How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mary, Mary, quite contrary

How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

I wouldn't know a silver bell or a cockle shell if I saw one.

But a Mary I know sure had a pretty water lily and a cute birdhouse nestled among purple and white flowers. And, by the way, she's not one bit contrary.

Mary's beautiful yard was one of the six stops on the first-ever Stafford County Historical Society tour June 5. (Yes, it was a month ago, but what with harvest and other news, I'm just getting to it!)

And then there are gardeners like me. I'm not a good gardener to begin with, and our puppy, Millie, is not helping. The pansies are no more.

She likes digging in the dirt better than I do. It's a good thing she's cute.

(Ralph has that, "It wasn't me," expression on his face.)

Evidently the yards we visited didn't have new puppies ... or they are better behaved. It was definitely worth the price of admission to see the beautiful gardens by some of my friends and neighbors.

Jeanie is a Master Gardener. She has the education to prove it. (Evidently her day lilies got the memo that she's an expert. They were absolutely beautiful.)

As one of our other friends said, their garden looks like it would be a full-time job for three people.
Even her husband David got in on the action. He transformed some old discs from their farm into cute toadstools in the woodlands portion of their garden.

Shari and Jim's garden includes a beautiful pond scene with little goldfish.

At Pat and Lee's garden, the mailbox hides their gardening trowel and tools.

They've used a number of "found" objects to create little vignettes and scenes around their yard.

I think these two are the only ones relaxing in Gary and Shirley's yard.

Their fountain was spouting petunias instead of water (I should have paid more attention to the background and not gotten the high-line pole.)


I neglected getting any photos of the OWLS garden at the school, but it was a great place for students to learn about vegetable and herb gardening.

Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.

~Lou Erickson

That's probably why I'd rather read a book.

But I sure appreciate others' perspiration and inspiration.