My A-Z posts this year
are based on my garden – flowers, animals, the birds and the bees, butterflies -
with a bit of poetry thrown in. For some letters I am expecting to cheat
somewhat – wishing they were here.
G – Goldfinch, Goldcrest, Geranium, Grass, Greenhouse
Beautiful birds take pride of place today; it’s no
coincidence that ‘charm’ is a collective name for these:
 |
| Goldfinches |
There could not be a more apt poem for them than this:
Sometimes goldfinches
one by one will drop
From low hung branches;
little space they stop;
But sip, and twitter,
and their feathers sleek;
Then off at once, as
in a wanton freak:
Perhaps, to show
their black and golden wings,
Pausing upon their
yellow flutterings
Britain’s
smallest bird gets in on the act in the same conifer tree
Listen, what’s that
“Si-Si-Si”?
Call of a tiny bird.
Call of a tiny bird.
 |
| Goldcrest |
A little bird, so
beautiful,
that seldom seems to rest.
that seldom seems to rest.
Geraniums are attractive annual plants at home in beds or
tubs.
 |
| Geraniums |
When we first moved in we could even cultivate plants like these
inside -
 |
| The Greenhouse |
Until it became too fragile to survive; the space where it
used to be was soon occupied by those foxgloves which appeared yesterday ( – see ‘F.’)
At least when we have been away we don’t find that tubs get
as badly out of control as the lawn.
 |
| Grass |
This fellow is a lot easier to spot in ornamental grass,
 |
| Grasshopper |
But Gem is quite content to sit under a tree and watch the
world go by.
 |
| Gem |
Poems:
- Goldfinch – John Keats – from I Stood Tip-toe
- The Goldcrest – Brian J Muchmore
Photo attribution:
- Grasshopper – By Alvesgaspar; featured picture on Wikimedia Commons – CC BY-SA 3.0
