Let your garden
celebrate who you are and where you are. Is there a garden you've
visited that stirred or evoked a joyous feeling? Do specific fragrances
simply make you feel good?
Think about your
favorite childhood memories. Playing hide and seek, gardening with
your parents or grandparents, being reminded of plants associated
with wonderful past experiences...Consider these thoughts when discussing
with me what you might want in your garden. Every inch of every property
should be of importance to the owner.
Would you like
to look out your window and see birds and butterflies? Being a part
of nature is uplifting.
Did you ever
consider an outdoor place to meditate, be still and peaceful? Flowers
feed the soul.
Do you want to
add containers and window boxes? We have a need to note the rhythm
of nature. Containers are a great way of accenting a garden or entranceway.
Imagine a fragrant pot of night-blooming jasmine underneath a bedroom
window bringing garden perfume into a room. Or imagine a rainbow of
sweet smelling pansies adding a touch of spring and uplifting your
wintery spirits.
The subtle and
nodding hellebores, pure white snowdrops, and the fragrant strappy
petaled witch hazels are in full display. If you don't have any in
your garden or are unfamiliar with these plants, a visit to your local
arboretum on a mild winter day is in order. Once you see them, I am
sure you will want them in your garden.
Though many dogwoods
are grown for their flowers, the 'Midwinter Fire' twiggy dogwood has
the most spectacular showing of red and gold stems. These colorful
winter stems are a great reason to grow this plant. Picture this in
a container. What a wonderful statement.
I hope these
questions and thoughts will provoke you this month. Looking forward
to creative conversations and plans for your gardens this year.
Fresh Dirt for February