My Sister's Garden



Nikko Blue Mophead Hydrangea



There are gardens and gardeners, and then there's my sister and her garden. She has created a paradise around her home that rivals botanical gardens, public gardens, places that take the care of plants and beauty thereof very seriously. Knowledgeable, she names off plant varieties as easily as some people call the names of their friends.

And her friends these gorgeous things are!
I believe she must talk to them in the middle of the night and coaxes them into a perfection that is beyond what most of us could ever hope to achieve. But no, that's not it. Her garden is beautiful due to the work, the nurturing, the expense that goes into it. She toils relentlessly, pampers her plants. It is her hobby and her love.

It's also her sense of garden style; knowing what goes where; how to design garden rooms, place rocks; errect birdhouses and bottle trees.

But my words cannot adquately describe the results, so here are just a few pictures that show off the hydrangeas and hostas, the shade-loving plants in her surburban oasis:

Snow Queen Hydrangea fronted by white picket fence and a blue bottle tree as an accent.

Snow Queen and Mophead Hydrangeas and hostas.



Another Nikko Blue Hydrangea



Snowflake and Annabelle Hydrangeas

Hydrangea "Harmony," or "Sheeps Head."

Hosta; Snow Queen and Annabelle Hydrangea



Garden path leading to the backyard. Note old planters wheel accent.



Annabelle and Snow Queen Hydrangea - a favorite!



Another garden room consisting of Annabelle and Snow Queen Hydrangea. Hebe, wife of Hercules and the godess of youth, oversees the garden.



And what's a garden without a little house? A place to rest, catch a nap, store supplies, think, plan, dream!

The Garden House

Inside the Garden House. Note the handmade quilt. What a neat hideaway!

And every garden needs a cat. This baby, named Frankie, is 19 years old and still going strong!

Frankie

Peek-a-boo! Frankie is hiding among the hostas and Snowflake Hydrangea.

And here's the beloved Ben, a Chocolate Lab who's been known to trample down a Hosta plant once in a while!

Loyal companion Ben who's always available to assist with garden chores and get his treat.