The Rigors and Riches of the Garden

(Note: Click on an image for a larger view)

This past month has been an extremely busy one for me. From the end of June I have been moving at warp speed to accomplish a number of things, none the least of which was my garden.

Gardening is a time sensitive activity. It must be done at the right time, under the right conditions and must be constantly maintained if you hope to achieve any kind of success. This is labor intensive and should not be undertaken lightly for the rigors of gardening even a small plot are physically draining. Even if you put in the time and the effort and do all the right things, there is no guarantee that it will turn out the way you want it to. Gardening, when you come right down to it, has a lot in common with raising children. And just like children, you learn to love your garden in spite of (or because of) all the blood, sweat and tears it demands.

This year, moreso than in years past, I am experimenting in my garden. I'm moving things around, adding new plants, giving away old ones and conciously choosing to rehabilitate shabby looking plants, orphans you might say, instead of tossing them in favor of new ones. I have a created a plant triage area in my backyard where I attempt to reroot broken plants and give TLC to struggling plants. I have been met with mixed success: some plants live, others die, still others barely hang on, not very much alive but not dead either. Regardless of all the work my garden requires and it's sometimes lackluster performance, I love it all the same and wouldn't trade it for anything. Here are some pictues of my garden this year. There are some new faces as well as some familiar perennial ones. Every plant, every insect, every animal visitor to my garden has a story to tell. Just study the pictures closely and they will whisper their stories to you.



Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva