Garden Critic. . .

Hello friends,

yesterday I wandered out into the garden for my usual stroll.

 

I was contemplating whether or not I would share a post with Pam's

Garden Galore link party

 

 

It has been so hot here for the past two weeks.  Temperatures have been soaring above 100.  Needless to say, my garden is

suffering a little.

 

I had decided that the garden wasn't worth sharing.

 

 I was my own worst critic.

 

This morning I went out early to cut back lots of my perennials.  That's when I decided to look at my garden differently.

 

 

Pretending I was on a garden tour of someone else's garden.

 

I realized that even though there is not a lot of color right now, that the shades of green are quite soothing and there is plenty to look at  here and there.

 

As I stood up on the hill by 'hilltop cottage'  looking down, I found the view to be  quite fulfilling.

 

Sure, there are things I don't love right now.  For example, the view of the neighbors house.  There was a huge tree there that made our garden totally private.  A couple years ago they had to cut it down.  We've planted tall columnar pines that have a rapid growth to help fill in the area.  They've grown quite a bit, but it'll be a few years before we have our privacy back.

 

Miniature Hollyhock

 

 

Next I wandered over to our pondless waterfall and enjoyed it's soothing sound.

 

 

There is a bit of color with the pink coneflowers and this orange beauty, Lucifer's tongue plant.

 

 

The Salvia I cut back a month ago is starting to rebloom and the view of my tiled shovel and planted twin buckets made me smile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I strolled over to our East gate and pretended to be just entering our back yard.  The narrow garden leading up to the gate is filled with flowers that will be blooming soon. 

 

 

I began to think that yes, maybe this garden is worth wandering through.

 

The flagstone path covered with moss and other steppables felt very soft to my bare feet.  Yup, I had tossed off my flip flops by now.  Ah, yes; I garden in flip flops.  :)

 

 

 

As I stepped into my backyard I was welcomed by my rose garden.

 

 

 

Some of the blooms have slowed down, but the birdhouses still add interest to the garden.

 

And this sweet little "lavender Lady" is trying to persuade me to linger a while.

 



 

Hostas seem to be doing okay, despite the heat.

 

 

and the hot weather hasn't seemed to affect the bees. . .

 

Monkshood

 

or the butterflies.

 



 

And these pretties are blooming in the front garden.

 

Queen of the Prairie

 

Rudbeckia

 



Daisy

 



 

 

 

Yup, maybe this garden isn't as bad as I thought.

 

So, next time you think your garden isn't pretty enough to share.  Try looking at it through different eyes.

 

Sometimes I think we are our own worse critics.  :)

 

hugs,

Jann