I have been working in my garden whenever I get the chance. I started the week before Easter with the pond. It was a huge relief to get that all cleaned up and running. Since then I have been hard at work pruning overgrown shrubs. In the past I have not been a very aggressive pruner. Now, I go at it ruthlessly, and they seem to love it. The plants around them definitely are cheering me on as their exposure to the sun has increased. After I pruned the butterfly bush the candytuft flowers and ‘Blue Moon’ woodland phlox are thriving and spreading.
The azaleas are blooming or beginning to bloom. I have many of them. The ‘Autumn Twist’, which is a twice blooming Encore azalea is looking particularly beautiful. I have two of them. The whole garden benefitted from the pond draining since they soaked up all the water from it. I am sure it was full of nutrients.
The Hellebores have taken over the back garden to the left of the deck. They began to bloom weeks ago and they are still blooming. I cleaned out the flute boy fountain, though I have not installed a pump. I did put in a mosquito dunk inside the cavity under the boy. The birds keep this area busy with activity. This is the general area where I have the clematis, Diana’s Delight. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that this plant was promising to thrive this season. Yesterday when I was all dressed and protected ready to attack the laurel around our deck, which is in sad need of an aggressive pruning, I noticed that this clematis had three open blooms and many buds in line for future blooming. I was not set up to photograph anything, however, I could not resist capturing the purple beauty. I went on to successfully prune the laurel. It now has some bare places where the old wood needed to be cut out. From my kitchen window I can now see the round pattern in our patio and a wide clear view of the stone bird bath standing in a corner where the dirt meets the grass.
My next pruning project will be the red camellia (Kramer’s Supreme). It is at least 20 years old. Sadly, the dead tree next to it with the ivy has tried to suppress its beauty by growing over it. During the same week as we cleaned out the pond we began to attack the ivy overgrowth. It needs to be noted that the red camellia has been undaunted by the ivy and still blooms profusely. We cut away a lot of the ivy, though I still need to continue cutting it back to nothing. The camellia is done with its blooming and the flowers are drying out, so it is ready to be pruned. I will be aggressive, and this will allow me the space to work at clearing away all the ivy. Hopefully next weekend will give me the time needed to accomplish this.
I give thanks to God for all the abundance I see in my garden.
I have work ahead of me.
I will work consistently to improve both the garden and myself.
This coming week we will celebrate Earth Day!
The original intent for this day was to plant a tree.
At this time, there is no space in my garden for this.
My tree of thoughts here will honor this day instead.
I don’t remember the words ‘make fat thy bones’, and I am sure I would not have given a card with those exact words. Though now that I am older and at increased risk for osteoporosis, this idea has a hidden blessing in it.
Anyways, I am thankful for still being able to work at garden restoration now that my mind is in a much better place. I also pray for the world beyond my garden. Hopefully many are praying for our world at this time, and I know God in his wisdom will prevail.
movingforwardslowly 