Free Vintage Botanical Illustration for Collage Art, Graphic Design, Papercrafts or Scrapbooking: Spring Bulbs 2 (The Ismene and Others)

sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love

(all the merry little birds are
flying in the floating in the
very spirits singing in
are winging in the blossoming)

lovers go and lovers come
awandering awondering
but any two are perfectly
alone there's nobody else alive

(such a sky and such a sun
i never knew and neither did you
and everybody never breathed
quite so many kinds of yes)

not a tree can count his leaves
each herself by opening
but shining who by thousands mean
only one amazing thing

(secretly adoring shyly
tiny winging darting floating
merry in the blossoming
always joyful selves are singing)

sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love
e. e. cummings, Collected Poems

The botanical illustration above shows a trio of flowers from the Amaryllidacea family, consisting of (1) Peruvian Amancaes, a daffodil-like flower first brought to England in 1804; (2) the Common Sea Daffodil, a mainstay in British gardens for centuries; and (3) Hymenocallis, a name signifying "beautiful membrane," an aquatic plant from Mexico.

From the book, here are the original descriptions:
You can download the botanical illustration as a free high-res 5" x 7" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here. Great for collage art, graphic design, papercrafts or scrapbooking projects.

Creative Commons License
For personal use only. Not for resale. Please visit The Real Victorian website to see full Terms of Use.

Free Vintage Botanical Illustration for Collage Art, Graphic Design, Papercrafts or Scrapbooking: Spring Bulbs 1 (The Snowflake)

In Our Woods, Sometimes a Rare Music
Every spring
I hear the thrush singing
in the glowing woods
he is only passing through.
His voice is deep,
then he lifts it until it seems
to fall from the sky.
I am thrilled.
I am grateful.

Then, by the end of morning,
he's gone, nothing but silence
out of the tree
where he rested for a night.
And this I find acceptable.
Not enough is a poor life.
But too much is, well, too much.
Imagine Verdi or Mahler
every day, all day.
It would exhaust anyone.
Mary Oliver, A Thousand Mornings: Poems

The botanical illustration above shows a cluster of flowers from the Amaryllidacea family, consisting of (1) the Spring Snowflake or St. Agnes'-flower; (2) the Snowflake or Summer Snowflake, whose botanical name is derived from two Greek words signifying "a white violet"; (3) Narrow-leaved Snowflake or Autumn-flowering Snowflake; (4) the Rose-coloured Acis; (5) Cape Crocus: its botanical name is said to derive from the Greek word meaning "to rejoice."

From the book, here are the original descriptions:
You can download the botanical illustration as a free high-res 5" x 7" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here. Great for collage art, graphic design, papercrafts or scrapbooking projects.

Creative Commons License
For personal use only. Not for resale. Please visit The Real Victorian website to see full Terms of Use.

Free Vintage Garden-Themed Greeting Card: A Happy Thought

A HAPPY THOUGHT
Happiness and friends most true
Surely they are your just due
May I wish for you today
A gladness that will come and stay

A vintage greeting card from the early 20th century (c1920). The decorative border at the top of the card shows a house surrounded by a lovely garden. Can be used as a postcard or gift tag but also lovely for spring-inspired journaling, scrapbooking or graphic design projects with a vintage feel. You can download the high-res 6" x 4" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here.

Creative Commons License
For personal use only. Not for resale. Please visit The Real Victorian website to see full Terms of Use.