“Suddenly to be transported to that place where the air was so still that it held its breath, where the light was so golden that the most ordinary things were transfigured – to be transported into that delicate warmth, that caressing fragrance…..” ~ The Enchanted April, Elizabeth Von Arnim (1922).
The month of April really has been the most enchanting month, with the sun’s rays losing the harshness of summer, yet the cooler winter air has not yet arrived. More and more flowers are breaking out in bloom as each new day arrives, the breeze is the gentlest I have felt it in a long time and the birds flittering around the garden are just happy to be alive.
I’m happy to be alive; I wouldn’t want to miss out on a single day spent in the garden at this most beautiful time of year.
“Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity.” ~ Lindley Karstens.
The bees are buzzing, the butterflies are fluttering, and oh how I love to get my hands in the soil. I can feel a trip to my local garden centre is imminent, and I’ll probably arrive home with way more plants than I intended, but that okay, there’s always room for just one more beauty in the garden.
During the last couple of weeks I have made two Lemon Meringue Pies, which is Ben’s favourite, as my lemon tree branches are overloaded, almost to breaking point, with huge, juicy lemons.
If there’s one thing I enjoy as much as gardening, it would have to be picking freshly grown fruit and vegetables straight from the garden and bringing them indoors to devour with my family.
“In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.” ~ Abram L. Urban.
Tomorrow, when the month of May is here, I expect the weather will begin to cool down somewhat and by June we will all be wearing warm jumpers again for perhaps two or three months. These photos belong to April though, and needed to be shared before we bid April goodbye again for another eleven months.
This has been the most Enchanting April I can remember, ever. Did I say that about last April? Perhaps. But that’s okay. I will probably go into raptures over my garden and the wonders of nature all over again next April as well.
“….April came along softly like a blessing, and if it were a fine April it was so beautiful that it was impossible not to feel different, not to feel stirred and touched.” ~ The Enchanted April.
I’ve spent so much time in the garden lately that I have hardly found any time to read at all. I have come across more books written by Elizabeth Von Arnim though, including “Elizabeth and her German Garden” and “The Solitary Summer”. Being the keen gardener that she was, it is little wonder that Elizabeth was able to describe the beauty of the gardens at San Salvatore in “The Enchanted April” so poetically.
“It pleases me to take amateur photographs of my garden, and it pleases my garden to make my photographs look professional.” ~ Robert Brault.
All of my regular feathered friends continue to visit me for their breakfast and dinner each day. Their little in-built timers tell them all to arrive at around 7 am each morning, then again at around 4:30 pm. The Kookaburras dominate, the Magpies seem to rank second in the chain and my sweet little Butcher Birds are left to clean up the dregsy remains. (We don’t let the Kookaburras and Magpies know it, but I usually take out a little something extra for the Butcher Birds after the others have left.)
My hours spent in my garden will always be blissful. It doesn’t matter at all whether I am watering the garden, feeding the birds, digging out weeds or planting new flowers, my garden transports me to another world, a blissful world, an enchanting world…..
…..an Enchanted April.
If you missed Part 1 of my April gardening photos, you will find them at “Three Hours of Gardening Bliss ~ Part 1”.
In My World 
This year I must agree – it is a most enchanting April. Your photos are such prime examples of that enchantment!
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It’s good to know that April has been enchanting in the Northern Hemisphere also this year Carol. 🙂
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T.S. Eliot said that April is the cruelest month. I know what he meant, but if he had seen it through your eyes, he might have thought differently. ❤
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“April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land”….hmm, I think I must need to look further into what T.S. Eliot meant by this. It seems to me that lilacs appearing through the cold winter soil should be a pleasurable experience. What a shame he isn’t still alive to debate this issue with. 😉
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haha. Yes, you should read the entire poem, Joanne. It’s full of good stuff (and one of my favorites, though not exactly a happy one). ❤
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I started to read it after you left your comment, not realising how long it was! I will go back to it later and I’ll read through it a couple of times too. I read that there are many who regard it as one of the most valued literary works of our time, so I must be missing something in my initial read, as I did find it rather depressing! Thank you for drawing my attention to the poem Stacy, I’m certainly curious now. 🙂
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I love your April photos! April is generally a lovely month, isn’t it? The picture of the kookaburra caught my eye. I have been fascinated by them since I learned The Kookaburra Song in grade school. I love magpies, along with all their cousins (ravens are my most favourite bird of all). Wish I had a lemon tree, but a piece or two of your pie would be a good stand-in . . . 😉 ~ Linne
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If you enjoy cooking Linne, you really should bake the pie! It is super-yummy, but we only make it for special occasions so we don’t take it for granted. 😉
I like ravens too, although I haven’t seen any here and I don’t really know a lot about them. They seem like very dramatic birds (is it possible for a bird to be dramatic?) probably because of their colour. I’ve been surprised by how many people have learned the kookaburra song at school, the world over! I remember the song from school too, and have only found out recently how many countries have adopted the song to teach to school children. 🙂
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What beautiful photographs♥ Joanne you have such an amazing garden with breathtaking views. I wish I had Kookaburra’s visiting daily. Sadly it’s very rare to see or even hear them where I live, that wasn’t the case years ago though:( Did you receive the message I sent to you via your contact page? Hopefully you did:) I’m so looking forward to your next post. Cheerio for now, Linda Gold Coast
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What a shame you don’t see or hear kookaburras any more Linda. I think that now, having discovered birds, I couldn’t live without them. I do hope you enjoy sharing my birds though, through my photos.
I’ve sent you an email, by the way. 🙂
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Are those Kookaburras eating ground meat ?
Your garden is a lush marvel.
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They are, Sybil, I buy it cheap at our local supermarket, $3.00 for half a kilo, and it lasts a couple of days. I also leave bread out for the birds and some of the smaller honeyeaters and parrots enjoy eating that as well. 🙂
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Gorgeous post Joanne! I love seeing your beautiful garden, half a world away. So strange to think of your garden season soon coming to a close while mine is just beginning.
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It adds to the variety that we see, on both sides of the world, Karma. I think it’s wonderful, and yes, strange also. 🙂
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Ahhhh, an enchanting post, Joanne! Loved looking at the flowers. I am thinking, though, that May is going to be our enchanting month this year. (We hope!)
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Oh I do wish you a magical and enchanting May Kathy, in your little house in the big woods! I do believe that if we look hard enough, there is something wonderful to be found in every month of the year. 🙂
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