Saturday, June 28, 2008

Finding the Bright Side... a Trip Thru My Garden

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. ~The Koran

I'm not a naturally sunny, positive, happy person... I have the tendency to focus on the negative, and have to make a conscious effort to find the good stuff.

So, today, when I found this:


That should have looked like this (notice that this one's flower buds were NOT eaten by deer):


And this:


That should have looked like this:


I wanted to cry and give up gardening for good. The deer have now gotten my flowers and parts of my garden, and the Cunning Voles of Doom have decimated what should have been a lush, mature garden this year. I'm fighting a losing battle.

So, after a bit of a pity party, I decided to go see what I still had!

I have milkweed blooming, and smelling so amazing, that I can smell it from several feet away!



I have delicate coral bells that the hummingbirds adore:


I have yellow flowers that I have no idea what they are (they were a three-time hand-me-down, and their name has been lost along the way... anyone?):


I have a California poppy just opening up, and reminding me of home:


And then there are my squash blossoms:


Which announce the coming fruit:


The clematis in full bloom on my mailbox:


The hardy yarrow and gallardia:


My favorite columbine:


And... of course... I simply need to look at my back yard and know that I am blessed:




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You Are a Carnation



You are down to earth and grounded.

You tend to be more traditional than trendy.

Your confidence gets you through anything.

People trust you and are very loyal to you.

9 comments:

Jen said...

Oh, Marianne, NAB those squash blossoms, wash them, removed the pistils, stuff them with something yummy and coat them in egg and flour and then fry them lightly in olive oil until they're golden brown. They are the most amazing things EVAH!

And your garden looks absolutely lovely - the surviving parts.

Sympathies on the deer - been there and done that. Sigh.

Sarita Leone said...

Your gardens are lovely! I've got columbine so similar to yours it's like looking at my own. I just love them, so delicate and striking. And I love your coral bells. I've got small ones in the greenhouse. I figure I'll get them in the ground in the next week or so.

No squash here yet but we have tomatoes and peppers and the melons all have flowers! I'm so hoping to get watermelon this year. *fingers crossed*

I know this sounds silly but we put pinwheels on the posts in the vineyard. Keeps the birds at bay; maybe it'll work for deer too? We bought a bunch of the colorful, shiny ones at Wal-Mart last year and they're doing the trick. Just thought I'd pass it on...

Hope you have a great weekend!

Dru said...

Sorry about your garden. I'm glad there are survivors and I like the flowers and seeing Dakota running in the backyard.

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist.

People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you.

You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words.

Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

MomJane said...

I ended up being a lily. Does this sound like me?

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist.
People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you.
You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words.
Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

Judy said...

I'm a Lily, too ,MomJane. And from what Marianne has said about you...it sounds spot on for you! I know she sees you as her rock.

Melissa McClone said...

Sorry about the deers, but your garden is great even with the munchers.

Hope Dakota and dd are feeling better today!

Brandy said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your garden, but what you do have is just gorgeous! The clematis is especially lovely. Want to plant some for my mailbox? *G*

I hope you have a pleasant evening!

Anonymous said...

Sorry the deer are being such buggers. And the voles.

But what is blooming looks beautiful. The clematis is stunning. And you get squash! Yay!

The quiz says I'm a lily...uh, no.

anno said...

I thought deer didn't like lilies -- I can't believe they ate yours! Around here, our deer will also eat things they're not supposed to like (lilacs)... and then promptly spit them out. Rude creatures!

I am sorry about your lilies, but everything else looks just gorgeous. I think I have clematis envy. Enjoy your poppies!