A Book of the Seasons: Blue-eyed Grass

 

I would make a chart of our life,

know why just this circle of creatures completes the world.

Henry Thoreau, April 18, 1852

The blue-eyed grass is

one of the most beautiful of flowers . . .

It will bear to be praised by poets. 

June 12, 1852

Flowers were made to be seen,

not overlooked. Their bright colors

imply eyes, spectators. 

June 15, 1852

Blue patches began to appear,

answering to the blue sky.

June 17. 1853

May 27.  Blue-eyed grass out. May 27, 1859

May 29. Barberry in bloom, wild pinks, and blue-eyed grass May 29, 1852

May 29. That exceedingly neat and interesting little flower blue-eyed grass now claims our attention. May 29, 1853

May 29.  Blue-eyed grass, probably to-morrow. May 29, 1856

May 31.  Blue-eyed grass, apparently in pretty good season. May 31, 1854

June 6. Blue-eyed grass maybe several days in some places.  June 6, 1855

June 12.   The blue-eyed grass is one of the most beautiful of flowers. It might have been famous from Proserpine down. It will bear to be praised by poets.  June 12, 1852

June 15. The blue-eyed grass, well named, looks up to heaven. June 15, 1851

June 15. The fields are blued with blue-eyed grass, — a slaty blue. June 15, 1852

June 15. Blue-eyed grass at height. June 15, 1859 

June 17. The dense fields of blue-eyed grass now blue the meadows, as if, in this fair season of the year, the clouds that envelop the earth were dispersing, and blue patches began to appear, answering to the blue sky. The eyes pass from these blue patches into the surrounding green as from the patches of clear sky into the clouds. June 17. 1853

June 19.  I see large patches of blue-eyed grass in the meadow across the river from my window. June 19, 1853 

June 20.  The blue-eyed grass is shut up. When does it open? June 20, 1852

June 26. The blue-eyed grass, now in its prime, occupies the drier and harder parts of the meadow, where I can walk dry-shod, but where the coarser sedge grows and it is lower and wetter there is none of it. I keep dry by following this blue guide, and the grass is not very high about it. You cross the meadows dry-shod by following the winding lead of the blue-eyed grass, which grows only on the firmer, more elevated, and drier parts. June 26, 1860

July 3.   I noticed the other day, I think the 30th, a large patch of Agrostis scabrain E. Hosmer's meadow, — the firmer ridges, — a very interesting purple with its fine waving top, mixed with blue-eyed grass.  July 3, 1859

July 6. Blue-eyed grass is now rarely seen. July 6, 1851

August 13.  Some of the little cranberries at Gowing's Swamp appear to have been frost-bitten. Also the blue-eyed grass, which is now black-topped.  August 13, 1860

August 25. Blue-eyed grass still. August 25, 1851

August 30. Blue-eyed grass still.  August 30, 1854

September 11. Blue-eyed grass still. September 11, 1851

September 23.  So live that only the most beautiful wild-flowers will spring up where you have dwelt, – harebells, violets, and blue-eyed grass. September 23, 1859

See also Northern Woodlands, The Blue-eyed Grasses

A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau,  Blue-eyed Grass

A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau

 "A book, each page written in its own season,

out-of-doors, in its own locality."

 ~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx ©  2009-2026