house somewhere, and it is hanging in our new home now.
When at the Galleria’s flower show it was fun to see pretty, blue magnetic butterflies that took us back in time to a market we visited on our honeymoon – 47 years ago – when we bought our special memento.
The question always is will March come in like a lamb or a lion? Of course, the questions refers to the weather…
A mama robin, has perched on the tree outside our living room window the last few mornings.
For me, either way, March comes in with mixed emotions. There are several significant anniversaries for me in the month of March:
March 7, my father died in 1974
March 9, my mother died in 2009
March 16, our first grandson was born 2016
March 19, our second grandson was born in 2020
March 20, I was born in 1953
March 25, Gary and I were married in 1978
My mother died on this date in 2009. I created an album with items from her funeral and her last days.
My mother, Ruby. Photo from the 1940’s.
Then, during the next 10+ years, I kept stuffing bits and pieces into the album as a safe place to put something significant related to her. It needed to be re-organized, so I took the album off the shelf to work on it during a recent snowstorm. I enjoyed going through the journal entries, the funeral program, and looking at the pictures. The hymns sung at her funeral were printed out, and included On Eagle’s Wings, an uplifting song (no pun intended!).
Chorus:
And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand
We recently took a day trip to the National Eagle Center, in Wabasha.
Angel, a permanent resident eagle at the National Eagle Center.
Columbia and Angel are resident eagles there, because of injuries. Both are female, and both in their “20’s”. Such majesty, beauty, power.
Columbia, also a current resident at the eagle center.
We tallied 14 eagle sightings en route to Wabahsa, on that pleasant March day. They are a magnificent sight. But I digress…
Back to momentous March dates…
My father, Herb. Photos from the 1940’s.
My father passed away on March 7, 1974. He was only 55 years old. I have accumulated pictures and written history information from our recent trip to Norway with intentions to compile them in an album. I plan to do so during the upcoming predicted snowstorm this week. Another 2-3 inches…downgraded from 7-8 inches.
March 25, 1978
Then, on to warmer spring days, and happier celebrations of births and marriage.
Last weekend a friend and I went to delight in the peony gardens in Aspelund. I was reminded to visit this lovely acreage now, this time of year, when the peonies are in bloom.
In the background is one of the out buildings on this acreage. The peony gardens are front and center.
This year there was a lot of color, yet there were many buds to still open, which was the stage of the peonies in my garden, and that’s why I had to be reminded that the Aspelund gardens may be ready to explore.
The location is a scenic, peaceful, country setting, about twenty minutes from Northfield. There are a couple of out buildings, the wine tasting room with an attached deck and table and chairs, there are rows of grapevines, and a lot of rhubarb growing all over…and of course lots and lots of peonies.
The peonies are for sale…but you are most welcome to visit these gardens without purchasing anything.
The coral color was one of my favorites.
There is a tire swing hanging from a large, old tree and two little girls, in cute little dresses, were enjoying themselves on the swing that afternoon. It was a very nostalgic and sweet picture…that I didn’t capture on my camera.
We met up with a blogger friend of mine, and her husband, who were at the gardens the same time we were. We meandered the peonies, found chairs on the lawn since all the outdoor tables were taken, and ordered a flight of wine to taste a couple of the many variety of wines they offer.
It was a lovely and relaxing way to spend a late spring, almost summer, afternoon.
It was hard to get a photo of this yellow peony, but the color was delicous.
These are a few photos of the vibrant peonies I took, but I want to share a link to an expanded blog about this Aspelund Winery, written by the friend with whom we were enjoying the wonderful afternoon in Aspelund. Check out Minnesota Prairie Roots and enjoy a great tour.
Spring ephemerals: wildflowers that bloom for only a few days in the spring.
Last week I took a couple jaunts out to Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, one of my favorite parks in the area. Springtime in Nerstand always shows off its wildflowers before the trees leaf out. In spring the sunshine can reach and nourish the plants. We had an especially cold, windy and dreary April, so it seemed the many varieties of wildflowers decided to all pop up at once in May. It was spectacular.
Marsh marigold (yellow) in the background.
I was able to participate in a wildflower walk with the new park naturalist at Nerstrand. As our group walked along the path towards Hidden Falls, he identified many different plants.
Lots of water flowing over Hidden Falls at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.
Trillium
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
It was a good refresher course for me…each year I like to wander through the park and try to identify the spring flowers. I forget some over the year, and like to be reminded of their names.
False rue anemone.
Meadow Rue
The rare – grown only a few places in Minnesota and nowhere else in the world – the dwarf trout lily, was in bloom. It is always special to see that tiny, kernel of rice-size flower.
Photo taken in 2021. I used my finger to show perspective.
It was a sunny, glorious day as we hiked the trail. Not so windy, as it has been, and is, as I write this post.
Blue skies and spring greens.
A favorite: Spring Beauty
Bellwort
Soon the tree leaves will cover the forest floor in shade, and the beautiful spring flowers will go dormant and wait until next spring to resurrect once again.
We were in Florida last week, on the gulf side, close to Clearwater Beach. It was beautiful. Sunny… every day, temperatures in the 80’s…every day.
Sunset over Clearwater Beach.
We spent time near the water, and submerged ourselves in the water once. It felt wonderful. We walked along beaches and enjoyed the fine, white, sugar sand, and seeing the awesome shades of turquoise water, beautiful blue skies, shore birds, sea shells, sail boats. We “soaked” it all in…sun, waves, sea air, warm temps.
We didn’t know the name of these interesting shorebirds.
Usually when I am on the water’s edge I look for sea shells…(or rocks if I’m on Lake Superior’s rocky shore). I can’t help myself. As I walked along looking for shells I thought about a poem I wrote several years ago. I looked it up after we returned home and am sharing it below.
Shells found along the sea in Florida.
Along the Sea (2010)
Here I go again...
Walking along the beach,
Tides go out, tides come in,
I’m open to what it’ll teach.
Water rolling over the toes,
Sun sparkling across the sea,
The gentle sound of waves,
All soothes the core of me.
I walk along and sing psalms
As the pulsing waves repeat,
I feel a sense of calm
As my eyes draw to my feet.
I reach down for a token
From the bounty of the sea.
And check to see if it’s broken,
If so, I toss it back quickly.
I can’t resist, so I pick up more
Searching for one without mars,
Noting what likeness to people they bore,
Broken, wounded, with scars.
So, I start being less selective
And find new beauty in these...
My mind gently corrected
As I choose shells along the sea.
Time for spring cleaning
It is a lot of hard work,
But satisfying.
When it’s done, I’m glad.
But, there is always more to do.
For now, it’s enough.
As spring emerges~
It’s time for new adventures.
Wonder what they’ll be?
A clown with many faces.
As we were spring cleaning last week, I brought down a clown that sits on a high shelf, to dust it off. As I was dusting it, I was transported down memory lane.
This clown was from my mom’s collection. She had quite a fun collection. I wish I had taken a photo of all the different clowns she had at one time. Whenever I see a clown figurine, I think of her. She died in 2009.
I kept one of her clowns. It’s a wonderful clown, with masks that can be put on and off its face. Not only is the clown a nice remembrance of my mother, but also, it evokes fond memories from when we would go visit her when my boys were little. They would always ask grandma if they could change out the masks on that clown. She would say “yes”, and they boys would carefully put on a new mask.
After cleaning up the clown, we put it back up on the shelf, where it stands tall (ready to perform for us I think) until the next time.
Apparently for two years before the 2020 pandemic, Bachman’s sponsored a spring flower show at the Galleria. I didn’t know about it at the time. Now, two years later, after the pandemic, Bachman’s is once again, sponsoring another flower show: AFloral Experience at Galleria ~Sugar Coated.
A Floral Experience at Galleria.
We happened upon it by accident. We were going out to dinner at the Good Earth in the Galleria, after an interesting play at the Children’s Theatre. We noticed there were a lot of flowers in the mall as we walked toward the restaurant.
Beautiful blooming daffodils adds to the honeycomb display.
Blooming cupcakes.
The hostess at Good Earth then informed us the Bachman’s spring flower show was opening the next day!
Ice cream cones: must be strawberry flavor.
After dinner we decided to walk around the indoor mall, and we saw a preview of the bright and beautiful show. It was all set up, and ready for the debut.
Colorful skittles…blooming lillies..
It was fun to see so much color. It was wonderful to see blooming flowers.
Cotton candy clouds create indoor showers.
Silver beads hanging from clouds represent April Showers.
The theme was “Sugar Coated” and it was colorful, delightful…and not crowded (as it probably would be the very next day when the show opened).
A giant gummy bear.
Hydrangea trees…
The show runs from March 27 through April 10, 2022.
Lollipops.
Colorful candy sticks.
Hyacinths about to bloom, set with deep blues and whites, create a stunning display. In a near-by display some of the hyacinths were blooming and smelled so fragrant.
It was a “sweet” surprise, and a great ending to our fun day in the cities.
Years ago my friend and I went on several wildflower walks with a naturalist and learned the names of wildflowers. I still recognize many of the flowers, and remember some of names, but have forgotten many too. None-the-less, I love walking through the woods, looking at the spring wildflowers.
Buttercup
I qualify these walks as walks, not hikes, because it’s a slow, meandering pace. On this day, I took a lot of photos of the flowers in hopes of identifying the ones I didn’t remember, from my books at home. I think I identified most of these correctly. It was definitely a fun exercise.
Marsh Marigolds
Marsh marigold up close.
One of the flowers I’m always thrilled to see is the dwarf trout lily. I know a spot where one, yes – one, blooms and I look for it every year. Sometimes I miss seeing it in bloom, but I didn’t miss out this year. Dwarf trout lilies only bloom in three counties of Minnesota, and no where else on earth. That’s fascinating to me.
The dwarf trout lily…kind of hidden in this photo…bottom third, left of center…tiny bloom.
Putting my finger near the dwarf trout lily bloom, for perspective.
However, the white trout lily is prolific…and carpets the ground many places throughout the park.
White Trout Lily
The white trout lilies one of two wildflowers that was a ground cover in this park
My all time favorite wildflower is Spring Beauty. I love the delicate pink flowers.
Spring Beauty
Wild Blue Phlox
Some wildflower names seem sensible, others are odd and not very “flowery’…There is one called bloodroot, but I didn’t see it…I believe it’s done blooming.
Toothwort
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
According to lists from the park office there are many wildflowers in the park that, of course, bloom in different seasons. I have always focused on spring flowers.
Dutchman’s Breeches
Dutchman’s Breeches up close.
“There is poetry among the wildflowers.” (Rachel Irene Stevenson) I enjoyed the poetry of the wildflowers this day.
May Apples
The may apple bud..underneath the foliage…this is ready to bloom into a white flower. You have to look underneath the leaves to find the bloom.
A carpet of rue anemone covered several areas of the ground in the park.
Another quote: “Wildflowers aren’t meant to be cut & tamed. They’re meant to be loved & admired.” (Anthony T. Hincks) I do love and admire the wildflowers.
Bellwort
Purple Violet and White Anemone
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is a wonderful place to look for wildflowers. I believe it’s one of the best parks, near Northfield, to see so many spring wildflowers in bloom. It sure showed off it’s finery the day I went for a wildflower walk there.
What season is it anyway? Our yard, raked clean last fall, is once again full of leaves. The snow has finally melted but it has exposed more leaves and the winds of March have blown them into our yard…as is the case in the fall. For some reason our corner lot is a collection site for the neighborhood leaves.
Daffodils are cheery and bright! These are along the path I walk in our neighborhood. (2017)
Spring in Minnesota is always welcome because our winters are long. No traces of snow or ice, longer days with sunshine and warmer temperatures are delicious, but it is not a pretty time of year in Minnesota. I wouldn’t want to show off Minnesota in the spring.
Bright red tulips on St. Olaf College campus. (2017)
True, there are the spring flowers which I love. Multi-colored tulips, white, yellow or purple crocuses, perky yellow or white daffodils and purple hyacinths, all popping up out of the ground. They add fuel for us to get past the mud and sand and brown grass and leafless trees, to summer.
Wildflower in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. (2017)
But the wind…the wind is not a friend. It’s hard to walk. It’s hard to bike. It’s brings in cold air. It changes the temperatures back to wind chills. It blows dirt and grime and garbage and leaves all over. It is not a pretty site.
An array of tulips in the front yard of a house on St. Olaf Avenue in Northfield. (2019)
So I need to focus on the positives of springtime. My birthday is in the spring. I always like saying my birthday is the first day of spring (because it is.) Easter, one of my favorite holidays, is always in the spring. Spring does not have the bugs of summer and in the spring, we can start to discard our jackets. It doesn’t “hurt” to go outside (as a friend likes to say) and you don’t have to put on all kinds of outdoor gear. The air is fresh and we can open the windows of our houses and let the stale air and winter sneezes out. Tress start budding. Spring is a hopeful time, and a time to dream of summer days and nights. I guess that is the best part of spring: Hope.
