Here's to my gardening therapy......

I have always found gardening very therapeutic. Its what I do to relax or work my way through mental stress! Its also a very creative release. I like to think that I paint the landscapes via the placement and timing of the plant material blooming. Its like a song playing in my mind with dramatic changes like drums and strings or winds fighting for the solo's.  I'm also doing hot yoga for a physical work out with number two daughter and I'm loving it. But my gardening will always be where I feel the closest to god! Im mindful that I have all this through his grace.

The pond is now very clean and clear with the help of the UV light that I finally got installed and flow adjusted to the right setting....Thank you Jason! The 7 remaining fish are happy and the water lilys and other water plants are thriving. I actually have my first water lily bloom yesterday but I don't have a picture to share... My eye is still too sore to try to take photos.

If you have read any of this springs previous posts then you know that I have spruce needle rust and had to limb up the trees in the middle bed. I decided to embrace the change and I put in a path that helps me now walk through the bed and reach all areas easier without walking out into the bed. I then transplanted some of my perennials I had in other beds and planted in 100 bare root hostas that had been ordered with another idea in mind.  Im very happy with the "mature" look that the plants are already bringing to this bed. From all sides there is something deeper within the bed that draws your eye in and invites you to go and investigate.

The original hostas were all planted in straight rows of five or seven of the same species which I divided and then transplanted around mixing them all up so that their foliage would dance and tease and ultimately please my senses.

This bed which was so amazing with all the tulips and creeping phlox in the spring is going through a quieter transformation... quiet for now maybe but there is incredible contrast in foliage textures and forms and the odd pop of flowers.

the same bed viewed from the left side... how much more texture could one bed possibly hold... This bed actually will "shine" brilliantly again in the later summer or fall show.

This gas plant is in this bed along with the flowering sage that you saw preciously.

Diantus waves and greets you as you drive in...dainty and delicate amongst the harshness of the cactus!

This is a variagated sea holly. Artemesis or worm wood behind it and a couple cupids darts!

This is a great example of how limbing up the spruce changed the whole bed. you use to have to walk around the bed to see what was on the other side and now blooms beckon you to come and see them!

Poppys have pushed up taken their turn in the limelight. I have a collection of pinks,oranges, reds and I even have a white with a purple center getting ready to bloom. If you look at what is around these photos you can anticipate what will come next!

I've tried to create almost a sense of tension and drama with the placement of sharply contrasting colours and textures.  You have to admit its amazing that just 10 days ago this garden was vastly Monochromatic....

How can I not smile among all this colour. I find it very invigorating  

Even when playing with hues of the same colour the shapes of the flowers and the texture of foliage are very interesting. I have pinks (is it politically correct to say for the girls?)

(blues for the boys!)

Here you can see how fast the bare root hosta are growing. I've already been able to start mulching in some areas. I need all the help I can get with keeping the weeds down.

Diantus peaking out from in between the foliage of daffodils that will soon disappear and the hosta

Ohhhh  here come the Peony....

One of the big leaf host planted last year flowering white and the Rodgersia is growing 

wonderfully. both huge chunky leaves to stand out and give a interesting back ground to the mermaid when viewed from up on the deck.

Im happy to share my garden with you and I do have so very very much more to show you. Please stop by again. Leave me a comment. A suggestion. Perhaps share a vision or creative idea that comes to mind when you view my garden.  Why not follow me....that way I can stop by and follow you too!

Im off to sit on the deck sipping my hot chocolate and listening to the frogs.... another storm is rolling in and I love the fresh cleanliness of the air and the lightening.