Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Garden Signs




These two vintage postcards both have pictures of garden signs in Florida with the same quotation by Dorothy Frances Gurney (1858-1932), an English poet and hymn writer. The first sign was at Busch Gardens, Tampa. The second sign was at Sarasota Jungle Gardens.

The quotation is from a longer poem:
THE Lord God planted a garden
In the first white days of the world,
And He set there an angel warden
In a garment of light enfurled.

So near to the peace of Heaven,
That the hawk might nest with the wren,
For there in the cool of the even
God walked with the first of men.

And I dream that these garden closes
With their shade and their sun-flecked sod
And their lilies and bowers of roses,
Were laid by the hand of God.

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth, –
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.


I'm participating in Signs, Signs



15 comments:

  1. Great poem and beautiful signs! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I really like the first one with the parrots!

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  3. I've seen that saying many places but didn't know it came from a longer poem.

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  4. thanks for sharing this poem. how lovely it is and first time to hear it/

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  5. I didn't know that it came from a longer poem either. Love that shot with the parrots.

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  6. I hadn't actually heard it before, but this is the 3rd time in a month someone has included it in a post!
    ~ yours is the best.

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  7. I had to check the feet to see if they were real parrots, definitely a must in god's garden. So nice to read the full poem.

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  8. very nice qoutes...inspiring one:-) nice photos too :-) pls visit MY SIGNS,SIGNS

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  9. I'm another one who didn't know that came from a longer poem. :)

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  10. Never heard that before, it's very nice. I, too, like the parrots!

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  11. Beautifully style4d signs with beautiful words!

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  12. The parrots are so cute and colorful! Great signs!

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  13. Great signs! The one with parrots is my favourite.

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