|Sweet Shrub, Calycanthus in the shade garden.|
And then the day came
when the risk to remain
tight in a bud was
more painful than the
risk to bloom.
-- Anais Nin
We can learn so much from tending a garden: I have learned to take risks in my life, to try something new however painful. The poet Mark Nepo, in The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have, gives numerous, inspiring examples from nature on 'how to stay vital and in love with this life.' A quiet walk through my garden soon after sunrise brings me into the present and sets the tone for my day. On this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, come with me on that walk. Oh, and bring a sweater -- it's another cold morning.
Bordering the Stone Garden more lilac blossoms than usual shed their heady aroma. A canopy of shade provided by the tall maples tends to limit the number of lilac flowers. This year, however, not only the common purple is blooming but also the pale pink and the white one.
|The white and purple lilacs are in full bloom. The pale pink blossoms are nearly there,|
|I've lost the name of this white beauty.|
In the Cottage Garden the crabapple tree, in full bloom, takes center stage. It is the star of my garden every May.
|You can just make out the lilacs under the maple trees to the left of the crabapple.|
Near the pond new growth, like fairy lights, adorn the miniature spruce.
|Picea abies 'Pendula'|
Walking around the house to the front garden we find the first of the azaleas blooming bright red in the shade of the foundation planting. The white one on the other side of the porch will be another week before its petals open.
Through the gate and into the shade garden we find more May blooms: brunnera, lamium, hellebore, Jacobs ladder, and lily of the valley. And, of course, lots of gorgeous foliage.
|Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost,' pink lamium, and the faded flowers or helleborus 'Ivory Prince.'|
The 'naked lady' statue is bathing in a foam of spirea 'Golden Mound.' Too early for blooms but beautiful chartreuse folliage.
I find blue flowers particularly gorgeous, and Jacob's ladder is no exception with its lavender blue cup-shaped blooms.
|Jacob's-ladder or Greek valerian, polemonium caeruleum|
Into the Woodland Walk now where lily-of-the-valley's clusters of fragrant white bells abound. Spreading by rhysomes, they make excellent ground cover for the Woodland Garden, but need too much space for the Cottage Garden. I have to remember they are very poisonous and keep them out of the nearby horse's pasture.
|Lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis|
Sweet woodruff carpets the Woodland Walk. One of my favorite spring flowers, it is another native plant that I am happy to own. A small clump was given to me by my friend, Pat, many years ago. It's exuberent behavior is easy to control by simply tugging unwanted plants out. They are easy to remove but I rarely want to do so. This often forgotten herb is a valuable addition to shady areas.
|Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum|