Wednesday, May 30, 2012

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.

10 comments:

  1. What a beautiful woodland garden,I felt I was meandering through the woods with each photo...your sister has 'green fingers'.It is like a dell woodland in England.

    No sign of slugs eating your Hostas!!

    The little house with the rocking chair just perfect for morning coffee.

    Please thank your sister for sharing her garden with us.

    What is a bottle tree? Ida

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    1. Ida, it is a beautiful and well-cared for garden. I'll have to ask how she prevents slugs. A bottle tree is a adornment people construct by placing a high pole in the ground, nailing short lengths of wood onto it at angles and placing colorful bottles on each little piece of wood. I believe the forms are also sold commercially so you don't have to make one. They are a colorful addition to gardens and are particularly popular in the southern states of the U.S.

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  2. I feel honored to be "written up" on your blog. Thanks.
    It's a labor of love and I love every minute of it.
    Thanks for the nice words.

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    1. Hi Sissy,
      Well, one can certainly tell that you love every minute of it! Everything is so well cared for. And you are so very welcome! My sister, the consumate gardener!

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  3. As I wrote on my post, I do enjoy seeing gardens. This is an exceptional one, as it has the forest around/within it. Congratulations for your sister!
    Oh, Frank looks so lovely, not at all " his age ".
    And I´ve always hoped to have a brown Labrador retriever!

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    1. I loved your apple trees today. Woodland and natural gardens can be the best. Frankie is a dear cat, and Big Ben, as we call him, is a sweet, sweet baby, all 100 pounds of him. Big dog!

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  4. Thanks to you and Edith for sharing her garden. It has a fairytale feel to it - SO beautiful!! Don't you know the little creatures who dwell there love crawling and meandering through such beauty. Edith, you're quite the gardener!!

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    1. Hi Areeda,
      This is a garden that is probably inhabited by gnomes and fairies when no one is looking! It is such a joy to see any time of year, but especially right now when the hydrangeas are at their peak!

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  5. Your sister's garden is amazing. It does look lie a park. And I love the little house in the garden - just like Marie Antoinette had at Versailles. Ben looks like a wonderful dog. And Frankie looks very cool hanging out under the bushes.

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