Annette ~ What a beautiful visual tour of your gardens. I love your descriptions and felt like I was right there with you. 'Droplets that looked like pearls' was just wonderful! Thank you, thank you, for the lovely walk. It was so refreshing after a night of wind, rain and a tiny tornado, from Tropical Storm Barry. The rain we've gotten and will get during the day today is a God-send. We've needed it.

Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

What a lovely tour. I look forward to more pics of your gardens and ponds. I can live vicariously in your lush oasis. Caroline

I am glad Flowerlady that you got rain. We have had 1/2 in. in a month....worst drought in almost 120 yrs. My plants are coming from Bluestone in a few days and I am really worried that they will not get planted for some months. The nursery awaits. Caroline

Beautiful description - I felt I was with you and enjoying it also - Thank You for sharing your stoll.....

Lynne

Ah, fuchsias and ladies' mantle -- more plants for a cool summer zone 8 that I can only envy. Photos later?

I relate to having friends who do not garden. You can tell a non-gardening visitor: she'll take a short cut, planting a foot in a bare spot across a bed as you walk around the end, while you sigh over the compressed soil you'd nurtured so carefully or little seeds under there. It's hard not to wrinkle a brow or draw a long sigh. (I've become my mother.) Non-gardeners do not see 'what is to be' and comment with delight on a little stick with a tuft of leaves, just two months away from exquisite beauty.

Nell

Annette, that was such a lovely walk. I could also see it all as you described it. Everything is growing so lush and lovely, just the way you had planned it in your mind.

I live on a farm in the absolute middle of nowhere and I too have no gardening friends nearby. I do it for me and for my family. The other night my man came in from the field after midnight and asked me to come outside to see something. He wanted to show me how big the daisys had gotten even though he had no idea what they were called. And then he told me he was proud of all that I have accomplished. No other praise could have felt so good. And once in a while some crusty old farmer will pull into the yard and look around and act as if they have never seen anything quite like it. And maybe they haven't. So I get to feel like I did something magic every once in a while. I bet there are people who veiw your garden too, that are in love with it, and you just never know it.

MeMo

Caroline ~ I hope you get some much needed rain also.

Memo ~ What a sweet story! I don't have any gardening friends either, except for those made online. I have heard some comments as people walk by out front of our property though and that has made me feel great! They don't realize I'm just on the other side of the hedgerow. ;-) I can just see your lovely cottage gardens out there in farm/cattle country and it must look like a wonderful oasis of color to these farmers. Enjoy your gardens and the sweet words from your DH.

FlowerLady

Thank goodness for the "Gardeners' Support Group" as I lovingly call our Garden Forum. We can visit and appreciate each others gardens online. I always slow down and enjoy my flowers as I approach the mailbox (extended that area recently and created a true cottage garden there, too). It is always surprising when people zoom in their cars back and forth and wouldn't even turn their head when there is so much beauty and color around...

Annette, it felt wonderful to take a stroll around your garden. Thank you so much for sharing. There are not as many gardening friends in my life either, and it is always a treat to talk to someone who is as passionate about the subject as I am.
~Natalie

I, too, value every word of praise that my dh utters. He often says, "Well, it sure doesn't look like it did last year!" That could mean A N Y T H I N G. But I choose to assume that he means, "OH, WOW! Thank you so much for making our home so lovely! The flowers add so much beauty and pleasure to everything we do outdoors. And your work shows how much you care about our home and our whole life together."

Yeah...right.

Annette, I really enjoyed my visit to your garden. Your descriptive words transport the reader to your lovely garden.

Memo, how wonderful for your DH to appreciate all you have done to beautify your surroundings.

Linda, you crack me up and I know just how you feel. I rarely get an utterance from my DH regarding the garden, however, when I ask he is always willing to lend me a hand when I need help. I used to think it would be wonderful to have a DH who loved gardening as much as I do but I don't feel that way anymore. I really do enjoy doing it myself and my DH is such a sweetie about not fussing when I come home with more plants than I know what to do with. My daughter (who is back home with us now) loves the garden and wants to know the names of plants, however she is not a gardener. She brings her friends over and always asks me to give them a tour which is the highlight of any day. I feel especially good when she can tell her friend the name of a particular plant. Proves she is interested and appreciative.
Vikki

beautifully written! It is cold and rainy here today, and we were away on errands most of the day. So thanks for the garden experience on a day I couldn't enjoy mine.

DH tries to be appreciative of the my gardens, but he is just not into it. I often preface conversations with "I know this means nothing to you, but can you pretend you care?" :)
The other day I showed my 6 yo son my new peony chair (thank you garden junkers!) and he was just amazed - "WOW mommy! that is SO COOL!! You are SO SMART!! Daddy, come look this is AWESOME!!"
lol
My little gardener :)

My DH is not into gardening, this is probably a good thing in some way, it's all mine to do with as I please. He will help me with the grunt work, build things for me and haul my massive dungings out to the dump. DH is into wood turning and has created some lovely pieces, that's his thing.
I think he really likes how the garden has changed over the years. He came in last night with a smile on his face and said. (this from a man who thinks roses are only good for keeping lions out of african villages) you should go look at the rose on the other side of the house, lookin good. He will never be as passionate about the garden as I am, but hey, that's O.K. after 50 years of marriage we're still best buds.

FlowerLady, I hope there wasn't any damage from the tropical storm, and the rain has done wonders for your garden. Gardens perk up after a good rain, you can never get the same wonderful results with a hose.

Caroline, I will take a few more photo's later on in the season and post them if they turn out.

Lynne, I love to have you stroll through my garden anytime.

Nell, I grow a lot of different fuchsias, at one time I had 300 different varieties, now I'm down to 150+ and still trying to get it down to 100, we've got a new camera that should take some decent close ups, if I can get some decent photos I'll post them too.

Memo, I think the biggest compliment one can ever get are ones they get from their soul mate. DH And I have been married for 50 years, we're still best buds, it just keeps getting better and better.

Natalie, I agree, it's such a great feeling to talk 'garden' with friends that are just as passionate as you are, knowing that you are not boring them to death.

Linda, some guys just don't think it's important to put everything into words, and sometimes when they do, it comes out wrong LOL, trust me I know.

Vikki, do you think our DH's could be brothers, sound like they have the same genes:o).

Hipchick, Hmmmm, could be another brother here LOL. Sounds like there's hope for that son of yours. Both my boys are great gardeners, just hit and miss with my daughter so far, she's got the bug but not the time.

I've think I've mentioned before It was the book "The Secret Garden" that really left a big impression on me, as a child I had a lot to deal with and I could in a way relate to that little girl. My garden, not perfect and never will be, not finished and never will be, just a ongoing journey.
My garden has until now been a secret hidden behind a tall fence, few have actually seen it, a place to get away from all that is wrong with this world of ours and breathe easy. Does this sound soppy, or does this sound soppy :o) Thanks all for strolling through my garden with me, I feel as if I was sharing it with friends.

Annette

Annette - I just loved the tour and could envision myself there by your wonderful descriptions. I felt the peace and joy that you must feel when you're there. I don't have any friends to share gardening with myself. So it's so nice to come here and 'be' with people who know what I'm talking about. My dh listens to me and smiles when he sees my face light up when I'm talking about my garden. He tells me to just tell him what the color is and don't use names because he has no clue what I'm talking about! :) But I listen to him talk about cars and fixing his GTA with minimal understanding too - but I'm learning!

What a lovely written visual stroll. Thanks for taking us along and letting us "see" through your eyes what is special to you in your part of the gardening world. Now no more secrets, ya hear. ; )

Diana

Annette, that was a wonderful tour through your eyes.....which is how we like our gardens to be seen.

I am speaking as another "almost 50 years of marriage" woman....my dh certainly does not appreciate like I do the gardens....and has just recently become more helpful (as I become more decrepit possibly) which I do appreciate. I kind of like that it is my thing exclusively. We all need these kinds of things in our life.

Now...I will be checking the Gallery to see if you have pictures to go along with this tour!

Gldnol, I don't have any pictures to speak of in the gallery, there is a slideshow DH put together for me way back somewhere titled For Caroline.... I wasn't thinking when I posted it, I should have said for Caroline and others. There are a couple of pictures that relate to the walk through my garden. I'm such a nerd at times, made me sound I was snubbing everyone.
I'm just learning now how to put pictures from the camera (the ones without my foot) into my photo album and with my DH's help, hopefully I can post a few pictures in the future. I'm afraid I'm a very slow learner, but eventually the light bulb comes on.

Annette

Annette ~ We had more rain last night and it looks like it could rain again at any moment. You are so right about rain water being so much better than from the hose. I hear thunder in the distance and it's pretty windy too.

Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady

You certainly have a way with words, your garden sounds lovely.