At A Glance: Home On Sunday Morning

planting containers

The last two weeks have been incredibly busy and demanding.  Multiple plans needing  tuneups sufficient to submit to planning boards for permit review.  A drawing for a fence for permit review.  Landscape plans for a new house just about finished.  A detailed proposal for a large garden sculpture.  Big problems with drainage needing a big plan of attack, and small problems with the garden needing individual and very focused attention.  The shop is on the brink of a change of seasons-this means new things coming in needing a place to be.       

 In the mix-Buck’s 65th birthday.  We had friends from out of town.  A party for 30 that included dinner.  The flowers for those tables and a birthday cake.     

My life is no different than anyone else’s.  Everyone has much to much to attend to, and a time frame which is short.  In the garden, the demands can be endless, and the work hard.  It seemed like a good morning to just dawdle.

The morning light was so beautiful.  And after all,  I did need to water the pots.  I dialed all the demands down, and took my time.  The Corgis were impatient-they are used to leaving for work at 6am. I ignored them.  The morning light, the peace and the quiet, was too beautiful to ignore. The pots have grown so much since May.  That subtle color scheme that seemed so sleepy in the beginning has grown on me. 

Light can wash over a landscape in a very soft and forgiving way.  This Sunday morning was all about what looked good.  What managed to be inviting.  What seemed fine.  I was not about to make a list, and rush to get through it.    

The garden is a great place to putter.  Meaning that I had no tools, no mission, and no task in mind, other than a little water.  I had work to do in the afternoon for a Monday deadline, but that could wait a little while.   

I am rarely home in the morning, so this was a treat.  The days getting shorter means that soon enough I will be leaving the house in the dark. 

I have been watching this pot develop over the past few months.  The lemon grass is taking a leading role here.  I had no idea it would grow this large, and grow so fast.  Several weeks ago its spread was threatening to overwhelm its neighbors-I cut some out.  That did not seem to slow it down one bit.  It’s time to quit tinkering, and just enjoy the show.  It has a very gracefully droopy look that I like.   

My roses were terrible in June, and more than terrible in July.  Given our cooler August nights and some rain, they have had the idea to grow and bloom some.     

The driveway garden gets the lion’s share of my visual attention, given the daily coming and going.  Everything looks remarkably happy, given how tough the summer weather has been.  Plants are amazingly resilient.  They show little sign of what they endured.   

Out the front door, all seems well.  The boxwood are flushing a second time-this a sure sign of how long we have had hot weather.  The hydrangeas are loaded with flowers.   

 What a beautiful morning.

Comments

  1. You are such an inspirational gardener and designer, you need to take the time to reap the rewards of what you do! I love mornings in the garden, its so peaceful and thought clarifing. I really thank you for your motivational blog its simply wonderful!

    • Deborah Silver says

      I have had so many projects going at once the past few weeks, it was a pleasure to just stop and catch my breath. I greatly appreciate that you read what I write-thanks. Deborah

  2. Barbara Olsen says

    Hi Deborah
    Thanks for the virtual tour around your garden. I know I’ll never be able to come to one of your open days so this is the next best thing.
    Thankyou for continuing to give all your readers such great advice as in your last post. Hope you are taking some time to enjoy your retirement- I can highly recommend it.
    Regards, Barbara.

    • Deborah Silver says

      Dear Barbara, I am by no means retired! I just made provisions to put the shop in trust for Rob. But taking a little time off once in a while is a very good thing. Thanks, Deborah

  3. Silvia Weber says

    Dear Deborah, Happy belated birthday to Buck- Gerry also 65 this year. Yesterday was my birthday. Reading your post and viewing the beautiful photos of your exquisite horticultural endeavors and stolen moments of enjoyment in a life filled with projects; work and otherwise, this a wonderful, unexpected birthday gift!
    We too, enjoyed yesterday’s gorgeous light in our gardens. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all alfresco with pleasant temps, a slight breeze and the fruit of summer’s labors to gaze upon. We dined with hummingbirds and migrating Monarchs hovering over the citrus lantana on standard, sky blue petunias and chartreuse nicotiana ( from your shop – yes, we did a bold color scheme this year) wild canaries sipping from our fountains not more than 4′ from us and goldfish nibbling at the feet of Turtle Baby. Today, a gentle, steady rain- a belated birthday gift!
    As you so noted, our busy lives leave little time to enjoy special days like yesterday – they, and you, are life altering! Thank you!
    Hope to see you in September, we love you, Silvia and Gerry

    By the way, we were happy to read you are a satisfied, happy mid-westerner with no desire to relocate ( New York)

    • Deborah Silver says

      Love this letter Silvia-your Sunday sounds every bit as good as mine. I hope you can get here in September too! Thanks, Deborah

  4. Truth be told…the color scheme is an absolute knock out! So satisfying.

    • Deborah Silver says

      Many thanks, Michael. Routinely I second guess my ideas. Then I worry. Thanks for the backup. Deborah

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