The Parsley Patch

Every year, the dining room is transformed into the “greenhouse” for seed starting. Things were off and running great and as things were potted on, they moved out to the cold house.

Although the flowers don’t chuckle and there isn’t a magic tree that grows lollipops, there still is magic to experience behind the garden gate. Come and venture through to experience our world… a world of magic and enchantment for the senses.

The new fountain is in full bloom and has changed some since. The petunias didn’t work and were replaced with ageratum. Now the bright yellow daylilies, hollyhocks and double rudbeckia ‘Cherokee Sunset’ are showing what they can do. The dahlia’s are just beginning to open. ‘Bishop of Llandalf’ has been a favorite, but this year we decided to try ‘Bishop’s Children’ and the mix which are sports of ‘Bishop of Llandalf’ are just exceptional.

We found an interesting pot on sale at Home Depot for $30 and decided to turn it into a fountain. We had a spare pump and spent about $15 on fittings and a plastic basin. The water gently spills over the sides of the pot into the basin. It’s surrounded by hollyhocks, daylilies and ‘Merlin Blue’ petunias. As the season progresses, black-eyed susans and dahlias will spring up.

The back door is flanked by Alberta spruces planted in whiskey barrels. Evergreens, a staple of Winter holiday decorating, are a symbol of the eternal promise of Summer. The bell, which my brother put up for me, is traditionally rung on the Winter Solstice, to signal the coming light and renewing sun. On a clear day, a farm bell can be heard five miles away.

Fascinated by the great monolithic stone circles of the Celtic lands we wanted to incorporate that sense of mystery and spirituality into the garden, but Stonehenge was a little too big. Inspired by a book, we decided to use the Native American medicine wheel as the foundation for our stone circle.

When our aged, Norway spruce had to be cut down, it was devastating to lose such an old friend. We didn’t know what would become of the barren land left behind that had been protected by the sheltering arms of this great tree. Then the glimmer of hope presented itself and I decided to create a well water feature, backed by a witch hazel bush.