My garden and me. Credit: Photos by Morgan Huston for Friday Jones Publishing
- My garden and me.
- Hens and chicks happily nest in the shallow bowls of a crumbled ornamental concrete fountain that no longer would hold water.
- This angel, a gift to me from a client in Los Angeles, suffered a broken wing, yet she's still beautiful, grounded in my secret garden, dreaming.
- Chive flowers are so pretty that I can't help but let them blossom, even though they make the herb tough. I cut back some so I can have tender chives for culinary purposes.
- Siberian buggloss or Italian buggloss, these plants were gifts to me from the garden of my friend Julie. Their clear blue and heart-shaped flowers lend charm to my secret garden's shade bed.
- My hot and sunny southwestern exposure corner provides an ideal spot for iris.
- The hyacinth planted in the beds in front of my house have so much scent that when the breeze blows in the right direction and the front door is opened, hyacinth perfume wafts onto the porch and into the house: heavenly.
- Anybody who knows me knows I like things in threes: Maybe it's my Irish heritage. But this is Scotch moss, a new planting for me. I love the simplicity and the complimentary colors of the dazzling green with these violet glazed ceramic pots.
- For many years, I've been enamored with white flowers. Even though carnations come in many juicy colors, I appreciate the simplicity of the white, which allows the gray-blue-green of the foliage to pop.
- Years ago, when a neighbor was remodeling her house, she cast off three redwood window boxes that were falling apart. My sweetheart added some screws, and I planted culinary herbs. I appreciate the patina on these old planters.
- A trio of fiber optic grasses in $1 containers from a dollar store decorate the top of my barbeque grill in my secret garden. They're easy to move when we fire up the grill; and the light containers contrast with the dark brick of my house. These grasses are new to me this growing season: I could not resist them.
- I have hearty stands of iris, which I've divided over the 22 years I've lived in my house. Originally, the iris were gifts to me from my mother and my friend Julie. Some of them smell exactly like grape candy: so sweet. Once the blooms fade, the blade-shaped leaves add a nice element to the gardens. A must-have plant for Denver gardens.
- My cherry tree is special to me--and the robins. From a large window on the front porch, I'm able to enjoy the tree in all its seasons.
- Portulaca thrive in the hot sun on the south side of my house.
- Come early spring, I'm always eager to jumpstart the season. Pansies in pots on my front porch tide me over until the real gardening begins. These last months in the glassed-in corner of my porch, where they add sweetness and color.
- These urns, which were gifts to me about 20 years ago, adorn the brick columns flanking my little Romeo and Juliet balcony. The conditions are so hot that the urns dry out quickly. This season, I'm trying rose moss in the urns. The plants like it hot and dry, and the flowers match the trim of the portico above the French doors.
- Cleaning out my basement years ago, I happened upon this old mirror. Instead of adding it to the landfill or giving it away, I hung it on my fence. It adds light and dimension to the shade bed in the secret garden, presenting a visual port hole, reflecting beauty.
- As a child, I loved the Bleeding Hearts in my mother's garden--especially the little white heart "skeleton" beneath the petals. I planted this dicentra one Mother's Day, to honor my mom. A white variety is high on my list of coveted plants.
- My house is on a corner of a busy avenue in a historic neighborhood of central Denver. To mitigate traffic noise, I have several fountains and an orchestra of wind chimes. I also have a small collection of bird houses--gifts to my garden and me over many growing seasons--not functional, but decorative.
- One of the sweetest spots in my secret garden is my late dad's park bench, where he sat most every morning at his home. He helped me so much around my house and garden, and his bench is a constant reminder of his fatherly love. The bench offers an up-close view of the shade bed.
- Early in the season, even before the pansies this year, I bought a flat of ranunculus, dazzled by their colors and beautiful flower forms. They lasted months on the front porch. Though they appear delicate, they survived the cold.
- This photo has served as my screensaver for weeks. Morgan managed to capture the essence of these delicate, glorious blossoms; and the colors revealed their secrets to her camera. Thanks to Morgan Huston for her keen eye and photographic skill set. I hope you enjoyed your virtual garden visit. Please stop by again or invite your flower-loving friends to pay a virtual visit.
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