The Love of a Garden

This year, for some unknown reason, my garden is so full, and each and every time I walk outside it calls my name. Since I have a pool in my backyard, my garden is in the front yard. I have a little bit of grass, but mostly flowers. 

The naturism's have gone totally crazy and the lavender is doing the same.

The lilies were here when I bought the house eleven or twelve years ago. I love them in the Spring. I always bring a bunch inside of my house.

This flower bed that backs up to the driveway is going a bit crazy too! The hollyhocks are spread through out the entire garden. I never planted them. The seeds from the two or three hollyhocks I planted awhile back have  found new homes all over the garden. The old vintage mermaid was a gift from my buddy, Monica. She was moving and couldn't take her with her. And Monica, knowing my love of the ocean and beach,  gave her to me! The mermaid relaxes in the sun daily enjoying all of the flowers that surround her.

On the opposite side of the yard, these flowers and plants have also gone a bit crazy. There are some sweet peas in there mixed with the rest of my favorites that come back year after year.

I love these roses which I think are named Peace. These are one of my favorites. When they first begin to open, they have just a light touch of pink in the middle of them. And they are also smell SO good!

This is my crazy jungle of hollyhocks! They are on the other side of my driveway, by the street, in the worse soil ever. Bryce use to make cement hearts, stepping stones, etc. And where did he dump the old, unused cement? Here, but the hollyhock seeds that blew over from the one's in my garden seem to love their new home! They just keep getting bigger, and higher. Crazy!

I know that those of you that live out here in Southern CA must remember Mary Lou Heard of Heards's Garden's and Nursery. She died way to early in life, but her love of gardening was passed down when a rose was named after her. Yes, above is the Mary Lou Heard rose blooming in all her glory.

As you must be able to tell, there is the more of my garden than grass and it has just gone a bit out of control this year. There is a little bit of everything mixed in out here.

I love to buy a cheap bouquet of flowers from Trader Joe's. Then I like to add in flowers from my garden to it. I got a couple of bouquets of  canpulas (I can't spell today) for like $3.79 each at Trader Joe's and then added some lilies from my garden with them.

I mixed in some of the red Mary Lou Heard red roses with the daffodils that I so love. They are super cheap and such beautiful flowers if you look at them closely.

Next to my bed, I always try to keep a vase of fresh flowers. I guess because it is nice to wake up to. I just put together a few daffodils and some of my white roses. 

 Just another little bouquet  on my fireplace.  You know, I've always loved to garden and always, and I do mean always, have fresh flowers in my home!

And where did I and my kids get the gardening bug? Who taught us all to love and respect nature? That would be my Mom. She is pictured on the left with her Mom, my Grandmother, Madge. My Mom grew up in Texas and her entire life she told me and my sister, and my kids about how much she loved seeing the big fields of her beloved Texas bluebonnets.  I have an old black and white photo of my Mom and my Grandmother standing in a field of Texas bluebonnets.  I want to get it enlarged and printed on canvas! It was a nice way to grow up, respecting and appreciating what nature has to offer all of us. My oldest, Brande, was so influenced with all those years of gardening, that she opened Johnnye Merle Gardens and Nursery in the back of Country Roads. My Mom knew about the gardens and nursery named after her, but her health prevented her from ever being able to actually visit her namesake. I know she is proud of all of us, although I wish she would have lived long enough to have that special time in the garden with her great-grandbabies!  I guess that is where I need to carry on her love for nature and gardening!