Garden Delight

I want to thank you all
for your very warm and
welcoming comments
on my comeback post.
It's good to be back!


Summer days have come to an end but luckily
my vegetable garden is still in full production.
The tomato plants have filled the obelisks that we built. I grew heirlooms this year and it makes me giddy
to see them ripening.I've had so many tomatoes, zucchinis and summer squash
that I set up a table on my front porch
and asked my neighbors to come help themselves.I am delighted to see so many pumpkins and gourdsof all colors, shapes and sizes growing in my garden. I'm sure this may seem strange to some,
but sometimes I think that my purpose
for growing a garden is more for the
happiness
I get from decorating with my harvest
than from the eating of it. I suppose both serve a similar purpose;
one feeds the body, the other feeds the soul.

A Secret Garden

There is a shady little strip of land

at the side of my home. It isn't seen by many so I like to think of it as
my secret garden.

I've decorated it with odd little pieces of yard art. Because of it's less than ideal location,
plants struggle to grow and what plants do grow
become dinner to the snails that live there.But it is still a favorite little spot of mine,
to sit and ponder, or simply to walk through and smile.

Backyard Bargains

With the heat of the summer upon us, I was feeling the need for a gorgeous summer centerpiece. Not wanting to spend any money, I walked through my backyard to find what was in bloom. I grabbed my clippers and nipped off a few blooms from my butterfly bushes, then added some grasses for filler. Now I have a wild, bountiful, beautiful, and free bouquet.Since seashells evoke the feeling of summer, I thought I'd add one into my seasonal vignette. Of course, I couldn't resist giving the backside a glitzy little makeover

so that it would be as pretty on the outside as it is inside. Then I finished the setting with a little ceramic bird candle holder,
adorned with an old key tied on with rope.It gives me a thrill to add beauty to my home
without spending any money!

Bountiful Blooms

An enormous bouquetcompliments of my own backyard.Can you believe the size of this bush?Am I the only one that has a burning desire to have
a snowball fight with springtime blooms?

Lilac Love

My lilac bushes are abundant in blossoms. I thought I'd bring some of that beauty and aroma indoors.

I found that the blossoms last longer if you hammer the ends
of the branches so that there is more surface to drink up the water.

I pulled out this old thing to help weight the vase down and camouflage the stems.

You just can't beat a homegrown bouquet!

Sowing Seeds

I've always thought it would be fun
to start flowers for my yard from seeds. This year with finances so tight, and still having a desire for
a bounty of beauty,
it has become a necessity. To help fill our gardens with flowers,
I decided to try my hand at sowing seeds indoors. I purchased little green houses and
gathered a few packets of seeds. Now, just a few days later, I'm excited to report
a little growth.

Does it concern me that I should have
started this process about six weeks ago
in order to enjoy blooms before the fourth of July?
No.

Not really.
Okay.
Maybe.
But isn't that what real growth is all about?Overcoming our mistakes and
blossoming despite them.

Growing Inspiration

Oh how I would love to incorporate some of these ideas from the Botanic Gardens in DC.Huge pots packed with plants and flowers. Don't you adore the overflowing potato vines.
I would really enjoy having a large rosemary bush like this one.
I would loooove to have rows of boxwood bushes!
I'm already planning on planting rows of grasses similar to this.
Don't you think that this is an awesome way to grow tomatoes?
I wish I could find a spot to plant two shades of ground cover plants in long rows with a garden statue in the center.My very favorite idea was this checkerboard design made by alternating ground coverings and small, smooth black stones.
Isn't it beautiful!

Blooming With Ideas

One of the first places I visited in Washington DC was the Botanic Garden, one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America.

I love to garden so I found it to be incredibly inspiring. The different gardens were absolutely stunning! I started snapping photos of ideas I wanted to incorporate in my own gardens as well as ideas that I could only dream of having. Sixty plus photos later I found myself not only feeling serene from strolling through garden after garden, but also excited to be able to share a bit of the experience and ideas with you.
This summer we built our own garden obelisks so you can imagine my thrill to see obelisks displayed in bright colors tucked among the beautiful flower beds.

There were beautiful structures that made me want to take up the art of welding just so I could have "dead" metal trees in my yard.


The ponds and other water features were so calming.



I don't think my hubby would be too thrilled if I handed him a shovel and announced that we were going to dig a big pond.

But maybe a dry creek bed with a bridge might be doable.

I'm wondering where we could build an arch for climbing vines?

I love the look of rocks in a garden!


Stepping stone and gravel paths overflowing with flowers and plants make me more giddy than a case full of diamonds and gem stones.

Do you think hubby would mind picking me up some huge rocks while I'm away so that I could incorporate them into my flower beds (hint hint ;~) I've actually asked him to do this---maybe if he reads my blog he'll remember).
Aren't these garden benches wonderful?

I sat on a few benches in the Botanic Gardens just trying to process all of the incredible ideas I found there. I've got even more to share with you tomorrow.