Plants. We think we know them and the deeper we dig into their lives, the more we are taken by surprise. The name Delphinium (common name Larkspur) comes from the Latin or Greek for 'dolphin'. Shape of these showy flowers is said to resemble the dolphin's bottle-nose. Actually, the plant is a member of the buttercup family. Once the plant grew wild in cornfields, though they are rarely seen nowadays in that setting.  The plant is highly toxic to cattle until late in the season when the poisonous alkaloids are less potent. Odd then that in ancient times the plant was used in herbal remedies for dropsy and to prevent scorpion stings. In California, this magnificent flowering perennial is on the endangered species list. I stood in awe at a clump of them in a  rose garden at lunch the other day. Not even the roses for which the restaurant was named could match the delphinium's regal splendor. 

There is a bird's nest precariously wedged between the side-door frame and the porch light above it. Yesterday a wild high-pitched chorus of chirps started from that general direction, would fall silent, then begin again. Mama Bird must be feeding her brood. I didn't want to disturb the domestic bliss. Instead, I found myself singling out a photo of my favorite garden statue of St. Francis with the birds. It has a chip or two, is showing its age. But all around us in the garden, the love goes on. Season after season.