2010 Leftovers

The holidays are over. The last couple of days I have been focusing on leftovers. I am not talking about food, though after all the holiday feasting we have plenty of that! I am referring to the photos that are rapidly filling up my computer. I have almost seven thousand, many taken of the same subject and often of poor quality. It's time to get rid of a chunk of them. Most never made it to the blogosphere but still lurk in my files. A few of them I think are blog worthy, but for various reasons I never used them. I want to share them before I get into the new gardening year; so, like a plate filled with a smorgasbord of leftovers, here's a serving of 2010 photos.

Garden, the cat who does not belong to me, was acting ornery when I made the following picture. About the same time I made a shot of a blue iris. Can you see a resemblance? Garden was a sweet kitty who often accompanied me on my strolls through the garden. Garden wasn't her real name, but that's what I called her, and she responded to it. Sadly, this summer her owner moved and took her away. I still miss her.

Here's some flowers:
I took this photo in early March in the woodland garden:

The following is an old oak and a redbud tree behind my house, also taken in early spring. To see their spectacular fall colors, check out my previous post, Autumn Lights.

The blossoms of a weeping cherry tree helped to brighten a gloomy day:

Various images through spring and summer:

I like these photos for their plants' colors and feathery textures:

Finally, here's some more plants with nice colors:I hope you enjoyed my leftovers. Now I am looking forward to the new gardening year, 2011!

Shades of Green and Golden Light

    this is the garden: colours come and go,

           frail azures fluttering from night's outer wing

strong silent green serenely lingering,

     absolute lights like baths of golden snow.

                                          E.E. Cummings

Light transforms.

If your garden has gloomy, heavily shaded areas where nothing good will grow, consider removing the scrubby stuff and judiciously limbing up and pruning some of the trees to let in the sunshine. You may be surprised at what a difference it makes, and that area could even become one of your favorites.

Recently, as gentle sun washed over my garden, shades of green and golden light filled my heart with joy. I hope you are gladdened as I was.

Here are scenes from the woodland garden:

 Golden light streams through the entrance to the woodland garden.

Irises are beginning to blossom near the woodland entrance.

A tapestry of greens in the woodland garden

Top: Native redbud tree dripping with seed pods. Above, clockwise from upper left: Hydrangea 'Lady in Red', beginning to bud out; Variegated hydrangea; Native mahonia; Spreading Japanese plum yew

Hosta 'sieboldiana elegans' glows in the light.

Sunlight and shadows create a serene atmosphere in the woodland garden.

the hillside in the woodland garden

This is the view in front of my house:

Ethereal light shines over the japanese maple I call our marriage tree.

While the wonderful green colors predominate, flowers are blooming throughout the gardens:'Endless Sumer' hydrangea buds announce the coming season.

Knockout roses in the herb bed

1st row: Anthony Waterer spirea; Beauty Bush, Kolkwitzia amabilis. 2nd row: Southern arrowwood, Viburnum dentatum; French hollyhock, Malva sylvestris. 3rd row: Swamp rose, rosa palustris; very old azaleas. 4th row: Confederate or star jasmine; Blue salvia.

May God's Light shine in your hearts and take you out of dark places.    Deborah