Monday, November 4, 2013

November 2013 Working Bee

We had a great afternoon tea at the working bee today. Some of the great food included pikelets and NCG tree-ripened mulberry jam made by Dianne, cous cous by Christine, a broad bean salad by Heather, a broad bean salad by Elizabeth, (Tanya's) olives by Heather and olives by Rebecca.

Lots of much-needed mulching and weeding was accomplished around the perimeter of the gardens. We managed to neatly put back to the outside of the fence all the logs and wood that were carelessly thrown into the gardens by the mysterious mowing monsters.

We also discussed and walked around the proposed area for an extension of the gardens to the south. And we discussed the mowing along the outside of the gardens (along the east side next to railway lines).

Here are some photos taken today:
                                                                      afternoon tea


                                                                     
                                                                       
                                                                    
 Pierre de Ronsard rose (named in reference to Ronsard's (1524 -1585) poem "Ode to Cassandra")
Here's the poem:

À CASSANDRE
Mignonne, allons voir si la rose
Qui ce matin avoit desclose
Sa robe de pourpre au Soleil,
A point perdu, ceste vesprée,
Les plis de sa robe pourprée,
Et son teint au votre pareil.
Las ! voyez comme en peu d’espace,
Mignonne, elle a dessus la place
Las, las, ses beautés laissé choir !
O vraiment marâtre Nature,
Puis qu’une telle fleur ne dure
Que du matin jusques au soir !
Donc, si vous me croyez, mignonne,
Tandis que votre âge fleuronne
En sa plus verte nouveauté,
Cueillez, cueillez votre jeunesse :
Comme à cette fleur la vieillesse
Fera ternir votre beauté.
and in English:
TO CASSANDRE
Darling, let's see if the rose
Who this morning had desclose
His purple robe Sun,
A lost point, cestus vespers,
The folds of her purple dress,
And your complexion like.
Alas! see as little space
Cute, she has over the place
Weary, weary, let fall its beauties!
O really stepmother Nature
Can such a flower lasts
That the morning even to the evening!
So if you believe me, cute,
While your age blossomed
As greener novelty,
Pick, pick your youth:
As this flower old age
Will tarnish your beauty.
Alistair 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

congratulations.. great blog alistair..loved seeing it.. looks like a great day..
marijka

Rebecca Donald said...

Aren't we awesome? Love your work Alistair.