I photograph many of my plants using the pond as a background
(or a foreground as in this case) simply because the water compliments whatever I am trying to capture. Shown is one of my two "Pink Diamond" Hydrangea trees that I have planted around the pond. This tree in particular offers a waterfall of blooms...my other tree has struggled and has stayed small, yet still offers a few blooms. I really need to move the smaller tree because of the soil conditions, I believe. We just have hard clay and every garden spot has to amended, which has been costly through the years...and really, my garden soil is still far from perfect. I used to have 5 quite large gardens besides what I have now...they all had to be moved due to an addition to the cabin, construction of the pond and the pond itself. A couple of beds were just a fighting battle due to constant moisture, so I am moving plants little by little around the pond. When we first bought our property here, I remember sitting in my office with my husband and a couple of co-workers. My husband mentioned that after we built our cabin, we were going to put in a pond...one of the girls asked how big it was going to be. Well, I answered, "oh something small ....about 15ft. by 15ft." My husband almost choked, laughed and said, "you've got to be kidding me!!!" I pictured a small fishless pond with a small waterfall and plants around the edges(something to take a dip in!) He pictured a small lake with bass and bluegill! He got his pond -1/4 acre (and fish! - no dipping for me!), but I have my waterfall. I have to say, I now am so glad we did it his way! Also shown is an up close view of the "pink Diamond"... as fall nears, the blooms undergo a metamorphosis, they change to a rich pink/mauve color. As I mentioned earlier, we have alot of moisture here- we have a huge three way watershed leading to the pond, due to being surrounded by three very large hills on our property. I have lost many, many plants...even though I thought that I could amend the situation - wrong!! I used to have quite a few Scabiosa in pinks, whites, blues, and yellow. Now all I have are three of the purple left. We'd have to re-do many areas into raised beds..anymore ...we just aren't up to that. So, here is a photo of my one bloom I have! Shown next is another Hibiscus in rose pink...most of the blooms were the dessert of THOSE Japanese beetles. Finally, there is the tried and true...geraniums. I haven't a clue of how to properly take a photo, and I'm sure a few of you are experts and look at these photos and say to yourselves ...that background shouldn't be black...I don't know how it should look...but, I really like the dark background...just as it turns out! Basically, I started this blog as a diary for myself...and for family to see what moves me.
get...the seasons just fly by faster and faster each year". In my case, I'd have to agree with him. As my husband and I sat on the dock last night around 7:oo p.m., it was the perfect evening. It's my favorite time of the days' end...the sun is low in the sky, casting shadows across the land and pond. The tall trees look so majestic ... the sun doing its' magic creating the contrast of half the tree and leaves, bright and sunny...while the other half is deep and dark. Our trees are all on good sized hills, so it makes for an interesting pattern as your eye scans the landscape. The water looks black at this time of evening, with sharp, crisp reflections all across the ponds' surface. There was an ever so gentle breeze and the perfect amount of warmth in the air. I told my husband that I've really been feeling the need to paint again...something I've always wanted to do and earlier this year, finally discovered that I enjoy it immensely. He said," why don't you go in and start painting now...you have a long weekend". I didn't, and the reason being is that as I sat there, all I wanted to do was soak up that perfect calm. I kept thinking to myself and finally aloud to my husband, how few evenings we have left this year that will be like this. I have to make these moments on the dock last, soak them up and save them for a dreary day that's surely ahead! It was a bittersweet feeling. Last evening could've been late spring...how it felt...and the feeling would've been quite different. I would've thoroughly enjoyed it, knowing there were many more of the same to come. For my mother, she feels sadness at this time of day in the summer months...as my father passed away around that time of day...at home...outside. Perception...and now I'm thinking too much here...that's when I get in trouble! Back to the last day of August...not much going on in the gardens, everything is winding down...ready for a much needed rest. Our summer was particularly dry and hot...I can't pull our hoses around the gardens and pond anymore due to back problems as of last year(we have a very, very, very long hose!). That job falls on my hubby now...and with him driving such a distance to and from work...time is limited for him. If he pulls the hose in certain areas close to the cabin, I can water for a short time before I feel the weight of the hose pulling my muscles down...then I have to stop. I used to love watering my gardens with the hose, I found it to be relaxing. Uh-oh...thinking again!! Well, at least the bees and butterflies are going about their business! It seems that all at at once I've noticed a surge in bees, especially the honey bee. Mmmm?? To end this post on a happy note...I found a sunflower growing not too far from our bird feeders!! Obviously a little present from the birds which I was thrilled to see growing! A few years back ...we made attempts to grow them in the sunniest spot we had at the time, with no luck. Here's my little beauty shown just shining...in an area that only receives early morning sun for about 2 hours, and very late evening sun for about an hour! What is up with that?! Did you notice the little lady on the sunflower?!
