Quilchena is hosting the annual St. Patrick's Day golf tournament on Saturday this year. Wear your nicest green shirt. I dressed up the front entrance in orange, green and white in celebration of all things Irish. I'm kind of a Robbie Burns girl myself but hopefully I succeeded in bringing the luck of the Irish to Quilchena.
Fortunately for us, a Leprechaun paid a visit and left his valuables behind. He was probably spooked by someone opening the door. A pile of gold nuggets sits on an old log with suspiciously small green footprints leading from it. Pots of grass and two planters flank the front entrance overflowing with varieties of heather and green foliaged plants. A lucky horseshoe is there to bring good fortune to all the members of Quilchena and a lucky rainbow. I hope you all enjoy it.
I did a little research on this holiday and I learned that it's more then just green beer. It's abundant with mythology, religion and a very respected man named Saint Patrick.
Saint Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century. His family was wealthy and his father was a religious man. The history of Saint Patrick is allegedly a first person account detailed in the Declaration (his spiritual bibliography). He states that he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and brought to Ireland where her spent six years as a shepherd before fleeing back to his hometown. The claim is that he found God within those six years and later returned to Ireland to convert pagen Irish to Christianity. He spent many years introducing religion to residents of Northern Ireland, converting thousands, before his death on March 17th. Legend has it that he would use the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagen Irish, which has become the symbol of this important Irish holiday. Since at least the 1640's people have been wearing shamrocks and emerald to demonstrate Irish pride.
Irish nationalist have been celebrating the death of there most prized patron Saint since at least the 9th and 10th centuries. In Ireland, the holiday is more religious in nature. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide though, but mostly in countries that Irish immigrants have settled. Celebrations are annually held in Canada, U.S.A., Argentina, U.K., Malaysia, Japan, Russian, South Korea, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and most surprisingly the International Space Center. St. Patrick's Day is only a statutory holiday in Ireland, Newfoundland, Labrador, and Montserrat (the emerald island of the Caribbean) though. Traditional celebrations include parades, festivals, folk music and dancing. Historically, Lent restrictions on food and drink were lifted on St. Patrick's Day. This allowance would often to lead excessive eating and drinking.
Contemporary traditions celebrate all things Irish. Traditional foods (corned beef, braised cabbage, meat pies, and lots and lots of beer), the colour emerald green, mystical rainbows, pots of gold and mythical creatures like leprechauns.
The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. Irish folklore states that a Leprechaun resembles a very small, old man (no taller then a small child). He wears a crooked hat, a leather apron and is cloaked in green. These creatures are solitary, unfriendly and partake in mischief. A captor can find a Leprechaun by the sound of shoeamakers hammer. Here is a little Irish blessing about a Leprechaun.
Near a misty stream in Ireland in the hollow of a tree
Live mystical, magical leprechauns
who are clever as can be
With their pointed ears, and turned up toes and little coats of green
The leprechauns busily make their shoes and try hard not to be seen.
Only those who really believe have seen these little elves
And if we are all believers
We can surely see for ourselves.
Spring came and went in a hurry. It's always a hectic time for Gardeners- cutting down spent plant material, edging beds, applying soil and adding new plants to the mix. The tulips and daffodils pop up to let you know that it's time to wake up and get ready for the Summer. What a relief that pop of colour is! Needless to say, I've been incredibly busy in the gardens at Quilchena and I haven't had a chance to sit down and contemplate the season so far. A few items of interest that I recall were the island beds in the parking lot were planted with thousands of multi-colour tulips to brighten up the joint. The photinia hedges around the parking lot blazed there red new growth in symphony with the tulips. Azaleas and rhododendrons throughout the property lit up in celebration as well. It was quite the show. Additionally, the front entrance was decorated with Easter cheer. 
on container gardening the following month. Interested members signed up at the Spring Fling. It was a great day! I gave a quick introduction to the fundamentals of assembling a planter then everyone was set free to choose plants to fill there containers that they brought from home. There was a huge selection of vibrant coloured annuals to inspire some very creative planters. I was really impressed by the taste value of all the planters. Any of them could have graced the cover of any garden magazine. We have a bunch of green thumbs here at Quilchena. The clubhouse supplied mini quiches, fruit platter, coffee and mimosas (of course). The best part is that the sun came out to shine! Here is a few pics from the event.
