Day 9: Opportunities to Grow: Creating a path to The Secret Garden

I was beginning to feel a little depressed last week.  I had lost a group of photos and was trying to download and save those I wanted to keep.  I was amazed to see summer and fall photos of the beautiful woods behind my home. I had forgotten how joyous it was to see green trees, and blooming vines, ferns over five feet tall. I want to identify them by type and name.

We moved here while I was hospitalized last year, and it took me awhile to get to the point of getting out much.  Over the past few months, and especially during this mild winter, I have fallen in love with the wood that seems lifeless, but truly is the frame for the beauty to come.

I had never read the children's novel, The Secret Garden, but finished it last month, and since then have begun to plan my Secret Garden. My daughter in law and I talked about building a path of stones to the garden.  Another girl friend has a few ideas, and the knowledge to put those plans into action. One of our favorite spring things to do is visit all the local nurseries together.  She and I can wander throughout the plants for hours, together or alone, and meet back at our starting point.  

One afternoon I wandered around other gardens in my neighborhood to see what the neighbors who have lived her for years have done. As the weather improves, and the further I am able to walk, I plan to walk around and meet some of the other gardeners in the area.   

In California I was a rose gardener. I had numerous rose bushes, a koi pond I built, and two beautiful crape myrtle trees, one in four foot square planters on either side of the steps leading down into my yard.  I had purple and orange tulips in these square planters, under the trees.  If you have never seen the  blooming fuschia crape myrtle, they are great trees, both strong and pretty.  I had full sun in this spot.

Photo from Crape Myrtle Farms like the two trees I loved.

I do not have enough sun where I am for roses. I am going to investigate that further, but I do know that I have a woods full of aged vines, trees, and ferns.  I want to explore what is here, and learn more about the flora and fauna outside my back door!  The first thing I need is a rake!  

It is will be fun to have an outdoor project, and of course we will continue with our potted plants. We don't have an outside water source, and I do not want to create more work than I can handle. 

We want to make the patio a special place to enjoy sunsets like this one.

I guess I just want to "Gingerize" my patio and secret garden, to make it a place where we can create memories and invite friends to relax with us.  If you have any ideas, please share them with me.  And watch this space as the garden begins to come to life!


For more information on Crape Myrtle trees, you can find information at http://www.crapemyrtles.net/


Photos by Ginger Bristow Gaitor