Green Garden

      One of my deepest regrets in the flower garden, besides not starting sooner in the season, has been neglecting the backyard garden for the past two summers. Not considering the cost of losing a few beautiful plants, I've seen more green in the backyard than I've seen an abundance of color. What led up to this unfortunate neglect was sheer rebellion against nature. Where I live, for the last couple of years has experienced extreme high temperatures, which averaged from the low to high 90's on consecutive days, without any rain for weeks at a time. My backyard garden fell victim to the circumstances and has not be able to put on a flower show, like in has in years past. Ivy and weeds have run rampant and have appeared to take over the yard. Only the tried and true plants have been able to fight through and display their beauty, such as the orange kissed Daylily, so tall and regal. Then there's the bold and beautiful Canna, not afraid to showoff their yellow blooms and tucked in a small pot are the vibrant hot pink Dianthus that add their own splash of color.

   
    I started out as an eager gardener, wanting to produce a fabulous "show" in just one season, but not knowing which act would work well with what scene, so I ultimately hit a stumbling block. The plants all have their own cues and instinctively know when it's their turn on stage to perform. This year, I slowed down production so that I could focus on one area at a time. I started with the front of the house, where more plants can been seen and instead of planting everything in the ground I've elevated and highlighted a few plants by planting them in nicely decorated pots. I also added natural stones, that I found in the backyard, to bring more definition to the space. The rain this year has still been sporadic, but with time comes wisdom and now I've learned use five gallon painter's buckets to catch the rainwater and have the water on reserve to water the plants when I need it.  Slowly but surely, I'll make my way back to the backyard garden where it's so green; but for now I need to learn more so that I can see a flourishing and colorful garden.
How does your garden grow?