Glittering Trees and Other Joys
Monday, May 12, 2014 at 5:00AM When I came outside the other day, long sun rays were slanting across the garden, and Japanese maples, dogwoods and other trees were glittering in the light. Burgundy, rose, orange, lime green and gold sparkles shot through the leaves and shone around their edges. 
My camera could not truly portray the beauty of the light coming through the trees.As I watched, nearly a dozen different types of birds were calling and playing about the trees, and a fresh breeze brought aromas of damp earth, fresh pine straw and some delicious flower. Was it jasmine or rose or dianthus?
I breathed in and absorbed the moment, and then I had a thought. I was the only person in the whole wide world who was experiencing this particular scene. From my perspective, at that time, looking across my front garden. Oh, there were many special events going on around the earth, and lots of them were far more spectacular and significant to those who were experiencing them. But this particular moment in time and place was mine alone, a gift just for me.
Once again I was reminded that to experience life at its fullest one must take it in little bits, savoring the small joys that each day offers, whether it be the beauty of a plant or the smile of a child, the satisfaction of a job well done or the lift of the heart that doing a kind deed brings.
Here are more recent scenes around the garden that made me smile:
In the top photo, day lily foliage grows in front of a birdhouse. The perspective is deceiving. Between the rose and the day lilies there is a stairway that goes down to the arbor garden. The rose is Coral Drift. The hanging basket on the lower right contains Calibrachoa 'Dreamsicle'.
Last week I put together a small succulent garden in a hypertufa container:
Finally, here is a dramatic look into the woodland garden as late afternoon light comes pouring through: 
May your week be filled with glittering trees and other joys! Deb
Reader Comments (23)
That's the beauty of a garden: It provides great moments and scenes for your eyes only. But your camera allows you to share them. Delightful.
Absolutely beautiful - love the variegated Solomon's Seal - I have some, but haven't been able to find any more locally! Love the pink Knock-Outs, too! I am not a rosarian in the least, so maybe that's why I like them so much. Gorgeous pics, Deb, thanks for sharing! :O)
the first image quite took my breath away. Those moments when the light is just so and our eye catches the beauty are precious, thanks Deb for sharing that special moment here. I must try to find some Variegated Solomon's Seal, it would really light up a shady area.
The photos showing the light coming through all your various leaves is absolutely beautiful, you have blended colour, shape and texture to make a stunning tapestry.
Those moments in the garden are truly precious! The view through you arbor is always spectacular. Thanks for sharing it.
The first photo is simply breathtaking Debs! The rest are wonderful too! You are surrounded by so much beauty!
Beautiful photos (as usual), Deb.
I don't turn up my nose at Knock Outs -- but I don't bury my nose in the flowers either.
I'll admit I prefer fragrant roses -- and Knock Outs don't have a fragrance, do they? (I've only seen the red ones and have never been able to detect a fragrance on them.)
I also tend to favor flowers that attract bees or other beneficials and don't recall ever seeing a bee on a Knock Out rose -- whereas the Rosa rugosa hedge my parents used to have was buzzy with bees whenever it bloomed...
Ah memories!
Hi everybody! Thank you for your comments and support. Each one of your comments means a lot to me. Aaron, you are right about the deficiencies of Knock Out roses. My Rugosa 'alba' has a fabulous fragrance that travels in the air, and the pollinators are all over it. Penelope and my new Orchid Romance also have delicious scents and attract pollinators. But none of those roses hold a candle to Knock Outs's blooming capacity. In my climate Knock Out earns its keep by blooming 8 to 10 months out of the year. I am fortunate to have the space for a variety of roses! Deb
Oh, I know what you mean, Deb! Most of the time my photos can't even begin to capture the magic of those moments. Sometimes I don't even try and simply savor the beauty. Other times I try and manage to share a bit of the joy. Your photos are spectacular, and it certainly must have been fabulous to be right there at the right time. :)
So beautiful! I just love listening to all the sounds of nature - birds during the day, frogs in the evening. Your pink knock-outs are stunning - I'm all for roses that don't require much fuss!
Oh what wonderful light you have captured in those photos. I especially enjoyed your reflection that right there, at that moment you were the only one seeing the beautiful scene. What a lovely notion - I will be more aware of moments like that.
Deb - Everything looked splendid but that first photo under the curving arbor was spectacular. I am so envious!
Your garden is really beautiful Deb! Love the roses and your candle lantern. Where did you find the candle glass cover lantern?
All of my roses are doing great too, the bourbon roses are nearly gone. :)
http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/purple-rhododendron-flowers/
A very profound statement, Deb, "I was the only person in the whole wide world who was experiencing this particular scene." I never thought about that. In any particular moment where things are constantly changing, it becomes even more profound. BTW, I like Knock Outs too. Your tufa garden came out great. I always want to start one, then never get the time - even though they have little care.
Your garden looks great, and thanks for the important reminder to savor the beauty around us. Some of us need that reminder not to be busy all the time.
My goodness Deb, the layering in your garden is stunning...I've always been in love with the photos you share, but today, well even more so.
Jen
Thank you for sharing your garden with us, it is important to sit back now and then and just look around – even though there are a million things to do in the garden! I take my camera with me outside every day, there is always something to capture and you never know when something turns up. Loved your first photo :-)
I love visiting your blog and finding amazing new plants. I had never seen that weeping redbud, for instance, which is just lovely. But I'm with you about pink Knock-Out roses - I think they are pretty, and I don't care who knows it!
Deb I adore the vistas of your garden...such beauty...my knockouts are not growing yet nor are any roses...so much still not growing and it is cooling off again for a week...
Your photos have wonderfully captured what you describe. "But this particular moment in time and place was mine alone, a gift just for me." I love that sentence and the sentiment behind it.
I can just imagine how breath-taking that light-filled area was, Deb! Wow! My other favourites were the coral rose and the Pink Knock-out roses.
I'm with you Deb, there are many times when I take in those special moments in the garden and just sigh at the beauty. The scent of the iris, the hummingbird hovering nearby, and so many more. These private moments are one of the big reasons we garden! I also agree with you about the Knockout roses, they look so pretty that you just can't resist. Have you ever grown the Sunny Yellow variety? It's very, very fragrant, you'll love it! Now if only they could breed fragrance into the pretty pink ones.
There are lots of textures and interesting shapes and colours in your garden. The first photo really shows the variety, and how well it comes together.
The delicate pink shade of your knock out rose is really lovely.
Light can bring a magical quality to the garden. I especially love it when shafts of sunlight filter down through the trees in a woodland garden, creating patterns below.