From the healing side of Gardens

A routine task of taking the dog outside became a beautiful gift.  Walking past the shop in my back yard, with my nose tingling from the crisp morning air, came my first noticing.  My eyes were already downward-focused because I was deep in thought.  A brown maple leaf sparkled and shimmered in the light as if covered in bits of cut diamonds.  I moved my head back and forth to get the full shimmering effect.  I became present to this picture and to the moment.

My gaze lifted and took in more beauty.  The lawn had become white with the blades of grass all erect as if each had been individually dipped in snowflake powder!

I kept going to see what else I might find.

The marionberry leaves seemed quilted in appearance.  They were rounded, puffy, and white with deeply stitched veins of green.

I lingered and took long slow breaths to allow these pictures to sink into my soul, extremely grateful for these small, beautiful gifts.  Beauty feeds my soul!  These moments continued to feed my soul for several days whenever they came to mind.

How would you like to give a gift to someone who wants to work on their garden? I'm available to assist, design, coach, or advise by the hour. I've created a Gift certificate that you can print and give to the garden-lover in your life. You can purchase hourly increments, at $35/hour, and either prepay me with a check, or arrange with the recipient to pay when they are ready to redeem.

Take a look at the Gift certificate and consider whether there is someone in your life who would enjoy such a gift!

A fun plant combination for a shade garden

Here is a fun plant combination from my shady garden area. Begonia grandis has the bigger, reddish leaf, and is pretty with the sun shining through, creating a reddish tone.  The pink flower is a Celia Smedly Fuchsia, and the blue flower is a Genian Willow (Geniana asclepiadea).

Fall pot using Corsican Hellebore, Heucherella "Stoplight" and Kinnikinnick

The tallest plant in this pot combination is Corsican Hellebore. The Huecherella "Stoplight" has lighter green leaves and red veins, complementing the Kinnikinnik's red stems and darker green leaves. These are all evergreen plants and work well in the shade, making for a perfect Fall pot.

Picking Dahlias

Fall reminds me that one year a friend took me to Alpen Gardens to cut a bouquet of Dahlias for my birthday.  There were so many wonderful colors and sizes, it was hard to decide which ones to pick!

For a low cost fun outing, ( 4.00 a bouquet)  let your child pick the colors and donate a bouquet to someone in need of a cheerful surprise!

Take Northvalley road to Flett Rd and turn left.  (12010 NE Flett Rd.)  I take my own small bucket with water, shears, and garden shoes. Go while they still have their open house!

Check out their web site to order your own tubers or just for more information at www.alpengardens.com  503-662-3951

Stone bed composition for Winterbloom

Plant Combinations