Tonight my friend Ian took me to the Melbourne Recital Centre to hear the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra play Sir Michael Tippett's Concerto for Double String Orchestra, Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending and that most wonderful Modernist poem by Edith Sitwell, put to music by William Walton, Facade. Sir Andrew Davis conducted and narrated, Wilma Smith played violin and Yvonne Kenny narrated. I have never enjoyed a classical recital so much, hearing in the music, the dawn of the new age, with all its attendant tension, excitement, woes and playfulness.
But before I went I took these little close-ups, hoping to show you the end of our winter here and the start of our spring, with all its lightened wakening.
It feels like we are ascending, or moving about in the air anyway. Here's to poetry, larks, the gift of wings and new life.
I
I like the plant surrounded by bricks
ReplyDeletewhat is it?
And those lovely velvety grey leaves?
ReplyDeleteAs you are experiencing a reawakening we are beginning to think of putting everything to bed. I especially like your little four legged friend. Enjoy!
ReplyDeletespring is my favorite season! especially here in Norway, when everything is covered in snow for many months, is just like a miracle spring actually comes! now the earth is going slowlly back to its sleeping modus. the colors are gorgeous. it rains a lot. i smile ( one just have to sometimes...
ReplyDeleteits lovely to see the colors down under. and life waking up there : )
you're springing, we're falling. all wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWatching your seasons pass in opposite succession to ours seems to accelerate the passage of time. As our fall slowly comes on, you report the start of spring. The thought of the approaching winter seems like eternity, but I'm sure your glimpses of summer will remind those of us in the northern hemisphere that it won't last as long as we think.
ReplyDeleteJohn, the plant surrounded by bricks is Asian Pennywort, Centella asiatica, or Gotu kola. It's meant to have many curative effects, including for arthritis.
ReplyDeleteDiana, I haven't a clue what the silvery leaved plant is. It comes up in odd places of its own accord, and I have been trying to find out something about it!
ReplyDeleteBonnie, Demie, Velma and James, Hi to you!
ReplyDeleteWinter/cold weather seems to go on forever in Melbourne...I've never so much looked forward to the warmth. It's the birds singing and getting busy that really marks the start of spring for me, that and all the new buds bravely appearing. I hope your autumn/fall is gentle.
Faisal it sounds like a delightful evening! You have some really great plants captured here; everything is looking particularly fresh and exciting. I think the blue spikes are Echium fastuosm which im desperately trying to grow here, even though the winter damp is not entirely their cup of tea. I’ll keep trying.
ReplyDeleteBertie
Thankyou, Bertie...there I was thinking the images were insipid and I'd better post something more captivating or there won't be any readers any more! Yes, Echiums are fantastic, and can grow well here. I know they like things dry-ish.
ReplyDeleteFaisal.
I have that echium, it only lasts for about 5 minutes but the colours are worth it. I am very envious that clivias flowers for you - I don't treat mine any different to anything else in the garden, yet year after year they just sit there sullenly, never flowering.
ReplyDeleteI'm no expert, Catmint, but from observation and experience, cliveas like shade. The one here gets virtually no direct sunlight and grows in what's been one of the driest parts of the garden...it's looking much better this year because of the extra rainfall and because I've fed it and mulched it more.
ReplyDeleteThat was a lovely concert, I agree!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful snapshots of your awakening garden!
You don't often get such exuberant nuttiness...
ReplyDeletethanks but they still don't do it for me. They're shaded, watered, mulched, still they just sit there. But they earn their keep by providing green and covering the earth.
ReplyDelete