Well, I was flattered, considering the source. It made me realize that I am still looking at my gardens for what they are missing, rather than appreciating what they have.
I received the nicest complement the other day! The president of our local garden club, whom I had not previously met, came to my house with her husband who was delivering mulch. She got out of the truck to ask me the names of a few plants, then exclaimed, "Look at your flowers! Except for the fallen leaves, it looks like spring!" Well, I was flattered, considering the source. It made me realize that I am still looking at my gardens for what they are missing, rather than appreciating what they have. I do think I have made some good decisions, and I am working on a few more to make the gardens even nicer, in every season. But I am happy with them. Yet, alas, the time of color is winding down, after two good frosts the last two nights. My patio gardens still look much as they do in these pictures, but I have lost some of the flowers I had intended to post as still hanging on late in autumn! So I ran out and collected what color was left, to enjoy a few last bouquets. They aren't perfect, and I do not claim to be an expert, but they are the last bouquets of the season, making them all the more precious to me! The theme for this little bouquet is old garden favorites, those that you might find in your grandmother's garden - old roses, lavender, salvia, and snapdragon, with a touch of dill and yellowing asparagus ferns for interest. I put it right next to the sofa so we can enjoy its last perfume! This is such a cheery little bouquet that the picture doesn't do it justice! The calendula came back with abandon when the cool weather returned, begging my forgiveness for being so rude and absent during the grueling summer. I forgive them. By evening they had all turned their repentant faces up to show us their cheery centers. And don't you love the little maple? It was growing where I would have pulled it anyway, so I added it to the bouquet. And finally, my 'kitchen sink' bouquet. This has everything else in it. It's much prettier in person, with each flower standing out and giving its last hurrah. One lonely cosmos, a lovely forget-me-not, and a monch aster snuggle in with dill, globe amaranth, calendula, silene, statice, blueberry branches, red wild amaranth, and another volunteer maple tree. If you look closely, in the right-hand calendula, you'll see a desperate honeybee that visited the bouquet within seconds of my setting it down! Well, all things must rest. "For everything there is a season." Although I do not like the cold, I have put in a number of plants that should give me at least a hint of color through the winter, to hold me until the spring colors return!
1 Comment
I'm so happy to find your site! I, too, love growing with kids...my own, as well as any other children I can find who like to get their hands dirty! I'm currently working with 11 school gardens through an organic food organization, and it's such a great experience to help kids learn to grow what they can eat. If only my children would do the same...they like to plant it, just not eat it. Sigh. I look forward to seeing your progress on your new garden!
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AuthorWelcome to Growing Goodness! This website is dedicated to growing good things, both plants and children. It's a gardening blog with maternal overtones, as I discuss the goodness and value of plants, both wild and domestic. In the process I hope to help you pass a love of nature on to your children. Happy Gardening! Archives
August 2011
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