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Herself, the Garden Elf
(posted October 1, 2010)
This morning I heard the first whispers of autumn carried on the breeze. So I headed outdoors to capture through the lens of my camera the remaining summer beauty in my yard...
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Kwan Yin, the goddess of
compassion, sits atop a
vase bearing her image.
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The aroma of marigolds is sharp and crisp. Like lemon and cinnamon combined. It makes my mouth water.
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I always plant rose bushes. They rekindle sweet memories of helping my Nanna McClelland tend the enormous rose bushes in her backyard. She had a green thumb the size of Florida.
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For several years I have tried to straighten the trunk of this little Hoopsi blue spruce. But he's determined to remain bent and grow in the direction of his choosing.
So be it.
I now think of him as a crooked old man, shuffling along in his bedroom slippers, singing “Puff the magic dragon,” and not caring who hears.
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I planted this Copper King hibiscus bush in memory of my father. Each time it blooms, the giant white blossoms are like kisses from heaven.
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Sedum, nearly ready to open its pink blossoms which draw dozens of flies. I enjoy the fly-a-palooza.
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This Elephant Ear plant grows next door in my neighbor’s garden. Its leaves are nearly two-feet long. I couldn’t resist snapping this picture of the morning sun shining through them.
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Oh, my! Such a gorgeous Zebra Swallowtail.
It wasn't until I zoomed in for this picture that I noticed one of his coat tails was missing.
It caused him to fly in a rather drunken fashion...but fly he did. A true testament to the power of determination and the resilience of nature.
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The flowers on this Giant Hibiscus are the size of dinner plates. And the hummingbirds, oh, the hummingbirds adore them.
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However, no tour would be complete without paying homage to my magnum opus: the trail I made into the woods at the back of our yard.
First I learned how to use a chainsaw and cut down a decade of honeysuckle overgrowth.
Then I climbed down into the creek bed behind our property and hoisted nearly 100 rocks onto its 4' high banks. I hauled the rocks up the hill and carved stairs in the dirt which I then inlaid with the creek rock.
The hillside is quite steep, so I built a handrail. Then I planted hostas and...voila!
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