The Month of Love
For our gardeners, newlyweds and mothers.
May is upon us, beloved by all! Bees are buzzing. Garden furniture is hauled outdoors. Trampolines are sprouting up in every yard (not very attractive but oh-somuch fun for the kiddies). Seedlings started on window-sills in April are yearning to breathe free. (Are your tomato plants as spindly as mine always were?) Barbeque sets are being inspected in DIY centers. Maybe you have a budding BBQ champion to be revealed as spring turns into summer?
Of course, one cannot overlook our four dear friends: Saints Pancras, Servatius, Boniface & Sophia. “Only a myth”, some might scoff. But it’s undeniable that there is often a cold snap in May. Are the saints to blame? Indeed, even Galileo’s students sought an explanation for this drop in temperature, but to no avail. Studies show that in many parts of Europe and the USA, the general opinion is: “No summer before Boniface; no frost after Sophie.” The chilly saints keep us from putting plants out too soon only to find them in the morning with their heads hanging after a night frost.
Every spring we have to cross our fingers that the magnificent magnolias at Makart Square have a long season – many in Salzburg worry about them a bit, as we know from the past how sensitive these lovely blossoms are. The slightest nip of a late frost and they’ll turn brown overnight. Mirabell Garden in May is absolutely breathtaking every spring. How do the caretakers manage to create this paradise in the middle of Salzburg year after year? They deserve a hearty round of applause and a big “thank you” from all of us. It must please them to know their work is saved for posterity by the many couples who marry in Mirabell Castle and include the splendid gardens in their wedding photos. Many international couples marry in the Marble Hall. They needn’t worry about making arrangements in a foreign place as assistance is available. Here is a listing, from A to Z, of what couples need to think about (according to the agencies providing the services, of course): babysitting, cakes, carriages, cosmetics, flowers, gowns, hairdressers, hotels, , music, paperwork, photography, rings … The list goes on and on! But what could be more wonderful than a wedding in Mirabell Castle in May, the month of love?
May also gives us pause to reflect on another kind of love. On a recent trip to the city of Shkodra in northeastern Albania, I heard a legend about motherly love. Shkodra is dominated by a huge fortress, similar to Salzburg’s. It’s called Rozafa Castle and here’s why: Once three brothers wanted to build a castle atop a mountain above Shkodra. But no matter how skillfully they worked, the walls kept tumbling down. One day an old man told them to sacrifice someone so that the walls would stand. (Fairy-tales can be so gruesome, don’t you agree?) They decided to sacrifice one of the wives – whoever brought them lunch the next day. The two older brothers warned their wives that night, but the youngest brother did not. The next day at lunch time, his wife, Rozafa, appeared and was told she would be walled into the castle. Rozafa accepted her fate under the condition that they leave one breast exposed so as to feed her newborn son, one hand to caress him and one foot to rock his cradle. Today, when milky-white water flows from the rock under the castle (due to high lime content), it’s called Rozafa’s milk. So before the day is out, let us tip our hats to May and to all gardeners, newlyweds and mothers.