Saturday 9 March 2013

Mother's Day in March

It is after midnight so it is officially Mother's Day here in the UK.   Across the pond we celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May, but here it is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent.  It just so happens that this year it is today, Sunday March 10th.  So, while I am not officially bound to celebrate Mother's Day today I think I shall anyway.  My mother is simply that great.  She deserves two whole days, not just one.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers here who are celebrating officially and Happy Mother's Day to you Mom.  It seems that it is tradition to give your mother daffodils here in the UK, a fact which has been made difficult this year with the cold weather causing a shortage of the cheery yellow flowers.  And, well, it's a bit hard for me to give flowers to you anyway.  So, what I will do is amass some pictures of flowers for you.  This will be my way of saying extra thank you to you today.

Here are some British Daffodils for you.  Some from Grassington and some from Roundhay Park.

 
Daffodils in Roundhay ParkDaffodils by the road in Grassington 
Now that I have given you these daffodils I have realized that flowers from England are not enough.  I need to travel the world to select the best and brightest flowers for your bouquet.  

Some of them I got to share with you in person, like these from Berkeley.

Climbing roses in Berkeley, CA
Rose
Orange roses
 Some flowers I had to travel further afield to find.  I had to go to Rome to find these for you.
Wisteria along a yellow wall in Rome
Wisteria across a private gate in RomeWisteria in the Roman Forum
Wisteria on a street corner in Rome
Then I realized I was lacking some yellow flowers since those are your favorite. So I went to Geneva to get you some yellow tulips.
Yellow tulips from Geneva
Delicate Iris with an ant climbing it, found in Geneva
While I was there I picked up an iris for you because I think they are pretty and I wanted you to have one.

I then came home for a rest and found these yellow flowers amongst the ruins of Whitby Abbey.
Yellow flowers growing along the ruined steps of Whitby Abbey

Yellow flowers growing at Whitby Abbey

Yellow flowers growing atop a door frame at Whitby Abbey
The drive home from Whitby Abbey brought us along Robin Hood's Bay and I stopped to pick you these pretty purple wildflowers.  I think the view made them smell sweeter.
Wildflowers overlooking Robin Hood's Bay

  Back in Leeds I picked these for you on campus and out in my favorite thinking place.


Striped tulips on Leeds University campusWhite summer daisy
Purple wildflowerYellow rose unfurling in a spiral

In Hebden Bridge I made sure roses grew on a trellis for you, lavender graced your windowsill and yellow flowers bloomed by your gate.

Pink climbing roses on a gate


Lavender in the window
Yellow poppies growing by a gate



Then I went to Italy all the way out to Hadrian's Villa to pick you some lovely red poppies to give you a bit more colour variety.  
These yellow wildflowers next to the ancient ruined frescoes were too lovely to leave behind.  So I brought those home for you too.  After all it was you who taught me to see beauty in the tiny forgotten things.
Yellow wildflowers next to ancient Roman frescoes

While I was in the area I stopped over by Villa D'Este to get a few blooms for you.  They suited you too, happy and cheerful.  The sort of flowers that just remind me of you.
Tulips in the gardens of Villa D'Este

Red and blue flowers in the gardens of Villa D'Este
Yellow tulips near a fountain pool in the gardens of Villa D'Este

Speaking of tiny overlooked yet beautiful things, these poppies in Pompeii couldn't be appreciated better by anybody else.
Red poppies by a column in ancient Pompeii
Nor could the beauty of a vivid dragonfly against an orange flower.
And very few people would stop to admire the red hibiscus flowers that dropped red petals on red tiles next to this red bench in the heart of Benalmadena, Spain.  But I know you would.
Red Hibiscus flowers in Benalmadena, Spain

Finally I made one last stop.  I went to Paris to find you the last most necessary flowers.  I needed to find you some lilacs and I did find them in this garden.
Lilacs in a Parisian garden

Pink blossoms in a Parisian garden
While I was there I also found yellow flowers dripping with rain, so delicate and lovely...
Yellow flowers covered in rain drops in a Parisian garden
Stained glass flower from St Denis, Paris
 and a glass flower.  I brought them along too because I know how strong you are and sometimes I forget that you are also fragile.  I didn't want to forget so I added them to my bouquet for you. 

 Pink flowers in front of Notre Dame

I know I haven't always been nearby and we haven't always been able to share all our adventures together.  But I want you to know that you have always been close to my heart.

Bleeding Heart flowers from a garden on Leeds University campus

Happy Mother's Day Mom.  I love you.


xxx


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