They say that first impressions are important.
Hopefully as a culture we’ve evolved to giving ourselves
More than a few seconds to get to know each other.
But the first impression of a garden
Can draw you in.
Ever since John built this lovely arbor
Over the back gate
I have loved the entrance
To our back yard.
How it beckons you
To reveal “the rest of the story”.
But over the past few year.
It’s gone through some pretty severe changes.
You may recall that we lost
This charming old Mimosa tree
A few years ago.
It still hurts my heart to think about it.
It created a canopy for the entry
And shade for the plants just inside the back gate.
Which means I had a glorious bed of some of my favorites.
Hydrangeas and Caladiums.
With Impatiens dotted in.
And a part-time home for lettuce.
But when the tree was gone.
This once shady haven
Began to bake in the noon day sun.
We have planted a replacement Cherry tree.
Buying the biggest one we could find.
Even taking out the fence to get it in.
But it will be years before it creates
The kind of shade we had known.
So the Hydrangeas have been transplanted
To a cooler home
And replaced with Dwarf Crepe Myrtle
The Caladiums and Impatiens have gone missing
Replaced with an old friend I haven’t used in years.
Heliotrope.
It’s spinach-like leaves provide a backdrop
For the deep purple blooms.
Mixed in between
Is orange and yellow Lantana.
So my cool bed
Is now a hot spot.
Both in temperature
And color.
Change.
I seldom invite it
But once I embrace it
I grow
Just like my garden.
Gail
Lots of Dahlias coming soon.
In My Garden 