.
A sign in the village advertises an upcoming art gardens tour.
“Well they won’t be coming to us!”
…I said.
.
If I was to describe my style of gardening it would be laisser faire.
Whatever grows, grows.
Weeds, flowers, grasses of many kinds.
.
A weed is merely a wild plant growing where it is not wanted. Therefore, to render my garden weed-free all I need do is declare everything that grows welcome.
You see how one can benefit from adjusting one’s thoughts!
.
Every year I dutifully plant seeds, but with low expectations and when flowers do come up I swear it’s not where I put them.
Such as sweet William, down a slope and behind bushes where I can’t get at it. How did it get there?
.
Wildflowers are lovely.
Wild roses can be reached with the telephoto lens.
.
There are many flowers down below, but to view them involves tangling with blackberry thorns and nettles which I could manage but for my fear of ticks which once put me in hospital.
It’s as if I’ve become a magnet to insects and every year I seem to become more allergic to their bites.
My arms and neck are covered in bites and I’ve hardly set foot outdoors.
.
This is the lower field.
Definitely a no-go area for me!
.
When I first had a garden I made an attempt to keep the flowerbeds tidy, but arthritis has made this too punishing and Grant has enough to do with everything else, hence:
Laisser-faire.
A gardener? No such person exists.
.
The Japanese spirea bursts with flowers that last such a short time and it got beaten down by pouring rain.
A few days ago I took a short video which I’ll attach. If you turn the sound up you may hear bees and our neighbour’s peacock.
The bush has grown enormously since we planted it 4 years ago. I am always drawn to the sunlit leaves that remind me of stained glass.
.
.
Yesterday began with heavy mist.
.
.
It creates pretty pictures.
Which I can’t resist.
.
Here are a few more…
(Click on the image below and it will take you to Flickr.)
.
I have also had to give up on weeding, so have pronounced Dandelions to be ‘lovely yellow flowers’. I am on a total of just two insect bites so far this year, but with the temperature expected to rise to 27C tomorrow, I am expecting more bites now that Summer has finally shown its face.
Best wishes, Pete.
Beautiful photos and a beautiful garden. Wild roses are so lovely – early summer in the simplest. most delicate little flower… and very photogenic too.
If, Carolyn, your no-gardening produces so many beautiful flowers, than you have a magic green fingers, and you don’t realize how good you are! I even admire the field you cannot visit!
Joanna
I, too, am a magnet for insects, especially mosquitoes!
Our style of gardening too. We have so many flowering plants, right now many of them that invasive yellow plant so prevalent in western Washington. We could wage war and win if we were going to dedicate a consistent 10 to 20 hours a week from April through September, but I can’t be arsed. Both our jobs keep us busy and exhausted. But I love seeing all the birds, butterflies and bees, buzz around during the summer. Our HOA neighbors regard us an eyesore, but have not reported us yet, they just stare disparingly and shake their heads.
I prefer a ‘messy’ garden – where plants and flowers grow where they want. The sounds of nature in your video are lovely and so are your photos taken in the mist – once again proof that you don’t always need a bright sunny day to take beautiful photos.