This post, “Enjoying the Garden” was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana
This afternoon when I came home from work, I just took a stroll around the garden. One of my goals this year is to enjoy the garden more. As I have written about before, too often people work in their gardens but do not sit back and enjoy what they have done. We tend to see what needs to be done and not what has been done successfully.
One of the first sights to catch my eye was the oakleaf hydrangea’s leaf buds opening up. They are such a pretty silver green. With the Louisiana irises being back-lit by the sun as a background, they really stand out.
This is my third oakleaf hydrangea. The first two died – both from too much water. I finally figured out to plant them very high in the ground, and this one has thrived. I would like to plant more of this type. This bush, while being deciduous, gives year round interest. Hugh panicles of white flowers in the spring that gradually fade to pink by autumn, fall leaf color, and exfoliating bark in the winter make this shrub a winner in my book.
Another welcoming sign of warmer weather was the appearance of the first tree frog of the season. I saw him on the variegated flax lily (Dianella) just above the soil line.
I almost missed him since he was the same shade of green as the plant. I guess it won’t be long before all his little friends start appearing.
I try and walk around the garden when I first come home from work or just before I leave for work. This way I can’t stop and do anything because I am in my “good clothes.” So I have learned to concentrate on the garden as a whole and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the garden. What needs to be done can wait until later.
Always Growing 
Carol, May Dreams Gardens said,
March 10, 2008 at 9:35 pm
What? You can keep from gardening just because you are wearing your good clothes? I always have to be careful as I can end up pulling “just a few weeds” or pinching back a few spent blooms and the next thing I know my good clothes are not so good anymore.
I do agree that we all need to spend more time enjoying our gardens, rather than working in them all the time. Step back and smell the roses, so to speak.
Well, Carol, when you are dressed for work and have about 10 min. to stroll through the garden, you just have to restrain yourself from doing anything that would cause you to have to change clothes. I do admit to coming home from work, church, etc. and thinking I’ll do one thing, that leads to another, and soon my outfit has to go in the washer, but I try not to do that too often.
flowergardengirl said,
March 10, 2008 at 10:09 pm
The frog is hidden well and looks like it’s sleeping. The pic above looks like an Iris of some sort. What kind is it? I like any hydrangea. I’m trying out some of the new varieties this year.
The plant that the frog is resting on is Dianella(genus), common name flax lily. It is not a lily of any sort. The leaves do look like an iris. I have both the green and the green & white ones. It has small blue flowers in the spring (a true blue, not purple) that produce small black berries. I believe it is from Australia. The oakleaf hydrangea is a wonderful plant. It does need water but seems to need better drainage than the mopheads do.
Randy said,
March 11, 2008 at 10:42 am
I completely understand, we get so caught up in working we don’t stop to enjoy like we should. You are absolutely right. I’ve tried to work on that myself. I do the same thing you do; I walk around in the afternoon in my work clothes so I’m less likely to do something. I still stop and pull the occasional weed.
Randy, I’m so glad to hear from others who feel this way. There’s no point in working so hard to make a lovely garden and then not enjoy it.