Ode to Spring Flowers

I was inspired to write a little poetry by two very different types of spring flowers. Unfortunately, I waited and waited for the words to sort themselves out and arrange themselves in poetic order - and nothing ever came of it. Rather than not post, I thought that I would add the shots and perhaps write some not so eloquent passages about them.

First there were the lovely violets that were present on Easter weekend in Summerland. While pruning the backyard fruit trees, I noted that there was a very sweet but faint scent and only while I faced the neighbor's house. At first I thought that it might be someone's laundry, but it smelled to pure to be detergent. I am not noted for a keen sense of smell, so I knew what ever it was, had to plentiful and close. Examination of the grass yielded some small clumps of purple flowers, and I recalled that violets were early spring flowers with a scent. The photograph of this small cluster in the neighbor's yard was surreptitiously taken.

Then there was a flower that is no stranger to this blog. I posted about it here. I find it worthy of a second post in part because I think that it is so amazing when cacti flower. They are so barren looking and so unfriendly it seems much like a miracle when they unfurl such a large, spectacular scented flower. I could not help myself.

About a month ago, we noticed that the same cactus that bloomed last year had about four fuzzy cocoon looking growths on it. Unlike the predictable timing of rose buds, these flowers seem to depend to an extreme on a number of factors. The weather in Phoenix this spring has been quite cool and somewhat wet. This I think delayed the blossom. It took over three weeks for the first blossom to open and yet another two for the last three. We both missed the first opening due to business trips, but were home for the others. Unlike last year, all three opened at once. I was up early enough to take the photos; they stayed open only for the day and wilted by sunset.