Garden View
One of my gardens is freshly planted and the others are more established. In one of the established areas beneath the big oaks, the vegetation is so thick it’s difficult to walk and I’ve given up going in after unwanted plant species. Mostly I work around the edges until the edges get established and I move the border. Occasionally, I move a plant from shade to sun as the border moves. I did that last year with two salvia greggi. They’re now flourishing in morning sun.
The freshly planted area is basically in an experimental phase to see what takes. It’s the new north garden in the front yard, where recently I pulled up the landscape cloth and started over. There’s a sage that is doing well as is the yellow bells, but both are older plants. The chinquapin oak that anchors the garden seems to have responded well to my soil turning efforts. For color I’ve added a pair of Gregg’s Mist flowers, an upright rosemary, and a Turks Cap. The latter is a sprout from another area in the gardens. The overall look is pretty bare, but in my imagination, I see it full and luxurious. Here’s hoping everyone likes their new home.
Overall, my move to narrow my focus to two or three beds was a good one. I think that’s a life lesson on what happens when you spread yourself too thin. Some people can do it, but I like to sit too much, or just walk around and look at the flowers. Overall, I’d say it’s an old man thing, but I’ve always liked plants. I remember as a young working man the pleasure I took in my yards and their flowers after a hard day at the office. Two weeks of azalea blooms goes a long way, and I can hardly wait for now my new gulf muhly’s to bloom this fall. Planting, growing and blooming is a rhythm that pulls me along, salves my soul, and gives me hope for tomorrow.