Joy in the Garden

Summer is softening now. We have had some cooler days with an edge of fall, and I have been taking it easy.While I am recuperating from surgery, I get to just be in the garden with no weeding or watering or trimming or digging or any of those other chores that can distract from the joy the garden has to give. I am fortunate that Lou is here to keep things under control, for otherwise I might be fretting. Happily, I am able to study and make plans, and I am doing lots of that!

While lounging on the patio, I keep admiring my red banana plant. Forgive me for bragging about it again. When I bought it last year, I wasn't sure it would fit in or if it would survive the winter. No doubt it is now at the top of my list of plants with beautiful foliage. When golden sun shines through the leaves, it is spectacular:Down from the patio Pieris japonica 'Cavatine' is putting out new growth, which I think is particularly lovely:

Another foliage plant I am noticing more lately is arborvitae fern. I have several of these planted under some azaleas. It has taken a few years for them to become established, but our wet summer this year has really helped them to flourish.

I have been disappointed with my peacock orchids. They bloomed the first year I planted them and not since. I am thinking about digging them up. But the other day I noticed their stems. Who needs flowers?

Variegated fig is another beautiful foliage plant. It is not hardy, so it will go into Lou's office for the winter, where it will stay warm and receive just the right amount of light. Lou complains about how I convert his office into a greenhouse every winter, but without an enclosed garage or greenhouse, it really is the best place we have.

Down in my arbor garden hosta 'Francis Williams' is looking good. Voles decimated the hostas in this area earlier this year. I am glad this one is a survivor.

I am fascinated by the changes that occur to hydrangea blooms as they age. This skeletal bloom caught my attention the other day. It reminds me of coral:

Endless Summer hydrangea was bright blue earlier this year. Now the antique blooms are shades of lavender. Here it is with variegated daphne:

More photos of aging hydrangea blooms:

Finally, here are a few flowers that add color to the garden as summer's end approaches. They should stay lovely well into fall:Clockwise from top left: Portulaca, Pavonia hastata, Caryopteris, HibiscusIt's easy to receive joy from a garden. One only has to listen, to look, to smell, to hear, to feel. But one does have to pause to take it in. I am grateful for my garden and for the time to enjoy it.

My Days as a Princess

It has been a week since I walked in my garden. The following are a few of the photos I took then, nothing new but nice that the garden is doing well through the summer:

Cryptomeria japonica, shown above in the last photo on the lower right, was once upon a time a Christmas tree. It has grown well since I put it out in the yard.

I had hip replacement surgery the day after I took these photos. I was in the hospital for a few days, then finally came home, where I am bound to hobble around the house on a walker.

Definitely not my style.

You may think this came about because of shoveling, hauling, digging with a pick ax, and other gardening chores. I have always been a hands on, down in the dirt gardener. Bored by gyms, I think outdoor activities are the best form of exercise.

Or maybe my situation was the result of my day job. I am a nurse, and I routinely spend 12 hour shifts on my feet, constantly moving around with few breaks.

Maybe it was a little of both, but probably it was genetics. Everyone in my family has arthritis. My brother had hip replacement surgery last year, and he has a sedentary job. (Although he is a gardener...) It recently became clear that it was time to do something about my condition.

I confess I have been down in the dumps. Yesterday I sat with my feet propped up on the couch. Lou had put layers of blankets under the cushion so that once down, I could get up again. Sitting atop the pile, I was reminded of the old children's tale, The Princess and the Pea. Behind me, sunlight streamed past the window panes. A spider web was strung between the glass and the window screen.This is the view from the couch. The edge of the patio can be seen on the far right.

This morning I felt a bit better, and Lou suggested I sit on the patio. The temperature was pleasant, and I perked up as I listened to birds and watched a lizard scurry across the concrete. I looked at my walker and decided it was good for most terrains. I stood up, and my walker and I ambled toward the front garden. I made a discovery: Walking is easier on soft mulch than hard floors. I intended to just go a short distance, but soon I was all the way down in the middle of the front garden, inspecting plants and even pulling a few weeds. 

Thanks to modern medicine and technology, I should be back to normal within a couple of months. Meanwhile, I perch upon my throne of blankets and cushions. I point to this and I point to that, and Lou does it. My days as a princess will not last long. A physical therapist will be seeing me several times a week, but I think my garden will be the most important factor in getting me off my tush and moving toward recovery.