Garden Cantata - Part II

The garden tunes are changing now
With white yarrow and those yellow flowers
    from Naomi’s garden
Competing for the lead
The fragrant tea—two kinds—rival the ferns for height

The newly planted annuals are content to bloom
    close to the ground
Brilliant yellow begonias
And some strange clover-like flower
That we thought was cool


The coneflowers and bee balm await the next cue
Bits of pink and red barely visible.
And the daisies are close behind
Big white buds resting in broad green leaves

An old window with broken panes has become
The backdrop for the brilliant blooms of foxglove—
That’s Juba’s creation.
(The foxglove got a head start from the garden center
At Home Depot)
And leafy spears promise gladiola buds and blooms

St Francis struggles to maintain decorum
As the remains of iris and the struggling
    old-fashioned rose
Rise above his shoulders, almost to his head.
He’s still directing—now behind the scenes

Stay tuned for Part III.



Nancy Perkins
June 2011