Thursday, May 10, 2012

Shakespeare's Garden ~ The Huntington in Pasadena, California

As I have said, when fall comes, I think it is my favorite season, but in spring I have the same thought ..."What could be be better than this?!"

Being in Shakespeare's Garden, I think spring won my favor. It justified every wonderful thing ever said of springtime! The delphiniums stood tall as if to welcome us, in shades of gorgeous purple and white, and the snapdragons almost glowed in sunlight. It was magic.


I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows
Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight.

~ William Shakespeare






What's in a name?
That which we call a rose
By any other name
Would smell as sweet.

~from Romeo and Juliet



















When daisies pied and violets blue
And lady-smocks all silver-white
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight ...

~William Shakespeare
Love's Labours Lost; V, ii, 894ff














Yet nor the lays of birds nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odour and in hue
Could make me any summer's story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew;
Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.

~Sonnet 98 by William Shakespeare







Therewith fantastic garlands did she me of
crow-flowers, nettles, daisies and long purples.

~William Shakespeare
Hamlet; vii, 168f




My sister and Benjamin, reading in the garden ...





There's rosemary, that's for remembrance;
pray, love, remember: and there is pansies.
That's for thoughts.

~William Shakespeare
Hamlet



Hope you are enjoying a gorgeous spring!
Blessings and light!





For an article about planting your own "Shakespeare's Garden" with plants and flowers from his writings click HERE

And for a pretty comprehensive list of Shakespeare Garden Plants, click HERE

7 comments:

rjerdee said...

oooh, those cobalt blue delphiniums (?) are stunning!!! Such tall spikes, so gutsy...like Shakespeare :)

Joyce said...

Beautiful! I love the photo of the woman in the hat and the boy, along with the geese and their babes. Both images are leading up to Mother's Day. Enjoy your weekend.xo

Susan Roux said...

These are all so lovely, each would make a beautiful painting. I especially loved your first columbine photo. Thanks for sharing and brightening my day!

Kerry O'Gorman said...

Ooohh....I can just about smell the scent and feel a warm breeze on my cheek! Absoloutely gorgeous!

Tammie Lee said...

so much beauty and life good charm,
thank you for sharing~

Rosa said...

Beautiful pics! There is such poetry in nature. I love delphiums but have given up on them. Seems the roots are eaten by the moles or rodents in my garden. I now have foxgloves which are poisonous so they leave them be :))

Cobalt Violet said...

Thanks for the comments, my lovely friends!