Irises and an Angel…
I have written about Irises before, because there is something magical about them that captures my imagination.
In Greek mythology, Iris is the goddess who acts as a messenger of the Gods, appearing to mortals in the form of a rainbow. The Iris’s wide spectrum of colors lends itself perfectly to its namesake.
The Iris symbolizes great faith, wisdom, hope, love and cherished friendship, and is reputed to purify evil energies. Poets, kings and artists have been admirers of the exotic Iris, and the flower was considered a symbol of great power by the Egyptians. Drawings of the Iris have been found in many Egyptian palaces.
And then there are these little beds of Irises in one of my gardens…
The thing is, I never planted these Iris bulbs and they’ve never shown up in these gardens prior to yesterday and today…
I find this very fascinating, but not surprising.
You see, the former, now deceased, owners of our very old home were avid gardeners. I’ve been told this by our neighbor, Rebecca, who lived next door to the Fonseca family for decades. The two families were as close as two families can possibly be. When the Fonsecas sold this home several years back due to illness, the land with its lovely gardens and fruit trees was, in a word, leveled for the construction of another home to be built on the property.
That would not happen due to legal issues, but the gardens had already be ravaged.
When Barry and I bought the property from the new owners 4 years ago (whom decided to sell when their new construction plans were thwarted), we settled into updates and kitchen/bathroom renovations, never intending to change the lovely footprint of the existing home or the beds of lovely gardens.
The following summer after our move, the flowers began to re-appear. First, Daffodils and Tulips. Then the Hydrangeas, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Roses and Hosta. Peonies, Day Lilies and one Blueberry bush.
Barry and I have planted Sweet William, more Hydrangeas, Roses and another Rose of Sharon, but we wanted to wait until our renovations were completed before jumping into gardening with a fervor of activity.
Well, we are done. The last phase of our renovations was a new deck off the back of our newly renovated kitchen, a deck with a beautiful view and room for our very big family (4 kids, 4 in-law kids, 12 grandkids and my Mom)…
This weekend is the first time we’ve stepped onto our deck to entertain our family…
AND, I THINK, A MESSENGER FROM HEAVEN in the form of glorious Irises that had never bloomed here since we’ve lived here, the loveliest purples tinted with yellow and the magically pure white ones…
And the lovely Irises in my neighbor and wonderful friend Rebecca’s yard, especially the friendly purple one peeking through the fence!
My fascination is that I truly believe that these Irises have been touched and sent by Mary Fonseca, the former owner of our home, who passed away last summer. I think the colors are touched by rainbows and are in the perfect place to admire from our new deck…
I think flowers really do contain the magic and the power of faith, hope, wisdom, friendship, love… and yes, angels.
