Happiness In Bloom

I have said to my family that I easily could have been a Prairie Woman in my former life because if I can grow it, bake it, or take care of it, then it makes me happy.  

Ahh the simple pleasures in life!

Lately my projects are of the growing variety. It is no secret that Spring is my favorite time of year because I get to transform my brown, lifeless gardens into something splendorous. I suppose this particular joy of creation is how an artist must feel as he puts his brush to canvas. My canvas just happens to be various patches of dirt surrounding my home.

This particular patch of dirt is one of our favorites. We affectionately call it The Sitting Garden. Although the irony is that we would much rather sit on the swing across from the sitting garden in order to properly enjoy the view.

When we first moved in to our house, this patch of dirt was filled with weeds four feet high. The original owners had wanted to turn it into a pond, but one look and I knew what this area was destined for and I made it my goal to transform it into something wonderful, colorful, fragrant and serene.

Each year we add a few more perennials and a ton of annuals to create an explosion of brightly colored happiness that our entire family enjoys all summer long.  A little over a year ago, Bill added the Italian pizza oven and California bbq pit  that is now a major focal point at the garden's edge. The red rocks and Sun/Moon sculpture, and even the pergola in the background were my own ideas.

This was the end result after the girls helped me plant all the gorgeous flowers that Bill purchased and the girls helped me choose for Mother's Day. I am one lucky mom!

Even as packed as the garden looks now, it will continue to fill in as our perennials grow and bloom throughout the summer. (We are also compulsive J&J shoppers, so if we see bare dirt in our flower garden, we will buy more flowers! In fact, since this picture was taken we have already added more!)

If  only there was a way to upload fragrances to the computer,  then I could share the amazing aroma that this garden produces. It is truly a delight to the senses! The quiet observer is often treated to close up views of visiting hummingbirds and bumble bees, which is exactly why we spend so much time in our gardens.

Luckily for me, my girls have discovered a love of photography and they generously share their beautiful images with me. These are just a few of Carley's pictures which were taken on the day we planted the Sitting Garden.

This is my artist, Carley, who took the pictures on planting day. You can see more of her talent here: karmama237.blogspot.com