One of the many
names for the full moon of April is the Pink Moon, supposedly derived from
early colonists’ perceptions of spring blooms in New England. In this part of
the timber, I’m seeing more lavender, especially in late April and May.
The native redbuds,
Cercis canadensis, are the most
spectacular. They usually bloom in mid-April before the trees have leafed out.
For a couple of weeks, the light is filtered through a cloud of blossoms. The
roadsides look like an invitation to enter Faërie. My daughter gathers the
blossoms to sprinkle on cinnamon toast and drop into salads. When we first
bought this land, my husband and I (both lifelong locals but townies) walked
through the woods in March. There were more unfamiliar trees than either of us
had seen before. We asked each other, “What are all these trees with the dark
red buds on them?” In April the answer became obvious, a delightful “Duh”
moment.
The lilacs are
next. We planted purple and white Syringa
bushes early on. We now have a variegated lavender selection spreading beside
the driveway. As far as I’m concerned, the lilacs can be any color they want as
long as they smell like ecstasy. The species name comes from syrinx, a hollow tube or pipe. Syrinx
was a nymph who escaped the pursuit of the wild God Pan by transforming herself
into reeds. Pan gathered the hollow stems and invented his signature
instrument, the panpipes or syrinx. My daughter likes to compose flute music in
the garden and the woods, where the singing of crickets and spring peepers
inspires her. The neighbors sometimes hear distant piping, elusive as the scent
of lilacs.
In May the sweet
rocket goes off. It’s also called dame’s rocket and lady’s rocket, Hesperis matronalis: Mother of the
evening. It was here before we were, favoring the edges of the timber. It moved
into the yard with great abandon. One year I bought a couple of plants of the alba variant at a local nursery. They
mixed it up with the natives immediately. Now the rocket explosion features not
only the native deep purple, but also a random selection of white, pink and
lavender blossoms.
So I use a personal
name for the moon of May. The light changes as it pours through blossoms, spilling
purple shadows on the ground, showering the timber with the Mother’s blessing.
performed by Paula Robison.)
