Late Bloomer

I came to gardening late in life. Growing up, I hated dirt, hated getting sweaty and the idea of finding any joy in digging around in the dirt and pulling weeds was beyond my comprehension.

Then we put up a privacy fence and what I had was no longer a lawn that marched alongside and right up to all the neighbors’ lawns, but my very own secret garden, a walled space that no one else could see unless by invitation. I have a couple of winding paths through cat mint, tall bearded irises and smaller rock irises, dahlias, roses, coreopsis, Becky daisies, zinnias, variegated willows, lilacs, hydrangeas, cosmos, peonies, petunias, watermelon colored poppies, day lilies, pincushion plants, bell flowers, hostas, painted ferns, veronica, asiatic lilies, ornamental grasses and boxwood. I have seating areas and obelisks covered in autumn clematis, climbing sweet peas and morning glories. There is a bird bath as well as a set of steps at the back fence so we can still give treats to the neighbor’s dogs. Closer to the house, a deck partly sectioned off with a pergola that will soon be covered in more clematis vines awaits anyone who would like to sit with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. One step down from the pergola-covered deck is a section of brick patio with a sitting area before an outdoor fireplace.

So, to anyone reading this, give me a call and I’ll put on a pot of coffee or open a bottle of wine. I’m inviting you to sit with me in my secret garden.