These first two images in the archive have waited patiently for a post.

Frosty dew is gorgeous, but I had hoped to pass on a little more info. It took awhile (weeks) before the plant and I were finally camera-ready. I caught the blooms open yesterday– they have a way of closing when the light is a tad off.

When not much else is blooming, clumps of this lovely plant are downright majestic. And I almost welcome its appearance anywhere in the garden. It does have that famous oxalis ability to regenerate freely, however it's the sort of plant no gardener should be without, and I'd dig up a clump for you if you happened by. The leaf-span is 2.25-inches.

Note the imposter leaf in the grid (second image)-- it's much smaller and belomgs to the more humble Oxalis crassipes or white wood sorrel.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

~ Kahlil Gibran

All through the month of blossoms I wanted to do this post. Finally now that the flowers are almost gone, here they are again. Thank God for images!

The above were all taken in my neighborhood, between rains, on a February 17 morning walk. The first is almond the rest are plum.

These shots were taken yesterday of our 'Purple Pony' plum tree. With petals gone, the calyxs become blooms in a final hurrah. It's amazing how stamens still stand after weathering many storms. Below is PP from 2/17 through 3/12.

When I longed for the purple leaves of a plum tree in my garden, I shied away from the traditional plum tree that often grows askew and too big in neighboring gardens. After a little research I purchased the fruitless 'Purple Pony' for it's smaller size and elegant form– it continues to be a joy.

Because of Japan's Tsunami,

the Japanese love for these trees, and their (our world's) plight was more on my mind than what was at hand. But how could I say something about it here? I have no soothing words. I searched long for a quote and finally found–

Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thanks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible.

~ Thomas Kempis

Our world is small– we can read tsunami updates on our phones– they had news before the morning paper! A little more than a week ago, Japan came to me in a blog comment– Dainty726 sent me this:

枯れたってバラは綺麗！！読めるかな？日本語！？(o^∇^o)

about this post from the past.

I was able to quickly translate it from my Mac dashboard:

Withering passing, as for the rose clean!! The kana which you can read? Japanese!? In addition the no which comes to seeing (o^∇^o)

A crude translation at best, but heart touching, and somehow timely. Can one of my readers translate it better??

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Would you know that two of the images in the 5-photo grid were macros of the blooms in this vase? Funny how the blur of the wood and aqua walls could be light and sky.

1 macro lens + blooming trees  = bliss