I was in a bad mood, something to do with commuting in icy conditions and the long dark days of winter. I was tired and had been wrestling with an upset stomach for most of the day. The temperature had dropped into the single digits and the wind was howling. The weathermen are saying that this is the lowest temperature seen here in 20+ years.
What I wanted was to just get home and crawl into bed. I took a hot bath, had a cup of soup, put on my warmest pajamas, and did just that. As I was laying there in the dark, I heard the wind chimes making their music amidst the howling of the wind. It was such a beautiful sound. The house was warm and toasty from the wood stove in the basement, and I was snug under the blankets. Once again, I realized that it only takes simple pleasures to fend off any bad mood and to be reminded of the good things in life.
I love all aspects of gardening, but I believe the creativity associated with the design process is my favorite. It starts with a single object and evolves from there. I get hours of enjoyment thinking about the project, creating and refining the design, and anticipating the execution.
My newest project is the beginnings of a Turtle Garden. It started with a wonderful Christmas gift - a 300 lb concrete turtle.
I knew right away the perfect location for this guy. He now lives where the driveway crosses the creek. I smile at the sight of him every time I go in and out of Aspen Hill.
Now the fun part of deciding on plant choices.
This new garden will cover a lot of square footage, and I envision large swaths of ferns, astilbe, phlox stolonifera, iris cristata, solomons seal, lily of the valley, may apple, jack in the pulpit, and of course chelone.. aka Turtle Head.
Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips'
Royal Fern, Ghost Fern, Northern Maidenhair Fern
Astilbe 'Amethyst', Astilbe 'Bridal Veil', Astilbe 'Ostrich Plume'
Phlox stolonifera 'Sherwood Purple', Phlox stolonifera 'Home Fires', Iris cristata
Solomons Seal, Lily of the Valley, May Apple, Jack-in-the-Pulpit
I have to admit that I had not been as bowled over by sempervivums as my gardening friends. Sure they are nice for an arid desert envionment, but what place do they have in my mid-atlantic woodlands or my victorian farmhouse style home? One look at these amazing topiaries at the Philadelphia Flower Show has shown me the way. The combination pairing with ferns and ivy looks so very pleasing to me. I would love to create some likeness of the dress form topiary for my new conservatory, and I know what I'll be filling those hypertufa planters with this spring.
This was one of the best birthday celebrations ever. My birthday is at a time when winter is almost played out but spring is still weeks away. It is a dismal time of year, especially if gardening is your thing, and I haven't really made it any type of celebration in years past. Hellebores to the rescue and a winter festival at Pine Knot Farms to see these beauties in bloom! The weather was cruddy, but not as bad as I was expecting, and I got a chance to use my new birthday umbrella. The rain let up while we were walking about the gardens, and it was just fun to be out and away from home for a change...
My favorite part of this virtual gardening world is getting to "tour" beautiful gardens and getting to "know" the people who create them. Until I discovered this world in the spring of 2008, my grandmother was the only person in my life who had had any real interest in gardening. Gardening had become my favorite past time, but no one else that I knew shared my enthusiasm. I was pretty much on my own in this endeavor, and I did it for my own creative needs and enjoyment. The solitude of the woods and the calmness that I feel when gardening are my stress relief from the fast pace of my average work day and long commute back and forth to Washington DC.
When anyone saw my gardens, the inevitable off hand (and not too interested) comments were "oh, what a pretty flower" or "oh my, what a lot of work". I have no words to adequately explain how my perspective changed when I "found" my own kind. It is exhilarating to have the enthusiasm reciprocated and it is wonderful to exchange oohs and aahhs, tips, and first hand experiences. Even though I'd always enjoyed my gardens on my own, sharing it with the people that I have met in these forums brings it to a whole new level of fulfillment.
