My front garden has always been a white-ish garden, ruled by the rose bed. Very polite; non-revelatory. Somehow, that’s changing. The roses are still here and the first one is blossoming. Hi little friend!
The white native iris still bloom like a flock of seagulls–but I added more daffodils, and some Santa Barbara daisies (as we call Erigeron) self-sowed. Enter yellow.
Then when I planted 12 white sweet alyssum in a second raised bed, and, as one does with new plants, watered them, a packet of wildflower seeds I’d thrown in there–sent in a card from a candle company of all things–decided to raise their colorful heads. So from this,
we arrived at this,
and this.
Finally, in a fit of inspiration I pulled out a sagebush that outgrew its corner and planted this nigh-on neon native California penstemon.
The Pieris Japonica is putting out an extra fall of its Lily-of-the-Valley simulacrum flowers, in endorsement.
I imagine this is part and parcel of my general emergence from High WASP attempts at The Appropriate into a more creative presentation, and probably experience, of self.
If not, it’s pretty.
Happy weekend, everyone.
11 Responses
Or maybe it’s the evolution of a gardener, which is a little like parenthood in my experience. You may start with a clear idea and expectations. But experience humbles and instructs you, and eventually you find a reality that is more interesting and colorful than your early, controlled idea. Clearly parenthood is only barely explained like that, but gardening for me has been a progression (this old WASP will not call it a journey haha) from a green and white design to a more native, lively, surprising, and splashy tapestry. Love yours, always partial to Bay Area flora.
Oh, that’s interesting! (No journeys for us unless they’re run by Abercrombie and Kent;)). Thank you. I am happy to share this, “But experience humbles and instructs you, and eventually you find a reality that is more interesting and colorful than your early, controlled idea,” with other gardeners.
Absolutely beautiful evolution! Thank you from Chicago, where the grass is just turning green (and we’re thrilled!).
Thank you so much! Welcome to Chicago, Spring!
So much pleasure in watching a garden evolve — along with its gardener! So interesting to see the reciprocal forces working together . . .
Almost like a friendship:). I always love the updates from your balcony garden.
Wow, Lisa, all that beauty is growing in your garden now? I have serious garden envy as I stare out the window waiting for 18” of New Hampshire snow to melt. It will be quite a while before we are even close to what you have growing in your garden. Thanks so much for the color and inspiration. You did well with the candle seeds too! Enjoy…
Yes, and thank you! But your snow images are incredible. It can happen that we start to take our flowers for granted out there, so this is a reminder to me to enjoy:)
My garden always surprises me, with things from the previous year that have blown into it, and shows itself in Spring. Your garden looks beautiful, and I love how you choose plants that you love rather than some theme, like a border of 100 agapanthus. It’s more like a painting.
Beautiful day here in Ottawa, Ontario. Sunny and warm with almost no snow left . We no longer have grass; replaced with pea stone, flagstone and mulch. All our plants are perennials, bushes and trees. Front faces the morning sun and has a low, meandering, grey stone wall dividing it into a lower and upper garden area. The back yard has an upper and lower pond with a large deck at back overlooking the lower pond. A porch attached to the house on the south side divides the front and back with a pathway to go around the porch to get to the backyard. This small front area is set up to be an eating area for now as it’s close to the porch which leads to the kitchen. Can’t wait for blooming to begin…finally.
Lovely!!