I’ve never seen the gardens, especially the big garden bed, so full and lush as they are this year. I was just outside walking around, snapping pictures, and I’m amazed by them. We’ve had an awful lot of rain this year and though I have complained about it, the result is more blooms than ever.
I admire manicured, neat gardens. I admire gardens, period! But I’ve come to learn that manicured is not for me. Lush and overflowing cottage gardens are my thing. I’m going to sound like a broken record, but self-seeding perennials have made this garden what it is. I’ve never had so much phlox as I do this year. It spread everywhere. I first planted it about 14 or 15 years ago and some years, it’s been lean to the point of my wondering whether it’s all died out. But wowie! This year the David phlox, which is quite tall, is making a huge statement.
As are the coneflowers.
And the brown-eyed Susans (rudbeckia.)
I reminded myself to drink it all in, every day, because summertime is fleeting and we’re now in August. The butterflies and bees and hummingbird moths are taking advantage of all of this abundance and that makes me very happy.
At the end of this month, we will celebrate 16 years of living on this property, in this house. Except for the boxwoods, which we planted that fall, nothing was done to the gardens until the following spring, so that makes 15 years of gardening here. Gardening on a tight budget which only allowed the addition of two or three new plants a year. We have huge hydrangeas, roses, catmint everywhere, day lilies, sedum, salvia, milkweed, ferns, clematis, rose of sharon, balloon flowers, hostas, yarrow, Solomon’s seal, butterfly bush, a lilac bush, boxwoods, and all of the annuals I plant every year, including morning glories, zinnias, and moonflowers. Then there’s all the pots that are full of annuals; in the secret garden, on the funky patio, and on the porch.
This is what I dreamt of for YEARS. All those years when I lived in apartments, or with roommates, or in in rental homes (where, by the way, I planted small gardens with the landlord’s permission) – all those years, I cut out and saved photos of charming little houses in the country with big cottage gardens. I began to think it would never happen. And, given the fact that we freelance, it’s a miracle we did.
Very grateful for flowers and gardens and beauty today. And every day.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
