In the early spring my lawn was sprinkled with little clumps of purple violets winding their way down to the creek's edge. I traced them in the grass like I was searching for a lost piece of jewelry, and made my way to a fenced area along the creek where the previous owners' chickens once resided.
Crossing the creek which was freely flowing from the springtime melt, I discovered an exciting variety of natural wildflowers and woodland plants. This wonderful surprise was beginning to add new personality to the wooded area that I had only seen in winter, and late summer last year.
Little treasures dotted the forest, and taking care not to step on them, I made my way around, perking up with a glimmer of a smile at each new sighting.
One day, a sea of pink and white fragrant phlox, filled the forest across from the creek like dots of a Monet painting.
Once June arrived, I began to notice a strong floral fragrance in the air as I worked in the garden. As always, when I notice something like this, I look up into the trees to try to identify the source. It's usually some type of magnolia or flowering tree that I have never seen before. After some investigation, I noticed that the honeysuckles were in full bloom. I have always loved their sweet smell, and carefully extracting the nectar from the little flowers as a child. There is a vine draped over the fence right near the vegetable garden and the smell fills the air as I stake my tomatoes and train my beans. I made my way back into the woods, and noticed a shrub that looked very much like privet. It was blooming with such an intoxicating fragrance that I had to cut some and bring it on to my patio. The smell permeated the air everywhere, and behind it were notes of wild roses.
I also have been keeping an eye out for plants that I can introduce into the landscape, as a sort of experiment. Attaining a balance between natural, wild, and cultivated gardening is exciting. I don't know what the summer holds, but I will be looking out for new surprises!
Here is one of my first experiments!
