Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American writer, poet (1803-1882)
Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower – John Harrigan, columnist, journalist, radio personality, New Hampshire “Sunday News” (1947-2022)
Just as I finished writing down all the flowers, plants and seeds I’ve been putting out around the flowerbeds and in the greenhouse, I stopped a bit to look for someone out there with a good quote about seeds and flowers. I stumbled on to John Harrigan. Someone who loved nature and his home. I could identify with a man like that. Unfortunately, he had passed in 2022, but his obituary was posted. John once left his home but shortly returned home where he wrote for various newspapers. Later he was offered a position from the editor of the Boston Globe to write for them. He thought about it and later wondered if he should have taken the job. The obit also had a quote describing Harrigan, “Lives where he does because he wants to” and “prefers land, peace, family, friends, and culture to the possibilities of money and advancement.”
I don’t know why but the words from the obituary hit home. I stopped for a moment and counted places where I have lived. I counted 5 different states and one abroad. Nowadays I feel like John. I don’t want to go anywhere to live and hardly anywhere to visit. There’s no place like home. Outside the window from the sunroom hundreds of trees are swaying back and forth awaiting winds and rain. The rain will be helpful, so I won’t have to water the flowers myself though it’s not really a chore. Sweet neighbors gave us some super nice water hoses. They are long and lightweight unlike the heavy hoses we were using.
There are two outdoor raised beds that are filled with wild flowers. The coreopsis flowers have returned. They will reseed themselves over the years. They don’t seem to mind the Prairie clay dirt. They will propagate from seed. The seeds look like flat, brown tiny sticks. A nice surprise this season brought buttercup flowers also known as wild geranium. They have pink petals with yellow pollen in the center. As children we enjoy smashing the flower on a friend’s nose. These buttercup flowers will no doubt feed butterflies which is always a joy. Butterflies are about by 10 a.m. as the sun warms the butterflies body and they become active. Butterflies differ in tongue length to reach the flower’s nectar. Monarch and swallowtails have relatively long tongues, properly called proboscis. A proboscis can be curled up when not in use and uncurled to act like a straw.
On to the turkeys. We’ve seen a beautiful tom turkey in all his splendor attracting three hens, juvenile females are called jennies. If baby turkeys arrive, they would be called poults or chicks and stay with the mother at least four to five months. We’ll be keeping an eye out for them.
Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 42 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
