Eggs in hues of pale green, buff and pale blue
Photo: Chronica Domus
Each year as we prepare to celebrate Easter, eggs are the recurring central theme in the decoration of our home. Whereas many households focus their seasonal imagery around lambs, bunnies and chicks, for us it is all about the egg. We don't over do it when it comes to decorating, instead choosing to add a vase of flowering seasonal branches, a compote or two of eggs that have been dyed by my daughter, as well as a variety of Easter chocolate confections.
I was given some rather unusual eggs by my sister-in-law that I thought would be an
Rhea, emu, goose and partridge eggs beneath the flowering Polygonatum
Photo: Chronica Domus
The eggs vary in size from the smallest two inch drab colored partridge example to the largest six inch rhea giants in the most delicate lemon chiffon color. The darkest egg was produced by an emu and has a granulated surface in deep teal and is about five inches in length. A pure white three inch goose egg is also in the mix.
The hidden eggs awaiting discovery by my daughter
Photo: Chronica Domus
These were fun to tuck in among the spring flowers and they blended in rather well with their naturally colored shells. I hid the emu egg in a little mound of violas.
An Emu egg in disguise
Photo: Chronica Domus
The partridge egg's drab olive tone worked well hidden in the violet patch. I'm just hoping the resident Scrub Jays don't get to it before my daughter does. Many years ago, I had displayed a basket of dyed eggs on my kitchen table close to a partially opened window. To my astonishment a Scrub Jay flew into the kitchen and claimed his bounty by pecking the eggs to pieces. It was truly a remarkable moment of nature gone bad, but why was I surprised by this? They are, after all, nest robbers by vocation.
Could you have found the partridge egg as is blends effortlessly into the violet patch?
Photo: Chronica Domus
The giant rhea and smaller goose eggs were a little less difficult to find due to their bright shells and large size.
Not so much hiding but looking pretty in the spring garden
Photo: Chronica Domus
These naturally hued jewels are such a fun twist on the traditional Easter egg hunt that I think I'll do it all again next year. I'm sure both adults and children alike would enjoy hunting for these whimsical beauties.
I wish you all a very Happy Easter.
The Emu egg is very pretty - almost like basalt!
ReplyDeleteIt feels really tough too.
DeleteThey look so beautiful as if made of marble and other stones... So precious. Happy Easter to you and your family! x
ReplyDeleteThe partridge egg is so smooth like a stone polished by the sea. Happy Easter to you too Natalia.
DeleteHappy Easter to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lord Cowell. I hope you had a good Easter (I think you are a day ahead of us here in California).
DeleteThank you for your lovely Easter post. We display an ostrich and emu egg as well. I had a neighbor who raised emus and I was fortunate to hold an egg (with two hands) as the chick cracked through.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter JW! Yes, how fortunate that you had the opportunity to welcome a new emu chick into the world. That must have been a marvelous experience for you. They are truly amazing birds with funny little faces (maybe not so little come to think of it).
DeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteWhat an intriguing egg collection and what fun it must have been to have hunted for them in the garden. As you say, surely this would be a great game for adults and children alike.
Easter is such a wonderful time filled with such hope and promise for the coming year. Your garden is looking delightful and it is so inspiring seeing the first brave shoots of new plants thrusting through the earth. At long last Winter does seem to be over.
Hello Jane and Lance,
DeleteI have a couple more eggs I did not include in the egg hunt due to their diminutive size. I have an idea for those for next year though.
Our winter was gone before we knew it around these parts Spring arrived in late December when the first of the narcissi were in bloom woul you believe!
I did a little volunteer project for our local zoo years ago, and in return, was given an emu egg. it was the most amazing colour, not quite black, not quite teal. It felt like porcelain and was quite thick. I gave a friend as an ostrich egg for a present... i figured that it was something she didn't have!
ReplyDeleteI would love an ostrich egg for my collection! How fortunate your friend is to have received such a lovely gift from you. I believe they are even larger than the rhea eggs in my post.
DeleteAs you say, the emu egg is of a color almost undefinable. Is it black, is it teal?. Someone needs to come up with a name for a new color to describe it. Pantone should get right on the job!
Those are beautiful, what a clever idea! Hope you had a lovely Easter.
ReplyDeleteThank you ELS. I hope you and the bots did too.
DeleteI have only learned to appreciate real eggs in the past year or so. My wonderful neighbor gives me some from her chickens and they are the most lovely shades of cream, white,blue and sage. I am always reluctant to eat them because they are so lovely clustered in a bowl.
ReplyDeletehow green and lush your Easter time garden looks.
Hello Bebe,
DeleteOh yes, real eggs, delish! What wonderful neighbors you have to share their bounty with you.
Occasionally, we are the happy recipients of fresh eggs from a friend's chickens and there really is nothing else quite like them. Their yolks are the deepest orange and put all other eggs into the anemic zone.