Our move to the country a year after my accident brought many therapeutic and healing advantages. At times it also brought much frustration - as I felt useless, with all the renovations that were taking place to make our home more "new" me friendly, I was not able to help out (even though we had contractors, pre-accident me, would have been right in there, designer work gloves and all).
The grounds however was a different story...our property was a blank canvas, but deciding where to plant, what to plant - something that once had come so simple, for my city garden... now my brain just couldn't see the whole picture. People tried to say "You can't compare all this land with your postage stamp city yard!" but, it was more than the size difference - I really wasn't able to visualize and see it nor make a choice. But, frustration over my limitations, and determination to not let them take me down ... I just looked up... ask for a little help and started purchasing perennials ... with Mr. G's and friend's help we somehow got these plants in two gardens.
They would become what is known today as the Cutting Garden and the Butterfly Garden. Looking back to that first summer, I often shake my head at mystubbornness desire to maintain the gardens weed free. If you can imagine ~ a full grown women with her pink garden gloves, Ann Klein garden shoes, dressed in gardening clothes, straw hat and all ... laying/crawling on the ground weeding!!! I was not going to let my fatique be hero to the weeds.Yes, it must have been quite the sight (according to Mr. G - who after he realized I wasn't just laying passed out on the ground - for the hundreth time - it was something he wishes he had caught on photo - had he not been so worried and angry with me), thankfully living in the country neighbours cannot see into one another's property.
When we walk the property these gardens mean so much because they truly were cultivated from passion, love, and the help of guiding hands. So I invite you to come along on a walk of the gardens (these photos were taken mid June 2011)...
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The grounds however was a different story...our property was a blank canvas, but deciding where to plant, what to plant - something that once had come so simple, for my city garden... now my brain just couldn't see the whole picture. People tried to say "You can't compare all this land with your postage stamp city yard!" but, it was more than the size difference - I really wasn't able to visualize and see it nor make a choice. But, frustration over my limitations, and determination to not let them take me down ... I just looked up... ask for a little help and started purchasing perennials ... with Mr. G's and friend's help we somehow got these plants in two gardens.
They would become what is known today as the Cutting Garden and the Butterfly Garden. Looking back to that first summer, I often shake my head at my
When we walk the property these gardens mean so much because they truly were cultivated from passion, love, and the help of guiding hands. So I invite you to come along on a walk of the gardens (these photos were taken mid June 2011)...
In our Cutting Garden, the peony are the first to greet us...
Our Butterfly Garden, named for the plants that attract butterflies.
The Lupin make their entrance long before the rest
that wait for the heat of summer....
Our Angel Garden was cultivated last summer (2010) and
is a beautiful place to sit read,
meditate or just become lost in one's thoughts.
This is the first garden to spring to life with colour and
offers a rotating variety of colour throught spring, summer and autumn.
Our newest garden is the Gazebo Rose Garden (this summer-2011),
we planted Golden Showers climbing roses,
I think they will look wonderful making their way up the sides of the gazebo.
We will also be adding more roses in the gazebo area, this year.
These wonderful Angels call our Angel Garden home, but are
visible throughtout the gardens. I know it is their help,
that enables me to create and enjoy these gardens.
