June
Roses, Daisies, and Clover
The summer equinox is still little way off, but here in the northeast, the season is underway. Birds are defending nests and feeding young. Children are reveling in the freedom of summer recess. And the flowers of June are in full bloom. There are so many of them, but the ones I associate so strongly with this month are roses, daisies, and clover.
I see roses as I pass the beautifully tended gardens in my neighborhood.
I also see them along the trails of the nature preserve I visit, where they grow wild. I often smell their fragrance before I see their delicate white flowers.
Just like wild roses, daisies are so prolific in June we might even not notice them, except for that bright yellow sun in the center of each one, which catches our eye.
Clover is different. It’s really almost everywhere, planted on lawns by passing birds, and taking hold, forming patches of white flowers in a sea of green.
When seen up close (which often requires getting down on all fours), their delicate beauty is revealed.
Sometimes this stealthy little pirate plant is accompanied by yellow sorrel, with its tiny, bright yellow flowers and heart-shaped leaves.
It’s interesting to me that if I sniff a single clover flower I don’t pick up a scent. But if I stand in a lawn strewn with them their sweet fragrance is unmistakable.
Many people strive for a lawn of uninterrupted turf grass. And that’s fine for them, I’m not one to judge anyone’s taste. In fact, I admire the hard work involved in a well-manicured lawn with a formal garden, and I see the beauty in that. But I like a yard that surprises me. Yellow dandelions and purple violets in the spring! Clover and sorrel in June! These call to my senses, and invite insects and mammals to feed and thrive on them, both on our lawns and in wild places.
However you celebrate this gorgeous month, whether taking in the beauty of a formal garden and green, green lawn, or enjoying the wildflower pirates that spring up and surprise you, I wish you joy as summer begins. May the energy expressed this month on our beloved planet enter all of us, its grateful inhabitants.
Beautiful, Denise. Thank you.