My Secret Garden - Seeing With New Eyes

Did you ever have a brainstorm?  An aha, "lightening bolt kind of this is what I can do" moment?  This is my latest brainstorm, my little secret garden space.  This is just the beginning, but I am so excited about it.  We lived in our previous home for 24 years and I worked all those years on my beautiful secret garden.  It is the one and only thing I miss about our previous home.  All of my beautiful japanese maples trees, my huge weeping cherry, my pond with the fountain and so many beautiful plants.  The entire back of our house was paved in brick and it was truly, truly a lovely place to spend some quality quiet time.

I brought my wrought iron fencing with us when we moved.  I know it sounds crazy, but I love it and didn't know if and when I could use it.   But, I have found the places to use it this year.  It leaned up against this yard barn all last summer looking so forlorn.  It made me sad to look at it.

A few days ago, we spent the entire day in the yard while Dan mowed and I trimmed hedges and planted pots of bedding plants to liven up the front porch and the deck.  Every time I walked by this space, I would stop and look at it.  It's not huge, maybe 10 x 10,  and it was kind of weedy with violets and other stuff.  It is very shady because of the huge tree that canopies over it and I suddenly went - shade garden, it is a perfect shade garden!

Dan cleaned off the weeds for me and we discovered there was a concrete pad next to the yard barn which is attached to the back of the garage.  Wow, was I excited.  There was now the perfect place for my huge bird bath and one of my concrete benches.  When you look with "new" eyes, you see "new" things.  Of course, this is where some of the wrought iron fence should go.  Perfect!

We put the fence around the space and then it was time for a trip to buy some shade plants.  The Farmer's Market has tons and tons of beautiful plants so we headed there.  The first thing I saw was a humongous Springeri (asparagus fern) and that was our first purchase.  Look at how beautiful it looks in the birdbath.  It is enormous!  I know, a birdbath with a fern in it - new eyes remember?

Then, we put the concrete bench on the other corner.  Nice.  It will be such a lovely place to sit and meditate when everything is done.  We also moved some stepping stones into the garden space.

I had bought a Foxglove, some Caladium,  a small Hydrangea, a Columbine and had some impatiens left from my planting the other day.  Getting them in the ground was another story.  Poor Dan earned his keep today digging around and through all the tree roots.  Bless you Dan, it is much appreciated!!

Then, I placed my garden angel in the garden.  First I put it on a terra cotta pot, but I didn't like it much.

I went and found a round black pot I had and placed him on there.  There was too much contrast to suit me and it looks "shadier" on the back pot.  Now, it's like being home seeing my angel in the garden.

Doesn't he look sweet next to the Fern and the Foxglove?  Beautiful.

The space will be a perfect little meditation type secret garden and it adds so much life and color to the backyard and an unused space.  It is so peaceful and makes me happy beyond measure.  It is not finished by any means, but it's a start.  I will give you updates as things progress, but we are on a roll!

                                                                     Columbine

I am the queen of impatience.  Now I can't wait for the plants to get bigger and fill in the garden area.  It will be really spectacular and peaceful and we all need more peace in our lives don't we?  I love mossy, green places with all kinds of leaves and color.  So lovely.

Don't overlook unused spaces.  Look at them with "new" eyes and see all the potential they possess.  Create a lovely meditation garden for yourself, a place where you can spend time in quiet enjoying nature.  Know that there will be candles or some kind of low lights and other items added, this is just what we accomplished today.  I am one happy gal.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

One is nearer God's heart in a garden than any place on earth.