May 27, 2010
The entryway of our house is finally beginning to look pretty. I have recently transplanted plants from other areas of our garden to the walkway that leads up to our house. After choosing a tree to shade the area, I thought that I had finished. About a two weeks ago (a fortnight in British), I saw lots of green shoots coming up right next to the path. I could immediately tell that these new plants were not weeds; they were too uniform, and had pretty leaves. As time has gone by, these little shoots have developed into larger plants that have now flowered. I had completely forgotten that I had planted anemones in the Autumn. And now, they are beginning to flower. Wow! What color they have! It is hard to believe that a little bulb can produce such a spectacular display of beauty and color. These anemones need partial to full shade to grow properly, and the great thing is that they are perennial. They come back every year, each time in larger numbers. I just googled anemones to find out more about them. Their name is Greek for 'wind flower', and they even have medicinal powers to help get rid of cramps and emotional distress. I have a love of shade and semi-shade plants. One of my other favorites is the cyclamen. The flower head is so unusual in the way that it hangs down but all of its petals stand up towards the sky. Each flower is spectacular in its own way. One of the many things that I enjoy about gardening are the surprises that come along. Seeds of a certain wild vine that is in our garden have blown over to the front area, and so now we have baby vines growing all over the place. I try to imagine sometimes what my garden would look like if it were abandoned for a while. It would become a gorgeous jungle of color and shapes, with a mixture of weeds, vines, roses, and stunning anemones.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: a fortnight, uniform, a display, cramp.
1. A two week period in England is what we call a fortnight.
2. The tables at the wedding looked elegant and uniform; they were identical.
3. The shop window has a wonderful flower display.
4. I had pain and tension in my stomach. I took some medicine and my cramps went away.