Garden Dictation

Come, bring your pad
and a sharp pencil
Let’s see-
First there is soil and toads and pebbles
then a bit of shiny stuff
and pine bark
(can you smell the difference?)
Now, columbines, astilbe
(the wee ones called sprite)
daylilies, roses, hostas and hydrangeas
an odd yellow lily
(not sure when it arrived)
Are you getting this all down?
Don’t let the butterflies
interrupt your train of thought-
Next the moneywort,
lemon thyme, a bit of bind weed too,
and the ivys: English, birdsfoot,
the white splotched variegated creeper
Did I mention the ferns?
Painted, everdale and cinnamon
and this one that was dug
from the bank of the creek
Iris: butter yellow, midnight black,
sweet apricot and white edged grape
stiff daggers of leaves stand
to mind their place
Now where was I?
Cosmos, pinks, mums, and hollyhocks
violets, a dandelion or two
soft lambs ears and ghostly dusty miller
pale grey to light the shadows
against the deep dark green
Well, that is that..
Tomorrow, we shall count the trees.