The siren of pretty weather enticed me to walk down to the creek yesterday. The sunshine felt so good and down off the hill I found plenty of blooms.
My brother Steve’s fruit trees are so lovely. The bees were having a hay day as they visited the sweetly scented blossoms.
Granny’s yard is a carpet of violets. White and purple ones grow right beside each other so thickly it’s a true confusion of color as you look across the area. Her plum tree is in full bloom and has perfumed the entire backyard.
Although many people consider wild violets an invasive pest because of their propensity to spread into a carpet like in Granny’s yard I’ve always found their little cheery faces hard to dislike.
Over the years I’ve written about violets many times. Here’s a few posts from the archives:
Since the sun hits Steve and Granny’s yards more than it does mine they have way more things blooming than I do. It’s the same on down the holler and through the settlement of Brasstown. Next week will bring winter temperatures back, but until then we will enjoy this taste of spring of the year.
Last night’s video: Cooking Supper from Food Preserved from our Garden.
Tipper
Appalachia Through My Eyes – A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia.
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Violets are so pretty! I bet it is a beautiful sight to see at Granny’s house. They bloomed in time for her birthday!
The weatherman is calling for below freezing temperatures here Sunday and Monday night but with a stiff breeze blowing. It doesn’t frost here when the wind is blowing. The snow for Sunday night has been called off I guess.
I looked up the weather for Beech Mountain which isn’t far away. This coming Tuesday it is calling for a high of 29º and a low of 16º. That’s Winter anywhere and especially here in the South.
I know Granny’s yard has to be beautiful with those pretty violets blooming. I love the picture. Seeing the new life coming up is a sure reminder of spring. Enjoyed last night’s video. So glad you can get silver queen corn from Farmer Tim. That was the only kind my daddy grew, and it was always so sweet and good!
Last time I saw wild violets was in spring of 2001 in Michigan when I was visiting my aunt. Such sweet little flowers. Her neighbor would mow the yard each month & have the blades set high enough to miss the darlings.
I enjoy African violets. Makes me think of my grandmother, but my aunt would have them in her west facing living room window, they don’t seem to appreciate me, sad to say.
That violet jelly is tasty stuff for sure! Thanks for the recipe!
Young violet leaves are edible as well, and older ones can be cooked in soups or stir fries like kale.
Oh, Dandelion! Oh dandelion, yellow as gold, what do you do all day? “I wait here in the tall, green grass, ’til the children come to play.” Oh dandelion, yellow as gold, what do you do all night? “I wait and wait as cool dew falls, and my hair grows long and white.” And what do you do when your hair grows white and the children come to play? “They take me in their little hands and blow my hair away! “
Thank you SO much, Ron! That is the poem! I’m going to type it up & frame it. Thanks again! Hope you have a blessed day!
Cheryl, you’re very welcome. I’m glad I was able to find it. It is a nice poem. I hope you have a blessed day, too.
Tipper, like you and others here, I too like the sweet little wild violets. I think they are just lovely. They just shout spring.
I loved your recipe for violet jelly when I first tried it years ago. My grandkids would rather have dandelion jelly, but we all admit that violet jelly is the prettiest. Until I learned to make jelly with the pretty little flowers, all I knew they were used for was a good ‘rooster fight’. The kids at my grade school spent many recesses making bets on whose rooster would win when they hooked the little heads together and pulled.
Your picture is of my favorite violet color, the deep purpuly-blue. The deep green leaves just really set them off. I have some of those out in the garden. I transplanted some to the edge of the porch but they faded out. I have lots of violets right now, among them about 3 colors. I’ll wait for them to stop blooming before I mow. From time to time I have new plants show up I guess from letting them make seed. The deer would eat them all if the winter leaves weren’t so small and ground-hugging.
Violets are the one little flower I miss. They won’t grow where I live in FL. I remember the blue ones & the white ones growing in the woods not far from our house. so delicate and pretty
This time of the year, when the early bloomers show up to warm our old cold wintertime souls, I’m reminded of a silly little poem I learned in the fourth grade. I really don’t know why it has stuck with me, but here it is. Spring has sprung. The flowers has riz. I wonder where the birdies is?
I’ve seen violets all over my neighborhood, and some in my yard. When Mama was alive, she had a front yard full of violets.
I have a few violets growing out by the mailbox. so pretty I wish there were more I would like to make violet jelly too
Your wild violets are wonderful and gorgeous! I’d love to see and hear all the bees buzzing busy at work! You live in a very beautiful area. I’m so thankful spring is coming.
I think the wild violets are gorgeous. They can be used for many purposes but your violet jelly is the best use yet! I’d love to see and hear all the bees buzzing. It would just make my day! You’re lucky, Tipper. I suppose we all much more to look forward to and enjoy than grumble about when it comes right down to it!
I love wild violets & usually see them on the north side of my house where it is damp but have not seen a one yet. I love dandelions, too. My grandmother loved dandelions & would recite a poem about them. I don’t remember any of the poem except the last line which was “and blow my hair away.” When I was a kid I liked to blow the fuzzy ball of seeds away. Do you know that poem or do any of your readers? I would love to read the poem. It sure would bring back wonderful memories of my sweet grandmother. She had such a gentle spirit, loved animals & birds & all things in nature.
Cheryl, is this the poem?
O Dandelion
by Anonymous
“O dandelion, yellow as gold,
What do you do all day?”
“I just wait here in the tall green grass
Till the children come to play.”
“O dandelion, yellow as gold,
What do you do all night?”
“I wait and wait till the cool dews fall
And my hair grows long and white.”
“And what do you do when your hair is white
And the children come to play?”
“They take me up in their dimpled hands
And blow my hair away!”
Oh yes, that is the sweet poem! I will type it up & frame it. Thanks so much!!
Although not the wild ones, violets were my mother’s favorite flower. Seems like she had violets scattered throughout their home. Tipper, I thought of you a few days ago when I saw the thrift that had once been my grandaddy’s blooming. I remember reading your older blog about thrift. I guess a lot of early flowers and tree buds will get killed next week in my area if the weatherman is correct. Several nights of temps in the 30’s and at least one night of about 27 degrees. There will be a light frost at my home if temps dip into the 30’s at Greenville, SC.
Loved last nights video. I am going to try growing butternut again and spaghetti. I accidently saved the seeds and didn’t know til it was mature what it was…lol. The temp down here in upstate Florida is 44 this morning. I am hoping that this will be the last low temp this spring and til fall sets in. God Bless you guys. Stay warm.