Wednesday 30 June 2010

The Glory of the Garden by Rudyard Kipling

Our England is a garden that is full of stately views,
Of borders, beds and shrubberies and lawns and avenues,
With statues on the terraces and peacocks strutting by;
But the Glory of the Garden lies in more than meets the eye.

For where the old thick laurels grow, along the thin red wall,
You’ll find the tool and potting-sheds which are the heart of all,
The cold frames and the hot-houses, the dungpits and the tanks,
The rollers, carts and drain-pipes, with the barrow and the planks.

And there you’ll see the gardeners, the men and ‘prentice boys
Told off to do as they are bid and do it without noise;
For, except when seeds are planted and we shout to scare the birds,
The Glory of the Garden it abideth not in words.

And some can pot begonias and some can bud a rose,
And some are hardly fit to trust with anything that grows;
But they can roll and turn the lawns and sift the sand and loam,
For the Glory of the Garden occupieth all who come.

Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
By singing:- ‘Oh, how beautiful, and sitting in the shade,
While better men than we go out and start their working lives
At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner knives.

There’s not a pair of legs so thin, there’s not a head so thick,
There’s not a hand so weak and white, nor yet a heart so sick,
But it can find some needful job that’s crying to be done,
For the Glory of the Garden glorifieth every one.

Then seek your job with thankfullness and work till further orders,
If it’s only netting strawberries or killing slugs on borders;
And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden,
You will find yourself a partner in the Glory of the Garden.

Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees
That half a proper gardener’s work is done upon his knees.
So when your work is finished, you can wash your hands and pray
For the Glory of the Garden that it may not pass away!
And the Glory of the Garden it shall never pass away!


And now to some current views around my garden (I am still not happy with the way 'blogger in draft' place my photographs. They seem to do the opposite to what I want - takes forever.)I may have to change back.

Have not been able to spend too much time working in the garden recently as we are having a heat wave. With the forecast for 88 degrees last weekend (and that is always in the shade) it was into the 90's outside. On the plus side we have been eating all our meals outside which is nice as we are a bit confined at present.


The birds love their daily bath











The above group of rose pictures were taken at night

You might like to click here and view my post on Rudyard Kipling's own garden.

23 comments:

Lorrie said...

Your garden is a delight, and shows the effort that you have put into it. As Kipling said, in more poetic terms than I, gardens are a lot of hard work!

Lorrie

Elizabethd said...

What superb roses, you have a huge variety obviously.
But...where are your weeds? You must spend hours weeding and tidying, it all looks so pristine!

Deanna said...

Dear Barbara,
The garden is gorgeous! A beautiful place to enjoy...imagine sitting and relaxing while smelling the sweet fragrances in the air coming from the flowers.
Praying for you and your sweetheart.
d

Vee said...

Wonderful poem! Love the analogy. And your black buffalo check really do provide a background for all this riot of color. I don't think that anything else would've worked nearly as well. I'll be back to stay longer...

Anonymous said...

Did someone say
GLORIOUS JUNE?!!!!
Glorious indeed.
Also the Kipling poems was new to me but a great delight.......

Patsy said...

Your rose colors are just beautiful, thanks for the view.
Patsy

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

Barbara, you have such a special touch to have such a beautiful garden. The roses are outstanding. I really enjoyed this posting. I pray all is well at your home.

Cindy said...

Beautiful photos! Your garden is so inviting.

Adrienne said...

Oh, I would love to see the gardens of England! Especially yours. It is so beautiful and I love your checkered umbrella and cushions.
~Adrienne~

Balisha said...

Beautiful, beautiful roses. I can't pick a favorite. The poem was a wonderful start for your post. Balisha

Betty said...

Barbara,
Your garden is breath-taking! The roses are awesome...everything is so lush.

You and Alan continue to be in my thoughts and prayers and a verse that has meant so much to us is First Peter 5:7;...'Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you'....and I know He does.

Blessings...Betty

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Thank you for sharing the poem...I enjoyed that...and obviously you have been working very hard indeed because your garden is blooming profusely and is so very lovely. I think my favorite shots are of the lavender, because of the brilliant color. Your roses are amazing...some of those close ups are incredible.

Maree said...

Absolutely breath taking!! Oh those roses....can't get enough!

We got our plane tickets to England, bus tickets to Touro, cottage reserved on the water in Cornwall....anticipation...can't wait!

I'm going to share your lovely poem with my friend Nicki,
she was born in Ipswitch and loves and misses her homeland.

Anonymous said...

Your garden is looking so wonderful Barbara. It's so good to finally have a Summer after so many rained off ones. :-)

Have you tried making a post in draft but then cutting and pasting the lot into a new window before uploading? Even any links still hold as well as text and pics.

Hope Alan is improving.

a woman who is said...

The poem, the garden, delightful. I love your umbrella. It looks so sharp in your garden. Just so very English, as charming as the poem. Beautiful for your setting.

Thanks for sharing Barbara.

Nancie said...

Wow, your garden is so beautiful, Barbara! The flowers are so lovely especially the roses. I love roses. I wish I could visit you and spend time in this lovely garden :) Take care and have a blessed day.

Warm regards,
Nancie

bristowmom said...

Barbara, every time I lookout pictures of your garden I wish I could be there in person. It is amazingly beautiful.

Thank you for sharing the poem - I love it!

When I post pictures I "think backwards" because I have the same problem with them appearing in the wrong order. So I decide which picture I want to be last and then choose pictures until I get to what I want to be first. "the first shall be last". :-)
Laura

Betty said...

I would love to have a garden like that. It is so beautiful and inspirational.

Willow

Elena said...

What a lovely post! I very much enjoyed looking round your garden! It's absolutely beautiful and I always love reading Kipling too. Have a lovely day.
Elena

Knitting Mania said...

You and my sister must be related somehow...you two and your green thumbs!!! Your garden is simply delightful, like hers!!! Always love viewing your photos, you do such a good job with your photography!!

Blessings Barbara...

Unknown said...

OMG!! What a garden, absolutely stunning! We have summer all year round but I still could never dream of having them here...but I seriously do wish my garden is as beautiful as this. Enjoy summer :) This post really inspire me to work harder in my garden! Time to bring out the shovel and fertilizers :) Happy weekend to you and family..

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

I would so love to sit in your lovely garden with you and chat over some tea!

Beth said...

Barbara, Your roses and lavender are glorious! Wow!
Happy birthday to Janie too!
Hugs and blessings, Beth