Stop and look close to really see a garden.

summer snowflakes

Summer snowflakes bloom in the spring in the arbor garden.
Tropicana Canna Lily

This plant grows in front of the walkway to my house. It has an orange blossom that birds love.
Caladium black magic

This elephant ear has an exotic color. Mine was more blue than black.
Japanese maple leaves

These Japanese maple leaves come from a tree which was an unnamed seedling when I planted it. It has grown into a gorgeous tree whose foliage turns to molten gold in the summer.
gardenia bud

I have a large gardenia bush in the woodland garden which perfumes the whole area when it is blooming. I like the swirl of green and white seen in this bud.
aquilegia, also known as columbine

I found this flower in my yard when we first moved to Helena. I had never seen a columbine before then, but now it is my favorite flower. No doubt it was planted by the original owner, Mrs. Thelma Dearing. I have heard she was a gardener, and sometimes I feel her spirit still lingering in this place.
another view of columbine

Bumblebees love this plant. They will climb inside and buzz around until they are drunk with its nectar.
Francis Williams hosta leaf

I have hosta in several garden areas.
Cherokee sunset dogwood

This dogwood was was a bargain-basement buy, bought for a couple of dollars at the end of the season. It was abandoned at the back of the nursery, the root ball overgrown with weeds. It took a couple years to become established, but it is growing and blooming well now.
Anthony Waterer spirea

Anthony Waterer spirea has lace-like blooms.
fall mums

I planted one pot of mums several years ago. They have come back every year and spread to form an area cover around the base of a crepe myrtle.
an autumn tapestry of leaves

I saw this group of leaves at my feet while on a November walk at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover. The green leaves are sassafras, which tastes like spearmint and can be used to make a tasty tea.
fall leaves

Fallen leaves are not just for raking. This natural artwork is beautiful, if temporary.
holly tea olive

The holly tea olive 'Goshiki" has beautiful variegated leaves.
Japanese maple 'Seiryu'

This is another one of my gorgeous Japanese maples. It is an upright form with lacy green leaves that turn orange- red in the fall.
berry beautiful

The berries on this burford holly are just beginning to turn. By Christmas they will be bright red and ready for decking the halls.
season's end for hosta

This November photo of hosta leaves reveals beauty even as a season passes away. The old, rotted stump is host to moss and lichen and many other living organisms.
variegated ivy grow over an old stump

Variegated ivy grows over an old stump. I love the somewhat wild look of a natural garden.
Oak leaf hydrangea in November

Oak leaf hydrangea is native to Alabama. The dried seed heads are lovely and often persist through the winter.
a little white pine branch

This little white pine branch looks lovely against the fall foliage of a Japanese maple.