Bloggy Land is bursting with colorful posts of birds and flowers. My flowers are new, whimpy and uninteresting in their primitive state. On a drive to my son's house, I happened to spot the above established, slightly unkempt, and beautifully wild garden. I stopped to gaze and take a picture.Scene 1
I had arrived at my son's and he was telling me about his friend who traveled in his job but rented out his house by the week during the summer. No intellectual biggie, just random conversation between Mother and son.
Scene 2
Next our conversation moved on to landscaping. I mentioned that I had stopped to look at a garden I liked and described it. Son asked, "Was the house yellow?" I didn't know because I wasn't looking at the house but I said I had snapped a picture as I dug my camera out of my purse. Sure and behold, it was his friend's house. All I could think of was, the lucky people renting the house for a week and discovering the garden as a beautiful, bountiful bonus.
Scene 3
Back at my house. I studied my newly planted lonely single plants and knew it would take years to reach that wild leonine look I wanted. Is there time to grow a garden? I'm not foolish enough to grow a tree but perhaps a few more seasons of flowers is not unreasonable.
This is a part of my rock garden area. Still lots of vacant space for planting.Thankfully I planted these peo
nies when I first bought the house. What a delight.I hope all my bloggy friends are enjoying the summer, birds and their gardens BUT now, as Voltaire said, "We can all go out and cultivate our gardens."
I don't worry about whether I will live long enough to enjoy what I am creating.....I just enjoy the act of creation. Plant your gardens, don't worry about how long it will take for them to reach maturity, just think of the wonderful gift you are leaving for the future. And who knows, it may be your own future you are blessing.
ReplyDeleteWow, so pretty!!!
ReplyDeleteThe rabbits have really shredded my garden this year--especially all my newly planted stuff. :(
i'm not a gardener myself but that place is beautiful. and neat that it was the very place your son was talking about. kismet...
ReplyDeleteIt's never too late to plan and plant a garden, whether in reality or metaphorically. Some folks are even willing to share their perennials once they outgrow the space. Perhaps they sell them at farmer's markets and such as they do here. Just a thought. I love unkempt gardens in a riot of color. Next to a yellow house just heightens its beauty. Nice synchronicity, too. :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adore peonies, but it's way too hot for them in San Antonio.
ReplyDeleteHappy Weekend!
Oh how I wished I lived close to you.... I would give you a lot of my plants that I need to dig up and replant. They are getting so big.
ReplyDeleteI can see poppys in the picture you took. I wonder if they are opium poppys? I don't know what one looks like so I would never know.
There's something almost magical about that garden. I can see why you love it. Good luck with nursing yours to the same glory! :-)
ReplyDeleteThere's something almost magical about that garden. I can see why you love it. Good luck with nursing yours to the same glory! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love beautiful gardens but the only one I've planted is in my mind. Many lovely flowers in there but so many weeds, too! Love your photo!
ReplyDeleteDelores : That is such a dear comment, it brought tears to my eyes. There's not one thing I can add. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteJennifer : Pesky little buggers, aren't they? But they are so adorable when they hop around, too. I have one living under the shed in my back yard and it drives Cody dog crazy.
teswisgirl : yeah, wasn't that weird? You may not do a garden but you have the lovely birds and you already live in nature's wonderland.
Teresa : Wonderful ideas you have. I did get sone plantings from a few friends who had established gardens. When I bought this house, I had wanted to live in my son's neighborhood that is the older part of town and so well established with trees and gardens but I felt I had to choose a house where I could walk to stores if necessary. The good, positive side of this story, I am soooo enjoying planning and planting another garden of my lifetime.
Carol : Of course, I never thought about peonies not growing in the south. Just like I mentioned okra not growning in the north.
Terry : If I were near you, I would surely take your cast-offs. I bet your garden is beautiful. You should post a picture. I love to look at gardens.
Misna : Thanks. There was something unusual about that garden. I just stood there, taking it all in. Magical is a great word.
I love your peonies, Manzanita! What a gorgeous pink! Although I enjoy looking at gardens, I hate to do the work. Alas!
ReplyDeleteHey, those people in the yellow house may have bought the house because the garden was insanely beautiful. Or, they have green hands. What a beautiful photo. Your peonies are lovely. We can't grow them here either--too desert.
ReplyDeleteI love peonies! And that wild English garden is my kind of garden. Much like I had at my old house, that we moved from because all the gardens were too much and we were trying to downsize. But just wait, within a few years, I'll have the same thing at this new place. And I'm going to plant peonies!
ReplyDeleteHi there. I absolutely love Peonies, and yours are such a beautiful colour. That photo is very much like mine here in England - very much an English Country garden look, with everything in together and lots of things packed into a particular area. Enjoy your gardening!
ReplyDeleteAhhh... those peonies look absolutely stunning. They don't grow in Hawaii. However, the shower trees are in bloom and surprisingly, so are the African tulip trees.
ReplyDeletePeonies are stunning - the blooms don't seem to last but oh when they bloom, they bloom! I love that wild flower garden look! That's perfect for wildlife too!
ReplyDeleteYour garden's lovely! Take care
x
Delores said a delightful mouthfull. I forget that what I plant will hopefully live long after I am gone.
ReplyDeleteDelores is one smart lady. None of us know how long we have, so why not simply indulge ourselves by creating beauty and joy while we're still here? (says the person whose garden is a jumble of weeds) Planting seeds and bulbs is such a hopeful investment in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you not want to grow a tree?
ReplyDeleteFuture generations will thank you for it.
If you want something quick growing, plant some perennials, then all around them scatter many packets of fast growing seeds of wildflowers. They'll add colour while the slower things mature. Even quicker are punnets of flower seedlings, plant lots for instant colour.
My wife is driving me crazy with our garden. Why don't you consider coming to Florida and replanting our garden in SAND? I love Nature, and would leave it alone, but I also love my wife, so here I go again hauling stuff all weekend long.
ReplyDeleteThe only flowers I am enjoying are the ones in my green house. It IS my garden.....as we are still landscaping around here.
ReplyDeleteAND.....it's hard to put pots and stuff out as the wind blows so hard here, they'd probably end up at Your house.
What beautiful peonies! I love those flowers. When I lived back east and had them they were always loaded with ants. But that didn't bother me because I enjoyed the flowers as much as they did.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day!
gigi : you are right, it is work, but for me it's relaxing. I love to watch each new leaf and bud sprout out.
ReplyDeleteSusan : Could be. You make a beautiful garden but you never know who will appreciate it, if you sell your house.
Karen : You must be going through what I am, trying to establish a new garden.
Thisisme : Your garden must be lovely and just the type I love. The gardens are so beautiful in England.
Kay : Because of our climates, you can't grow peonies and I've never even heard of tulip tree or shower tree. I bet they are lovely.
See what geography will do. Ha
Kitty : You have the most beautiful gardens in England. They bedazzle me.
Patti : I told her it was the most beautiful comment. Trouble is, I've always made a great garden in every house and when I sold it and drove by later, it was a forgotten mish mash. My very first little house after we were married I had made the back yard into an English garden. It was gorgeous as I had gone crazy with my first very own soil. When I drove by years later, they had planted grass in the whole back yard. I cried.
Susan : Delores did make the most endearing comment.
ReplyDeleteYour garden may have a few weeds, but I bet it is beautiful. A few weeds hold the moisture in.
River : You are right, I do plant for the future but I was being funny about me waiting for a tree.
What a good idea to plant the wildflowers in-between. I used to throw packets of wildflowers on a steep mountainside in front of the house at the ranch and the flowers were hardy and colorful. I had forgotten. Thanks for the reminder and I shall do it.
JJ : nyuk,nyuk,nyuk. Who has the last laugh now? I'm sure your garden will be beautiful and what a good husband you are to help.
Wendy : Lucky you having a greenhouse. I would like one. Speaking of wind, I just returned from my Granddaughter's who lives in Livingston (On the other side of Bozeman..... on the way to Billings). That town is also know for it's wind. Blow the man down... just about. We ate lunch outside and really noticed it. I really like your new profile picture.
Cherie : I found out the ants actually open the buds into blossoms. Imagine that. No wonder we see all those ants.
I think I wrote duplicate of comments on some of these but you deserve 2 comments.
Love to all, Manzi
And gardens come in many forms ...
ReplyDeleteAnd you are not alone half my front garden is dirt, I have a shade problem. And a squirrel issue. :)
ReplyDeleteSorry to be MIA but temp work is eating away at my time.
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow
The garden might be beautiful, but I don't want to be planted in it. It's 100 degrees out there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful picture! I'm a huge fan of gardening and its one place which I always like to sit out and relax...and just contemplate life... or nothing. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have one of those haphazard gardens. When I get a new plant I just find an open spot and just plop it in. It does need thinning now and then and the hostas just take over. Weeds are PITA. Just enjoy your low maintenance garden for now. It's streamlined and tidy. Less is more.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! Love it!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is absolutely beautiful! I can see why you love it! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteSuze : And in many forms and colors. I also love herb gardens with just green and they smell so heavenly when you walk through them.
ReplyDeleteJules : I vote for river rock under big trees. After stones are down, your work load vanishes. Squirrels can be a problem. I used to live by a small stream and had a racoon problem. I used live boxes and took them to visit their country cousins. Ha
JJ : No ..... Don't get wet or stand still or your take root.. I remember that hot humid weather. I don't even have AC.
Talei : The sounds of nature in a garden provide inspiration and set imaginations to working.
Irene : I've planted haphazardly too but now I've discovered some low plants way in the back. Oh well, dig some more.
Nas : It's getting there. Thanks for the comment.
Climb2nowhere : I do enjoy being outside and digging in the dirt.
You could always pack in some more bedding plants. I know it's a bit extravagant but it's instant colour. I'm an instant gardener too whereas Mr A is perfectly content to wait until the plants mature.
ReplyDeleteHappy summer!I wish I did have a garden to cultivate, but that's what I get for living in central London!
ReplyDeleteHi, Manzi!
ReplyDeleteWe are having a great Summer so far (hence, I have not been to Blogland much, and I realize I am missing you!)
My gardens are beginning to look a LITTLE like that...but only because I have been remiss about weeding them! The little fawn that I blogged about last week has been making return appearances, so maybe he will thin things out a bit! :*)
Hope all is well with you...
Much love,
xoxoxo, cd
Following you from Over 40 GFC hop! Hope you'll follow back :) www.savingbythesea.com
ReplyDeleteRosalind : I'm with you. I add new plants nearly every day (have to stop). When they do mature they will be tripping over each other for space.
ReplyDeleteTalli : It's always a trade-off. You have the theater and arts at your front door and I have a garden in my back yard. :)
Clare : I'm happy you are enjoying your summer. I bet your new deck is getting a lot of summer action. I spend most of the day outside, working on restoring the garden. Now I'm planting to encourage birds. I don't post very often but winter will soon be upon us again and then I'll have to stay indoors.
ReplyDeleteSaving by the Sea : Thank you for stopping. It's nice to meet you. I will come by to see you.
I am sitting in my garden today reading and catching up on blogs. A perfect lazy summer day. I was thinking about how sparse my garden looked a few years ago. Now it is lush and full. Now if I could just get birds to like my feeder! I try all kinds of different seeds, but mostly it's squirrel food!
ReplyDeleteHola, querida Manzanita! What a beautiful little garden! I adore wild-looking village gardens, they are so charming and romantic! Me too, when watching other people's luxury gardens blooming at their very best, especially large ones, always wondering how much time and skills are put into all that beauty! But it's true, a long journey starts with a single step... and the most important is to simply enjoy the process;)
ReplyDeleteP.S. Your peonies are gorgeous! The light pink on the foreground look very similar to those from our garden:)
What lovely flowers, that pink is gorgeous. Years ago a friend was renting a house and I remember thinking if she'd planted a $5 tree when she began renting it would have been providing shade before she left. My belief is that planting anything is better than nothing, something for the birds and butterflies and bees to enjoy.Sue
ReplyDelete