Last evening we were at the water watching a sea otter diving and catching fish for dinner and listening to the party rattle of a Belted Kingfisher. We were enjoying the clear sky and warm glow before the sun set when a commotion broke out. A raspy voice clattered up from the forest floor shouting with the stage presence of a news orator…
The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts,
All on a summer day:
The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts,
And took them quite away!
The Queen of Hearts, shouted “Give me back those tarts”
Scaring the two of hearts,
Who changed into a pair of lady’s slippers
the two of hearts - lady's slippers
The Knave of Hearts
Didn’t have his clipper
And even after several false starts
he couldn’t save the lady’s slipper
the lady's slipper
View and purchase full resolution image here.
Farther on he dropped the tarts
Crying “Chocolate Lily!”
Chocolate Lily Fritillaria affinis
The Queen of hearts
Told him not to be so silly
My thanks to Lewis Carroll for the inspiration from The Knave of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Chocolate Lily or Checkered Lily
View and purchase full resolution image here.
Sprout Question: When was the last time you were creatively silly?
Note: Tomorrow I am traveling. The Creative Potager Friday post is scheduled to be put up. However, you will not receive a notice on facebook or twitter until later in the day. So please drop by at your usual time or subscribe to be notified by email.
© 2010 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.
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Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.
From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
Creative Potager 
Chocolate Lilies are my favorite.
A student asked me last month why I make such a big deal out them, so I told the students :
– they are native to this area
– they are becoming more rare because people dig them up and try to grow them at home (unsuccessfully – sigh!)
– They are are unusual in colour – a BROWN flower!!!
– They are, in fact, edible.
Convinced?
Thanks for posting these beautiful flowers mom!
You are welcome Jose, I actual did think of you as I was flat on my belly getting poked by sticks and pitch on my pants trying to get low enough to take these photos of the Chocolate Lilies. Of course I didn’t think of you at all while I was making up silly lines to go with “the Knave of Hearts.” Aren’t you glad you didn’t end up with an ordinary everyday sane kind of mother?
Terrill – Oh my gosh, what gorgeous photography. The flowers are so clear, so life-like, I swear the fragrance is coming through my speakers!
Sprout Question: When was the last time you were creatively silly?
Last week at the Writers’ Institute at UW-Madison we had to blindly choose a metaphor and weave it through a pre-written story that none of us had seen yet. I chose “baggage.” Regardless of the metaphor (tea kettle, chimney, clock, train), the readings were hysterical!
Yes I can imagine that being hysterical Laurie – great sprout response and thank you:) Glad you enjoyed the images of these wild flowers.
I am interrupting my supper to respond to this blog! This is the cutest, sweetest, blog I have ever read. The poem and the photographs intertwine so beautiful… like they where meant to go chasing each other!
I am not sure about silly but sure is cute!
The photographs are some of your best! Crisp, clear, brilliantly colored!!!
Sprout Question: When was the last time you were creatively silly?
I am not sure that I ever have been creatively silly? I will have to ponder this one!
Thank you so much Jeff for the feedback on my photos… coming from you it means a lot to me. I hope your supper didn’t get cold and all the best with your pondering.
Hi Terrill
I am up really late after a 14 hour day….
Lets see, first thanks for posting the Lady Slipper- Official Flower of my home state-Minnesota.
As for being creatively silly?
I guess I have to be really creative to talk my husband into a dog after it took me fifteen years since the last one! I think he is pleased and loves it. I was even so pitiful that for the last three years I would go see the puppies and pet them. I would go home and tell Mike about all the orphans out there.
G’night All
Kim
http://Butterfliesgalore.wordpress.com
Well I hope you have long sense gone to bed Kim and from all the love and enjoyment I have been reading about your dog on your blog and post here and there I think is was a wise decision and not silly at all. Good night Kim:)
often i think doing anything creative is just silly.
the last time i was creatively silly would have to be at one of the drawing workshops that are really more like parties .
Jerry from that cryptic sprout I am not even going to ask what it was you were being creatively silly about:) Thank you so much for coming by. I am going to sleep on you first response though about “doing anything creative is just sill.” Hummm…. can you tell us more about this thinking?
Magnificent photographs, Terrill of the Lady Slippers. We don’t have them down here in SoCal, so seeing them in special. “farther on he dropped the tarts” thank you for crazy Alice, too.
Thank you Kathy. I’m glad you enjoyed the post… sometimes it is a lot of fun to be silly:)
I was delighted that you left a comment on my blog. We are kindred creative spirts. It has been years since I have seen a chocloate lily. What great photography! Did you find the lily on Mayne Island? The last ones I saw were in pre-digital days when we lived in the Okanagan… so I have a few shots on fading film.
Yes Sherwin this is a Mayne Island Chocolate Lily taken the national park near the point. So glad you dropped in to Creative Potager!
You have a good eye for photography… and have just excellent quality pics. And I love your writing in this piece. Very creative and fun! You are an inspiration. Keep up the good work. I also look forward to meeting you.
Thank you Sherwin and I am sure it will happen at some point:)
Today I published a post about “Seeing and Creating” that you may find interesting as well.