Every home needs a garden
Hostas are easy to grow, come up every year and require little or any maintenance.
Jack Hughes
Gardens can be special places. They also can add additional living space.
Some people plan their garden like a series of additional rooms. When having a gathering or a party they can add a great experience to the event and allow people to spread out and enjoy a bit of nature. Small paths, benches or a swing can add a bit of serenity.
Diane and I have several gardens along with a bit of woods and a wetland. Small gravel and earth paths connect each area and add a dimension of space to our property. Several small streams traverse the property and an old green chair alongside one of the streams allows someone to sit and listen to the sounds of moving water over a few stones. A small wooden bridge was a father’s day gift from my children a few years ago. It leads to a small wetland that was once a small pond, but now houses a few yellow marsh marigold and wild purple iris. Our deep green skunk cabbage dominates the wetter areas and their hidden flower is one of the first to bloom in the spring.
With the spring cleanup of twigs, branches, leaves and winter debris now complete, most folks have fired up their lawn mowers and have begun the task of grass cutting. I am not one much for mowing and we allow a large part of our front and back yards to yield to natural wildflowers. Purple agua and bright blue forget-me-knots dominate much of our space.
In our back yard, we have allowed moss to dominate and the soft green is easy to maintain requiring no mowing, trimming and survives on just rainwater. It also does not require fertilizer or pesticides and thrives in shady areas even under large trees. Moss is a great replacement for traditional grass; however, one drawback is that it is probably not good for high traffic areas. Mosses are one of the oldest plants on land and cushioned the feet of dinosaurs as they roamed our forests many millions of years ago.
In addition to our natural areas, we have some more formal type gardens. Out front Diane has a cottage garden that has something in blooming in all seasons. Almost daily something new sprouts. Spring blooms of crocus and daffodils give way to lily of the valley, sundrops, butterfly weed and then the summer daisy and finally a spectacular host of colorful fall flowers. One of my favorites is our shade hosta garden. A dozen or so different varieties add an array of green and yellow colors from late April until the first heavy frost. Hostas are easy to grow, come up every year and require little or any maintenance.
Last year, we removed an old weather beaten deck and replaced it with a small tree house deck where we can enjoy morning coffee and look out into the woods and our moss-covered backyard. Often a sense of peace and serenity will come over me as I enjoy this truly beautiful setting