hollyhock
Monday, October 11, 2010
Between the flowers Mount Windy "towers". Enjoy a free subscription to French Word-A-Day via Email or RSS
la rose trémière (rowz tray me yare) noun, feminine
: hollyhock
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Pendant les périodes chaotiques, il fallait attacher Smokey à notre rose trémière. During chaotic periods, it was necessary to attach Smokey to our hollyhock.
A Day in a French Life... by Kristin Espinasse
"How to Contain a Dog"
The scene is simple, facile as a flower. The subjects are easy: a plant, a dog, and a leash.
But if you could sit with me, staring at such strength and mystery, you, too, would see the greatness in such a fragile thing.
Pull up a chair and quietly observe our characters: one furry and golden the other lean and green. Just a couple of underdogs joined by a string.
I think about little old ants and rubber tree plants. I think about Jack and the beanstalk. I am amazed. Who'd have thunk, who'd have thought: so much strength in a hollyhock!
You know the saying "La nécessité est mère de l'invention," and so it was that with all the comings and goings this summer—and what with the busy harvest—we needed a safe place to attach our younger dog. The picnic table worked fine, until we showed up to dine.... The lampadaire worked for a while, until the shade moved over to the wood pile. That is when the back patio beckoned. But where to temporarily tie our sweet chien? My eyes traveled over to the giant plant....
What began as a seed now stands seven feet high! Thick enough at the "ankles" to hold on to 26 kilos (our dog, or occasional escapee).
Back at the kitchen table, chaos to my back, I take a moment to marvel at the mighty underdogs. It is just a simple scene, that of a dog anchored to a one-time seedling. So the next time you stare at a glorious maple, think of a hollyhock, and of what it is capable.
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French Vocabulary
La nécessité est mère de l'invention (or "l'industrie") = necessity is the mother of invention
le lampadaire = street lamp
le chien = dog
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Sandy came to help us for the harvest (we snuck away before the work began to take a few photos in Villedieu). You will love Sandy's harvest stories over at her blog "Go for the Grape". Check it out!
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I want to plant these flowers next spring!
Posted by: meredith | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 11:01 AM
J'adore les roses trémiaires et pourtant elles ne sont souvent pas mises en valeur. Bravo pour avoir élevé un véritable arbre de roses trémiaires. Elle sont belles! Le chien est beau aussi. Bises. sw
Posted by: Suzanne White | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Smokey looks so handsome (if not a bit lonely).
Posted by: mary | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 12:21 PM
In his second picture, Smokey seems to be saying (at least to me) "Don't believe a word of what she says. If she had just asked I would have stayed out of the way, but with so many people to meet and greet what did she expect?"
Posted by: Bill in St. Paul | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 01:00 PM
Great picture, I have never seen a rose tremiere like that. Only one stright stem. How did you get it like that.
I plant hollyhocks every year, they never bloom. My Grandmother was from England and we had a picture of her cottage with huge hollyhocks. I have loved them forever .
Your Doggie is sooo cute,
yvonne
Posted by: yvonne | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 01:31 PM
Spectacular photo! Hollyhocks are often ignored here too, since they just come back every year. You have shown how beautiful they can be.
Posted by: Carol | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 02:06 PM
What does "tremiere" actually mean? Given that my name is "Holly" I'm curious! My great aunt always called me Hollyhock, so I try to keep them in my garden, but I agree with the previous post, none of mine ever had such strong stems or such growth! Great pics as always!!
Posted by: Holly Kulhawick | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 02:50 PM
Smokey is darling. I love the colors of the buildings, such wonderful pastels.
Posted by: Joyce | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 04:00 PM
Chere Kristin,
Beautiful pictures and beautiful prose. I love la rose tremiere. Your writing has a lyrical quality. Merci, et aussi merci pour la carte postale.
Amicalement,
Rose
Posted by: Rose Chandler | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 04:43 PM
"Between the flowers Mount Windy "towers"" is an absolutely beautiful shot! Thank you for sharing your lovely pictures and words.
Posted by: Jackie | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 05:21 PM
Salut Kristin,
Some poetic words from Smokey:
Hey Buddy, Got a moment to spare?
Want to hear my story? Pull up a chair
It’s a sorry situation in which I find myself
Tied here alone, collecting dust on the shelf
Let me tell you a secret. . . Here’s what I think
In my doggy world, these blooming flowers stink!
What a bummer, on this sunny autumn day
All I wanted to do was to go out and play
There are many new people I wanted to meet
Also, I see some old friends I’d love to greet
But here I sit agonizing, tethered to a Hollyhock
Please listen to my bark. These “digs” don’t rock!
À bientôt
Posted by: Herm in Phoenix, Az | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 05:50 PM
In the first picture of Smokey against the Hollyhocks, he looks sad, but in the next one he seems to be saying - hey, don't I look handsome sitting here. Come pet me. But we know that he would rather be frolicking with the people and receiving lots of attention! Poor Smokey!
Posted by: Kathleen | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 06:56 PM
Wasn't that a movie... Smokie and the Flower? I've just had a flashback to my Burt Reynolds days. Oh wait, it was Smokey and the Bandit. Your Smokey is obviously a gentleman with a conscience. I hate to think what our dogs Zeppelin the Wonderdog and his adopted sister Heidi would have done to that poor plant... Gang mentality + escape artistry = "Hollyhawk Down"
Joan L. (I have a day off of school in honor of Christopher Columbus. Party!)
Posted by: Joan Linneman | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 07:03 PM
Kristin,THANKS for another wonderful post,
AND such wonderful pictures!
Your rose tremiere is gorgeous! (What a color!)
I admit ,though, that I'm partial to Smokey's photo (dog people,we have two petites chiens); handsome Smokey has such an expressive face!
Do you suppose Joseph Jacobs (if indeed it was Joseph Jacobs) had an overly fertile imagination when writing Jack and The Beanstalk and was actually exaggerating about his own hollyhock?? Perhaps some (odd!) food for thought!(?)
Bon journee!!
Posted by: Natalia | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 08:10 PM
Love Herm's poem.
Love your photos...& your prose.
& absolutely love your boy Smokey...so reminds me of my own out of order goldenboy!
Kay
Posted by: Kay | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 08:15 PM
I love all the pictures which include Smokey and/or Braise... your blog is a small sanctuary in this way-too-spinny world. Merci bien -- as always
Posted by: Julianna P. | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 08:50 PM
Great poem, Herm. At least there's two of us who understand how Smokey is feeling...
Posted by: Bill in St. Paul | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 09:23 PM
THANK YOU ! I finally know what a" Rose Tremiere "means in iEnglish!!!
Posted by: Nicole lidji | Monday, October 11, 2010 at 11:18 PM
Very nice posting today! The pictures lately have been inspiring. The countryside and your property are so beautiful. It is nice to see someone still likes the old fashion flowers like the hollyhock. Several of us would love to have seeds from the hollyhocks if you can share. Do you want to work something out?
Posted by: Sharon Auckerman | Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 02:44 AM
Hello Dear Friend! I have just returned (this evening) from the rainy Pacific Northwest, where many years ago, we so fortuitously met. Whenever I visit, I am flooded with a thousand memories. So nice to come home to your hollyhock in bloom. Mine have not blossomed thus far...either by deer or by dog, their growth has been slogged.
P.s. I enjoyed Sandy’s “Go for the Grape”...we have those pesky burrs here too!
Posted by: Stacy, Applegate, Oregon | Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 03:15 AM
The Hollyhock is beautiful! It doesn't look strong enough to hold Smokey! I didn't know the leaves get that big!
Posted by: Eileen deCamp | Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 03:19 AM
Smokey est un chien très agréable et j'aime toutes les photos de lui (o:
Bisous x
Posted by: Xenia | Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 11:49 AM
J'aime bien votre site internet! Elle me donne beaucoup de plaisir! J'ai deux chiens (Brittanies). Smokey est tres gentile.
(Corrections welcome. Don't know how to place accent marks yet.)
Posted by: Kathy King | Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 04:45 PM
What's funny is I actually bought the sweatshirt you had attached to the post.
Posted by: Patricia | Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 06:47 PM
Kristin, you have such a flair for describing the most interesting things, though I have not seen hollyhocks since I left New Hampshire, as I am in SF, but I do remember them so very well. Thank you for the lovely pictures
Nicole
Posted by: Nicole Marcus | Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 12:09 AM
I'm a little late to the party here, but I just wanted to say that your language is getting more playful and poetic with each post. Can't wait for more.
Posted by: Julie F | Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 05:54 AM
The leaves on our hollyhocks don't grow that large here in the desert SW of the US, but hollyhocks are abundant here because they will grow out of the cracks of sidewalks and anywhere that we don't want them! Do they grow in gardens where we want them? No, of course not! Besides being tall, they have minds of their own! Yours are beautiful.
Posted by: mhwebb | Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 06:01 AM
Dear Sweet Smokey B Dokey: What a beautiful picture of you...you make that hollyhock sing. Quelle hollyhock! I can only imagine you were a wee put out by being contained, but I expect there were many happy hours otherwise, meeting greeting and being utterly and completely adored by pickers and family alike. I hope someday to be close enough to meet and greet you in person. Tourjours -
Posted by: Pat Cargill | Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 11:04 PM