Tuesday, August 21, 2007

By popular demand









So now that Joy has asked me to post the pictures I can do so with impunity. This one is a rose I call the prom queen because it blooms early and fades fast.




The sunken garden. This was where the patio used to be so I'm amending the soil to make it more fertile. For now, it's struggling a little. But the rock wall is here and the heliobore.




The rest of the pictures are just documentation for what my garden looks like in June. This is the point at which I am on a mulch induced high. I think that I am the best gardener in the world. I am considering quitting my job and becoming a landscape designer. I have visions of moving to England and growing roses and boxwood. It passes by the end of July when I am very very tired of my compost pile. Now (in August) with the hurricane induced rains settling in and all the stuff that needs to be mown, cut back or debugged, I am back to my senses. This patio is at the very back of the yard. I have lots of pictures of individual plants but I won't bore you here. The thing is that I am truly happy in my garden. I tend to be a very strident person sometimes. Dr. Husband says it's because I have an overdeveloped sense of justice. I think that's probably the case. I tend to get exercised about big issues like education and health care. Then I go on a rant and before you know it my blood pressure's up, my heart rate has increased and I'm breathing hard. It's like a little aerobic exercise.
In my garden I can focus on little things like how to get rid of aphids without insecticidal soap. (It only takes a garden hose and a little determination). And in the garden I can let go of my need to fix things. Mother nature has a way of putting us in our place. People are friendlier when they happen upon you working in a garden. They seem to think you're nicer than maybe you are. Now everybody just be glad I don't like cats.



jackie



My herb garden






My temperamental hybrid


We're building a rock wall. That's the royal we as in my husband collects the rocks, hauls the rocks and stacks the rocks. Then I tell him I want them someplace else. It's a wonderful backdrop for the hellebore on the other side.




5 comments:

Joy said...

Thanks for posting these. It's easy to understand why you enjoy gardening. Those roses are beautiful! Very interesting post!

Unknown said...

I love this garden photos, and am hard at work on mine. Mine are hardly as impressive but it's a better hobby than things that come to mind. I sleep better too.
I can't figure how you got text between the pictures.
Anyway, it's a new season I suspect since you posted this. I keep exploring Joy's blog.

Anonymous said...

Say, Charlie, You're right my new season did start. Prom queen came down with aphids with a vengeance, but I resisted the urge to spray since I am worried about the honey bees and all this hive collapse we're hearing about. The rose survived and I fee righteous. The rock wall continues to grow as people dig up parts of their yard and I am now in full optimistic delerium. Ah the circle of life..

Jazzy said...

Jackie
What is the lovely pale pink rose at the top? I would love to start one of those.
Linda

Jacqueline said...

Jazzy, the pale pink rose at the top is an old one that I inherited when I bought the house. I've not seen another like it in the catalogs. It's very fragrant and thrives in partial shade without any help from me. It only blooms once a season but it is so gorgeous it can be forgiven for that.