Sea Of Violet

  Spring is definitely making a big show here on the Bayou.  With the pink peach blossoms and white plum and pear blossoms, everything looks so cheery!  It is good to see the hillside draped in color once again.  Working in the gardens all day has given me the opportunity to see even the smallest of blooms.  Underneath the rose bushes and jasmine vine, the Wood Violets are popping out in droves.  These tiny plants seem to spring up in the most unexpected places!  Today, I had to remind Michael to watch his step lest he smash the blooms.  This was a bit of an unrealistic request as it would be nigh on impossible to do any work if we were always dodging the violets.

  I am pleased the the violets are multiplying throughout the yard.  They are some of the earliest things to bloom and are quite hardy plants.  Even with the hundreds of clumps dotting the hillside, my violets cannot compare to the ones Pop had back on the farm.  There was one area of nearly a half acre that would be a literal "Sea of Violet" come early every spring.  This plot of ground was a good five hundred feet or so from the road in front of the house, yet folks would stop and stare.  The tiny blooms were so thick that folks could see them as they drove past the house!  Complete strangers would pull into the driveway to ask what Pop had blooming in the backyard.  He was never one to meet a stranger and invited all to "drive around back and take a look".  

  Pop had a way with plants whether it be vegetables, fruit trees or flowers.  He worked hard in his fields but never was too tired to take care of the numerous flower gardens about the yard.  Every evening in the summer, he could be found dragging the watering hose about to give them a sprinkling.  Zinnias, marigolds, phlox, petunias, amaryllis, daffodils, irises, daisies, you name it, he had it planted somewhere.  He took pride in making those flowerbeds be in full bloom for most of the year.  Still, it was those violets in the backyard that drew the most attention.  Those lovely, free-spirited blooms that popped up seemingly overnight brought a lot of smiles to folks and to Pop.  Gee, I wish I had his green thumb!