By Linda Wiggen Kraft
“In summer the song sings itself”
– William Carlos Williams
The songs of a summer garden are many. There is the song of sound itself with the choir of cicadas, birds, bees, insects and wind through the leaves. It is there from that sacred time of morning before the sunrise when birds call to the sun to rise again each day. It is there during the busy day as life awakens and plays in the sunlit hours. In the dark the night chorus goes on. We hear these songs with our ears.
There are more songs that we know through our other senses, like the song of summer color. The miracle of living color that we see as flowers and foliage turn the light of the sun into the rainbow of colors and patterns. Could there be a more magnificent light show than the arrangement of petals and seeds on the head of a sunflower, the explosion of colors in petunias, the riot of springtime colors with trees and shrubs covered in blossoms? The songs of heavenly fragrance from roses, lilies, lavender, mint, rosemary and other plants delight us with their gifts. The song of taste from a fresh picked tomato, peaches, blueberries, summer greens and other nourishing morsels bring food to body and soul. The song of touch as bare feet walk across the grass, as soft leaves of lambs ear touch our cheeks, the breeze of cool air in the shade on a hot day are all songs sung to our skin and body.
The garden nourishes us with these songs. Our senses receive these songs as the choir of a summer garden sings out in its myriad ways. Of course the songs are not just for us. The songs are sung for and by others that are part of the garden; the life in the soil, the birds, insects and other creatures that are at home here. We can tune into these songs not only with our ears, but also with all our senses and most importantly with our hearts.
Linda Wiggen Kraft is a landscape designer who creates holistic and organic gardens.
She is also a mandala artist and workshop leader. Visit her blog: www.CreativityForTheSoul.com/blog or website: www.CreativityForTheSoul.com. Contact her at 314 504-4266.