Michaele Anderson from east TN gives us a glimpse into the glamorous side of her splendid gardens.
"Good morning, fellow GPOD-ers. This is Michaele Anderson aka meander1 finally getting around to sharing some photos again. Seeing the summer pictures from the Southern Hemisphere this past week made me want to revisit some of my own from last year. Here are some of my favorites which include a few of the most special "flower" in my garden, my daughter, Tara. She was just being silly in pretend going to the prom mode since she found the glamor dress at Goodwill and couldn't resist buying it. I hope this coming summer will be as rewarding as last year's was."
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Comments
Hey Michaele - What a great way to start the week! Glad the southern hemisphere posts motivated you into action. The pics. of your coneflowers, bridge and water feature, Darwin's arbour, and the pink muhly grass are spectacular, but Tara has definitely stolen to show. Lovely dress and she obviously has her mother's class and sophistication. Any pics. showing her looking at the camera? Also, what is the tree in the pic. of the 'Polish Spirit' Clematis (trunk supporting the butterflies) - gum tree? Cheers, Frank
Thanks so much, Frank. Tara did pick a perfect summer day to add a little blue to my garden beds. We didn't set out to make her all mysterious with the pictures just being her profile and from behind but, as I looked them over, it seems that what we ended up with.
The "tree" with the clematis is actually the bare naked trunk of a cedar tree that had died and, after Darwin had cut it and was about to drag it to the burn pile, a light bulb went off for me. Ha, my ideas usually mean more work for Darwin but he was a good sport, got out the post hole digger and "planted" the pole where I had asked. I've been tickled with how well it has served as a clematis support.
I have not been successful in my recent attempts to share pictures in the comments section but you can go to the photos on my Facebook page and see some shots where Tara is smiling into the camera. She does have a face!
well Michaele, would love to see some photos of Tara on your facebook. I searched meander1 and Michaele Anderson but could not actually find you.
Hmm, try Michaele Anderson friendsville tn and see if that pulls me up. I feel bad that I can't seem to conquer posting a picture in the comments section. She also has a website and the page "about" has a picture of her.
http://www.abuzzandabout.com/about.html
Could not find you at facebook but did went to Tara's website and read about it. You have a beautiful and talented daughter and she writes well like her mother.
Thank you, Lilian. Ironically, I feel I have been more influenced by her eloquence in writing than vice versa.
I will pass along your kind words to her.
Always spectacular and never a disappointment when your garden is here.
Thanks, Jeff. This morning is all heavy with fog and even I am happy to revisit the summer color in my gardens. My mantra is "Spring will be here soon!"
I am back . Was in such a hurry this morning and was excited because Disqus actually loaded and allowed me to post. Everything looks great and we are all hoping for a good garden season. Please tell Tara that I need her to visit here wearing that dress when photo season begins! I am hoping for an early spring. We started back to work today,,,,,,,yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
And, I'm sure as the sun grows stronger, you and I both are going to be slathering on the sun screen! And, you are ahead of the game because you are already well used to wearing a wide rimmed hat. I need to get better about that.
Tilley has the BEST hats , crushable, washable and guaranteed for life. yes to the sunscreen as I don't have a lot left that can be removed
What an amazing garden! Love your pond and all of the rest! And yes, your daughter is lovely as well!
As with most of us on GPOD, I am addicted to gardening and it's nice to share the results now and then. Thank you.
Good morning Michaele. Every time I see photos of your garden I'm visually and emotionally drawn into it. The hardscape, just the right amount of whimsey, and the pond are all perfect. The abundance of flowers is awesome. I get most of my color from foliage, so it's good to see "how the other half lives"! That lily is awesome. I used to have a lot of lilies, but, over the years, they've kind of disappeared.
Someday I'd love to visit your garden. In the meantime, thanks for sharing and happy gardening.
Hi, Jay. It is curious, even to me, that I have ended up being such a flower person. And, trust me, my mother (who is now deceased ) was always amazed when she'd come to visit that her tomboy daughter was oohing and aahing over a daylily in bloom.Thanks to the influence of some on this gpod board (yes, count yourself, Jay Sifford), I have become much more aware of the importance of adding conifers to give my garden beds 4 season interest.
Beautiful, Michaele! The color in the flowers, the pond, the arbor were all exquisite, and your daughter, of course, was the perfect accent! And I love the muhly grass! Do you find it spreads? I tend to shy away from grasses after a few bad experiences.
Hi, Dee, I know some people find Muhly grass hard to get established but it has decided it is very happy in my zone 6b garden and, yes, it does reseed but, maybe, not as prolifically as Mexican feather grass. The volunteer babies are easy to eliminate or replant in a new area. What is your growing zone?
Thank you for your compliments.
Thanks for responding! I am zone 6b (bordering 7a) as well.
Good morning, Michaele. Will never tire of seeing photos from your exquisite garden. Really like seeing the large swaths and bunches of colored blooms. I don't really have anything like that in my garden. The water feature always make me envious...sigh, maybe someday. Your daughter, Tara, is quite the garden ornament..I bet the plants feel privileged to have her walk among them. Thanks for sharing.
I'll bet if you and Christine had been the owners of this property, David, you would have ended up doing a water feature in the area ours is, also. It was mystery terrain... fairly close to our house that was very inhospitable to mow. It had to be tamed and "prettified" and a series of ponds and stairways and plants, plants, plants seemed a good solution. For a number of years, Darwin and I would give ourselves permission to do a fun landscaping project a year...kind of like how you and your wife keep extending your planting areas. It's the irresistible siren call to garden, right?!
Everything in your garden is just perfect. I enjoyed the beautiful Muhly Grass captured just right with the sun shining through it.
Also your Coneflowers are so special. I need to see if I can find some seeds of those.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Meta. I will admit that with the 'Cheyenne Spirit' variety of coneflowers, you don't know what the colors are until they bloom. They can range from a soft vanilla to hot deep pink. I wouldn't necessarily have had the courage to put some of the colors together deliberately that show in the pictures but since Mother Nature did it for me, I'm delighted as her bold color scheme.
Michaele, it is indeed terrific to start the week off with your lovely garden. The photos of Tara, with her back to us, creates mystery and intrigue. The color of her dress accents the garden. It kind of reminds me of photos from a Southern estate with a "southern belle" gracing the garden.
The pond with the bridge is stunning. And the muhly grass. Wow. I have killed it 3 or 4 times before giving up in my garden. Thanks.
Good morning, Kevin, it is kind of ironic that my daughter does have such an appropriate "southern bell' name since she was born in NJ and did much of her growing up in the Mid Atlantic states. My mother was a big crossword puzzle do-er and the name "Tara" was the answer to the clue "What is the ancient capital of Ireland?" She suggested I put it on my list of girl names and once I heard it, I loved it.
Sorry muhly grass decided it didn't want to be a happy resident for you. You know what a fan I am of it. Thank you for enjoying my pictures.
Your first pic shows the 2 plants that I adore and thankfully grow well for me - coneflowers and black eyed susans. Gorgeous pic of your land and tell Tara I agree she got quite a bargain with that dress.
Hi, treasuresmom. Thanks for your comments. Obviously, I share your enthusiasm for the happy colors that the coneflowers and Black-eyed Susans add to garden. Every year, I get such a pleased tickle out of how varied the naturally reseeding blacked Susans can turn out. The differences in the dark centers fascinate me.
I think Tara scored that dress for under 10 dollars so she felt ok dancing about the garden in it.
A fabulous collection of photos to start off our week. My thoughts too.... looks like a Botanical Garden! And Tara gracing your garden, oh, so lovely. The photo with the bridge is breathtaking! The arbor certainly is impressive, also. Love your garden, Michaele.
Thanks so much, Margaret. It was fun to focus my camera on the tall willowy flower my daughter pretended to be that day.
Good morning Michaele, What a way to start our week. Tara is the perfect name for that belle! Your garden lifted my spirits today. My sister was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer that's already in the bones. I'm sorry to bring this up in our gardening blog, but my world has been rocked. I don't know if I'll get much gardening done this year or not, but your beautiful garden reminds me that there is beauty everywhere, if you look.
Sorry to hear your news Rhonda. I hope that you can enjoy your and other gardens this year, and that they take your mind off other matters. Keep your chin up. Cheers my good friend, Frank
Thanks Frank. The flower show in Philly will be a welcome respite.
Rhonda, I am so sorry to hear that about your sister. I will keep her and your family in my prayers.
Thanks Kevin!
Oh, Rhonda, I felt a stab in my heart as I read your news about your sister. Please know that she will be added to many prayer lists and I totally understand how such a diagnosis for someone you love becomes almost all you can think about. Take care of yourself as you deal with this difficult journey.
Thanks Michaele. Prayer is what we need!
I am broken-hearted for you and your sister, Rhonda. You are in my prayers and wishing your sister the best that medical care has to offer. So sorry that you and your family are among the many touched by this terrible disease.
Thanks Tim. All of the GPOD ers are so caring- I am very grateful.
Rhonda, so very sorry to hear of your news. Prayers and Best wishes are sent your way. And yes, gardening is wonderful therapy so I am hoping that you will have some time and energy to immerse yourself within it when you can.
Thanks Margaret!
So sorry to hear this, Rhonda. Your sister is lucky to have your cheerful, quirky sense of humor to get her through this difficult time. I hope your garden gives you some solace this summer.
Thanks Linda. I hope so too.
Oh Rhonda, I am so sorry to hear about your sister. I will keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.
Thanks Chris!
So sorry to hear about your sister Rhonda and hope there is new medicine that can cure breast cancer.
Thanks. Me too!
Rhonda, my heart breaks for your sister. You both will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Thanks Sheila! We really appreciate it. My sister is upbeat and she knows it's because of the prayers!
How fitting that Tara should enjoy dressing up and playing in the garden. She does indeed look like a southern belle on the grounds of her mansion. I hope she never loses that sense of fun! I love the photo of the bridge and pond and the columns are to die for! I think the pink muhly grass looks like a beautiful peacock displaying his wonderful plumage. I will have to see if I can find one for my southern yard. Thank you for a great start to the day!
Ooh, Deanna, I love your comparing the fan of muhly grass to a peacock's tail. I have to admit, they both stop me in my tracks! If you garden in a growing zone 6 and higher, I'm sure you can be successful with pink muhly grass. There was a time it was somewhat difficult to track down to buy but now places like Lowe's and Home Depot carry nice size containers of it. I think it is better to plant it in the spring so it has time to establish its root system. Mine start showing wisps of color by the beginning of Sept. and then positively glow all through the fall.
Thanks for your fun comments.
Good morning Meander, Thank you for the terrific garden photos this morning. " In search of my Mother's garden I found my own" Alice Walker came to mind when I saw the photos .with your daughter. I am sure you & she spent many happy hours planning & planting the gardens & those memories are in her thoughts while visiting. .
Good luck to you & your family this spring, Joe
I love the quote you shared, Joe. I think for many of us, the love for gardening didn't kick in until we got a little older and found we still had the desire for nurturing...tending to plants satisfies that desire to care for something and encourage its development. Tara is getting in touch with her own appreciation for gardening nowadays.
I agree ~ my love of pansies comes from my German grandmother and love of fuchsias and forget-me-nots from my Downton Abby type British grandmother and provide a wonderful connection to the past I took for granted.
Sounds like you have love for gardening coursing through your veins from all sides of your family tree.
Hi Michaele! We have all been inspired by your pink muhly grass. Peggy and I planted several along the edge of our public garden at the Conservancy that our Garden Club is in charge of. We had a little bloom. The site is in full sun so we have our fingers crossed that it will be magnificent one day. I planted one last spring in my big perennial bed but it didn't survive. I will have to plant one in my nursery bed and try again. All too often the little plants you get from mail-order just don't survive the competition.
I am especially sorry, Rhonda, to hear abut your sister. My sister has a rare form of stomach cancer and goes into surgery the day before Valentine's. This has rocked my world. She is so disciplined, eats a great diet full of fruits and vegetables, is slender, exercises. How can this be? I haven't been thinking about the upcoming gardening season at all. I have taken solace in my pictures. Also I love to look at the hosta alphabet pictures on the garden forum. Very soothing.
If you would all say a prayer for her and for Rhonda's sister, thank you.
So very sorry of your sad news. Know that we all are thinking of you and wish you and your family strength and courage. Our prayers are sent your way.
Nancy, I am so sorry about the diagnosis that has struck your sister. I can certainly understand your bewilderment over why she, with all her good eating and life habits, should have this medical challenge. All the other things that seemed so important and time consuming can easily be set aside as one deals with such worries about a loved one.
When it comes to the success of muhly grass in your garden, I would look for those nooks and crannies that you know have good drainage and are maybe a little protected. One it gets to be a good sized clump, I think it provides some self insolation.
Your sister will be my thoughts and prayers and I know your strength will be a great comfort to her.
I am so sorry to hear about your sister, Nancy. I will keep you both in my prayers.
Thanks for your prayers. We'll add you and your sister to our prayer list.
Nancy, I am so very sorry to hear about your sister. I will be sending positive thoughts her way.
Hi, Diane. Thanks for your lovely comments of appreciation. With as hot and sultry as our summers can get here in east TN, I need some "loud" flowers calling me to get outside and to get to work.
Hey there Michaele! Love, love you're butterfly collection/tree. The gardens were showcased perfectly with your 'wandering beauty' and this carefully selected group of pictures. So glad you included the muhly grass...an envy from here in NY. Thank you for this Monday morning smile!
Heartfelt prayers for our GPOD families facing cancer treatment... I know... ❤️
Hi, Terie, I think I have shared with you before that my love for trying to add clematis in new locations was somewhat inspired by that picture you once showed us of the clematis growing up a pine tree in your garden. Ha, I haven't been the same since! Now, I'm always on the lookout for a chance to add colorful verticality to my garden beds. Thanks for the inspiration and the compliments from today.
Aww, glad that you still think of me. Yes, going vertical is something I continue to strive for in the gardens. Even a picket fence went noticeably higher when recently replaced. And the clematis that you speak of is still doing well after being relocated to the base of another ash tree. Happy gardening friend.
Wow, I'm impressed that you successfully dug that clematis out since it seemed so close to the base of the tree. I think I would have been scared off from even trying.
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I may just transplant all of this into my yard and consider my job finished!
I just love love love everything you posted, especially all the art pieces in the Gardens. Where did you find the butterflies you have hung on the tree trunk?
Thank you for sharing.
Hi, Lily. So glad to read that seeing my garden ornamental butterflies gave you a smile. I'm a fairly opportunistic shopper for things like that and work hand in hand for my desire for a bargain. So, places like the discount stores Tuesday Morning and Hobby Lobby are often where I find much of what I call my garden "froo froo". I'm at the age where I don't care much about dolling myself up with fancy shoes or clothes so my spending urges are all directed at buying plants and stuff for the garden. This Christmas, my big requested gift that I hoped Santa would bring was an IOU for a truck load of river slicks and pebbles. Ha, yay, I got what I wanted and will cash it in someday soon!
Your garden is stunning Michaele! Love those butterflies! Your daughter in her beautiful dress is the finishing touch!
PS: Prayers for your sisters, Rhonda and HellofromMD.
Thank you, Christina, even though we all garden for ourselves and our sense of satisfaction for whatever, big or small, our efforts create, it's always nice when others enjoy it also.
Thanks so much!
I'll be back to take a closer look. Just wanted to take the time to say that despite the imposing Lilium 'Big Brother', Tara is the most charming flower in the garden! Delightful sense of humor and charm.
Hmm, Tim, it would have been interesting to have Tara plant herself next to the lily, 'Big Brother' and see which one is taller. But, then again, you are the one who grows some gi-normously tall lilies. You should share the picture of your "Golden Splendor' and we'll all feel dainty and petite in comparison.
Ahhh, the color, the diversity, the charm, the sweeping scenes and rolling hills.......I do believe you've created a gardening Eden, Meander. Because of your introduction, Cheyenne Spirit has become a favorite of mine. How can one not feel uplifted when gazing upon their bright faces! It adds to the fun that they provide an added surprise of not quite knowing what colors will prevail. When matched with the exuberance of the black eyed Susan's, they shout happiness.
I love that you intersperse your lovely, elegant garden with whimsy and charm with your butterflies, birdhouses and garden quotes. Deanna's comment on the muhly-peacock tail was spot on and add to the dreamy vision. Your 'off to the races' daylily boasts such a lovely, vibrant color and the shape seems to emulate the flouncy folds of material on Tara's dress. And, oh, Tara! That image of willowy, mysterious Tara flocked in birds egg blue, sweeping along your bridge and through the waterfalls is reserved for dreams. I think that will be the image I pull up when I search for contentment.
So, one last thanks for infusing my morning with vibrant charm. (I attached a photo of the somber and still scene I woke up to this morning). You pulled a Wizard of Oz color transformation and thrust my day into technicolor for a short time. Thanks!
PS: heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Rhonda's sister and to MD's sister and their families.
Ahh, sweet Kielian, your generous words will replay in my mind like the lyrics of a favorite song. Ha, if I had the talent, I would write a melody to go along with " the color, the diversity, the charm, the sweeping scenes and rolling hills" and do my morning walk about singing this to myself. Thanks so much for noticing so many of the little details that are often placed as a little secret treat for me to spy. Glad that I made a convert to the charms of the coneflower variety 'Cheyenne Spirit'. I am such a fan of its range of colors. Waiting for a clump to finally start revealing its color palette is like getting to the prize at the bottom of a Crackerjack box...ha, that says a lot about how old I am! Oh, and the fun comment about the daylily's curved edges repeating the impression of Tara's "flouncy folds"...pure poetry!
Love the beautiful peacefulness of your snow picture...the contentedness of the grazing horses says it all. Thanks so very much for all of lovely comments.
Kielian, the view from your window takes my breath away. It's magnificent!
Thanks Sheila. I'm certainly spoiled calling this part of the world home, where it feels like I'm living in a painting. But, oh Colorado! You've those magnificent peaks and ranges of the highest mountains. We are definitely mountain girls!
What part of our US are you at, Annek? Not Denver - Montana, Minnesota, the Dakotas, New York???? Oh, I peeked - it IS Montana! What part? We were in Great Falls for a decade. Loved all the snow - for real!!!
Hi Linda. Great Falls is a wonderful place to spend time! I peeked to see where you are living now and was tickled to see Colorado. I was born and raised in that beautiful state and lived in Conifer for almost a decade. At 9000 feet we had a lot more snow than we receive here in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, so I've actually moved to a warmer clime. We're just south of Missoula and I've fallen in love with the state. It reminds me of Colorado before the population and traffic expanded....although Colorado is still one of the prettiest places in the nation.
Oh my goodness, the Graybeals had a huge cattle ranch in Hall, MT just to the east of you. I know the area and would spend my Horse Whispering days there if I could (or 'nearby' Big Timber or Livingston). I was a rookie gardener in Montana but remember the volunteer snapdragons that came in on the wind or via the birds. I also had a Primrose Path on the shady side of the house that did rather nicely.
BTW I love Conifer. What a wonderful place for a child to grow up - all those forests to explore. I remember going up to a house to look at an organ that someone was giving away to our church and I happened (aka 'got lost) upon the Rose Quartz quarry - people actually landscaped with this beautiful stone.
We have lived in western Washington, Montana, and now Colorado.
Gardening was easiest in Washington, if you didn't mind pulling weeds EVERY day. Montana was a challenge, but the blanket of snow did insulated what perennials could grow there nicely. Colorado is an interesting blend of both.
I remember that quartz quarry! Couldn't tell you how to get there, but the image remains in my memory banks.
Loved the horse whispering comment. We currently have 10 horses (say whaaat?) and although we don't ride nearly as much as we used to they do make lovely pasture ornaments. Our old boy (a Gaited Morgan paint) is now almost 32 years old.
I love gardening here as the wild rush for color and blooms in the spring carries my spirit upward. We can grow delphiniums that are 8 feet tall (how DO they find the energy for that height in a relatively short growing season?)
Michaele - what an spectacular property, gardens and daughter! Your plantings and hardscape perfectly compliment/enhance the setting. I love your birdhouses and especially how you mounted one on the dead tree stump grouping. The columns with arbor that Darwin built is magnificent! I see that it supports an elegant gate. Is the gate a custom design or an antique? I'd love to see more pictures of it in a future post. I looked up 'Firelight' hydrangea and read that its flowers turn from white to pink to deep reddish pink. How well does it hold its color in the reddish pink phase? I am in zone 6b with very hot summers like you and I find my panicle hydrangea 'Strawberry Vanilla' does not hold its deep pink long at all. Upon research, I read that they do better maintaining their in cooler summer climates. Thanks so much for the beautiful photos!
Hi, Sue, you were probably looking for at least one hosta, right? How can I show favorite garden pictures without including a favorite hosta. I hope to remedy that with taking some photos this late spring when they look all delightfully unblemished and pristine. My best grower nowadays is 'Guacamole'.
Thank you for all your thoughtful compliments. Darwin and I do enjoy adding hardscape elements to the garden areas. Ha, they can distract from noticing the weeds I haven't gotten around to pulling!
There is a bit of a story behind the metal gates. We bought them early on after we moved to our property 20 some years ago but then we didn't ever have the perfect place to display them. They "lived" in a barn stall for years. Then three years ago, we decided we better the heck do something with them so we could enjoy seeing them showing off their character and charm. Hence, the columns and arbor project. Mounting them was a little trickier than Darwin expected but he got it all figured out. I do love them and will do a special "photo shoot" of them this summer when all the plant material is thriving.
I have some glorious 'Strawberry Vanilla' hydrangeas but their flower heads are so heavy that they often arch downward. The 'Firelight' variety seems to maintain its upright stems better but the blooms are a bit more modest in size.
Are weeds acting as shady fillers to keep the roots of your plants cooler??? Understand about your hostas - last year, mine got decimated mid-May by hail! IF the hail skips us, the hostas are glorious come June! So I have to be quick to take that perfect pic BEFORE the deluge....
BTW, are most of the plants you are showing perennial down in your neck of the woods? I'm Zone 5 in the Denver area, but the climate jumps from freezing to warm day by day this time of year (hovering around 20 at night and currently 63 degrees) - classroom windows are all open, catching this intoxicating temperature. Makes me want to go plant shopping and planting....But WAIT, March is around the corner when we get our worst blizzards ~~~~ sigh.
We also share the ying and yang of fluctuating temps although our winters stay decently mild most of the time. Oh, we get some below freezing stretches but they never seem to last long. Hence, I get the "joy" of 4 season weeding. We had a terrible spring hail about 5 years ago and I was absolutely heart sick at what it did to my hostas. Those glorious leaves that had only recently fully opened became tattered ribbons. Some of the hostas never recovered and waned into nothingness over the following 2 years. I try to hold off buying new perennials until mid March and even then, I know I am taking a chance. The only things pictured that are not dependable perennials are the black eyed Susans that reseed and act as annuals. Their flowers are more flamboyant than the regular perennial rudbeckia 'Goldstrum'.
So glad you will take some photos of the gate this summer. I am fascinated by gates of all manner. I have one in the garage that I am hoping to install at the end of new long narrow garden area between my fence and my neighbor's fence. I am going to call the area the "bunny trail" because I have neat rabbit statuary that I tuck in between and under plants and shrubs. I'm hoping the plantings will be mature enough to photograph and submit to GPOD this summer. Although I don't have the good fortune to have a barn stall for storage, I do have treasures that have and continue to remain in storage until I am able to find the perfect place for them, so you are not alone in that regard. Do your 'Strawberry Vanilla' and 'Firelight' hydrangea hold their red color for very long in the intense summer heat? Mine have a tendency to brown rather quickly. I have the best luck with 'Quick Fire' hydrangea whose blooms look lovely for a good three (or more) months. Thanks, again, and I'll be looking forward to your hosta pics next spring.
Hmm, 'Quick Fire' sounds like a real winner. I felt that my 'Strawberry Vanilla' browned out a little quicker this past summer and didn't stay as long in that mesmerizing half white, half pink stage.
I love the idea of your bunny themed trail and I'm sure it will be thoroughly enchanting. I esp. like rabbits when they are celebrated in statuary form....in real life...grrr... not so much.
You will approve that in the shadow of the columns and gate, I do have about 5 'Sum and Substance' hostas and so far, the evil voles have left them alone.
Five 'Sum & Substance' will make quite a statement when mature. Can't wait to see that. What about your 'Firelight' hydrangea - did that hold its red coloration for a substantial period or did it brown-out early, too? I have thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful comments from all the GPODers who clearly appreciate you, your lovely gardens, and your thoughtful daily comments.
Hi, again. It's been very gratifying to share in so much cyber chatting about my favorite subject. The place where I planted the 'Sum and Substance' will soon become a spot that I check to see those beginning tips breaking the surface. Ha, I become a hosta stalker when the weather start warming up. I think the pink tinges lasted longer with 'Firelight' than 'Strawberry Vanilla' but nothing as awesome as the 3 months you said 'Quick Fire' looked showy.
Oh my! Michaele, everything looks beautiful. And having a mysterious model in a lovely blue dress certainly adds charm to your garden. What a wonderful way to start the week. The heat in that first photo, with the black-eyed Susan, the cone flowers and that kniphoria, certainly warmed me on a cold winter day. I'd love to just sit in one of those patio chairs and soak it all up. I'll have to check your facebook page later, no facebooking at work. GPoD is fine as, for me, it falls under "Professional Development."
Ha, Chris N, I really enjoyed your labelling GPOD as "professional development"...good for you. I think looking at the pictures is good stimulation for the brain and the eyes and even if one's job isn't oriented towards gardening, visiting gpod is good for morale and productivity. Ha, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Yes, please do take a seat in one of the chairs and relax...I don't do it enough myself and I need to get better at that. Thanks for taking some time to comment.
Check!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Definitely getting into the swing of things, Linda
LOL ~ same for work here as well. Hmm, trying to figure out where this would apply as PD for me as a teacher of Internationals and Learning Center students: Consumer Math (with a large % of my budget allocated for gardening ~ check!), US History (getting exposed to gardening all over the US - check!), English for ELL's (new words they can learn ~ check!), Comparative Religions (plants are talked about alot in various religions ~ check!) --- and I do a series of interactive Plant & Invertebrate field trips here on campus in the summer ~ check! check! check!
Sounds like you've got all your bases covered and you get an A+ for box checking!
Hey Linda - fits in perfectly with your job description. There is an international flavour to GPOD e.g. I try to do a little educating about Aussie flora, fauna and culture via the blog. Cheers from Australia
Oh, you are just exiting from your summer and wafting into fall. We are anticipating spring and all that it brings - however, here in the Denver area, we don't get to really start gardening until Mother's Day in May. So, we have a way to go. If you know any students that want to experience a different culture here in Denver, send them out this way. We'd love some from Australia! (check!!!)
Good morning, Michaele, what a gorgeous garden! Now I see why you always have
cheerful upbeat comments. You live in a Monet painting with a beautiful daughter and a talented husband. Your muhly grass is so lush. Mine was getting a little bigger and then the bunnies decided to dine on it so it is now caged and coming back slowly. Those coneflowers are such stunning colors. We never had good luck with them in our WI garden, but you've inspired me to try again on Whidbey. Thanks for this great share this morning. You've gotten me all excited for spring.
Well, Linda, I definitely share your building anticipation about the arrival of spring and active gardening. My mind is starting to tingle with plans about what I want to move to where and what I need to add or tweak. That's the beauty and joy of gardening, right...it's never done! Grr, on the bunnies eating your muhly grass...shame on them...I'm sure you have plant material you would be happy to share with the critters that tae up residence our gardens...but...keep those nibbling teeth off the muhly!
Ah Michaela, I don't know what to say other than that which has already been said. You have a beautiful and enchanting garden with a lovely blue fairy, flitting about. (I used to love those bargain finds when our daughter was that age!) I see so many of my favorites; the coneflowers, daylillies, hydrangeas, black-eyed susans, and crape myrtles! And a wonderful pond, I'd love to see the waterfall.
Thanks for your kind words, chelleisdiggin (and, if you have a chance to come back on for another comment, tell me the story behind the name you use on this board...it does sound so gardeny.) I do enjoy all the plants you made mention of and appreciate how well they do in my zone 6b garden.
I think if you were to type my name Michaele Anderson in the search bar that is at the top of the page, you would get some links to click that show some more expansive views of the waterfall garden area.
Sorry for the delay, Michaele! My posting name here is a combination of my real name - Michelle and a play on the fact that as a gardener, I'm always digging and I'm 'digging' it. That last bit shows my age a bit, I guess. Now, I'm off to do the name search and check out the waterfall pics. I'm planning a water garden/koi pond install this year, I hope. I've been without one for three years and I'm missing it so much.
Well eye candy Michaele! So magical and so beautiful with Tara dressed up in it. You have a beautiful daughter and garden! Love the butterflies on the tress trunks, so creative. I am on quest for the oriental lily by the name of 'Big Brother' - have to have it.
Hi, Lilian, I appreciate your compliments. I have a confession to make...I just ordered an additional number of 'Big Brother' myself. I figured I would plant the new ones in the same area and let them make an even bigger statement. If I'm allowed to say, I will tell you that I ordered them from the bulb seller K. van Bourgondien .
Hi Michaele! So wonderful to see more of your beautiful gardens! Every picture was breathtakingly gorgeous! Even Tara fit so well in them! You have a beautiful place! So inspiring and i sure like the coneflowers and that daylily is a winner! Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Jeanne, it's always so nice to receive approval from a stellar gardener such as yourself. We do have a lovely mutual admiration society here on GPOD.
Dearest Michaele... it only makes sense that your gardens have such beauty. How could they not when they were created by such a thoughtful and amazing woman? It's magical to have Tara dancing through the beds of beautiful flowers, all she needs is to wave her wand to and dreams will come true! Your gardens are truly beautiful as is your girl!
Thank you so much for your evocative words, Sheila. They make me more excited than ever about spring getting here and seeing all those color filled areas come back to life. I actually cut a few early bird daffodils yesterday that I have planted amongst the swaths of daylilies.
I love the colors of the Cheyenne Echinacea. I planted several last year and I hope they manage to overwinter, I have really bad luck keeping them alive. They grow like weeds for my neighbor... go figure?
What a gorgeous estate you have! Cheyenne Spirit absolutely glows. I echo everyone else's comments and agree, "Mrs Anderson, you have a lovely daughter"! :) We missed all the snow this winter until now - woke up to a foot of very heavy wet snow. Beautiful but destructive. Our 2 tarp-covered metal pole structures are now flat on the ground. Minor news compared to others' - my thoughts and prayers to all who are dealing with illness.
Your bright summer pictures really brightened my cold snowy morning. Thanks.
Brrr, Shirley, a foot of heavy wet snow is serious stuff. Be careful if you do any shoveling! Your paraphrasing of the Herman's Hermits song gave me a big smile...ha, but also reminded me of how old I am. That song was from the 60's , right? I can still see the lead singer with his big toothy smile bopping his head as he happily sang the lyrics. Thanks so much for commenting.
Yes, I am an antique - 79 in May! After a brief foray to survey the damage, we are enjoying the snow from inside the house. Don't need to go anywhere til the spring thaw.
Well, well, you are on the verge of being 79 years young...good for you...plus, you still have the smarts to not put yourself in jeopardy from physical tasks. I heartily approve.
What a beautiful garden Michaele!!! I love the blue fairy fliting about. I will look forward to seeing more of your fabulous landscape.
Thanks, Bobbie, it's always fun to share pictures and, hopefully, make someone's day a little brighter.
Oh, meander ~ you have a name and such a pretty one at that! I love your pictures but I drool the most over your walkways, bridges, stream, pond, and other hardscapes. Everything is perfect just the way it is. What touched me the most is hearing about those whose relatives are fighting for their lives. I am so glad you share ~ since I am a praying person, do you mind if I pray for each one? Several of us ladies got kicked off an HGTV garden site in 1999 because one gardener shared that she had to transfer her mother's roses in the late fall in Chicago (and wanted to know how to do it) because her mother had just passed away. Several people complained that encouraging someone who had just lost her mother had nothing to do with gardening. They missed the point ~~~ gardening and enjoying beautiful pictures such as yours, Michaele, have EVERYTHING to do with compassion and caring and reaching out to encourage another. Gardening and music are my two go-to pastimes when I am sad and grieving. In fact, the music of the birds, the rustling of the grasses and leaves, the wee tinkling of the bells, the buzzing of the insects, the lyrics of the breeze born on the scents wafting by are the best music I know. God bless you all, dear gardeners.
Thank you for saying that, Linda! I wasn't sure if I should say anything. All of your encouragement really makes a difference. I told my sister how many people are praying and she is so overjoyed!
Oh, Rhonda, I welled up reading that you were able to share with your sister that she in being embraced by the prayers of strangers who want nothing but the best outcome for her.
You started all of this positivity with your beautiful garden. I went outside this afternoon and did some weeding!!!!
I find it mentally soothing to do repetitious chores that I'm very familiar with...esp. and mainly if it's outdoors. Dusting indoors doesn't have the same effect on me.
This is all so beautifully expressed, Linda. I am so glad that our GPOD family is large and caring and not dismissive at all if someone mentions a request for prayers. I feel closest to my Higher Power when I garden and tend to the daily miracles of nature. I feel humbled and grateful for the opportunity to have the quiet time within my soul to hear all the subtle sounds you mentioned.
Hello Michaela ~ so sweet to see your post this AM as we are covered with a cold, wet blanket of snow this morn which is not so common for Bainbridge Island. Your breath of Spring/Summer is so encouraging and your flowers are magical. You do such a beautiful job of composing in your gardens and I always love visiting. The last photo is like a beautiful scene out of a Disney film with your lovely daughter as the 'princess'. Thanks for sharing your bountiful gardening gifts and talents.
Hi, Linda, my area just got a gust of cool rain so I got chased away from some outdoor weeding and now I'm back inside huddled at my laptop. My reward is to get a read a comment from you! Thanks for your compliments about my garden "composing". I do admit that I benefit from the fortuitous contribution of serendipity sometimes and things will end more lovely than I could have ever hoped for. I will definitely share with my daughter that she has achieved Disney princess status...that will make her smile!
I loved your garden pictures. You have created a wonderfully magical place. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Kriss, for enjoying my pictures.
Ah, Michaele!!!
Like Tim, I'll need to return to this post after dark as the response has been and continues to be generous!! (Racing the possibility of RAIN here!! Keep fingers and eyes crossed!!)
I feel like a surfer riding on a massive wave from the North Shore (I grew up in Hawai'i) with all the comments and fear I would but echo what I reckon many others have already and probably more elequenty stated below...and, again: can't wait to enjoy later this evening!
However, I will state my own two cents worth by proclaiming comfort in your photographic style. Your magical images seem to be similar to how I try to capture the moments in my garden, albeit yours are a bit nicer....for now!! ;-) (I'ld better get back to practicin'!!)
But, I especially love the waves of colour running through your vistas! Y'all must have some phenomenal soils there!! I try to get something similar going here, and have gotten close to those displays, but more elbow grease, and time I reckon, is needed before I see something as spectacular as your views!! I'ld guess there's a myriad of grateful gossamer wings about these plantings all season long, yes?
I also love the quirky-ness and beauty of the art woven into the living tapestries! (Is that birdhouse your's?) And, your "model" adds a great deal of olde-fashioned grace to the landscape!! (and, more than a little pride from the photographer/mom!!)
Wished we lived closer. I'ld come over to mine your creative brains, listen to your "how-to's", and steal some ideas. Don't worry, tho. I'ld also bring living brightness in the form of coloured temptations for barter/payment!!
Gotta go and get the last of the cannas transplanted and if time, throw down more California Poppy seeds. Hopefully, the skies will deliver a bit of blessings to tuck both in!! Jesse
Enjoy your comments Jesse, you 'old fox' (goes back to a previous post of yours). Cheers from Oz
Ah, Frank!! You Shore know how to sweet-talk a fella!! (wink-wink!!)
Thought about y'all the other day. They've already begun to post Burn Bans in a few counties around us here in the South Central part of this continent. Many ranchers around here use annual controlled burns on their acreages to keep their pastures clean and rejuvenate the graze. That may not be allowed this late winter. Almost unheard of at this time of year. I'm now fearing that the blistering heat and dryness y'all are dealing with down under will soon migrate to this side of the planet.
I commented on your wide paths a few moons back. We have to employ similar strategies here for safety. Wide berths give us security in being able to see where our feet are landing. Just this week, we noticed the turtles are already out and sunning, and I've noticed more than a few lizards rustling the fallen leaves. WAY too early for such nonsense. I'm cleaning out our beds but already am on high alert for slitherin's which may and probably are already awake. (I've had a couple of close calls in the past couple of years. Thank Goodness for Guardian Angels!) Anyway, too early in the year for such concerns, and yet.....
Take Care, Mate! Jesse
G'day Jesse - Thanks for your response. I'm very interested in the fact that your ranchers (we call them farmers) usually burn off their pastures etc. FYI, our wheat farmers in the Mallee region of Victoria (900km NW of Melbourne) routinely burnt the stubble of crops before ploughing the ground for another crop. Occasionally when we had strong NW winds after the stubble was burnt and the soil was exposed to the weather, huge dust storms would blow soil all the way down to Melbourne and beyond. In 1983, we had a huge dust storm hit Melbourne (see pic) and 1000 t of top soil was deposited on Melbourne. This accelerated the introduction of minimum tillage farming practices in the Mallee, and we haven't seen a major dust storm since the change in farming practices.
In July last year I heard your then Sec of State, John Kerry, give an outstanding talk on ozone depleting substances and climate change at a UN environmental program meeting in Vienna. He absolutely got it and fully understood the consequences of climate change on your country and the world. The reality is mate, that the frequency of extreme weather events is going to increase in the future. For us in SE Australia, climate change will result in warmer (yes warmer!!!) and drier weather, and more frequent bush/wild fires (SE Australia is already one of the most fire prone areas in the world). They can be very severe because of the eucalyptus oil in leaves and bark of gum trees. So as you have picked up, my bushfire management plan includes the use of lawns, agapanthus and wide paths. I also have to keep fuel away from the trunks of large gum trees to minimise the risk of the fire going up into the canopy of the trees and blowing right into our house. Also, the intense heat during a fire creates fire balls of eucalyptus oil which shoot alone for great distances. This is serious stuff mate. On 7 Feb. 2009 a Black Saturday fire killed 173 people and injured 414 in our State of Victoria.
Great chatting with you mate. Cheers from Oz
It's always so fun and energizing to read your comments, Jesse and this one is no exception. Frankly, your enthusiasm for gardening is so contagious that if it weren't already dark, I'd want to go outside right this minute and do something, anything, in my garden! It certainly sounds like you are going to have some glorious color going on in the next couple of months if you are spreading poppy seed and getting your canna settled in to a new location.
Let's see...to answer a few questions. Our part of TN has very dense orange clay for "soil" so I do a lot of compost adding whenever I plant anything. However, weeds seem to grow robustly so the clay must have lots of nutrients.
The blue birdhouse in the waterfall garden is an original creation of my husband and me. My contribution is to wave my hands about vaguely and try to describe what I want. He manages to make sense of it and come up with something great. That's our teamwork!
Guilty as charged in the proud mom/photographer department. She and I had fun picking out some favorite spots that would be pleasing backdrops for her princess dress.
We'd do great as garden neighbors. It would definitely be fun to share ideas, enthusiasms, and plants. Thanks so much for all your generous compliments.
Your daughter looks like a fairy princess - and your garden is worthy of her!
Thank you so much, Anita. My daughter and I enjoyed that day and the flowers were on their best behavior.
Can I ask a stupid question? (I know, I'm a teacher and there are no stupid questions ---- except THIS one....) What does GPOD mean --- I've come up with Garden Pictures On Delivery - but that's not right. Green Plants Of Delight? Gracious Planters' Out-of-this-world Descriptions?
The blog's name is Garden Photo of the Day. Not sure what happened to the "t." I think it used to say that at the top of the blog.
Thanks Chris - I think I've seen that phrase before! But it never stuck in my brain. It seems so much more just a garden photo!!!
Well, Linda, I, for one, love all your alternative guesses for what GPOD might stand for. I think when the feature first began a few years ago, the idea was that only one picture would be sent in and featured. Turned out we gardeners are greedy for garden pictures and one became two and so on and so on!
What makes a garden a sanctuary? Well, the answer is clear in all of your photos above especially the most beautiful of all your flowers amidst them all. It is so heartwarming that Tara is enjoying your garden and you and Darwin and the rest of us are charmed and enthralled by this experience of Tara enjoying your garden. It makes it so much more worthwhile when enjoyed by all. I hope you'll be framing some of these photos. Have a great day Michaele! Hope you are seeing better and healthier days this February.
Ah, ha, Cherry ...now I see the rest of the sentence from the Facebook opening line of your comment. I like your thoughtful and thought filled answer...it warmed my heart that you and so many others enjoyed seeing Tara being the tallest and most lovely "flower" in my garden. And I should definitely follow up on your suggestion that I get a framable hard copy of the pictures with Tara made up. Nowadays, that important step gets forgotten because of digital storage. Thanks for sharing your positive energy with me and so many others.
What a mature, well-planned, beautifully tended and artfully decorated garden! It is especially pleasant seeing a human being wandering around in it.
My Cheyenne Spirits never survived through germination, but yours make me want to try again. And I'm holding my breath to see if our Muhley Grass makes it through winter. Thank you for sharing all the loveliness!
Hi, Anne, thanks for your thoughtful compliments. I'm surprised that your Cheyenne Spirits never made it to the fun stage...seeing what colors the flowers were going to be. Heaven knows based on your video of your 2015 garden, you certainly have a green green thumb. I hope you have been having a good time doing the renovations that you mentioned you were going to be dealing with throughout 2016.
Michelle, this late in reviewing your posting from yesterday that I can say is "DITTO, DITTO, DITTO" to everything that has already been said. Your Tennessee garden is awe inspiring and your daughter just completes the specialness (new word) of it. Clay soil, huh. You have given me hope as I prepare to attack the clay mini mountain on which I live. Believe I read somewhere that clay is nutrient rich .., just stingy about letting you put your plants into it and allowing their roots to spread (just like a clay pot). Thanks for sharing. I look forward to seeing more down the lane.
How nice of you, Sonya, to take the time to comment even though you weren't here when the bulk of our fellow gpod-ers were. Am I right in remembering that you live down in GA? If so, you certainly do have classic "red" clay and I empathize with your hole digging challenges. During dry times, I will sometimes have to start a hole with a little scraping and then pour water on it to soften things and then dig a little more...on and on. ..until things are finally deep enough. Happy planting during the upcoming spring!
Last summer, I used a pick axe to break the clay and then amended with store-bought garden soil and leaf mulch in order to plant 4" potted perennials. Can't wait to build up my muscles this year!
Wow, sounds like you don't need to waste money to join a gym and work the weight machines...just grab your pick ax and get to work!
Oh happy days! Thanks for the excuse not to go to the gym!
Magnificent... And Tara ! What a garden ornament !!!! Wow- Your photos really capture the true colors of the coneflowers. Know you are not using an iphone. Really did my heart good to see your garden. Thank you for sharing.
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