Life is perfect only rarely and briefly, and gardens are the same.
-- Sydney Eddison
If I am to keep my sanity I have to let go of perfectionism. I've said that before, but of all the lessons the garden has taught me, this is the hardest for me to accept. I haven't gardened since last
Bloom Day due to a debilitating illness with 4 days in the hospital. This morning, I walked (wobbled) around my garden and was horrified at its look of neglect: Japanese stilt grass, dead blooms and foliage, Japanese stilt grass, broken shrubs, mounds of leaves, Japanese stilt grass, and perennials that need dividing. Oh, and did I mention the Japanese stilt grass? And to make matters worse -- I know I have missed several weeks of lovely weather!
So what to do? I readied the camera, took a deep breath, and looked for beauty. And I found beauty in abundance, as will see from the following pictures ....
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| The corn in the lower field is ready for cutting. |
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| The Yarrow 'Autumn Joy' has turned a yummy caramel brown. |
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| The crabapple tree is loaded with berries. |
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| Tall Verbena blossoms are even more abundant. |
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| Foxgloves and Yarrow 'The Pearl' are everywhere. |
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| Shasta Daisy is smiling again. |
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| A breathtaking last flush of roses. |
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| Lavendar and Phlox are a surprise. |
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| Miniature white rose is full of pretty blooms. |
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| This is begonia is one of several planters in the stone garden still blooming. |
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| A glorious mass of Zinnia and globe amaranth. |
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| Petunias, purple fountain grass, and bacoba continue to flourish in my 5 window boxes. |
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| I love the change in color on the Vibernum |
The first picture on this posting is of our top field and is the view from my kitchen window. Yes, I am truly blessed to live with such beauty! So while I wish my garden was free from flaws, I will try very hard to accept its imperfections and focus on all its loveliness. I resolve to
let go of perfectionism!
Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.
-- Annette Funicello
I'm linking with Carole at
May Dreams Gardens for everyone's favorite meme, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Sorry no botanical names on my photos today and no touch-ups.
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Pamela x
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| The shade garden looking messy. |
~~ I love reading your comments. I hope you leave one so I’ll know you visited!
I look forward to visiting your blog in return.
I don't know if any of us will ever achieve perfection in our gardens, but if we do, I'm certain Mother Nature will cause some havoc to be reaped upon it! Sorry to hear you've been unable to garden. Sometimes our gardens just have to go on without us for a while - and they do. You have found abundant beauty in your garden. (I especially love the foxgloves!) I bet most people would never notice all you feel is imperfect - not even the Japanese stilt grass!
ReplyDeletei am sorry to hear you have been ill! This time of the year is hard-it is finally nice enough to be outside and things are winding down in the garden. I haven't gardened much either since August-had surgery on both hands. Your window boxes look good! There can been beauty in the garden as it is getting ready to "sleep". I hope you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks absolutely lovely. I hope you are feeling well enough to enjoy the beauty. Happy Bloom Day.
ReplyDeletePam-I loved reading your beautiful post and am glad that you were able to go out and enjoy taking some pictures. I hope you are feeling better each and every day and able to enjoy your blooms.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're on the mend...and you are so right, we have to let go of perfectionism...hard as that may be. Actually, looking at my own garden, it would appear I lost that fight years ago ;-)
ReplyDeleteI really like the combo in your flower boxes. The petunia and grass make a stunning look.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and your pictures! I especially like the foxgloves and the roses!
ReplyDeleteLove your garden:) Love how you know the names of the flowers that grow in your garden. I hope to achieve a lovely garden like yours... oneday:)
ReplyDeleteGardens provide much comfort and healing. There are still some nice days left this week, and plenty this fall -- I'm certain of it! I'm sorry you haven't been well, but glad you're back home now. :-) Love, Mary Anne
ReplyDeletePam, I hope you are feeling better soon. I like the quote from Sydney Ellison and enjoyed reading her book. I think your garden looks beautiful, and I enjoyed seeing your autumn colors.
ReplyDeleteI think you forgot to mention the Japanese Stilt grass Pam;)
ReplyDeleteSorry to read you had to spend some time in hospital. I hope you feel better soon.
You've still a good bit of colour and I hope it stays around for a while longer so you don't miss out too much. Happy Bloom Day
I think we always tend to see the worst in our own gardens, so it's good once a month to go searching for the beauty, and to find it's right there all along! Glad you could at least get out to see it. I'm curious what cultivar of gomphrena you grow. I tried some Las Vegas Purple this year, and it was very slow, but I've liked it. I found some 'Buddy Purple' at a nursery, but I don't like how its blooms are all in a very tight head.
ReplyDeleteI wish you a speedy recovery and a healthful, recuperative winter!
The purple grass and your petunias draw my attention again, such a splendid combination. A garden is almost never perfect, you can try but nature is capricious. Last week our garden still looked beautiful, now it is a big chaos. We had stormy weather and 100 mm rain in one day, cannot do anything because the soil is soaked.
ReplyDeleteBe careful and enjoy the beauty of your autumn garden, hope you will be recovered soon.
Dearest Pam,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear that you have been unwell! I am sure your hubby is relieved to have you back home where you should be.
I love this quote by Ann Voskamp: "Homemaking is about making a home, not about making perfection. A perfect home is an authentic, creative, animated space where Peace and Christ and Beauty are embraced.{Perfect does not equate to immaculate.}"
Your home has so much beauty and heart in it! Glad that you are able to enjoy it & let it encourage you while you mend. There will always be tasks to do, but not always these golden autumn moments to drink in... and wow, that is a beautiful view to drink from your kitchen!! :)
Happy October to you & praying you truly well very soon.
~Julie
Sorry to hear that you haven't been so well Pam. Very glad, with the help of those great pictures that you found out that there was no need to be so hard on yourself.
ReplyDeleteAs keeper of the gardens we so often see only the undone... beauty is always there, but to truly see it, we must change our focus. So sorry you have been ill, Pam. I wish you a speedy recovery so you can do the gardening you enjoy. In the meantime, continue to discover the beauty in your gardens and not the undone. You live in a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteOh, I feel for you, I have been there myself so many times – recovering from illness and operations and not able to even lift a trowel or a watering can. But the good thing is that the garden will survive, especially at this time of year, or at least if you get rain or it gets watered, everything else can wait. My garden has recovered from numerous long spells of neglect and even if it is hard to watch it whilst unable to do anything, at least you found lots of beautiful things to photograph. I wish you a speedy recovery so you can get back to your lovely garden as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteReally sorry to hear you have not been well. But it's nice to see you have found a positive and saw so much to be joyful about in your garden. It's a good lesson to stay positive, I could use that lesson about once a day I think :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear that you've been ill, I hope you're well on the way to feeling much better now. Your garden is looking as beautiful as ever. Striving for perfection can be a hiding to nothing, instead, enjoy the changes and see the beauty that Mother Nature has to offer.
ReplyDeleteSorry to read that you've been poorly. Hope you're getting better. I don't know about japanese stilt grass, but it sounds like something that one wouldn't want in thetr garden. Foxgloves on the other hand are a definite must.
ReplyDeleteOh Pam I am sorry to hear this. I hope you are feeling better soon. With work and illness I have let go of that perfectionism as well.
ReplyDeleteThere you go Pam, a lesson well learned. Something I remind myself every time our praise band does not perform to our expectations. The congregation never even notices!
ReplyDeleteah, I've missed a bit. I do hope you are back to your usual feisty health!
ReplyDelete