Flowers of the Heart

This time of year all the plants and flowers make rapid progress

sending out new leaves and flowers.

I especially love to see all the different colors of iris.

It is fitting that these flowers have the same name as the Greek goddess Iris,

the messenger of the gods who was said to use a rainbow for her road.

One wouldn't know from their first appearance how lovely they will become.

In early March, the iris leaves have only begun

pushing out of the earth.

A couple of weeks later, they have risen higher still

By the first week of April, the sword-shaped leaves are taller;

the buds are ready to blossom.

The iris at my house seem to be a bit slower

 in revealing their rainbow colors than others I've seen.

Many of my neighbor's iris are already in full bloom.

Other iris around town bloomed a full two weeks ago.

I'm not quite sure of the difference.

What I do know is that iris are one of what I consider flowers of the heart.

For me, flowers of the heart are those

 that represent sweet memories of loving and being loved.

My husband's mom had beautiful deep purple iris

growing at their house when he was a boy.

He remembers to this day how special they were.

~

When my brothers and sisters and I were young,

where we lived the iris bloomed in May, not April.

The township road that bordered our property had

fragrant blue and yellow bearded iris growing on both sides of it,

in front of an old abandoned country house 

with a dark blue roof. 

The iris had been planted decades before

by the kind lady who had once lived there. 

So every spring when the iris were in bloom,

we would walk down the road and pick huge bouquets of iris for our mother,

who would always smile when we brought them to her.

~

In the next few days, I will show you the iris blooming.

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