Some say romance is old-fashioned.

I say it’s timeless. It’s beauty has sustained it. It’s style still applies.
The world outside my home may be sleek and new,
but inside my fence there must the poetry of the birds and the bees,
the comfort of shade on a hot summer’s afternoon,
and the fragrance of gardenias!

Wandering around in the yard this morning with the camera I walked close to this bed and was delighted with the alluring soft fragrance of the gardenias.  For me, it’s amazing, inviting, comforting; for some I’ve known… not so much.

“It reminds me of funerals.” says one friend.

“It reminds me of my senior prom,” says another.

The creamy white petals are silky, satiny, sumptuous and short lived.  Back in the day (mid-twentieth century and  earlier) gardenias were the corsage flower of choice for many special occasions.  Looking at them now it’s easy to understand why.  They’re just beautiful.

And here, close to the flowers I love, is a Verde Gris statue of St. Francis that I also love.  He’s practically covered over with the roses and Viola ground cover now.  Still, as I daily fill the tiny basin he holds with water, I’m reminded of two favorite quotes:

“Preach the Gospel all the time. If necessary use words!”

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
_St. Francis of Assisi