The Fairies Poem and Fairy Garden Photos

 I love garden tours. Today I went on the 23rd Annual Backyard Habitat Tour, sponsored by the Wachiska Audubon Society of Southeast Nebraska. My favorite garden was a delightful fairy garden created by Cathy and John McQuinn.  The whimsical statues and displays nestled in amongst the beautiful flowers reminded me of a favorite childhood poem called "The Fairies." I discovered it in our family's copy of "Childcraft." I used to read the poem in a little sing-songy voice:  "There are FAIRIES at the BOTTOM of our GARDEN. It's NOT so very VERY far aWAY . . . "

Here is the poem, accompanied by photos I took today in the garden:

The Fairies

By Rose Fyleman

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!

   It’s not so very, very far away;

You pass the gardener’s shed and you just

keep straight ahead—

  I do so hope they’ve really come to stay.

There’s a little wood, with moss in it and beetles,

  And a little stream that quietly runs through;

You wouldn’t think they’d dare to come

         merry-making there—

                Well, they do.

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!

  They often have a dance on summer nights;

The butterflies and bees make a lovely little breeze,

  And the rabbits stand about and hold the lights.

Did you know that they could sit upon the moonbeams

  And pick a little star to make a fan,

And dance away up there in the middle of the air?

                Well, they can.

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!

  You cannot think how beautiful they are;

They all stand up and sing when the Fairy Queen and King

  Come gently floating down upon their car.

The King is very proud and very handsome;

  The Queen—now can you guess who that could be

(She’s a little girl all day, but at night she steals away)?

                Well—it’s ME!

Two Favorite October Poems

I love October. There's something about it that makes people want to write poetry.  Two of my favorite poems are about October.  I've combined these two autumn poems with some original photos, most of which were taken in my own neighborhood.  (These poems are both old enough to be in the public domain, so there is no copyright infringement.)

A Vagabond Song
by Bliss Carman


There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood—
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.

The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.





There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.


















October
by Robert Frost

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;      
To-morrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,      
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;      
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—      
For the grapes’ sake along the wall.

The Garden Behind Our House

I love walking in the garden behind our house. It's an experimental garden, where the University of Nebraska tests different kinds of plants to see how well they grow in our climate. Take a look at some of my favorites:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107035&id=629661480&l=506c0e2162

Barns, llamas and kitties

Yesterday, an unusually cool July day, I went for a photo jaunt with my daughter. We drove north of town to take photos of old barns, but got a bit distracted by the animals. Along the way we met some nice farm families. Take a look at our photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=106680&id=629661480&l=32484986a1