July 24, 2013

Flower Walk


It was beautiful here this morning, beautiful in a way I think only Indiana can be on a cool summer morning. I'm sure there are other beautiful places on a July morning, but I love this little spot of the world so much, that my heart says surely there can be no place better.


I looked at the 5 day forecast and was thrilled to see that we will barely rise out of the 70's. Perfection. This has been my favorite summer in the history of summers. And I've had something like 42 of them. This summer feels slow and easy. And balanced. And full of gratitude.


The light was so beautiful this morning I needed to capture it. I wanted to see with my lens, what my eye sometimes misses. I love this yard, this work in progress. This place that we are creating with our hands and ideas.


Since Emma was a wee little girl, in the blooming months, we have been going outside in the mornings for a flower walk. This morning there was a lot blooming. My lavender seems happy.


This phlox is a favorite. I planted some in the front last year and had to have more.


This pink english lavender isn't quite sure if it likes its new home yet.


Love this corner of the front yard.


We have pretty much started from scratch with our landscaping. We have ripped out much of what we inherited, reshaped beds, put in stone borders, moved raised beds and planted, weeded, planted, mulched and planted some more. It is such a labor of love. And money. There have been some misses: I may have badly pruned a favorite hydrangea leaving it with two lovely pink blooms, I can't seem to keep delphinium plants alive in this zone to save my life, I apparently murdered my speedwell, I need to relocate some things I didn't plan very well, something is eating the heck out of my green beans and I honestly just fail at planting pots. But. There have been many successes too and more importantly I enjoy the process more than I ever knew I could. I'm gone. A dirt junky. A flower addict. Stand near me for very long and I will bend your ear for hours about the pleasures of getting your hands in the earth.


But This. This is my most exciting accomplishment as a wannabe gardener. This is the first sign of flower buds on my crape myrtle. This transplanted southern girl has missed crape myrtles above all other southern flowers. This gives me complete joy.

This is the first summer of my gardening life that I have not tired of gardening by approximately mid June. This is a major accomplishment. One that is best celebrated with the purchasing of more flowers I think.

18 comments:

  1. Beautiful flowers! Miss my crepe myrtle back at my old home. I need to get more since I am down South now.

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  2. What a beautiful walk! Upper 70s! I have been dreaming of living somewhere that has 70s all the time! I love your flowers! The phlox with a variegated leaf is lovely! I brought a hot pink one inside and within a week it had faded to almost white! It was like the pigment evaporated!

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  3. P.S. Your play house is amazing!

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  4. Lovely garden, Jen. You certainly have a green thumb! I often lose my enthusiasm halfway through the summer, too, but this year has been different. I think it's because it has been such a great year for roses in our part of the country!

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  5. I have never seen variegated Phlox...I gotta get me some of that!!
    Lovely garden walk...

    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  6. You are so right!! Indiana's weather was absolutely gorgeous!! I just couldn't get enough of it. All my projects were done on the porch in the sweet cool breezes. We've had bunnies eating our green beans. I finally had to replant and fence them in. I love the idea of morning flower walks. I may just have to give that a try tomorrow!

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  7. Wasn't the weather amazing today? I'm in southeast Michigan and the highest temp I saw was 71. I spent the day in the yard too, catching up on all the work that hasn't been done during the recent heat wave. I think we are in the same zone and I can't keep Delphinium alive either. Your garden is gorgeous. (My pink lavender was slow to establish itself too, maybe that's just how pink lavender is?)

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  8. You know, Jen, since I visited your town it's like I really "get it"...like I can go right along on that walk with you. Your place/town is gorgeous and what a blessing to live there- xo Diana

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  9. I love to go on a morning walk like that around the yard, but I never had a name for it. Now I do. ;D

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  10. Gorgeous garden tour Jen. Yep, when that old gardening bug bites you are smitten for life!

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  11. Hi Jen,

    Love the stones you used for the garden borders...so New England! Lavender is such a nice flowering plant to have in the garden. I tried pink but never grew and one of them wasn't pink as it said it was. Glad to see yours growing.

    hugs, Lynnie

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  12. the weather this week in indiana seems as if it blew out of some nostalgic, old novel about an idyllic summer. it's been perfect.

    your garden looks beautiful!!! and, you have inspired me to try some crepe myrtle trees next year. back home, in alabama, i took them for granted. i have so missed them up here.

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  13. My garden was mostly planted by birds. Flowers pop up where we least expect them.

    Your flower walk was lovely.

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  14. Everything is just lovely, a true cottage garden. We just moved and getting landscaping quotes has been ridiculous. I just want someone to put the beds in because it is so much work but I would rather spend the money on plants. I love lavender but have never been able to grow it because we have always had sprinkler systems and lavender likes staying dry. I will have to just admire yours! Have a wonderful weekend!

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  15. hello!

    everything is so lovely. i'm the worst with plants and flowers. so neglectful. i also wilt in the heat worse than impatiens. maybe someday ... until then, i'll enjoy your images!

    happiest summer wishes!

    xo
    elyse

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  16. Your yard is so pretty! I love the "tree house"

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  17. yay for the crepe myrtle!!!!! :) i know you must be thrilled about that. you should come visit me right now...we have red and white ones in our new yard! i'll take a picture just for you!

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