For the Love of Chives

mixing and mingling with Shakespeare & other friends

Chives & Shakespeare, 2019 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

For the love of Chives.¹

Companion to many.

Longtime friend of mine.²

Early Rising Culinary Herb Photos by Lyn Swett Miller

Poses for all to witness.

Chive Buds, 1 day apart, 2016 Photos by Lyn Swett Miller

A pollinator habitat…

and the perfect “cut & come again” ingredient in the compost pile.³

Like coffee consumed every day, chives originally came from far away.

While cultivated in Europe since the Middle Ages, it dates back to at least 4,000 years ago in China and probably came to the United States with early colonists.

A natural part of a ‘permaculture palette,’ the purples this time of year were delicious in my old garden.

This week I’ve been missing these companion plants of mine,

but especially the chives, for whom I have not yet found a home.⁴

So for now, I stitch memories and compost longing, smiling at the simplicity of an embroidered garden slowly emerging on a wedding dress.⁵

Stitching Memories of Chives, Rhubarb and Comfrey Photos by Lyn Swett Miller

It’s all about the mixing and mingling of color, texture and shape, whether in the garden, the compost pile or life.

Together, we are works in progress. Never static. Always in the process of becoming.

And so incredibly beautiful.

The deeper I explore, the more enamored I become by the simplicity and complexity of a single, multifaceted flower - - like each one of us - - universal and unique…

and mysterious.

What about the flowers in the foreground of the photograph below? I thought they were chives, but their flower structure is so different from the image above, and most of the images in this post.

Any thoughts? And while you’re at it, what’s your favorite purple plant?

Thank you, as always, for sharing your time and this space with us!

With gratitude for you being you,

Lyn (and Lilly)

Lilly the Retriever Otter Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

Compost, June 28 & 30 & July 1 Photos by Lyn Swett Miller

PS: I’m in the process of creating a logo and tagline for my work…Any suggestions?

1. University of Wisconsin, Extension: Chives - Allium schoenoprasum, a species in the lily family (Liliaceae). Check out this link. There’s a lot of history and other cool info.

Speaking of history, I’m loving the juxtaposition of Shakespeare’s King Henry VIII and Chives - - Nothing like a “cut and come again” moment. Sometimes you have to have some fun and mix things up a bit.

2. My favorite breakfast: Chive and cheese omelette. Yummmmmy.

3. “Cut and Come Again” refers to a plant that grows throughout the summer, but has many lives - - If you let the plant go, it will get overgrown, but if you cut it back, it will grow again and again. With chives, you can usually get at least three rounds!

4. I have a friend who can share some cuttings with me, but I need to find the right place where Lilly won’t pee…So many variables!!!

I also love the idea of companion plants. Some plants just play well together - - like rhubarb, chive and comfrey. I’ve been intrigued by the idea that over the past twenty years my plants became my companions in joy, grief and the daily this and that of it all. So much to process.

5. I started this project this past winter as part of the #100DayProject. Here are a few links to other posts about the evolution of the wedding dress and my old garden. February: Embroidered Fiber; March: Boundaries & Women’s History; April: Playdate with a Wedding Dress